Chapter 1

I had known James Foster for seven years, and every Valentine's Day, we spent it together as friends.

He's always had a thing for someone, his best friend's girlfriend, Emily Carter.

I had seen him waste away because of Emily, and I had seen him break down in tears, always mumbling, "I met her first. Why am I invisible to her?"

It wasn't until Emily got married three years ago that he finally started to let go.

My friends always asked if I had a thing for James. Honestly, I didn't. He was just a friend to me—nothing more.

I did have a crush on someone once, but his mom thought I wasn't good enough for him. She slipped me some money and told me to get lost.

I took the money and left. We were just worlds apart.

I never told anyone. It was not exactly something I was proud of.

I stared out the window at the rain. James was late today. I'd been waiting for almost an hour before he finally showed up, saying he got held up by a last-minute meeting at work.

When the steak arrived, I started cutting into it. Same restaurant, same steak, every single year. This was getting old.

Next year, I needed to switch things up. Maybe I would finally get myself a boyfriend, too. Otherwise, I would just keep scrolling through my feed, watching everyone show off their love, and wonder when it would finally be my turn.

"James," I said, taking a bite of steak and swallowing before continuing in a casual tone, "I'm not spending Valentine's Day with you next year."

He looked up at me, clearly caught off guard. "Why?"

"I'm just sick of the steak here," I replied.

"Then we'll just pick a different place next year."

He still wanted to do this?

"No, I don't think so," I said, shaking my head.

He finally stopped what he was doing, set his fork and knife down beside his plate, and looked at me with a rare seriousness. "Sophie, I want to know the real reason."

I met his gaze, figuring there was no point in beating around the bush. "Alright, I'll be straight with you. I just feel like it's time to start dating. I've spent Valentine's Day with you for years. Isn't that enough?"

He paused for a few seconds, like he couldn't quite wrap his head around it, then asked, "Why do you suddenly want a boyfriend?"

I looked at him, and for some reason, it struck me as kind of funny. I took a sip of water and said, "Honestly, I just suddenly realize that every Valentine's Day, everyone's showing off their money transfers, gifts, and couple photos online.

"And me? I've got nothing. It's kind of embarrassing, you know?"

I poked at the broccoli on my plate with my fork. "Come on, I can't seriously spend every single Valentine's Day with you for the rest of my life, right? Don't you think so?"

His face stiffened for a moment, clearly surprised by how straightforward I was. I caught a hint of discomfort flash across his expression.

I decided to just spell it out. "Pretty much all our friends assume I have a crush on you. Because of that, nobody's bothered to actually ask me out all these years."

I sighed, half joking, half serious, "If this keeps going, I'll really end up alone forever.

"And," I said, softening my tone as I met his eyes, "after all these years, James, you should look ahead. There's someone out there who's meant for you. You deserve real love, too."

James listened, his eyes fixed on my face for a long moment. There was something in his gaze I just couldn't figure out. He didn't say anything, just kept staring at me in silence.

His look made me feel uneasy, so I hurried to break the awkward silence. "Come on, eat up. The steak's getting cold."

After that, all that was left between us was the occasional clatter of cutlery against our plates. Neither of us said another word.

When the car finally stopped in front of my building, he still didn't say a word. He just reached over and unlocked the car door.

The silence was even more nerve-wracking than an argument.

"I'm going up," I said softly, breaking the silence at last as I pushed the door open.

I didn't look back, and I just walked straight into the building.

After that night, James and I just stopped talking.

We didn't reach out to each other.

Maybe he really was swamped. Running a company had a million irons in the fire.

As for me? I was just hustling for a paycheck, working like crazy to get by.

One day, my cousin Ryan Lane, who'd been overseas for training for ages, finally came back and asked me out to catch up.

When I got to the restaurant, I saw that there was someone else sitting with him.

"You've put on some weight," Ryan teased with a big grin as soon as he saw me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Maybe you should get your eyes checked."

"Got it. Always looking out for me, aren't you? First thing you do is find me a doctor."

"What can I say? Family bonds run deep," I said with a tight, fake smile.

Just then, the guy sitting next to Ryan let out a low chuckle. I finally gave him a proper look.

The moment I saw his face, I couldn't help but click my tongue inwardly.

Ryan's taste in friends had always been spot-on. The one in front of me? To put it simply: hot.

Ryan slapped his forehead as if he'd just remembered, then turned and gestured to the guy next to him. "Oh, right, I forgot to introduce you. This is Ethan Grant, my college buddy. He's our company's psychologist—he's the go-to guy for anyone struggling with mental blocks or tough times."

He winked at me, his tone teasing. "Sophie, don't be shy if you ever need help. I'll get him to give you 10% off."

If Ethan hadn't been sitting right there, I would've kicked Ryan under the table already.

But I kept up my graceful act and replied to Ryan in a gentle voice, "Honestly, I think you need it more than I do. You should keep it for yourself."

Ryan just gave a couple of muffled chuckles and didn't say anything else.

Halfway through the meal, Ryan got up to use the restroom.

Ethan, sitting across from me, said casually, "I heard from Ryan that you work at an accounting firm, Ms. Hughes."

Ryan really did tell everyone everything. "Yeah, that's right," I replied, keeping a polite smile on my face.

"You and your cousin seem really close," Ethan said with a gentle smile. "Ryan's always so polite and mature at work, but around you, he's way more playful."

"That's just an act," I said, setting my glass down, unable to resist roasting him. "Honestly, he's a total kid at heart."

"Talking behind my back, huh?" Ryan chimed in, grinning as he returned to his seat.

I looked up and winked at him, not holding back. "Just saying you're all serious in front of others, but a big kid when it's just us."

Ryan just laughed, didn't bother to argue, and grabbed some food with his chopsticks.

Ethan, sitting across from us, watched our back-and-forth with a subtle smile.

"Hey, look over there. Isn't that Sophie?" Lucas nudged James's arm and nodded toward a booth by the window.

James turned his head, his eyes landing on the booth. It really was Sophie.

I was sitting across from two guys, and one of them was smiling as he casually placed a peeled shrimp onto my plate.

I picked it up, popped it into my mouth, and flashed him a bright smile.

James's gaze locked onto the shrimp that was handed to me, then moved to my smiling eyes. That easy, familiar connection between them felt like a punch to the gut.

He pressed his lips together, his face giving nothing away.

"What a coincidence. Should we go say hi?" Lucas suggested.

James looked away, his expression unreadable, then turned toward the private room we'd booked. "Nah, let's just go in," he said, his voice flat.

"Ryan, peel me another shrimp. I'm still not full," I said, sliding my plate over to him.

"Don't you have hands of your own?" he grumbled, but he was already grabbing a napkin.

"Come on, you're my cousin. Spoiling me is basically your job," I said with a cheeky grin, acting like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Ryan let out a dramatic "tch," but he still picked up a shrimp and started peeling it for me.

After we finished eating, Ryan got up to pay the bill.

It was just me and Ethan left. He picked up his phone, looked at me with a smile, and asked, "Ms. Hughes, it was really nice meeting you today. Would you mind if I added you on WeChat?"

I hesitated for a second, then nodded. Honestly, Ethan's vibe, the way he talked, and even his looks—he was exactly my type.

They drove me home, and when the car finally stopped, I got out, waved goodbye, and watched as they drove off into the night before heading upstairs.