Chapter 1
My boyfriend, the heir to a wealthy and powerful family, fell for a blind professional dancer.
He insisted on breaking off his engagement to me, Harborton's high society darling.
To preserve the alliance between our families, I found top doctors to treat her and even built her a stage for a comeback.
But she said I was humiliating her. She jumped into the river to prove her pride.
Ten years later, my boyfriend took over Harborton's elite circle.
He seized my family's fortune and pushed us all to suicide.
"This is what you get for killing her," he said coldly.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back. He was confessing his love to the dancer in public.
I walked straight to the man in the corner, the silent mining tycoon from the northwest.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and placed his hand on my waist.
"Kiss me," I demanded.
*****
In the ballroom, Casper Lawson stood facing the dancer, holding a bouquet, as she stood center stage. He was telling her he loved her.
Everyone turned to look at me, completely shocked.
After all, Casper and I had gotten engaged yesterday.
And now, he was confessing his love to someone else right in front of me, like I didn't even exist.
Miller, Casper's father, immediately snapped at him, "Stop messing around!
"This isn't the time for your games. Go apologize to Elena right now."
The Lawsons were the ones who had begged for this engagement.
I did love Casper back then.
But the real reason my family agreed was because of his family's influence in the mainland.
In elite circles, everyone knew they could have fun, but couldn't cross the line or catch real feelings.
When two families came together, it was all about business. Everyone was in it for the money.
If someone made things ugly, people would walk away and stop dealing with them.
But Casper never seemed to get it. He fell for the dancer the moment he saw her, and nothing could shake his determination to be with her, even though she was thirty and blind.
Casper stood his ground, his voice even more certain.
He said, "I'm not messing around. I'm serious.
"Elena, back then, I didn't have anyone I liked, so I went along with the engagement for our families.
"This is the first time I've ever wanted to fight for something I actually want.
"I hope you can understand."
He didn't even bother to look at me, his eyes locked on the dancer like I was invisible.
I clicked my tongue. My patience for idiots was wearing thin.
Wendy Smith, the dancer, had her eyes covered with a thin veil, her lips trembling slightly.
"Mr. Lawson, thank you for the love, but we come from completely different worlds. Your family would never accept me, and your fiancée wouldn't, either," she said.
She was turning him down, but her words left the door open a little.
Hearing that, Casper finally turned to look at me.
"You heard her, didn't you? I know you have feelings for me, but please, let me go," he said.
Then, he turned to his parents. "Mom, Dad, she and I love each other. Why should our backgrounds stop us from being together?"
As soon as he said that, the whole room burst out laughing.
Love meant nothing in this world.
His parents' faces went dark, their reputation taking a serious hit in front of everyone.
Miller didn't even bother with Casper. Instead, he forced an awkward smile and tried to smooth things over with me.
He said, "Casper's had a little too much to drink tonight. His head's not right.
"Do me a favor and let it slide, okay?
"Don't worry. Your engagement is totally fine."