Chapter 1
Emily Nightingale was the hot favorite to win the hosting competition at the station.
But when the finals began, the screens were suddenly flooded with her explicit nudes.
She thought she must've crossed the wrong person, but never in her wildest dreams did she expect—
The one who exposed her was none other than her boyfriend of six years, Alexander Foster.
When Emily discovered the truth, her blood was boiling. Clutching the evidence, she marched over, ready to confront him face to face.
But just as she approached, she caught the voices of Alexander and his crew coming from the study.
"That idiot Emily is scrambling to pull strings, terrified she'll ruin Alexander's company's reputation. Little does she know, Alex is the one who leaked those nudes," one of them sneered.
"Sophie is Alex's dream girl. Anyone who tries to get in her way is just signing their own death warrant," another chimed in.
Alexander's voice was icy.
"Winning this competition is Soph's dream, and Emily's the strongest contender. Only by getting her out of the way can Soph have a smooth path to the crown."
Ryan Chandler grinned and gave Alexander a thumbs-up.
"Who doesn't know Alex would do anything for Sophie? Poor Emily. She's the most notorious slut in Northbridge now," Ryan snickered.
"Someone even turned her nudes into a PDF and put it up for sale on an online marketplace. Just 99 cents a pop," another guy laughed.
Alexander was silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
"She's really been wronged by all this. Emily's been deeply in love with me for years. To make it up to her, I'll marry her," Alexander said.
"Once she's married into my family, she can settle down, be a good wife and mother, and she won't have to compete with Soph anymore," he added.
The room instantly filled with rowdy cheers and guys egging him on.
"Damn, Alex, you really thought this through!" one of them shouted.
For once, there was a trace of loneliness in Alexander's voice.
"If I can't be with Soph in this lifetime, then I'll be her most devoted knight, clearing every hurdle in her way," Alexander said, his voice tinged with melancholy.
Emily felt her mind go completely blank, like a bomb had just gone off inside her head.
The finals haunted Emily like a nightmare. She grabbed the mic, desperate to explain herself, but no sound came out, and in the end, she was kicked out of the competition anyway.
She was falling apart back then, and Alexander stayed by her side, promising her, "No matter what happens, I'll marry you. You'll always be number one in my heart."
He'd sworn, "No matter what, I'll marry you. You'll always be the most important person to me."
She used to be so grateful for Alexander's love, but now she finally saw the truth. It was all for Sophie.
Sophie was Emily's senior in college.
Back then, when Emily was about to give a speech at the campus forum, someone swapped her script. Sophie was the one who helped her get it back.
Emily was always the kind of person who remembered a favor. From that moment on, she saw Sophie as her closest friend, even going so far as to introduce her to Alexander herself. Now, looking back, she realized she'd been played for a clown all along.
The voices in the room kept going.
"Emily always thought she and Alex were destined to be together. What a joke! Back then, Alex had that big truck sent to hit her. He intended to disfigure her face. But guess what happened instead," one of them burst out laughing.
Another guy jumped in.
"Alex just wanted to see if Emily was dead or not, but that idiot actually thought he was her savior!"
Hearing this, Emily felt like she was nailed to the spot, unable to move a muscle.
It was her sophomore year of college. She was rushing to her tutoring gig, head down, not paying attention to anything around her. By the time she saw that massive truck barreling straight toward her, it was already too late.
She froze in terror, but then, a powerful shove yanked her out of harm's way.
Her head slammed against the curb, and when she groggily opened her eyes, the first person she saw was Alex.
She used to believe their love was written in the stars, but now she realized the man she once thought was her destined soulmate had been secretly wishing her dead all along.
The file slipped from her hand, but Emily was frozen, unaware, while the guys inside the study carried on their loud, oblivious chatter.
Alexander gazed absently at the photo frame on his desk, showing the back of a girl in a white dress.
"My only purpose in all this was to destroy Emily and to make sure she could never stand in Soph's way. Being her boyfriend just made it that much easier to take her down," Alexander said.
Emily's ears buzzed painfully. She couldn't bear to hear any more. Her legs gave out beneath her as she stepped onto the soft carpet, and her knees trembled.
She couldn't even remember how she staggered back to her room, her mind replaying every moment of the past like a broken record.
Ever since she'd mistaken Alexander for her savior, their fates had been tangled together like an unbreakable knot.
One night, some local thugs near campus blocked her path, but Alexander appeared out of nowhere and chased them off.
Emily was too scared to say a word, but Alexander just smiled at her.
"Hey, this is the second time I've saved you," he said with a grin.
From that moment on, Alexander started popping up everywhere in her life, like he was always one step ahead.
One time, when Emily was traveling solo and got her wallet stolen in a foreign country, she was totally stranded until Alexander swooped in out of nowhere, like her own personal hero.
She had this hidden gem of a restaurant she'd never shared with anyone, but one day, she bumped into Alexander there and found out he was a regular too.
Emily couldn't help marveling at how fate kept throwing them together, and then Alexander cornered her against the wall, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"With fate pulling us together, how could we not date?" he teased.
Once they started dating, Alexander spoiled her rotten, treating her like she was the most precious thing in the world.
He was a CEO, but if Emily casually mentioned a craving, Alexander would get dressed in the middle of the night and drive 20 miles just to take her back to that barbecue joint she loved from college.
When Emily accidentally cut her finger while cooking for him, Alexander was frantic. He immediately contacted the best surgeons and skin specialists in the country to make sure she wouldn't be left with even the tiniest scar.
Just three days after the incident, Alexander gave her the most extravagant proposal the city had ever seen.
Emily was so moved that she was at a loss for words, always wondering what she had done to deserve someone like Alexander cherishing her so deeply.
But now, she finally realized that the six years she'd spent with Alexander had been nothing but a sweet illusion he deliberately wove. While she dreamed of their future together, Alexander was quietly closing in, plotting how to end her once and for all.
It wasn't until she tasted the faint metallic tang of blood that Emily realized her lip had been bitten and broken without her even noticing.
The clock was already past midnight, but Emily didn't hesitate. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
Her voice carried a determination she'd never shown before.
"Dad, I'll do it. I'll be back in Southport next month... for the marriage alliance."
Her father, Arthur Nightingale, had been a powerhouse in the business world for years, but when he heard his daughter's words, he grinned like a kid.
"That's great. I'm glad you've finally come to your senses!"
After hanging up, Emily remained frozen, her eyes fixed on the photo of the arranged marriage partner Arthur had sent.
To everyone else, she was the shining star of Northbridge TV.
But few knew she was also the sole heiress of the Nightingale family, one of Southport's most elite clans.
Years ago, she left Northbridge for Alexander, even severing ties with her own family.
But now, with her dreams shattered, it was time to walk away.