Chapter 1

For five years, their love had to stay hidden. He used to whisper, "Just hold on a little longer. Once my life is settled, I'll marry you."

But when his life finally became "settled," it was hand in hand with another woman as they walked into the wedding hall.

And she? She wasn't even qualified to stand beside them as a bridesmaid.

*****

After five years of a secret romance with Damon Rycroft, Fiona Drake finally decided to walk away.

That night, they were totally in tune with each other. Just as they were about to reach the peak of pleasure, Damon suddenly spoke, his tone casual, almost distant. "Fiona, I'm getting married."

There were only five days left until Fiona's thirtieth birthday, and Damon had once promised he'd make her his wife on that day.

She felt her heart leap. Was this finally the moment he'd keep his promise? "Damon, I've finally waited until—"

"Giselle's back, and she's pregnant," he interrupted, his breath still ragged from what just happened. "This is our last night together."

Her smile stiffened instantly.

Fiona stared at her own pale face in the mirror; it felt like every drop of blood in her body had frozen solid.

Even though Damon had just taken her to the heights of pleasure, all she felt now was a bone-deep chill in her heart.

Afterward, Damon acted like it was just another day, slowly buttoning up his white shirt.

With her head bowed, Fiona's hands trembled as she pulled on her stockings. "Damon, did you forget something?"

Damon didn't even bother to look up, his voice emotionless. "I promised you, once the company's stable, you'll get a twenty percent stake. Relax. I'll get the paperwork started tomorrow."

Fiona's hands froze mid-motion with the stockings. Her eyes went red, tears stinging at the corners.

It turned out that he really didn't remember a single promise he'd made. He never planned to marry her.

"Shares?" She let out a shaky laugh, her voice catching in her throat. "Damon, after five years with you, is that all I mean to you? Just twenty percent of the company?"

He finally turned to look at her, still buttoning his shirt. "What else did you expect? Fiona, you know how much those shares are worth. You should be grateful."

Looking at the face that once made her heart race, Fiona now felt like he was a complete stranger.

"Damon, after all these years, what did I ever mean to you—" she said.

Before she could finish, Damon's phone suddenly buzzed.

When he saw the name on the screen, his voice melted into honey. "What's wrong, Giselle?"

Her voice was soft and sweet through the phone. "Damon, why aren't you home yet? The baby and I are a bit hungry. We're craving your cooking."

"Okay, I'll head back and cook for you. Wait for me," he said.

Damon hung up, grabbed his coat, and didn't even slow down as he brushed past Fiona.

Watching Damon rush out without a second glance, Fiona felt her heart clamped in a vice, the pain so sharp that she could barely catch her breath.

Five years ago, Damon's first crush, Giselle, thought he was useless and dumped him, heading overseas to chase her own happiness.

After that, Damon hit rock bottom. He got wasted at a bar, started a fight, and ended up getting beaten to a pulp.

It was Fiona who spotted him on her way home from work. She took him in, nursed him back to health, and cared for him every step of the way.

Over time, feelings grew between them, and they finally made it official.

When the company was just starting out, Damon was all fire and drive in negotiations, but he was clueless about everything else.

Fiona had to tackle all those tedious documents and complicated procedures herself, learning as she went, poring over books until she finally got everything running smoothly.

The day he blew the company's first big deal, all he could do was hide away in the stairwell, smoking one cigarette after another.

Fiona spent three sleepless nights, armed with a fresh proposal, staking out the client's office until she wrestled the deal away from their rivals.

Fiona even practically wore the most trusted veterans on the team down with her persistence until they finally agreed to join.

For years, Fiona, officially just Damon's secretary, was the real brains behind the scenes, scouting out deals, dodging risks, and snapping up properties so fast even Damon lost track.

Top execs from other companies kept trying to lure her away with sweeter and sweeter offers, but she didn't even blink.

All because Damon once held her hand and said, "Fiona, I really can't live without you. Once I've made it, I swear I'll give you the grandest wedding on your thirtieth birthday."

Rumors about them had been flying around the office for ages, and Fiona had thought about going public more than once.

But every time she brought it up, Damon would just frown and brush her off. "Fiona, the company's just getting started.

"I don't want people to know about us yet. I promise, when you turn thirty, I'll marry you. I'll make you the most envied wife."

And just like that, Fiona believed him for five whole years.

She stuck with him through it all, from cramped apartments to fancy offices, from being nobody to making it big.

She always believed that when she turned thirty, she'd finally get the grand wedding he promised.

But she never saw it coming. Giselle came back, and Damon ran straight back to her without a second thought. Now they even had a baby together.

He tossed every promise he ever made to Fiona aside, so she had no reason to keep holding on to him anymore.

After regaining her composure, Fiona dialed Knox Ellery's number. "Hello, Mr. Ellery, this is Fiona. I've decided to accept your offer. I'm ready to come on board."

"That's great news. When can you start?" Knox said.

Fiona once joked with Damon, "If you don't marry me by thirty, I'll leave and work for your competitor. Don't regret it then."

He held her tightly. "I'll never let you go, Fiona. Without you, I'd be lost, and so would the company."

Fiona turned off her phone and wiped away the last of her tears.

Damon could go ahead and marry his first crush. Fiona wouldn't stand in his way.

In five days, he would be married, and Fiona would be gone.

They were done for good.