Chapter 1

After everything for the wedding had been arranged, I replaced the bride's name with Raina Leigh. That woman had begged me to give Stellan Crowe back to her, and I was willing to let go of him. Since they were choosing "love," they could forget about the company. I sold every share I owned and walked away. But I couldn't help wondering whether what they had would still be "true love" now that my shares weren't in the picture. ... "Ms. York, are you really going to replace your own name with someone else's?" "Yes." The moment I stepped out of the hotel, I looked up at the bright sky and felt the weight lift off my chest. I had finally escaped the shadow that would've haunted me for the rest of my life. I crossed out my name on the wedding paperwork and replaced it with Raina's. Not long before that, I'd received a message from Raina, pleading with me. She said she was Stellan's first love. If my father hadn't handed Stellan control of the company under the excuse of "taking care of me" before he died, Stellan wouldn't have broken up with Raina and agreed to marry me. Then, she attached several recent photos of herself in bed with Stellan. Fortunately, the hotel manager was beside me when I saw the photos. Otherwise, I might have collapsed on the spot from shock and rage. When I woke up again, I finally saw the truth for what it was. Stellan hadn't avoided touching me for five years because he was worried about my heart condition. He'd done it for Raina. Once I accepted that, I pulled out my phone and sent Raina the good news. If they were truly in love and if she believed I was the one who had torn them apart, then I'd do the decent thing and step aside. But those five years hadn't meant nothing to me, and the weight of the betrayal left me struggling to breathe. I couldn't even retaliate the way I wanted to because of my health. So, I decided to leave. I was going to sell my shares in Luminex Group at the market price. I'd use that money to go overseas and find the best specialists to treat my heart. From now on, I'd live for myself. By the time I finished handling everything, it was already deep into the night. I went home and found the house completely dark. For a second, I assumed Stellan was working late again, like he always did. But when I pushed the door open, a man and a woman came out of the bedroom in a panic, their clothes clearly disheveled. It was Stellan and Raina. I glanced at the lipstick smeared at the corner of Stellan's mouth and said calmly, "I'm home." His eyes flicked away, and he didn't dare look at me, but his voice was still coated in the same practiced tenderness. "I'm sorry. I thought you weren't coming back tonight, so I asked Raina to come over to talk about work. "You know how busy things have been at the company. And given your health, you can't really help me. So, I had to find someone else." In the past, those words would've filled me with guilt. I would've thought it was my father and I who had trapped him into running such a big company until he was worn down to the bone. That was why I used to accommodate him in everything. When he occasionally brought Raina home to "talk about work," I'd serve them drinks like a dutiful hostess. When he and Raina stayed at the office until late at night, I'd calculate the timing and bring them their meals. And when I agreed to transfer all my shares to him after the wedding, he started acting like he was already the chairman, like he could do whatever he wanted with no consequences. I was nothing more than their servant. If Raina's message hadn't jolted me awake, I'd probably still be trapped in my own illusion. I took a slow breath, only feeling tired down to my bones. I really didn't want to cater to them anymore. So, I offered him a calm reminder. "You should wipe the lipstick off your mouth." If he was going to lie, he could at least make it convincing. Once the haze of love burned away, there was nothing left of the man I'd once believed in. Stellan froze, then lifted his hand and swiped at his lips. When he looked down and saw the bright red smear on the back of his hand, he went rigid. I turned toward the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water to steady my mind. Maybe what I'd said rattled him, because he hurried in after me, anxious and defensive as he tried to explain. "Eliana! It's not what you think! Don't misunderstand! There's nothing between Raina and me! We're clean! I must've brushed it by accident!" I looked up at him and saw the panic in his eyes now that he'd been caught. For a moment, I couldn't tell whether he'd ever felt anything for me. I didn't know if he only ever felt gratitude for my father's support, or if he'd developed even a trace of real feelings while deceiving me. However, I knew the truth now. It was neither of those. He had only ever wanted my family's company. When Stellan saw that I was calm and silent, he assumed I had believed him the way I always did. He immediately pressed on, bold and entitled, "Anyway, since we're getting married soon, you should transfer all the shares to me now. Your father left the majority of the shares to you. Because of that, my decisions at shareholders' meetings never fully carry any weight. "This is critical for the company. You understand that, don't you?" He put on that familiar act again, pretending he was worn out from working so hard to give me a better life. But this time, I didn't do as he said. "I'm selling my shares." Ignoring the shock on his face, I continued, "If you want them, you can contact my broker. I'll give you his number. We'll follow the process like normal." If I hadn't learned at the brokerage firm that the company was already running smoothly and that the executive in charge didn't need to work around the clock the way he claimed, I might have believed Stellan's lies. Thinking of it now, I let out a bitter laugh. That laugh snapped Stellan out of his stunned silence. His voice rose as he snapped at me, "Eliana York! Stop acting out! Don't mix company decisions with your jealousy and turn it into a tantrum!"