Chapter 1

Although Malcolm Nicholson and Selene Sinclair have lived together like husband and wife for five years, their marriage was never officially registered. He always said work kept him too busy, and that he couldn't make time for it. To him, it didn't matter whether they had the paperwork or not. Selene believed him—until today. She watched as Malcolm and her sister, who had disappeared for five years, walked out of the courthouse with their marriage certificate in hand. Stella Sinclair threw herself into Malcolm's arms, her eyes red-rimmed with tears. She had the papers clutched tightly in her hand. "Malcolm, I was wrong for running away back then." Stella's voice caught in her throat. "I know you're only marrying me because I have cancer, but I still want to ask. "Did you really forget me after all these years? Did you fall in love with Selene?" Malcolm stayed silent for a long time—long enough that Selene's fingernails dug into her palm, drawing blood. "No," he finally said in a low voice. "Never." Stella immediately broke into a smile through her tears. She rose on her toes and kissed him. Malcolm's hand hovered in the air briefly, then slowly rested on her waist as he deepened the kiss. Selene stood not far away. In that instant, she felt as if her entire life had collapsed around her. If he never forgot Stella, then what was Selene to him? A blaring horn snapped Selene out of her shock. With a tremble, she turned her head and saw three black Maybachs by the curb. The three Sinclair brothers walked toward Stella and Malcolm in perfectly tailored suits. "Have you gotten your marriage registered? We've already reserved a restaurant to celebrate." Selene's whole body shook violently. These were the brothers who made her breakfast just this morning. "Alaric, Alistair, and Alexander!" Stella ran crying into their arms. "I thought all of you had disowned me." Alaric, Alistair, and Alexander Sinclair—older brothers to Selene and Stella—all exchanged glances. Their expressions were unreadable. In the end, Alexander ruffled her hair and said, "Don't be silly. We've always been cleaning up your messes since you were a kid." Stella smiled brightly through her tears and clung to her brother's arms, just like she did when she was little. The four of them got into their cars happily. No one noticed Selene standing across the street, her face deathly pale. When the cars disappeared, Selene stumbled into a tree. She scraped her arm on the rough bark, but that pain was nothing compared to what she felt inside. Ever since they were children, Stella had always been the center of everyone's attention. Although they were twins, their brothers only had eyes for Stella. While Selene lay in bed with a high fever, they were at the amusement park with Stella. On her and Stella's birthday, Selene waited alone until late at night while they celebrated with Stella. Selene had secretly loved Malcolm for ten years, only to watch him propose to Stella. She used to think no one loved her, and this was just the way her life was meant to be. That was until the wedding five years ago, when Stella ran off in a million-dollar wedding dress and disappeared with some thug. The Sinclairs and Nicholsons were humiliated. Her brothers were so furious they declared on the spot, "From now on, Selene is our only sister!" That night, Malcolm stumbled drunkenly into her room. He pinned her against the wall, brushing her cheek with his fingers as he looked at her with hazy eyes. He mumbled, "You look so much like her." Then, he slipped the ring meant for Stella onto her ring finger. "Since she ran away, will you marry me instead?" he proposed. Selene knew she shouldn't have said yes, but she loved him too much. For the past five years, Malcolm had spoiled her into the most envied woman in the city. He spent a fortune at an auction just to buy a blue diamond necklace she merely took another glance at. He reserved the entire top floor of the Freon Tower and lit up the whole city with fireworks just for her. On nights when she woke from nightmares, he would even set aside international meetings just to hold her in his arms and quietly comfort her. Her brothers had changed, too. Alaric, the oldest brother, would wait outside her office every day without fail. Alistair, the second brother, remembered her seafood allergy and would even double-check every seasoning. Alexander, the third brother, had stayed up late to help her revise her design proposal. He said with a smile, "Nothing's more important than our Selene." Selene had foolishly believed she was finally loved. That was until Stella's return today. Everyone's love for Selene vanished in an instant. Selene watched as the cars disappeared into the distance and suddenly let out a laugh. It started softly, then grew louder and louder until she doubled over. Her tears fell onto the pavement. Passersby glanced her way, but no one knew why such a pretty young lady was crying so bitterly. So she had just been a thief all these years. She had stolen all the love that was meant for Stella. Now that the real one was back, it was time for the stand-in to step aside. "Since all of you only love her…" Selene took a deep breath. Her chest was tight, and it hurt so badly that she could hardly breathe. "Then I don't want any of you either!" She flagged down a cab and told the driver, "Take me to the International Private Island Trading Center." … Half an hour later, Selene pushed open heavy glass doors and said to the receptionist, "Hello, I would like to buy an uninhabited island." The receptionist was clearly stunned, but she quickly called the manager. The manager was a man in his 40s in a sharp suit, with keen, calculating eyes. "Ms. Selene, the island you're looking at is rather unique. It has a beautiful view, but there's no signal or shipping routes, and the nearest supply boat only comes once every three months," the manager said. He paused, then added, "If you choose to go there, you'll be completely cut off from the world, as if you have vanished without a trace. Are you sure you want to buy it?" Selene replied, "I'm sure."