Chapter 1

After getting dumped for the 99th time because she was "too talkative," Gianna Russell finally met someone who felt right in a way none of the others ever did. And that guy was Shane Kurt, the famously quiet, steady, and polite second son of the Kurt family in Hilford. They met at an auction. Gianna had just happened to sit beside him, smiling in a way that made her eyes crinkle when she laughed, talking nonstop with him for half an hour. Shane kept listening, remaining calm and patient the whole time. He even nodded along. Gianna thought she had finally found someone who understood her. She said, "Trust me. You're going to regret spending eight figures on that piece of emerald. Two years ago, I spent 50 million dollars on a piece I thought was a total steal. I got it appraised, and it turned out to be worth only 20. "Twenty million was whatever. Do you know what I bought the year before that? They said it was a Xavier Hilton original…" Then, Shane's assistant, Harry Wyman, finally couldn't take it anymore and cut in. "I'm sorry, miss. Mr. Kurt prefers a quieter setting." Gianna's voice stopped short. She pressed her lips together and leaned back. Of course, no one could deal with her. But right then, Shane frowned and shot Harry a look of clear disapproval. He gave Gianna a small nod, and his expression stayed warm and polite as he said in a low and steady voice, "It's okay. I'm listening." The feeling hit her like a wave. Her pulse kicked into overdrive. For once, Gianna couldn't get a single word out. It wasn't until Shane gently asked, "And then?" Gianna's ears warmed, and she actually stammered. "Then… I spent 50 million dollars on a painting of shrimp they claimed was by Xavier. They told me it was fake. "They said, apparently, the guy who painted the shrimp painting is Bailey White." Shane paused and then cracked a smile. A few soft lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, and a faint dimple showed when his lips curved. His smile was small, restrained, and somehow made the sharp, clean lines of his face look gentle in a way that felt almost distant. In that moment, Gianna knew she was done for. If she was ever going to have a 100th engagement, it had to be with Shane. Her parents were completely on board because the Kurt family had money that went back generations. They were the richest family in Hilford, and becoming a part of them would only benefit the Russells in the long run. Her friends were all for it because the two of them balanced each other out perfectly. She talked nonstop, and he was quiet and gentle in a way that felt rare. Gianna agreed more than anyone. She had finally met someone who could actually handle her constant talking. Both families moved fast. They got engaged, started planning, and got married before she even caught her breath. Gianna finally married Shane, breaking her cursed streak of 100 failed engagements. But after the wedding, she discovered one fatal flaw. Shane really didn't talk. His replies were always brief, almost clipped. Even at their wedding, his whole speech had been one sentence. "I'll treat you well." The two of them together made almost no sense. One talked nonstop, and the other barely spoke at all. It was honestly a ridiculous combination. Gianna tried everything she could think of to get him to talk a little more. But no matter how much she chattered beside him, all she ever got was his warm and steady reply, saying, "I'm listening." She even caused a scene and ended up at the police station on purpose, hoping he'd finally raise his voice at her. But he only smiled and said, "It's fine." She even went as far as drugging him, then worked up the nerve to tie him to the bed with a belt. She told him she wouldn't let him go unless he said a few sweet words to coax her. His face would flush a deep red, but his voice stayed soft as ever. "It's fine. As long as it makes you happy." Gianna knew he treated her with a kind of tenderness most people could only dream of. He let her get away with everything. She knew she shouldn't keep wanting more. But something still felt off. And she couldn't figure out what it was. Not until Shane's sister came back home. Stella Kurt was the Kurt family's adopted daughter. They had raised her since she was a kid. They sent her abroad at 16, and she hadn't been home in five years. Gianna didn't know what she looked like. They met for the first time because Stella got harassed at a bar. Gianna, being loyal to a fault, smashed a bottle over the guy's head. Both Gianna and Stella ended up in the police station. Gianna called Shane, feeling horribly guilty. "I swear I wasn't trying to start anything. That guy touched her first. And she's this gorgeous little thing, so of course I wasn't going to just watch her get shoved around. I couldn't help it, I jumped in. You know how I am when I see that kind of stuff. "And in the past, I…" Shane was in the middle of a meeting, yet he listened patiently while she told the entire ten-minute story. The officer eventually lost his patience and reminded her, "Please stick to the main issue." Shane chuckled softly, his voice steady as ever when he said, "It's alright. I'll be there in ten minutes." But Gianna waited through one ten-minute stretch, then another. She waited a full 30 minutes, and Shane still didn't show up. After 30 minutes, Stella looked over at her and smiled. "Your husband is a no-show? Mine already came for me. I can ask him to bail you out, too, if you want." At that moment, the door was kicked open. In the next second, Gianna saw a completely disheveled Shane push through the door with a dark and stormy expression. He was furious, but he didn't go to her. He grabbed Stella's wrist instead. "Stella. First day back, and you're already in a police station. Feeling bold now, aren't you? "I told you before that when something like this happens, you make sure you're safe first. You don't just rush in without thinking." "Shane… I…" Stella tried to get a word in. But Shane cut her off furiously. "Oh, so I can't even say anything without you talking back now? What were you doing all those years abroad? How did you end up even more unruly now?" Gianna actually started counting. Every sentence he threw out was longer than anything he had ever said to her. One of them even stretched close to 30 words. He didn't even give Stella a chance to speak. He just kept going, four full sentences in a row. And the calm and gentle expression he always wore was now tight with anger. So he wasn't as unshakable as she thought. He could also get upset… The realization hit Gianna like a train. Her whole body went numb, as if all the warmth had been drained out of her at once. So his gentleness toward her and the way he always indulged her were just the way he had been raised. She could never stir his emotions. But Stella could. It was only then that Shane finally noticed Gianna standing off to the side. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes before he stepped toward her and reached out a warm, steady hand. "You're here, too?" How ridiculous. The moment he walked in, the only person he saw was Stella. He hadn't even realized Gianna was there. She looked at him expressionlessly. And for the first time, she didn't say a single word. She brushed his hand aside and walked out of the station in silence. Shane stared at his empty hand and froze for a moment.