Chapter 2

She rested her head against Liam's shoulder with soft, coquettish affection. In seven years, I had never once seen this side of her.

I had foolishly convinced myself that Vanessa was naturally aloof and guarded. Now I finally understood that a person only shows true tenderness to the one they actually love.

I stared at the pair before me. They were the golden couple whose engagement was celebrated by every major media outlet in town. And what was I?

Nothing more than an invisible dirty secret hidden beneath the floorboards for seven long years.

"Liam, I had this whole studio designed around your personal aesthetic. Do you like it?" Vanessa asked, her voice laced with eager pleasing.

I froze on the spot, staring at her in disbelief.

Everything here—from the brutalist concrete walls to the mid-century modern furniture—had been curated for Liam Sterling from day one.

All those sleepless nights I spent overseeing construction, obsessing over every tile and fixture, had merely been done for my girlfriend’s real lover.

A dry, self-deprecating chuckle escaped my throat.

Liam lowered his head and kissed her tenderly on the lips, then shot a mocking smirk in my direction as he pulled back.

"Come with me. I have something else to show you. You’re going to be touched," Vanessa murmured, pulling a key from her pocket.

It unlocked the private basement. In all seven years, she had forbidden anyone—including me—from ever stepping foot down there.

Vanessa walked ahead with her arm wrapped tightly around Liam. I followed behind like a discarded ghost, forced to watch their shameless display.

Liam glanced back over his shoulder. "Vanessa, bring your little assistant along too."

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Vanessa's face, but when Liam looked down at her expectantly, she gave in and nodded.

We walked down the steps. The layout was something I had built, but I had never seen what was stored inside.

The walls were covered with framed photographs of Vanessa and Liam together, alongside solo portraits of Liam taken from every angle.

The display tables were lined with personal mementos from their past.

Liam let out a pleased laugh. "Looks like you didn't spend the last seven years forgetting me at all, babe. I thought you had moved on."

Without another word, the two locked lips in a passionate, deep kiss, completely ignoring my presence.

My throat tightened as if choking on glass. A suffocating weight pressed down onto my chest, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

For seven whole years, Vanessa had steadfastly refused to take even a single photograph with me.

I knew I was far from unattractive; plenty of New York socialites had pursued me back in the day. I had convinced myself that she simply hated couple photos.

Now the bitter reality stared me in the face: she never took photos with me because I was never worthy of a space in her heart.

I still remembered the day I first met her on a sun-drenched beach in Miami.

My family had been going through a turbulent period, and I had flown south on an impulse to clear my head.

She had just graduated from art school, volunteering in the local arts district and shooting street photography on a budget camera.

I had accidentally dropped the vintage family bracelet my grandmother gave me somewhere in the sand.

As I retraced my steps in despair, a young woman stopped right in front of me.

A DSLR was slung across her chest. Her hair was tied in a messy high ponytail, and her smile was bright and dazzling.

"Are you looking for this?"

She held out the silver bracelet, her eyes sparkling with warmth.

The ocean breeze was soft, and the sunlight fell perfectly over her shoulders. In that moment, the entire world seemed painted in gold.

That carefree, bright-eyed girl became etched into my soul.

Later that evening, when I checked into a boutique bed-and-breakfast, I bumped into her again.

She brought out a bottle of red wine, and we sat on the terrace for hours, talking about life, art, and impossible dreams.

I watched her speak with stars in her eyes, completely mesmerized.

She said her ultimate dream was to become a world-renowned photographer.

Yet right after saying that, a shadow crossed her face. No matter how gently I asked, she shook her head and went quiet.

Eventually, we grew closer.

One sunset, walking side by side along the shoreline, she told me I was the most attentive, gentle man she had ever known.

Then she looked into my eyes and whispered:

"Julian, will you be my boyfriend?"