Chapter 2

In the blink of an eye, five years had passed since she and Lucas first got tangled up together.

Five years ago, Vivian was studying in Mayby City, and she went hiking with her roommate. But they got separated by accident, and she couldn't find her way back.

The signal on the mountain was terrible, so she couldn't reach her roommate no matter how many times she tried calling. Panic set in, and as she rushed down the trail, her foot slipped and she went tumbling forward.

Lucas had been resting on the stone steps, and he caught her just in time.

His features were sharp and refined, and his voice came out low and cool. "You okay?"

Vivian's breath came quick and shallow, and when she looked up at him, she was done for. Her heart started pounding harder and harder, and all she could think was, 'Oh no, this is bad. This is really, really bad.'

She'd twisted her ankle and couldn't walk, so Lucas ended up carrying her down the mountain on his back and taking her to the hospital.

She tried to get his contact information so she could thank him properly, but he turned her down without hesitation.

Vivian asked around everywhere, trying to figure out who he was.

It wasn't until a week later, when she went to cheer on her brother, Charles Grant, at his basketball game, that she found out Lucas was actually one of Charles' close friends.

She was over the moon. From that moment on, she threw everything she had into pursuing him, doing whatever it took to make sure he noticed her.

But no matter what she did, he stayed completely indifferent.

In fact, the more effort she put in, the colder he became.

She'd chased after him for two whole years, and he never once looked her way.

Back then, she was about to graduate from college and head back to her family in Southville, and she'd finally made up her mind to stop bothering him.

But then he suddenly showed up outside her dorm and stopped her. "Will you marry me?"

In that moment, it felt like fireworks were exploding in her chest, and she nodded without hesitation.

She thought maybe he wasn't cold after all—maybe he just didn't know how to show his feelings.

After the wedding, he never touched her, but she convinced herself it was just his OCD acting up. She swallowed her pride and tried to seduce him, thinking he'd warm up to her eventually.

But seeing Lucas look at that sculpture with such raw emotion—it hit her like a slap across the face and shattered every last shred of her dignity and hope.

The truth was simple. He didn't love her.

Tears streamed down her face, and by the time she got home, her eyes were swollen and red.

Lucas was supposed to be at Sterling Manor, but he'd come back and was rummaging through the safe. He heard her footsteps and turned around. "Where's that heirloom set Mom gave you?"

Vivian pushed down the mess of emotions in her throat and pulled out the priceless jewelry from the bottom of the safe, handing it to him.

Lucas' mother, Felicia Sterling, had given her this jewelry set the first time Vivian came to visit after she and Lucas set their wedding date.

Without thinking, she asked, "What do you need it for?"

Lucas inspected each piece individually. "Chloe has some gala tonight, and she doesn't have any decent jewelry to wear. You never wear this stuff anyway, so she can borrow it to look the part."

Vivian stared at him in shock, and something tightened in her chest. "But your mom gave this to me."

She didn't wear it because she loved it too much—it was so valuable that she was afraid of damaging it.

Lucas' expression shifted, and impatience crept into his eyes. "This belongs to the Sterling family. Chloe is my brother's wife, so according to tradition, it should go to her. Mom shouldn't have given it to you in the first place."

Vivian fell silent.

The Reed family came from ordinary means, and Chloe had already married way above her station when she joined the Sterlings. Felicia had never liked her.

But the Grant family matched the Sterlings in wealth and status, and Vivian's parents had provided an incredibly generous wedding gift, which was why Felicia had entrusted this heirloom to her instead.

Lucas walked toward the door with long strides, the jewelry box in hand, and tossed back one last comment. "Don't make a fuss about this. Chloe needs it tonight. There's an auction coming up in a few days, and I'll buy you a different set to make up for it."

If this had happened before—back when he actually wanted to take her to auctions and buy her gifts—she would've been jumping for joy.

She wouldn't have just given him one set of jewelry; she would've handed over ten without a second thought.

But now, watching his retreating figure, Vivian bit down hard on her lip, and a bitter ache spread through her chest.

Whatever. After the divorce, she'd have to return this heirloom to the Sterlings anyway. It was just getting it over with a little early, that was all.