Chapter 2

Sylvie cut her trip to Tabriat short.

Instead of texting Phillip to let him know she was safe, like she always did, she went straight home to the Thornton Manor.

The Thornton Manor was nestled in a hillside villa district on the north side of the city. As the car pulled in, the butler was already waiting at the gate.

"Miss Thornton, Mrs. Thornton said to go straight to the study when you get back," the butler said.

Sylvie nodded and headed upstairs.

In the study, Sylvie's mother, Cathy Thornton, was sitting on the sofa, sipping coffee.

When she saw Sylvie walk in, she set her cup down and gave her a complicated look.

"Have you figured it out?" Cathy asked.

"Yeah," Sylvie replied, sitting down across from Cathy. Her voice was so steady that she didn't sound like someone who had a breakup.

Cathy studied her for a moment and sighed. "I never liked Phillip. It's not about him being broke. It's that he never truly cared about you.

"A man can be broke, but he can't be heartless. You spent five years with him, but he never made the relationship official or gave any real commitment. Someone like him isn't worth your time."

Sylvie didn't argue.

Back when Cathy used to say things like this, Sylvie would always jump in to defend Phillip.

She'd say, "He's busy," or "He wants to build his career before settling down," or "I know he loves me."

But thinking back, even Sylvie couldn't believe those words anymore.

"About the Norton family," Cathy paused, "I've met Melvin. He's a nice guy, soft-spoken, gentle, and his background's solid.

"Why don't you meet him first? If it doesn't feel right, we'll find someone else."

"No need," Sylvie said. "Go ahead and arrange it. I trust your choice."

Cathy gave her a long look, as if she had more to say, but finally nodded. "Alright, I'll handle it."

In the days that followed, Sylvie threw herself into wedding preparations.

Melvin turned out to be easier to get along with than she'd expected.

The first time they met, he was dressed in a simple white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. When he smiled, his eyes crinkled, giving off that boy-next-door vibe.

"Ms. Thornton," he said, reaching out his hand. His voice was gentle, but there was a hint of distance. "I know this is an arranged marriage, so you don't need to feel any pressure.

"After we're married, we can each live our own lives and not interfere with each other. We only need to play our parts for the elders."

Sylvie looked at him, and suddenly, this whole marriage thing didn't seem so bad after all.

"Alright," Sylvie said, taking his hand. "Here's to a good partnership."

"Here's to a good partnership," Melvin replied.

They shared a knowing smile, perfectly in sync.

The wedding preparations went off without a hitch. With the Thornton and Norton families teaming up, it would be extravagant.

They booked the most luxurious wedding hall in the city and sent out hundreds of invitations. Every VIP and power player in town got one.

Everyone knew the Thornton heiress was about to marry the Norton heir and become the Mrs. Norton everyone in town wished they could be.

And Phillip had no clue about any of it.

Three days after Sylvie got back, Phillip texted her, [Sylvie, are you home yet? Want to have dinner tonight?]

Sylvie was in the middle of trying on wedding dresses when she saw the message.

She glanced at the screen, didn't reply, and set her phone face down on the table.

Phillip waited for a while, but when he didn't get a reply, he frowned and sent another message: [What's up? Are you still on your way?]

Still, he got no reply.

He got impatient and started to call Sylvie.

The phone rang for a long time before she finally picked up.

"Hello?" Sylvie's voice was calm and distant.

"Sylvie, why didn't you reply to my messages?" Phillip sounded a bit annoyed. "I made a reservation at your favorite restaurant for dinner tonight."

"I can't make it tonight. I've got plans," Sylvie replied.

"What plans?" Phillip asked.

"Trying on wedding dresses," Sylvie said.

Phillip was quiet for a few seconds, then he let out a laugh. "Wedding dresses? So you're getting married? Who's the lucky guy?"

His tone was light and teasing, as if he was certain Sylvie was joking with him.

Sylvie didn't say a word.

Phillip's smile slowly faded. "Sylvie, stop playing games. I know I haven't spent much time with you lately, but don't try to upset me like this.

"Let's have dinner tonight. I'll really spend time with you, okay?"

"Phillip," Sylvie's voice was eerily calm. "I'm not playing games. I'm serious.

"I'm getting married on the fifteenth of next month. If you want to come, I can save you a seat."

With that, she hung up.

Phillip stared at his phone, stunned for a few seconds.

Then he let out a snort, tossed his phone onto the table, and muttered to himself, "She's really going for it now."

He didn't take Sylvie's words seriously.

To him, Sylvie was acting out because he hadn't proposed yet, and trying to pressure him into popping the question by claiming she was marrying someone else.

He'd seen this kind of game plenty of times before.

He was getting annoyed. He was busy planning his wedding with Victoria, and Sylvie was still causing drama. He thought Sylvie was being insensible.

Two days later, he reached out to Sylvie, ready to set her straight.

The restaurant was bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, the air thick with romance.

Phillip took Sylvie's hand, looking at her softly, his voice carrying a hint of resignation. "Sylvie, when you said you were getting married, you didn't mean it, did you? You were just upset, right?"

Sylvie calmly pulled her hand back, picked up her glass, and took a sip. "I meant it."

Phillip's face stiffened for a second, but he quickly slipped back into his gentle demeanor. "Sylvie, I know you want to get married, but I'm busy now.

"Work is crazy, and I can't leave. Can you wait for me a bit longer?"

"Don't bother," Sylvie said, setting her glass down. "I'm with someone else now."

Phillip's patience finally snapped.

His face darkened, and his voice went cold and sharp. "Sylvie, I'm telling you for the last time. Stop with the drama.

"If you really want to get married, wait until I get things settled here. But there's no way I'm marrying you on the fifteenth next month!"

By "settled here," he meant his situation with Victoria.

In his mind, Sylvie's wedding could only be to him. She was trying to pressure him into keeping his promise.

"Let me make this clear," Phillip said, his tone hard as steel. "On the fifteenth, I've got something major going on.

"There's no way I'm marrying you. Don't push me. Cancel the wedding, or we're done, even as friends!"

He was sure Sylvie couldn't live without him.

He figured that if he laid down the law, Sylvie would get scared, fall right in line, cancel the engagement, and crawl back to him like always.

But to his surprise, Sylvie gave him a cool, almost mocking smile, her eyes steady and unbothered.

"Phillip, you really think too highly of yourself," Sylvie said, her voice crisp and icy. "I was never planning to marry you."

With that, Sylvie didn't bother looking at his shocked face. She picked up her bag and walked out, not glancing back.

She left without a hint of regret. Her exit was absolute, not a shred of hesitation.

Phillip sat there, stunned.

He watched Sylvie walk away, and a strange sense of unease crept up on him. But his pride quickly smothered it.

He convinced himself Sylvie was saying all this out of spite, trying to play games. He thought she'd come back once she calmed down in a few days.

As for the guy she mentioned, he was someone she was using to provoke him, nothing more.

He let out a dismissive snort, picked up his phone, and texted Victoria: [Babe, I miss you.]

Victoria replied instantly: [I miss you too, honey.]

Phillip smiled, not giving Sylvie another thought.