Chapter 1

I'd been chasing Benedict Chandler for ten years, but every single time, he'd stand me up for Hailey Keller.

After the ninety-ninth time he walked away from me, I finally decided to let him go.

I signed up for the gene recombination program and vanished from his world.

But his eyes were red with tears as he searched for me everywhere like crazy.

"Angela, could you give me one more chance?" he pleaded.

Sadly, the Angela who loved him was gone for good.

*****

"Angela, are you sure about this? The gene recombination program is a groundbreaking medical experiment. No one can guarantee you'll survive the procedure," the doctor said, his voice serious.

I nodded. "I've got nothing left to hold me back. If I can make even the tiniest contribution to human medicine, I'd consider it an honor."

"Even if, after the gene recombination, you end up becoming someone completely different, you still won't regret it?" the doctor pressed.

"No, I won't regret it," I replied without hesitation.

To the review board, I was an elite university graduate with a brilliant future ahead, ready to embark on a dazzling new chapter of my life.

But at twenty-two, I threw myself, without a second thought, into a government experiment so secret that almost nobody had even heard of it.

They just didn't understand. When my disappointment in someone hit rock bottom, nothing in this world could chain me anymore.

No matter what happened in the end, I wouldn't regret it.

Seeing the resolve in my eyes, the staff gave my shoulder a reassuring pat and said with heartfelt sincerity, "Thanks for making this choice, for all of humanity."

Soon after, we signed the confidentiality and consent forms.

The consent form said the experiment would start in a month, and I had that time to wrap up my affairs and say my final goodbyes to the world.

But I didn't really need that much time anyway.

[Send me your location. I'll have the driver pick you up.] The message popped up on my phone.

It was an abrupt, terse message. Of course, it was from Benedict. Typical Benedict.

We hadn't talked in ages.

Even though he was my fiancé, everyone knew he didn't love me.

It wasn't just him. The whole Chandler family couldn't stand me.

After all, to them, I was just someone who played the victim to secure my place in their world.

When Benedict was a kid, he wasn't much of a talker. He always kept to himself.

One day after school, some thugs tried to extort money from him, but he stood his ground and refused to give them a single cent. So, they gave him a rough beating for it.

I happened to see it and instinctively rushed in to protect him, taking a hard blow to the forehead from their club.

After that, my mind was never quite the same.

My parents kept making a scene in front of Benedict's parents, Damon and Elaine Chandler, insisting that Benedict be responsible for me for the rest of my life.

Just like that, I became Benedict's fiancée.

But it only made us more distant.

Benedict never reached out to me, and he wouldn't let me show up at Ben's Design unannounced.

I opened my phone's notes app and saw right away that today marked the first anniversary of Ben's Design.

No wonder he messaged me for once. But that design studio had nothing to do with me. My name wasn't anywhere on it. I didn't see the point of showing up.

I grabbed my car keys from the entryway, went downstairs, and headed to the garage with the gift I'd already prepared in hand.

Now that I'd chosen to let go of Benedict for good, it was time I learned to live on my own terms, free from his control.

When Benedict saw me pull up in an ordinary sedan, his face changed for a moment, then went back to that cold, distant look he always wore.

I made my way toward him, braving the biting winter wind.

Guests greeted him as they arrived, and he responded to each with a polite nod and a faint smile.

From start to finish, he was the picture of elegance and composure. Even just standing there, he gave off a mature, almost ascetic vibe.

No wonder he was the ice prince of Ben's Design. My heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

Seeing the hint of awe in my gaze, Benedict glanced at me from a distance, his brow tightening just a bit.

"Don't take matters into your own hands next time," he said.

With that, he took the gift bag from me and passed it straight to his assistant.

I knew Benedict hated it whenever I showed even the slightest hint of a crush on him, and he couldn't stand it when I didn't follow his rules.

But I was ready to let him go. Even if he kept acting cold and distant toward me, I wouldn't feel disappointed anymore.

The assistant warmly guided me into the hall, giving me the rundown on every piece on display.

The place was packed with all sorts of designs from the past few years, most of them created by Benedict himself.

They might have just been objects, but thanks to Benedict's passion and hard work, they felt like they had a soul, making them even more mesmerizing.