Chapter 4

My knee hurt badly, so I took a day off and went to the hospital for treatment. While I was there, I got a call from a client, Ken Clark.

"Ms. Warren, regarding the collaboration details between Reed Corporation and Prestige Mobile, we need you to coordinate with Mr. Reed on a meeting time," he said.

Reed Corporation had a smartphone R&D partnership with Prestige Mobile, but Samuel had never cared much about it. He left everything to me.

"Mr. Clark, I'm handling this account now," I told him firmly. "Are you free to meet and go over the final details today?"

That day, I signed the contract with Prestige Mobile. But I didn't sign it on behalf of Reed Corporation.

After work, I went back to the house I shared with Samuel.

The moment I opened the door, I saw a heart shape made of roses on the table. At the center of it sat a velvet jewelry box.

I froze on the spot.

"Well? Is it beautiful?" Samuel appeared out of nowhere, stepping up behind me.

"It's stunning. The Florenne roses you chose are fresh and elegant, and that 'Angel's Tear' diamond pendant from Parisse is a masterpiece. I can see how much thought you put into this, Mr. Reed," I said, offering a sincere compliment.

Samuel was a strange man. Usually, he couldn't be bothered to lift a finger; all the gifts he used to woo other women were chosen by me.

It wasn't that he had bad taste; it was simply a matter of how much the person mattered to him.

I remembered how much his mother loved wild edelweiss.

Samuel had cancelled his entire schedule and flown to the Xizora, risking altitude sickness to climb 16 thousand feet. He had plucked the very first bloom of the morning himself for her.

Now, seeing him arrange this romantic setting himself, it was clear just how much Vivian meant to him.

A wave of gloom washed over me. With only two days left, I should have woken up by now.

"I'm glad you like it." Suddenly, his familiar arms circled my waist. His signature scent drifted from behind my ear as he pressed a kiss to the nape of my neck, then trailed up to my earlobe.

The warmth of his lips against my skin sent a shiver through me, leaving me weak in the knees. "Happy birthday, my Claire," he said.

I froze. I couldn't believe he actually remembered. So the roses and the diamond pendant... they were for me? He had planned all of this for me?

I had never celebrated a birthday in my life, and I'd certainly never mentioned it to him. Could it be that he...

"You've been with me all these years, but I had to sneak a look at your ID to find out it was your birthday today. If the word got out, people would say I'm a total scrooge of a boss," he said.

"Thank you." My voice caught a little.

All these years, no one had ever wished me a happy birthday, let alone gone out of their way for me.

Samuel, I really didn't know what to do with you.

All it took was one smile from you, a simple gesture, like brushing my bangs aside, or a single word that you needed me, and I would start imagining that maybe you cared about me.

But your fiancée had come back. You were going to get married, and that was a fact I couldn't ignore.

I turned and wrapped my arms around Samuel's waist, burying my head against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. The words "Would you ever love me?" almost slipped out.

But the phone rang at the worst possible moment.

Samuel instinctively pushed me away and stepped out onto the balcony to take the call.

In less than a minute, he came back inside. His expression had darkened, his tone turning distant, like a completely different person from just moments ago. "Clean this up. Vivian will be here any minute."

I wanted to say something, but I swallowed it back down. "Okay."

The dream was like a bubble; one tiny prick and it had burst.

Not long after, Vivian showed up.

"Samuel." The moment she saw me, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him passionately right in front of me.

Then, Samuel pulled out a stunning gift. He opened a velvet box to reveal a breathtaking, custom-made diamond necklace. As he fastened it around her neck, they shared another deep, lingering kiss.

My face fell. I looked down at the diamond pendant clutched in my hand. It turned out to be nothing more than the complimentary piece that accompanied the custom necklace.

It was the difference between a couture and a freebie, the lead and the extra. A supporting character could never hope to steal the spotlight or match the lead's importance.

The tenderness I'd felt in his arms just moments ago had completely vanished. So I quietly made myself scarce.

But Samuel called out to me. "Where are those condoms I told you to buy? Bring them here."