1 Isabelle Ridley and I grew up inseparable. The day we turned eighteen, our families announced our engagement. From then on, I counted the days. But Isabelle saw it as a cage. "Most people get to fall in love a few times," she once said bitterly. "Why am I stuck with you, from cradle to grave?" She shrugged, adding, "You should date around too, Noah." She lived by her words. In the year after our engagement, Isabelle cycled through seven boyfriends. With each one, I calmly said it was fine, telling myself she’d get it out of her system and return to me eventually. Then came the eighth. She brought him to her family’s annual gala, holding his hand as he called her "Izzy." I set down my fork and, in front of everyone, slid the signed engagement contract to the center of the table. "You were right, Isabelle," I said steadily. "Committing to one person for life? It’s a raw deal." Later, when I stood before her with Sophia Langdon—the Langdon heiress—Isabelle smashed her champagne flute, her eyes red with fury. "Noah, what is this?!" I smiled. "Isn’t this what you wanted? I tried. And she’s a perfect fit." … I’d been to the Ridley family gala many times. But tonight was the first time I walked through those doors as something other than "Isabelle Ridley's fiancé." "Is that Noah Prescott? What is he…" "Who is he holding hands with? Is that the Langdon girl?" "And who's that standing next to Miss Ridley? What is going on…" Isabelle shot to her feet, the legs of her chair scraping a jarring shriek against the polished marble floor. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she pointed a trembling finger at Sophia. "Do you have any idea who he is? He's my fiancé!" Sophia glanced at me, a silent question in her eyes, asking if she should speak. I gave a subtle shake of my head. Mrs. Ridley forced a smile, trying to smooth things over. "Noah, there must be a misunderstanding. Izzy is just young and likes to have her fun. In her heart, she's still yours…" I looked at Isabelle's mother and offered a smile of my own. "Mrs. Ridley, she's had her 'fun' for a year. Seven boyfriends. I never said a word." "Tonight is your family's most important event of the year, and she brings number eight. If I stay silent now, should I be expected to give up my seat for number nine?" Mr. Ridley's face turned to stone. He shot Isabelle a look that could kill. She opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off with a raised hand. "You were right, Isabelle. Being faithful is a bad deal." "So, I'm ending the engagement. It's over." I nudged the contract further across the table, then turned to my own father. His expression was unreadable. He met my gaze for three long seconds, then stood. "Richard," he said to Mr. Ridley, "let's not interfere in our children's affairs. But if Noah wants to end this engagement, he has my full support." Mr. Ridley’s face darkened. He roared at Isabelle, "Get out of my sight! Now!" Isabelle was banished to the study. Even through the thick wooden door, we could hear the sound of things being thrown and smashed. Mrs. Ridley said nothing more, simply following her daughter into the room. Isabelle's date, a young man named Caden, was left standing alone, wilting under the stares of the entire room. He ducked his head and hurried out of the main hall. The gala ended abruptly. I walked Sophia to the door, releasing her hand once we were outside. "Thank you for tonight, Sophia." She looked up at me, her gaze warm and uncomplicated. "It was my honor to play a part in your little drama." Then she got into her car and vanished into the night. I stood there in front of the Ridley estate, a cool wind brushing against me. A red wine stain on my white shirt had dried, leaving a dark, rust-colored mark. When I got home, I collapsed onto the sofa and lay there for a long time with my eyes closed. My mind drifted back to the year Isabelle first took my hand, declaring, "Noah Prescott is mine." I remembered our eighteenth birthday, the day of our engagement party, when she announced to everyone, "He's the one for me, for life." And now, at twenty-two, she had brought her eighth boyfriend to meet me. The person I had sworn to protect was no longer mine to protect. I opened my eyes, took out my phone, and opened my chat with Isabelle. The last message, from three days ago, was a picture of her and Caden. New boyfriend. Cute, right? I hadn't replied then. And I wouldn't be replying now. I tapped her profile picture and selected "Delete Contact." 