Chapter 1

It was the tenth year Andrew and I had been together.

Behind my back, he agreed to an arranged engagement party his family set up. That night, after getting his text, I went over and saw him.

He looked at me, flustered and annoyed. "I have to answer to my family. Can't you act like a grown man for once?"

Later that night, he held me close, trying to smooth things over. "Give it a few years. Once I have a child with her, I'll leave her and spend the rest of my life with you."

He had no idea I wouldn't make it to that day.

*****

When I pushed open the doors to the hotel ballroom, Andrew was holding hands with his fiancée, making the rounds to toast their guests.

Just a door apart, it was freezing outside while inside was warm and cozy. Yet stepping in only brought a deeper chill straight to my bones.

The large palm that used to hold mine so many times was now clasped around a soft, delicate hand. It felt completely out of place, yet somehow fit perfectly.

A waiter passing out drinks happened to look up and catch me at the entrance. Knowing about Andrew and me, she was shocked.

After a long pause, she stammered out a foolish question. "Mr. Sterling, should we... should we pause the reception?"

The woman beside Andrew snapped back, "What did you just say?"

Flustered, the waiter turned bright red, but she had no choice but to keep serving drinks.

After finishing their round, the woman linked arms with Andrew and whispered to him as they headed for the door.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for me to catch every word. "I haven't had a break in half a month because of this engagement party. Tonight, I'm really going to enjoy Andy's company."

My stomach churned, and I fought down a wave of nausea. As they were about to walk past, I spoke up, "Andrew."

I saw Andrew's hand go rigid in hers.

He froze on the spot for a long moment before finally looking up. In all our ten years together, it was the first time I had ever caught a look of panic on his face.

But that panic vanished in the blink of an eye. Almost instantly, his icy composure returned, hiding a wave of anger he could barely keep under wraps.

He looked at me, his voice low and showing no emotion. "Mr. Grant, are you calling for me?"

His tone was calm, but the warning in his eyes was crystal clear.

The waiter could hardly mask her shock. She probably never expected Andrew to turn around and play the victim so brazenly.

I had always been the submissive, easygoing one around him. Whatever courage I had gathered to call out his name had lasted only a second. Cold logic quickly won out over impulse.

I held up the document in my hand. "It's about an M&A deal for your firm. I wanted a quick word."

I was the outside legal counsel for his company. More than anything, that job was a cover for our relationship and how often we saw each other.

Andrew's voice remained flat. "Take it up with the internal legal team next time."

As he spoke, he draped the coat resting on his arm over the woman's shoulders, softening his voice as he glanced down at her. "Wait for me. I'll be back in a minute."

She nodded and shot me a glance. I knew she'd actually known me for a long time. She had been fully aware of what Andrew and I were to each other all these years.

Andrew headed for the elevator, and I followed without a word from either of us.

The moment we stepped out of the elevator and passed through the back exit away from the security cameras, his face darkened. He grabbed my arm and marched me straight outside.

As soon as we stepped out, the biting cold wind hit us again. He threw my arm off and spun around to face me. "Who told you?"

Thinking back to the photo of the engagement party I had received 30 minutes ago, I looked him in the eye and gave it to him straight. "Your fiancée."

Andrew's tone turned even icier. "Tell me the truth."

I didn't have the energy to beat around the bush with him anymore. I pulled my collar tight against the freezing wind.

When I finally spoke, the cold had gotten to my throat, making my voice raspy. "Andrew, we should end this."

Andrew hadn't forgotten that his fiancée was still waiting for him upstairs.

He stepped forward and took my hand. His sudden gentleness was laced with impatience. "I'll explain later. Luca, don't start."

Looking down, I noticed the matching ring I gave him was already missing from his finger. Realizing he had been caught, he tried to pull his hand back.

"I'm a lawyer," I said softly. "I don't deliberately break the law. Let's end this."

I wasn't the type to throw a tantrum or cause a scene.

Andrew rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb. "I haven't even married her yet. How's that breaking the law—"

I cut him off. "And what about later?"

He was obviously pushed over the edge. His expression hardened. "So what if I marry her? Nothing's going to change between us. What's the problem?

"Lucas, I have to answer to my family. Can't you be more understanding?"

His words stung like a thousand needles. It wasn't like he had only realized today that I couldn't carry on his family line.

Andrew looked like he had hit his absolute breaking point. "I'm 35 years old. I've given you ten years of my life. Do you really expect me to spend forever letting the Sterling family line die out with me?"

My throat tightened, and a metallic taste filled my mouth. Blood rushed to my head as I raised a hand on impulse, only for it to freeze in midair, trembling violently.

A wave of intense dizziness swept over me, blurring my vision. All the urge to argue with him had completely evaporated.

I slowly pulled myself together, lowered my hand, and took a deep breath. "Go back to your party."

A taxi rolled down the street, and I hailed it over.

As I walked toward the cab, Andy took a couple of steps after me, but his phone rang.

I knew he wouldn't chase after me, and sure enough, he stopped and pulled out his phone.

Opening the door to get in, I heard him growl behind me. "I'll come find you tomorrow morning. Don't you dare run off, or you'll regret it."

I got in, separated from him by the window glass.

Even with the door shut tight, his voice, softening up as he answered the call, still cut through and pierced my ears. "We're done talking. I'm coming up now."