Ethan Fu arrived at our house three days later.

Sebastian had spent those same three days trying to reach me through everyone except himself.

Unknown numbers.

Mutual friends.

Even Mateo, once he recovered from his hangover.

I ignored all of them.

When Ethan entered the living room, I almost didn’t recognize him.

The boy I remembered had always been quiet, usually standing somewhere behind Mateo with a book in his hand.

The man before me was different.

Tall.

Composed.

Dressed in a dark suit, with the calm expression of someone who never wasted words.

He greeted my parents first.

Then his eyes settled on me.

—Hannah.

—Ethan.

My mother smiled too brightly.

—You two should talk alone.

Five minutes later, we were sitting across from each other in the garden.

I decided not to pretend.

—I agreed to meet you because my parents mentioned marriage.

—I know.

—And you still came?

—Yes.

His answer was so immediate that I frowned.

Ethan placed his cup down.

—Should I explain my conditions?

That surprised me.

—Conditions?

—If we marry, you can continue working.

He counted calmly.

—Your finances remain yours. I won’t interfere with your friendships or career. If you don’t want children immediately, that’s your decision too.

I stared at him.

—You’re strangely prepared.

Something almost resembling amusement crossed his face.

—I’ve had time.

I didn’t understand what he meant.

Before I could ask, a servant hurried toward us.

—Miss Hannah, there’s someone outside.

I already knew.

Sebastian.

He stood beyond the gate with his car parked crookedly behind him.

His eyes were bloodshot.

He looked as though he hadn’t slept.

The moment he saw Ethan beside me, his expression changed.

—Hannah.

I remained where I was.

—What do you want?

—I need five minutes.

—No.

He gripped the iron gate.

—That night wasn’t true.

I said those things because Mateo kept asking questions.

—So you lied about me because admitting you loved me was embarrassing?

His face tightened.

—No!

—Then why?

He hesitated.

And sometimes hesitation was an answer.

I smiled faintly.

—Go back to Sofia.

—Sofia has nothing to do with us.

I almost laughed.

—You left me that night to pick her up.

—She had just returned!

—Exactly.

I turned away.

Sebastian suddenly shouted:

—Are you doing this because of Ethan?

That made me stop.

He stared at Ethan as if he had finally identified the enemy.

—I know him.

He has wanted you for years.

My eyes shifted toward Ethan.

Ethan didn’t deny it.

Sebastian laughed bitterly.

—You didn’t know?

Of course you didn’t.

He was always like this.

Standing behind everyone, waiting.

Waiting for me to make one mistake.

Ethan finally stood.

—One?

His voice was quiet.

Sebastian’s jaw tightened.

—Stay out of this.

—I stayed out of it for eighteen months.

The garden became silent.

Even I looked at him.

Ethan continued:

—I watched you make her wait in restaurants because Sofia called.

I watched you hide Hannah from your friends.

I watched you tell her you weren’t ready to make the relationship public while letting everyone believe Sofia was still the woman you couldn’t forget.

Sebastian’s face darkened.

—You were spying on us?

—No.

Ethan looked directly at him.

—Hannah simply deserved someone who noticed.

Something inside my chest shifted.

Sebastian looked at me.

—You’re seriously considering marrying him?

—Yes.

His expression cracked.

—Because you’re angry with me?

I thought carefully before answering.

—Maybe anger made me say yes to meeting him.

Sebastian seemed relieved.

Then I finished:

—But you’re not important enough to decide whether I marry him.

The relief vanished.

I walked inside.

That evening Ethan left without asking for an answer.

Before leaving, however, he handed me a thin folder.

—What’s this?

—The marriage agreement.

I raised an eyebrow.

—You actually prepared one?

—Your father said you dislike uncertainty.

I opened it after he left.

Everything Ethan had promised was there.

Separate assets.

Freedom to work.

No interference in my personal decisions.

And one strange clause:

If I ever wanted a divorce, Ethan would sign immediately without asking why.

I stared at that sentence.

Sebastian had spent eighteen months asking me to trust promises.

Ethan had put his promises on paper before I had trusted him at all.

One week later, I agreed.

Our engagement was announced quietly.

Sebastian found out within hours.

That night he appeared outside my company.

This time Sofia was with him.

She was beautiful.

Elegant.

Exactly the kind of woman people described as Sebastian’s perfect match.

She smiled apologetically.

—Hannah, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.

