Chapter 1

Alexander Sterling rented an entire private island for our engagement party. It was supposed to be the kind of day people would talk about for years.

He went down on one knee, slid a one-of-a-kind ten-carat blue diamond onto my finger, and looked up at me with nothing but tenderness.

"Julia Evans," he said, "from this moment on, you're the only woman I'll ever call my wife."

The crowd burst into applause.

But the second he stood up, he slipped the ring right off my finger.

Then he turned and carefully put it on Sophie Turner—his childhood sweetheart.

"I lost the bet," he said, sounding almost proud of it. "So you get to wear it for a few days. When you get bored, we'll talk."

"Guess an engagement ring really does outshine the rest." Sophie lifted her hand, wiggling the ring at me with a smug little smile. "Julia, sorry. I'm just borrowing it for fun. I'll give it back once I'm over it."

Alexander pulled her in by the waist and laughed, soft and indulgent, "Relax. Julia won't mind."

I froze where I stood.

He finally seemed to notice, walked over, and brushed it off like it was nothing. "Come on, it was just a game. You should be used to this by now."

He assumed I'd react like I always did—eyes burning, pretending it didn't hurt.

But this time, I just looked at him and said, calm and steady, "Alexander, you can give her the ring. But I'm done playing."

*****

When Alexander slid the ring onto Sophie's middle finger, the whole world seemed to go silent.

Even the sound of the waves crashing against the shore felt sharp and intrusive.

Half an hour ago, he'd been smiling at me, swearing he'd love only me for the rest of his life.

Now, because of that ring, everything felt like a joke I was too slow to catch.

Whispers started spreading through the crowd.

"Did you see that? Mr. Sterling just took the ring off Ms. Evans' hand. Aren't they the ones getting engaged?"

"You really don't know? Mr. Sterling and Sophie grew up together. They always make these silly bets. It's probably another one of their little games. We're used to it."

"What? And Ms. Evans is fine with that?"

"Please. How could she not be? The Evans family went bankrupt. Mr. Sterling is all she has left. She should be grateful he even keeps her around."

Each word stabbed straight through my spine.

I took a slow breath and looked at Alexander.

He wasn't looking at me. His gaze was soft, almost tender—directed entirely at Sophie.

It was as if she were the one he had just promised a future to.

It was as if the engagement had never been with me at all.

"Alexander." I held onto the last thread of hope in my chest. "Is this another bet? What was the wager this time?"

He didn't even let me finish.

"I got drunk first last time, so I lost," he said calmly, as if commenting on the weather. "Sophie said she wanted to try on the engagement ring, so I let her.

"It's just a ring. A bet is a bet. If you still want one, my black card is with you. Buy as many as you want."

His voice was light, almost bored.

But the memories behind every casual word crushed the air from my lungs.

Ever since Alexander and I got together, his precious childhood friend Sophie had been everywhere—the girl he swore was "basically a little sister", yet every bet they made, every so-called game from their childhood, somehow ended with me becoming the prize.

Whenever he lost, Sophie collected her prize from my life.

He lost a card game, and he transferred my gallery shares to her.

He lost truth-or-dare, and they made out in front of me, practically half-naked.

Last month, they had a staring contest. He lost again, and he locked me in the studio for three days because Sophie said, "She's an artist, isn't she? Let her paint my portrait. She can come out when I like it."

And Alexander never cared.

He only told me, in that gentle tone he saved for manipulation, "Julia, we're about to be married. We're one. Keeping my promises is something a good wife should understand."

And for a long time, I believed him. I swallowed it all.

But now, with that glittering ring catching the light on Sophie's hand, something inside me snapped. I actually laughed.

How ironic it all turned out.

Alexander froze at the sound, as if he had never seen me laugh like that. He reached for me, but I stepped back and smiled coldly.

"So this time you just couldn't outdrink Sophie?" I asked. "She wanted the ring, so you gave it to her? That ring was for our engagement. Do you really not care at all?

"You've outdrunk your friends a hundred times. But Sophie and her two-beer tolerance. That's who you lose to? You really are devoted. Truly impressive."

His face darkened.

Sophie stepped forward and latched onto his arm.

"Julia, stop being ungrateful," she snapped. "There's nothing dirty between me and Alex. What we have is pure. We're like brother and sister.

"Brothers and sisters roughhouse. It's normal. We've known each other forever. And honestly, if something were going on, it still wouldn't be your place to complain."

I let out a humorless laugh.

"There's nothing for me to complain about anymore," I said. "You can keep the ring. And you can have Alexander too."

The air went dead still, and the guests quieted one by one as the whole scene turned into a spectacle.

Alexander's expression dropped in an instant. "Julia, are you serious?"

People started trying to calm me down.

"Ms. Evans, don't act on impulse. Alex likes to play around, sure, but everyone here knows how much he loves you."

"Exactly. He booked this entire island just for you."

"He's probably just waiting for you to soften up and say something sweet. Once you do, he'll let it go."

"You're already engaged. Who backs out at their own engagement party?"

Fireworks kept bursting above us, lighting up Alexander's face when I finally looked at him.

"She can keep the ring," I said. "But I'm done playing this game."