Chapter 1

Five years ago, I accidentally broke William Chase's precious music box—the one he kept for his first love. As punishment, he shipped me off to the middle of nowhere in Alboure.

Five years later, I was back. William pulled up in his car and motioned for me to get in.

"Next week is James's wedding," he said. "Apologize to Sophie in front of everyone, and I'll let you be my date. Otherwise, you'll always be my dirty little secret."

I lounged in the car, kicking back with my legs crossed, totally unbothered.

What William didn't know was that, a year after he shipped me off, James popped me the question and we even had a child.

*****

William pulled up in front of the villa. The motion-activated lights flicked on, revealing the yard filled with white daffodils.

Noticing my gaze lingering on the flowers, he said, "Sophie's back in town. She's staying at my place for now. She loves daffodils, so I replaced your hyacinths with them."

I plucked a daffodil, checked myself in the reflective glass by the entrance, and tucked it behind my ear.

"How do I look?" I asked.

I shot William a carefree grin over my shoulder, pushed open the door and strolled into the living room with a swagger. He stood there stunned at the doorway, like he barely recognized me.

He followed me into the living room, almost in a trance.

I scanned the room I hadn't seen in five years. A photo had taken the place of my old painting on the wall. Sophie Monroe was smiling at the camera with that innocent look.

William walked over to the photo, a proud smile on his face as he stared at it. "That's the shot Sophie won the international competition with," he said.

I rested my fingers on my chin, cocking my head at him.

"Wow, she's got skills—winning a photography award with a photo of herself," I said. "Bet she'll snag the next trophy too, right?"

William was about to nod and praise her, but suddenly hesitated, his gaze locked onto the photo on the wall.

His lips pressed together as he quietly reached up and took the photo down. The sense of unfamiliarity in his eyes grew even stronger as he looked at me.

Someone came down the stairs—it was Sophie, her hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders. She wore a white gauzy dress, like she'd stepped right out of a moonlit dream.

"Emily, William gave your room to me, so you'll need to crash somewhere else tonight," Sophie said, sounding almost apologetic.

I hooked my fingers on the edge of the couch and swaggered over, my steps light and a little cocky. When I reached the step near her, I rested my hand on her shoulder and a smirk played at my lips.

"Sure," I said. "I'm just here to grab my stuff, so I'll need you to step aside."

I pushed Sophie's shoulder aside and stomped up the stairs, making sure my steps echoed loudly. Sophie cried out in surprise, grabbing the railing just in time.

William hurried to her side, checking if she was alright. She shook her head, insisting she was fine. William's brows eased a little, but he glared at me, clearly displeased.

It was as if he was looking past my current body, seeing the old me underneath.

"You really haven't changed," William said. "Still so narrow-minded. You could never match Sophie's good heart."

I flashed him a carefree smile and strolled toward my old room, completely unfazed.

Everything inside was just as I remembered. I unlocked the drawer and pulled out a handmade doll. It was stitched together from scraps of fabric—the only thing my mom ever left me.

I slipped it back into my bag and headed downstairs. Back in the living room, I shot a glance at the two of them lounging on the couch. Sophie was cozied up next to William, clutching her stomach.

Sophie pouted, "Will, I'm so hungry."

*****

She was the girl William could never forget—his childhood sweetheart. If Sophie's family hadn't gone broke in college, they would've naturally ended up together.

But William was too young to have any say in his family's decisions. By the time he finally begged his parents to let him be with Sophie, she'd already moved on to another wealthy heir.

And just like that, they missed their chance.

Then William met me—a girl who bore a striking resemblance to Sophie—and started pursuing me.

In those days, I was buried under my grandma's crazy medical bills and the debts my dad left behind.

When the debt collectors were about to bust down my door, William was the only one who lent me 2,000 dollars.

He saved me when I was at rock bottom, so I clung to him like he was my only lifeline and got swept up in his gentle ways.

I did everything I could for him, hoping we'd always be together. But the second Sophie walked back into the picture, my dream came crashing down.

*****

"I'm really not a fan of takeout. I just want something home-cooked," Sophie said, her voice sweet and a little flirty, while she batted her lashes at William, giving him a playful look.

William paused for a moment, then a smile tugged at his lips. "Emily knows her way around the kitchen. Hang tight for a bit," he said to Sophie.

Then he turned to me. He grabbed the notebook by the fridge which was packed with all the recipes I used to mess around with, tore out a page and handed it to me.

"Pick up the groceries and whip up something from your old recipes," he said, and then raised his wrist to check the time.

"It's 9:30. The supermarket closes in half an hour. You've got an hour and a half to get dinner ready. Don't let Sophie starve. I'm starving too, so step on it."

He hurried me out and tossed me the keys to his Maybach. The moonlight glinted off the keys as I picked them up and twirled them around my index finger.

I smirked and said, "Perfect, I'm hungry too."

Hours later, I scooped up a steaming bowl of soup. I settled out on the balcony, letting the chilly breeze cool it off.

I took a relaxed mouthful of chicken soup, savoring the comfort. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with an incoming call—it was William.

"Where the hell are you? Sophie's been waiting for you to cook, and now her stomach's flaring up again. Are you messing with us on purpose?" William barked. "Get back here, and don't mess around on the way."

I held my phone a bit further away, speaking calmly to the screen. "I'm at home, eating. Hear that slurping?"

William was furious. "You selfish woman, just stuffing your face alone..."