Sebastian only came to the airport because our families are close.

I looked at her.

—Then there’s nothing to explain.

Sebastian stepped forward.

—Cancel the engagement.

I stared at him.

—Excuse me?

—I know you’re trying to punish me.

Fine.

You succeeded.

I’m sorry.

His voice softened.

—Come back.

For eighteen months, those two words would have destroyed every defense I had.

Now they only sounded arrogant.

—No.

His face hardened.

—You love me.

—Loved.

—You can’t stop loving someone in a week.

—No.

I looked directly into his eyes.

—But you can stop respecting them in one sentence.

He went silent.

Then Sofia suddenly said:

—Sebastian, perhaps we should tell her the truth.

His head snapped toward her.

—Don’t.

That reaction caught my attention.

Sofia looked uncomfortable.

—She deserves to know.

—Sofia.

But she continued.

—The reason Sebastian kept your relationship secret wasn’t because he was playing with you.

I froze.

Sebastian looked furious.

Sofia lowered her voice.

—Two years ago, Sebastian’s grandfather made him promise that he would marry me.

I felt strangely calm.

Sebastian stepped toward me.

—I was going to solve it.

—While dating me secretly?

—I needed time.

—And calling me a game?

His eyes reddened.

—I said that because Mateo was there.

If your brother discovered us before I settled everything with my family—

—Then you protected yourself by humiliating me.

He had no answer.

Sofia looked down.

That was when Ethan’s car stopped beside the curb.

He stepped out.

Sebastian’s entire body stiffened.

—Perfect.

He laughed without humor.

—Your replacement is here.

Ethan ignored him and walked toward me.

—Ready?

I nodded.

Sebastian grabbed my wrist.

Ethan’s expression changed instantly.

He didn’t raise his voice.

—Let go.

Sebastian stared at him.

—You’ve been waiting for this since university, haven’t you?

Ethan’s gaze remained steady.

—Longer.

Everyone went silent.

Including me.

Sebastian gave a disbelieving laugh.

—Tell her, then.

Ethan said nothing.

Sebastian looked at me.

—Ask your perfect fiancé why he transferred schools when you were sixteen.

My heart skipped.

Ethan’s eyes hardened.

—Enough.

But Sebastian had finally found something that could hurt him.

—Ask him why he never dated anyone seriously.

Ask him why every year on your birthday, flowers arrived at your house without a name.

I turned toward Ethan.

Those flowers.

They had appeared every birthday since I was seventeen.

I had always assumed my parents sent them.

—Ethan?

He was silent for several seconds.

Then he looked at me.

—I didn’t come back because the Fu family wanted an alliance.

My pulse quickened.

—I asked them to propose it.

Sebastian’s face twisted.

—See?

He planned everything.

But Ethan wasn’t looking at him.

Only me.

—I didn’t expect you to agree.

—Why would you ask, then?

For the first time since returning, Ethan’s composure cracked.

Just slightly.

—Because I promised myself that if there was ever one day when you were free and willing to look at me…

He paused.

—I wouldn’t miss it again.

My breath caught.

Sebastian released my wrist.

But Ethan wasn’t finished.

He reached into his coat and took out something small.

An old silver keychain.

A tiny moon hung from it.

I recognized it immediately.

I had given it to a boy when I was fourteen.

A boy who had pulled me from the river after I slipped from a bridge during a school trip.

I had never learned his name.

I had only remembered his bleeding hand gripping mine while he told me not to close my eyes.

My fingers trembled.

—Where did you get that?

Ethan looked at the tiny moon in his palm.

Then back at me.

—You gave it to me.

The street seemed to disappear.

Sebastian stared between us.

And suddenly I understood something terrifying.

Ethan Fu had not begun waiting for me while Sebastian and I were dating.

He had been waiting for more than ten years.

But before I could speak, Sofia’s phone rang.

She looked at the screen.

Her face immediately turned white.

—Sebastian…

He frowned.

—What?

She slowly raised her eyes.

—Your grandfather is in the hospital.

Sebastian stepped toward her.

Then Sofia whispered something that made even Ethan freeze.

—Before he lost consciousness, he told your father to find Hannah.

She looked directly at me.

—He said the Gu family’s marriage promise was never made to me.

My stomach tightened.

—Then who was it made to?

Sofia swallowed.

—You.

And suddenly Sebastian looked more shocked than anyone.