Chapter 1

I spent two years recovering from illness in Grerianland.

On my first day back, my cousin, Emily Chase, threw me a welcome party. Everyone from our social circle showed up.

It had been a long time. The girls who used to be close to me were unusually quiet, saying nothing. My friend, Lucas Young, heir to the Young family, kept his distance, too.

I was the guest of honor, but the guests barely acknowledged me.

Then a commotion broke out at the entrance. Edward Grant walked in holding hands with a woman, and the quiet room came alive.

My so-called friend, Lucas, was the first to stand. "Edward, Olivia, you're finally here."

The other girls perked up, too.

"Edward, we were waiting for you."

"Olivia, that dress is gorgeous. Is it the new DeLuxe Couture? You wear it better than the model."

"You two look so perfect together."

I sat in the corner with a glass of water, watching the pair at the door.

That man was my fiancé, Edward. He looked just as I remembered: tall, broad-shouldered, sharp-featured, the kind of man who turned heads.

The woman beside him was Olivia Quinn. She wore a flowing blue gown, her hair loose, her smile elegant.

She whispered something to Edward, and he lowered his head. The tenderness in his eyes was something I'd never seen before.

Clearly, a lot had changed in the Capitavia Inner Circle while I was away.

For example, my fiancé had fallen for someone else, and everyone seemed to adore her.

Emily walked over with a glass of wine, looking a bit apologetic. "Hey, I'm sorry. I had no idea Edward would bring Olivia with him."

I forced a smile but didn't say a word.

Emily was my aunt's daughter, and she'd always been glued to my side since we were kids. She was the one who organized this whole welcome party.

With the way Emily was, she'd never do something to embarrass me like that in front of everyone. Edward did it on purpose.

What was he trying to do? Did he want to drag his new flame right in front of me, to force me to break off the engagement myself?

I lowered my eyes, staring at my own blurry reflection in my cup.

After two years apart, he still didn't understand me at all.

If he'd said it straight out, I might've let them go without a fuss. But he had to choose the nastiest way possible.

He was making an example out of me, throwing me under the bus to send a warning to everyone else.

All eyes in the room, whether they meant to or not, landed on me. Some looked at me with sympathy, some with schadenfreude, and some were here for the show.

I was the walking definition of awkward at this party.

Lucas, the friend I'd always protected, was now busy pulling out Olivia's chair for her, calling her like she was family, all warm and sweet. He didn't even look my way.

It felt like something was stuck in my chest, making me feel suffocated. But on the outside, I kept my face calm.

I, Sophia James, told myself not to panic. This was my first battle back home. I couldn't let myself fall apart at that moment.

Finally, Edward walked over with Olivia. He stood over me, his gaze cold and distant. There was no warmth, no hint of reunion joy, only pure indifference.

"Sophia, long time no see," Edward said, his voice emotionless, like I was another face in the crowd.

I looked up and forced a smile at him. "Yeah, it's been a while, Edward."

My eyes went right past him and settled on Olivia.

Olivia instinctively hid behind Edward, looking shy and nervous under my stare.

"And who's this?" I asked, pretending not to know.

Edward frowned, clearly not liking how calm I was about it.

He probably thought I'd break down, make a scene, or ask him why he'd done this to me. But he was in for a disappointment.

"This is Olivia," he said, with a hint of impatience in his voice.

Then he turned to Olivia, and his impatience vanished, replaced by a gentle softness. "Liv, this is Sophia."

Liv? He was really laying it on thick with her.

But I flashed an even bigger smile. "Hello, Ms. Quinn."

Olivia stepped out from behind Edward, reaching out with that innocent smile. "Hi, Ms. James. Edward always talks about you. He says you're super impressive."

She paused for a second, then added, "Are you feeling better now? Edward's always worried about you."

She really knew how to play her cards. Only a few words, and she was already acting like she owned the place, marking her territory while still coming off as gracious and caring.

I didn't bother shaking her hand, her nails all perfectly done up. Instead, I picked up my glass of warm water and took a slow sip. "Appreciate your concern, Ms. Quinn. I'm perfectly fine."

My gaze drifted to her hand, still locked with Edward's, and I said, deadpan, "Ms. Quinn, maybe skip the cheap perfume next time.

"I've got a sensitive nose. That scent makes me want to throw up."

As soon as I finished, the whole room went dead silent. Everyone stared at me, totally stunned.

Olivia's face went ghostly pale. She instinctively lifted her wrist to sniff, her eyes instantly turning red as she looked at Edward, all hurt and wronged. "Edward, I..."

Edward's face turned stormy. He pulled Olivia behind him, shielding her like she was some priceless treasure.

He shot me a look so cold and sharp, it felt like he was stabbing me with his eyes. "Sophia, are you done making a scene?

"Seriously? After two years, is this how you treat Olivia? Apologize to her, right now!"