2 A week after the engagement was broken, I drove out to a tea garden in the countryside to discuss a new project. The place was designed like a classical estate, with a small courtyard at the entrance and a flagstone path lined with bamboo. As I walked through the courtyard, I saw him. Caden. He was sitting at a tea table under a covered veranda, smiling and chatting, with pastries and tea laid out before him. Across from him sat Isabelle. Caden saw me first. A flicker of recognition lit his eyes before he quickly composed himself and pretended to continue his conversation. A hostess came to greet me, and I told her I had a reservation. She led me to a table in a quiet corner. The spot wasn't far from their table, close enough to overhear their words. I had just sat down when I heard Caden say, "Izzy, about what happened with Noah the other night… what's the latest?" The teacup in my hand paused halfway to my lips. Isabelle's voice drifted over. "What's to handle? He's the one who broke it off. You don't expect me to beg him to take me back, do you?" Caden chuckled. "But for him to do that in public… it was a huge slap in the face for you." Isabelle laughed along with him. "He thinks he can scare me by ending the engagement? Please. Our families arranged it. His word alone doesn't mean a thing." I lifted the cup and took a slow sip. It was a premium green tea, this year's harvest. It was good. Caden asked another question. "So, are you going to see him again?" "See him for what?" Isabelle’s tone was breezy, indifferent. "I have you now." Caden lowered his voice. "So… when are you going to marry me?" There was a two-second pause. Then, Isabelle's voice, clear as day. "Soon. As soon as things settle down, I'll marry you." I swallowed the tea and poured myself another cup. The steam rose, warming my face, leaving it feeling damp. Caden was still talking, but his voice had become a dull buzz in my ears. Her words echoed in my head, over and over. As soon as things settle down, I'll marry you. Things settle down. I almost laughed. I had waited an entire year for her to come back to me. And here she was, promising to marry someone else as soon as things "settled down." I drained my cup, called the waitress, and paid the bill. As I stood to leave, I walked past their table. I didn't slow my pace. I even wore a faint, polite smile. Caden’s expression shifted, likely surprised by my composure. Isabelle watched me, her gaze following me until I was out of the courtyard and gone. Once I was in my car, I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles white. My nails dug into my palms, the pain a sharp, welcome sting. I sent a message to the project manager, changing the location of our meeting. Three seconds later, I started the car and drove away. Back at the tea garden, Isabelle pushed away the pastry Caden offered her. "Let's go." Caden looked confused. "Where?" "You go home first. I have something to take care of." His face fell, but he didn't dare argue. That evening, the client for my new project was finalized. It was the Ridley Corporation. The next day, I received another message. The project liaison would be Caden. I stared at the message for a long time. Did Isabelle get him a job at her family's company? Or was he already working there? It didn't matter. None of it mattered anymore. I put down my phone and went back to revising the proposal. 3 At the project kick-off meeting, I found myself sitting across from Isabelle as a contractor for the first time. She was dressed in a sharp business suit, her expression all professional. Caden, also in a suit, sat beside her. I opened my laptop and began my presentation. Five minutes in, Caden held up a hand, interrupting me. "Mr. Prescott, I believe there's an issue with your target demographic positioning." I paused and looked at him. "The positioning was determined by preliminary market research. Your team signed off on the report." Caden smiled. "That was before. I'm in charge of the project now, and I don't think it's appropriate. It needs to be changed." Isabelle nodded beside him. "Caden's right. Revise it." I paused for a beat. "Alright." I continued. Ten minutes later, Caden interrupted again. "This customer flow design is also unacceptable. It's too convoluted. Did your team even do a site visit when you drafted this?" "We conducted three site visits," I replied evenly. "The flow is based on…" Caden cut me off again. "I've seen your analysis report. The data sources are all wrong. Do it over." Isabelle nodded again. "Do as he says." Her gaze met mine for a fleeting second before she looked down at her phone. I took a deep breath. "Understood." For the rest of the meeting, Caden interrupted me every five minutes, his criticisms growing more and more absurd. The other people in the room exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared to speak up. When I finally finished, I closed my laptop. Caden smiled. "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Prescott. Please take the proposal back and revise it thoroughly. We'll meet again soon." After the meeting, he cornered me in the hallway. He gave me a slick, smug smile. "Mr. Prescott, I'll be your point of contact for this project moving forward. Let's make sure we communicate