Chapter 4

By now, Chloe's butler had already docked their top-of-the-line luxury yacht right next to Alex's, just waiting for Chloe and me to hop on board.

Alex hurriedly grabbed my hand. "Liv, stay with me. Let me escort you back personally. We can talk about the wedding plans."

Chloe broke in with a cold scoff. "Mr. Carter, could you just treat us like actual people for once? Not even a real proposal from you, and you let your precious little sister almost get Liv killed. Now you have the nerve to bring up marriage?"

Alex yanked me so hard that my shawl slipped to the ground, the biting sea breeze knifing right through me. I probably looked half-dead, pale as a sheet.

After taking a deep breath, I looked at the man I'd loved for four years and said calmly, "Alex, we're done."

With that, I turned and followed Chloe up onto her yacht, never once looking back.

The sea breeze swept across the deck, carrying a faint, salty tang.

I sat on the sofa of the luxury yacht, my eyes vacant as I gazed out at the endless ocean.

Chloe let out a quiet sigh, reached for a soft towel, and began gently drying my damp hair with careful, soothing strokes.

Chloe said, "Liv, don't let a scumbag like that get you down. Losing a guy like him isn't even a loss."

I managed a weak smile, about to say something, when my phone suddenly buzzed with a notification.

Instinctively, I picked it up and saw a push from the trending tab—right at the top, bold letters screamed: "Sophia Lane and Mr. Carter—Wedding Bells Soon"

Before I could even process it, my fingers had already tapped into the hashtag.

Sophia's latest tweet popped up. It was a carefully staged photo.

In the picture, the guy sitting across from Sophia was slicing her steak with practiced ease, his right hand poised with the knife and fork, about to feed her a perfectly cut bite in a romantic gesture.

On his wrist was that men's watch I'd recognize anywhere. It was one of only five in the world, Alex's favorite, the one he'd always wear at important events.

Sophia's caption was pure sugar: [People say the bravest, most romantic thing is when two people run toward each other and when I love you, you just happen to love me, too.]

The comments section exploded, everyone guessing it was Alex in the picture.

Sophia's fans were flooding the comments with well-wishes.

"Sophie and the Carter Group heir are truly a match made in heaven!"

"Finally, we've been waiting for this. Big congrats to Sophie!"

I kept quiet, just watching all the excitement play out in the comments section.

[So what if Olivia's an award-winning actress? She can't hold a candle to Sophie!]

[Olivia used to hang out with Mr. Carter all the time, always getting photographed on trips. Probably just media hype, she was trying to get his attention and land herself a wealthy guy.]

Chloe noticed my mood shift and leaned over to peek at my phone screen.

"What kind of crap are they spewing now?" Chloe grumbled. "Liv, just ignore that. Those are clearly paid fake accounts Sophia bought to hype herself up."

Just then, my phone buzzed with another notification.

I paused, and then forced myself to open it with shaky hands. It was a juicy audio leak from a popular gossip account.

In the recording, some guy joked, "Mr. Carter, you've sure been treating Olivia well these past four years. Did you really fall for her?"

After a short silence, I heard that familiar voice I knew too well.

Alex snorted, his voice dripping disdain. "Olivia? She's nothing to me. When I'm bored, I toy with her, sweet-talk her a bit.

"She's so grateful, so obsessed that she'll do whatever I want, sticking by me no matter what. For four years, she's just been my doormat."

"Come on, imagine turning an award-winning actress into your personal simp. That's peak achievement.

"Dating her was nothing but target practice. When Sophie finally says yes, I'll be ready to give her the real deal."

My phone slipped from my hand and landed hard on the floor. I automatically grabbed the hem of my dress.

Turned out, those four years I spent loving him—Alex just saw it as me groveling at his feet.

Chloe let out a gentle sigh. "Liv, don't worry. I'm here. You've got me."

I tried to manage a smile, but my face felt so frozen that it barely moved.

Noticing how down I was, Chloe put aside the towel, sat right next to me, and gave me a warm hug. "Liv, you know what? I've always admired you."

I looked up at her, a little taken aback.

There was a sincere, gentle light in Chloe's eyes.

She said, "All these years in showbiz, you went through so much, but you never let on. You always kept it to yourself and didn't tell me.

"My family could've sorted things out with just a word, but you still wouldn't let me help.

"Liv, you've always stood on your own two feet and kept your head up high. Your acting chops and the way you handle yourself have even got the old pros in the industry singing your praises."

I could tell she was really trying to cheer me up. My heart softened, and I couldn't stop my eyes from getting teary.

The next second, Chloe leaned in, her hands steadying my shoulders.

She said, "Girl, you're my one and only—smart, radiant, and a superstar who works her butt off. Alex? Please. That spoiled slacker living off his daddy isn't even worth carrying your bags."

She declared, "Only the absolute best of the best is good enough for you."

I finally couldn't help but laugh at Chloe's antics, just joking back at her. "So, this 'best man in the world'—he's gotta have a name, right?"

Chloe shot me a mysterious look and whispered, "Or... you could just marry into the Sinclair family."

I was taken aback.

Chloe gave me a playful wink. "The Sinclair family's got two prime candidates for you—my cousin or my uncle. Who wins your heart?"

Before I could answer, Chloe grinned. "Honestly, I'm rooting for Uncle Ethan. Ethan Sinclair is the ultimate catch: handsome, loaded, and every bit the suave gentleman.

"Just picture it. Marry Ethan, and boom, you'd officially be part of the Sinclair family."