Chapter 2

Lena POV

The twelve-year anniversary gala of Whitmore Corporation.

Lights blazed, guests dressed in finery. I wore the haute couture gown Ethan had personally selected for me, standing quietly on the second-floor terrace.

Everyone knew that billionaire Ethan Whitmore had cherished me for twelve years.

From the day ten-year-old me was brought back to Ethan's Manhattan villa, I became Ethan's untouchable treasure.

When I wanted to study architecture, he built me a private all-glass studio in the heart of Manhattan.

When I casually mentioned loving the plane trees in Paris, he could cancel billion-dollar meetings the very next day to fly me to Paris to feed the pigeons.

People in our circle were all saying that tonight at the gala, Ethan would officially propose to me.

I thought so too.

After twelve years together, I had long bound my life tightly to Ethan's. I loved him, to the bone.

"Now, I want to introduce someone very important to me."

In the first-floor hall, Ethan's deep, magnetic voice spread throughout the venue through the microphone.

My heartbeat skipped a beat. I lifted my dress, full of anticipation as I turned to go downstairs.

However, the spotlight didn't fall on me.

The beam of light followed someone in the corner of the hall. A girl in a pure white gauze dress with a fresh, water-like presence slowly walked onto the stage. Ethan naturally took her hand, his gaze filled with a tenderness I had never seen before.

"This is my fiancée, Vivian."

Boom.

My mind felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer, a sharp ringing in my ears. I froze at the landing of the stairs, the blood in my body completely freezing in that moment.

Fiancée?

Then what was I? What did these twelve years of companionship mean?

Amid enthusiastic applause, Ethan led Vivian off the stage and came straight toward me.

He looked at my deathly pale face, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. "Lena, say hello to Vivian."

I bit down hard on my lower lip, tasting blood in my mouth. I looked at this man I had loved for twelve years, my voice shaking uncontrollably. "Ethan... you're joking, right?"

"How could Ethan joke about something like this?" Vivian affectionately looped her arm through Ethan's, looking at me with a smile.

"You must be Lena. Ethan often mentions you, says you're a genius architect. Perfect timing. Ethan and I haven't settled on a design for our wedding house yet. Could you help us design it?"

I found it utterly absurd.

She wanted me to personally design a wedding house for the man I loved deeply and another woman?

I looked at Ethan pleadingly, hoping he would refuse this cruel request.

But Ethan just looked at me coolly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Vivian likes your design style. I'm comfortable leaving this to you."

In that instant, I heard the sound of my heart shattering.

"Fine." I forced out a smile uglier than crying. "I'll design it."

I turned and fled hastily, rushing into the restroom, frantically splashing cold water on my face.

My phone in my bag vibrated. It was Professor Miller calling.

"Lena, that three-year ancient architecture restoration and reconstruction project in Paris. I've kept a spot for you. How's your decision going? If you go, you probably won't be able to return to New York for three years."

Before, I had refused without hesitation because I couldn't bear to leave Ethan.

But now, looking at my wretched reflection in the mirror, I took a deep breath and slowly said. "Professor Miller, I'll go. Give me two weeks to wrap things up here."

After hanging up, I walked out of the restroom.

At the end of the hallway by the floor-to-ceiling windows, Ethan was draping his suit jacket over Vivian's shoulders, lowering his head to tenderly kiss away the champagne stain at the corner of her lips.

I quietly watched this scene, the light in my eyes extinguishing completely.