frequently." He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Izzy told me that the success of this project will directly impact the future partnership between the Prescott and Ridley corporations." "Don't worry," he added, his voice dripping with insincerity. "I'll be sure to 'cooperate' with you fully." I looked at his face and felt a sudden, sharp urge to ask him a question. Do you have any idea that the woman you're with went through seven boyfriends in a single year? But I didn't. I just said, "Then let's stick to the protocol." His smile widened. "Of course, I'll follow protocol. I'm just worried Mr. Prescott might not be used to it." He turned to leave, then glanced back over his shoulder. "Oh, by the way, Mr. Prescott. Izzy said that after this project is completed, we'll be officially announcing our engagement." I stood there, motionless, and watched him disappear down the hall. For the next week, I worked late into the night, every night. I revised the proposal eight times. Each time I submitted it, Caden sent it back. My colleagues complained in private, saying he was doing it on purpose. I just told them, "Keep revising." I knew he was doing it on purpose. Arguing was pointless. At eleven o'clock one night, I was alone in the office, working on the proposal. A knock came at the door. I looked up to see the security guard. Someone was here for me. I went downstairs. Sophia Langdon was standing in the lobby, holding a plastic bag. 4 Sophia walked over and handed me the bag. "I was passing by and thought you might be hungry." I opened it. Inside was a container of hot soup and a coffee. I looked up at her. "Sophia, did you plant a tracking device on me?" She pretended to think about it. "That would be illegal." "Then how did you know I hadn't eaten?" She just smiled, not answering. I started on the soup. The warm broth soothed something deep inside me. She stood beside me quietly, just watching. Suddenly, I let out a small laugh. She looked at me. "What's so funny?" "Nothing," I said. "It's just… I feel like it's been a long time since I've laughed like this." She met my eyes, her gaze soft and light. I didn't say anything more. I went home that night and completed the ninth revision of the proposal. I submitted it at two in the morning. At eight a.m. the next day, I received a reply: [Approved.] The project's milestone reception was held in the grand ballroom of a five-star hotel downtown. The moment I walked in, I could hear the whispers. "Isn't that Noah Prescott? I thought he was engaged to the Ridley girl. Why is her family giving him such a hard time now?" "I heard they broke it off, but I don't know the details." "That Caden guy seems to be Miss Ridley's new favorite. I bet an announcement is coming soon." The words floated into my ears, but I kept my face a blank slate. At precisely eight o'clock, Caden entered with Isabelle on his arm. He was dressed in a sharp white suit that made him look dashing. Isabelle was in a magnificent gown, a polite smile fixed on her face. Someone braver than the rest called out, "Miss Ridley, is it true you and the Prescott family have called off the engagement?" Every head in the room turned to look at Isabelle, and then at me. Just as she was about to speak, I set down my glass. "It's true," I said, my voice cutting through the murmurs. "The engagement between the Ridley and Prescott families has been cancelled." A wave of shock rippled through the ballroom. Isabelle's face paled. She stared at me, her eyes wide. I met her gaze without flinching. Then, a slow, deliberate smile spread across her face. She wrapped her arms around Caden's neck. And in front of everyone, she stood on her toes and kissed him. Caden froze for a second, then a look of pure joy washed over his face as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. Gasps and whispers erupted from the crowd. When the kiss ended, Isabelle pulled back, her eyes still locked on me. "Mr. Prescott is correct," she announced, her voice ringing with false triumph. "The engagement is off." "Because the man I'm going to marry… is him." The room exploded. Caden was so overjoyed his eyes turned red. He held her waist tightly, as if she might disappear. But Isabelle wasn't looking at him. She was staring at me. Waiting for my reaction. Waiting for a crack to appear in my composure. But my expression remained a perfect, unreadable mask. Just as I was about to say something, a voice came from behind me. "What a coincidence." I turned. Sophia Langdon was walking through the crowd, a vision of elegance in her evening gown. She moved toward me, her gaze passing over everyone else until it landed on my face. She stopped in front of me, reached out, and took my hand. Then she lifted her head, looking at Isabelle, at Caden, at the entire room. "Because I'm going to marry him."
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