Chapter 1

While chasing the CEO Alvin Foley, I gained the ability to feel what he felt. He wasn't as cold as he appeared and was quite passionate within.

Suddenly, I became the woman who understood him best.

When he felt awkward but refused to admit it, I crashed his party and clutched my chest dramatically.

I'd say, "Alvin, take me to the hospital. I can't breathe!"

When he ate a suitor's dessert, I handed him a cup of coffee. "Bet you need to wash down all that sugar with this."

With this cheat code, I outplayed every rival and finally became his fiancée.

But just before our wedding, I felt something new: a flutter that wasn't mine.

Alvin had fallen for his secretary.

*****

The thing I was most thankful to my dad for? That was easy. Twenty-four years ago, he got wasted and insisted on making a marriage pact for me.

If someone had asked me back then, I'd be the first to deny that stupid engagement ever existed.

I'd say, "It's just a verbal pact. Is that supposed to count? Please. No one would fall for that."

But I'd seen change my tune.

Once I realized Alvin Foley was now the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company, still single and loaded, I set off.

I slung my suitcase, grabbed two live chickens, and endured three days in a train, all just to find Alvin.

When my bestie found out, she immediately warned me, "Don't put yourself out for someone who doesn't care."

I didn't miss a beat and fired right back. "It wouldn't matter as long as he is rich."

Alvin was so rich, none of us could even imagine it.

His idea of a welcome gift? A designer bag worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"But what about feelings? You can't force a relationship," my bestie said.

"Don't worry, I've got a superpower. For real," I replied.

She looked at me like I'd bumped my head and was talking crazy.

But seriously, I really did have a superpower.

The moment I first met Alvin, I felt it kick in.

He put on his best poker face, avoiding eye contact with me.

But inside, he was freaking out.

He was struggling to decide what restaurant he would treat me to.

Alvin had no shortage of admirers: rich, gorgeous, the works.

But I was the one with the real edge because I knew Alvin better than anyone.

I knew exactly what he was thinking.

By the third year of chasing after Alvin, I became the only girlfriend he ever admitted to in public.

On our fourth year together, Alvin handed me the Foley family's bracelet—a priceless treasure passed down for generations.

He stayed silent, but I knew I'd soon be his wife.

Even after all this, my bestie was still skeptical.

"You seriously know what Alvin's thinking?" she asked.

I thumped my chest with total confidence. "You bet I do.

"Even when we're not together, I can feel it. Like right this second, Alvin... is in love."

The shock was so much, the cup slipped right out of my hands.

I couldn't believe what I was sensing.

But that strange feeling only grew stronger by the second.

I grabbed my phone and called Alvin right away.

But it wasn't Alvin who answered—instead, a woman's voice came on.

"Mr. Foley's tied up at the moment. If there's anything you need, just let me know," she said smoothly.

"I'm Fanny Barron, Mr. Foley's secretary," she introduced herself.

After hanging up, my heart was still pounding like crazy.

My own anxiety was overwhelming the emotion I sensed from Alvin.

Staying late at work instead of heading home? Yeah, right—no way this was anything good.

I threw on my coat and rushed straight to Alvin's company.

On the way there, inside, I kept praying that I'd imagined it.

Even superpowers could screw up sometimes, right?

But that illusion got crushed almost instantly.

Inside the office, Alvin and Fanny were huddled close.

Even from across the room, I could see the smile on Alvin's lips.

And I could feel his heart pounding and fluttering.

Now that I saw and heard it, there was no use lying to myself anymore.

"Alvin," I blurted out.

Everything in my head just short-circuited—total blank.

Next thing I knew, my feet had carried me right over to them. I was standing there, staring, calling Alvin's name.

Alvin froze for a second—he was totally caught off guard.

He fumbled, shoving papers into the drawer like he was trying to cover up a crime.

"What are you doing here?" he said.

Alvin was desperately trying to act calm but I could feel the panic rolling off him in waves.

He was nervous and was hiding something.

Fanny was just as flustered, her gaze darting all over the place.

She kept running her fingers through her hair, clearly unsettled and trying to hide it.

"So, you must be Miss Atkins, right?" Fanny said.

"Honestly, there's nothing going on between me and Mr. Foley. We were just talking about work.

"Don't misunderstand, Miss Atkins," Fanny added, her voice airy.

However, she drew out the word 'misunderstand'.

Moreover, even with her gaze darting all over the place, she somehow managed to meet my gaze head-on.

I could feel my temper flaring up instantly.

I was just about to call them out and demand what was really going on between the two of them.

But before I could say a word, Alvin cut me off.

"You should head home. Fanny and I still have some important matters to discuss," he said.

"Irene, don't just walk into my office like this again," he added.

Seeing his face go dark, it shut me right up.

Alvin was dead serious.

I was dazed.

I stumbled into the elevator. All I could hear in my head was Alvin's voice, echoing over and over.

He'd never spoken to me with such stern seriousness before.

This was the one and only time.

And it was all because of Fanny, the newly-appointed secretary.

I was completely consumed by sadness.

Then l heard someone mention the words "childhood betrothal."

"Mr. Foley and Fanny have been getting way too close lately. Looks like the fiancée's hopes are about to be crushed."

"Come on, who even tries to use a childhood betrothal to pressure someone into marriage these days? That's just hilarious."

"Now it's all about who can really win Mr. Foley's heart."

"I'm voting for Fanny. She's smart and gorgeous. There was no way that country girl could ever outshine her."

I hardly ever came to Alvin's company.

So these two employees had no idea that the 'country girl' they were gossiping about was actually standing beside them.

They openly discussed Alvin's love life, not bothering to lower their voices at all.

Honestly, none of them ever thought I'd actually be the one to come out on top.

All that gossip was giving me serious anxiety.

When the elevator doors finally opened, I pushed past them and rushed outside.

I gulped down huge breaths of fresh air, trying to calm myself down.

Once I finally snapped out of it, there was only one thought in my head.

I had to clutch Alvin's heart tight—no matter what.

There was no way I'd give up on him.