Chapter 4

Caroline POV

Three days before the wedding, the jewelry company delivered the wedding rings.

Isaac was on a video conference in his study, so he asked me to sign for them.

I signed the receipt and took the heavy box into his study.

He was listening to a subordinate's report, his expression serious.

Seeing me enter, his eyes softened instantly. He pointed to the corner of the desk, signaling me to put it down for now.

I placed the box on the desk.

As I turned, my elbow accidentally knocked over a stack of documents.

They scattered across the floor, revealing a design blueprint hidden beneath.

I bent down to pick them up.

My movements paused the moment I saw the blueprint clearly.

It was a rough sketch of a ring design.

The main stone was a rare pink diamond, and the inside of the band was engraved with "Only One."

The date on it was half a month ago.

The wedding ring I had just signed for, however, had a white diamond as the main stone and was engraved with the first initials of our names.

Isaac took off his headphones and walked over. "What's wrong?"

He followed my gaze to the blueprint, his expression stiffening. He discreetly pulled it out and tucked it into a folder.

"Nothing, just a discarded draft."

His tone was natural as he put an arm around my shoulder. "Did you try on the ring? Does it fit?"

I looked at him and smiled. "Not yet. I'll try it tonight."

At two in the morning, the person beside me was breathing steadily.

I quietly got out of bed and walked into the study.

I opened the safe; the password was my birthday.

Inside, two identical dark blue boxes rested silently.

I opened the one on the left.

Inside was a pink diamond, engraved "Only One."

Dazzling.

I opened the one on the right.

A white diamond, engraved with our initials.

Standard

Isaac had once said, "Caroline, you are my only one."

It turned out this was the real "only one."

I took both rings out.

And swapped their cases.

I put the pink diamond into the box designated for the wedding, and the white diamond into the box that was originally meant for Bethany.

After doing all that, I closed the safe.

Back in the bedroom, Isaac rolled over, his arm instinctively reaching for me.

I avoided his hand and lay on the edge of the bed.

Moonlight spilled across the floor, lighting the calendar on the nightstand.

A date was circled in red.

Three more days until I could finally leave him.