Chapter 3

My suddenly acting cold toward Eren totally floored everyone around me.

Back when I was a celebrity, I even went on camera and openly admitted I had a crush on someone.

My fans thought I was just being real, while the haters said I was just putting on an act.

Then some paparazzi dug up my secret social media account and found out Eren was the one I had a crush on.

Eren was absolutely disgusted by it. He even mocked me in my face. "Jaelyn, don't try to guilt-trip me with this cheap stunt. Your attention-seeking act doesn't work on me."

This time, I deleted my secret account, the one with the username "Moonlit Memories."

Having once crushed on Eren was now just part of my embarrassing past.

But in the age of the internet, nothing could ever really be hidden. People still managed to dig up my old posts.

Everyone online was busy guessing whom I had a crush on, and just when they were about to pin it on Eren, Leonard posted a message on social media. [The Gentle Breeze.]

That single line sent the whole internet into meltdown for a full ten minutes.

Before this, people said Leonard's proposal was just a publicity stunt, but now, suddenly, everyone thought maybe Leonard and I were actually for real.

Then Eren cornered me, demanding, "The person you described in that secret account was obviously me. So, what the hell does Leonard have it to do?"

He was right, my secret account was packed with all those tiny details about how much I liked Eren.

Whenever he acted distant, I'd feel totally crushed, but just one teasing comment from him would get my hopes up all over again.

He even told me once, "Jaelyn, there's no one else in this world who could love me as you do."

"My secret account never said your name once. How do you know it was you I liked? Besides, Leonard was in my life way before you ever showed up, so what makes you think I'd pick you over him?" I shot back.

Just as I finished, a couple of quiet coughs stopped Eren in his tracks before he could fire back.

Leonard stood at the doorway, gently tapping his fingers against the door. "I was just about to knock. I swear I wasn't trying to overhear anything."

He was the picture of elegance and charm.

Eren glanced at Leonard and then turned to me. "Jaelyn, have you lost your mind? Or is your memory messed up? All those things you wrote about were our experiences."

What we went through was so much more than just a naive crush. There were all those times you betrayed and hurt me, Eren.

My memory wasn't messed up at all. If anything, it was way too clear.

It was like my coldness actually hurt him, and Eren left, furious.

Leonard watched Eren's back as he left, then turned to me and asked thoughtfully, "You've been into him for so long. Ever thought about giving someone else a chance?"

I froze.

Then I caught a fleeting sadness in his eyes, but it vanished almost immediately.

I'd never known he knew how I felt about Eren. Then why did he still ask me to marry him?

I blurted out my question.

Leonard lowered his gaze to meet mine. Everyone saw him as the distant, untouchable star, but right now, I caught a real spark in his eyes.

"It's because I like you. I've liked you for ages," he admitted so lightly, like it was just another ordinary thing.

I didn't push for more. Leonard had always been a part of my life, no matter how many times I'd started over.

He wasn't the villain here. If anything, he'd been there for me more times than I could remember.

"Feelings don't just happen overnight. But I don't hate you or anything," I said.

I twirled the ring on my finger. Leonard sure knew how to spoil someone. This ring was way pricier than the one Eren gave me when we got married.

"Sure, I'll wait for you," Leonard said.

He definitely meant something more, but I let it slide.

But I never expected him to just sit back and wait. He went all out spoiling me, like I was his whole world.

He'd gush about me in public and even switched his social media profile pic to my fan club's logo.

In private, he was everything a boyfriend should be, always there for me, always making sure I was happy.

Even the people at my studio couldn't help but tease me, "Jaelyn, Leonard is seriously the most romantic guy ever. So, when are you two tying the knot?"

Everyone online was saying Leonard had totally lost it, like I'd bewitched him or something.

The next day, Leonard just casually posted: [She's worth it.]

Eren never made me feel this special, not once.

He never talked about me in public, and in his work or his private life, it was like I didn't even exist.

If Eren hadn't finally snapped and come running to me, I probably would've forgotten him.

"Jaelyn, why can't I feel your love anymore?" he blurted out, sounding totally desperate.

Looking at him, on the verge of falling apart, I almost let myself believe he actually cared about me.

He was always like this. Every time I was ready to walk away because of his coldness, he'd suddenly throw me a bone, just enough to make me stay.

He kept me on the hook, acting like I meant nothing to him, but every so often, he'd get a little flirty, just enough to keep me hoping.

"Trust your instincts. If you don't feel it anymore, then it's just not there," I replied, my voice icy.

He looked genuinely upset, like I'd betrayed him or something.

"No way, you love me. No matter what I do, you've always loved me, unconditionally," he insisted. "How could you say yes to Leonard? You don't even care about him. How did it get to this point?"

Anyone could see he was panicking, not because I'd moved on to someone else, but because he was losing his grip on how things were unfolding.