Chapter 1

I was Isabelle Sinclair, the only daughter of a wealthy merchant family in Rivergate.

I fell in love with a struggling scholar named Edward Autumn.

I supported him through years of study. First at the university, then as he sought patronage among the nobility, and finally as he climbed toward a position at court.

Whatever he asked for, I gave without hesitation.

His brilliance with words earned him a royal appointment, and he rose swiftly to become one of the king's most favoured men.

True to his word, he married me.

Only later did I learn the truth that he never loved me.

He resented me. He despised me. He blamed me for tearing him away from his true love, Lily Hart, a courtesan at the Willow House.

For years after our marriage, he spent his nights in the pleasure quarters, leaving me alone in a gilded cage, fading away in loneliness and grief.

Then I woke up again, back at the moment he was thrown out of Willow House for lack of coin. I had silver coins brought out.

Lily stepped in front of him, glaring at me with bitter eyes. "What, you think because you've got money, Mr. Autumn owes you gratitude? Don't fool yourself."

I gave a light laugh and tossed the silver to the servant who'd been sent to throw him out. "Who said this was for him?"

*****

"Isabelle, do not think your family's wealth in Rivergate makes you so special. Edward and I could not care less."

Before me stood a man and a woman. The man was undeniably handsome. His brows were arched, his nose straight, his lips a vivid red. Yet his clothes were noticeably worn and threadbare.

The woman was equally striking, her attire far more luxurious and eye-catching.

At that moment, her face was twisted with anger and resentment. If I had been a man, I might have felt a flicker of pity for her.

Looking at Edward and Lily standing there, for a moment, it all felt unreal.

At this point, Edward was not yet the brilliant scholar who would rise to fame across the land as the king's most favoured man.

He would not yet introduce himself with pride as Edward Autumn.

Like so many other scholars, he was restless and disheartened, his ambitions bottled up with nowhere to go. All he could do was drift from one pleasure house to another.

Edward had always been good-looking and talented, and women were constantly drawn to him. I had been one of them, too.

Looking at that familiar, stubborn face of his, I felt dizzy, like the world was spinning around me.

How long had it been since I last saw him? Had it truly been decades?

I could barely picture his face anymore. Only a vague sense of familiarity lingered deep in my memory.

Lily kept ranting, unleashing all her anger, but her voice faded into background noise. I could not care less what she was saying.

I had fallen for Edward at first sight, and for eight long years, my heart belonged to him alone.

For eight years, suitors practically wore a path to our door, but I remained completely indifferent to them all.

When my father tried to arrange a match with someone from the Young Manor, I threatened to end my life if I could not have Edward.

My father could only watch as all the girls around me married, while I stubbornly waited for the one I loved.

I covered everything for Edward. I covered his food, his clothes, and the money he spent at Willow House.

I was drawn to his talent, but what truly moved me was how difficult his life had been.

He lost his parents when he was young, so he had to live with his uncle's family, but they treated him like an outsider.

He studied on his own, and his abilities were so remarkable that his teacher took him in without charging a thing. When he was only thirteen, a poem he wrote made him famous across Rivergate.

Everyone thought Edward was destined for greatness, but his moment of glory was short-lived. Before long, he was back to his old, struggling self.

People only brought him up when chatting, joking about how Edward had once been a prodigy but was now another ordinary man, laughing as if it were all a grand joke.

Every time I heard them talk like that, I would get so angry I wanted to jump in and set them straight.

I was the only daughter of the Sinclair Estate. Our family had been merchants for generations, and by the time my father took over, we were the wealthiest merchant house in all of Rivergate.

The Sinclair Estate had ties to every money house, pawnshop, and textile store in the city. Anyone hoping to connect with us came from the noblest families in Rivergate.

Edward and I were worlds apart. Still, I loved him with all my heart.

Everyone around me came from noble families, but Edward was refined and distant. He never quite fit into my world.

Perhaps that was why I tried so hard to catch his eye. I gave him everything I had, everything I thought was the best.

"Mr. Autumn, what a coincidence. We keep running into each other. I brought some sweet cakes. Would you like to try them?"

"Mr. Autumn, I had our tailor make you a new coat. If you do not mind, would you like to try it on?"

To me, these were everyday things, and sometimes I wondered whether they were impressive enough for him.

But I forgot that he and I came from different worlds.