Chapter 1

Maya Coleman looked at the huge wedding portrait hanging on the wall. Jason Reid stood in an impeccable suit, looking devastatingly handsome. Meanwhile, Maya stood beside him in a priceless wedding gown, her smile gentle and captivating. "It's been three years…" she murmured, her fingertips lightly tracing the picture frame. "It's finally coming to an end." Three years earlier, the marriage alliance between the Reids and Colemans had caused a global sensation. Maya's twin sister, Victoria Coleman, had been the Reids' chosen bride. But on the eve of the wedding, Victoria had fled, leaving behind only a letter. "Mom, Dad, I don't want to be bound by an arranged marriage, but I know it's my responsibility. Give me three years to find my freedom. After three years, I'll come back." To preserve the partnership between the two families, the Coleman couple had no choice but to bring back their other daughter overnight—the one they had sent to the countryside as a child. Maya, who had grown up in the rural countryside and wasn't even qualified to attend family gatherings, became a stand-in bride, posing as Victoria. "Jason doesn't love your sister. He loves the scholarship student his family sponsored," Maya's mother, Margaret Bennett, had warned her coldly the night before the wedding. "Your life won't be easy after you marry him, but all I ask is that you behave and endure these three years in your sister's place." Maya remembered simply nodding obediently at the time. Of course, she knew who Jason was. He was a regular feature in financial magazines, the most prestigious scion in elite circles, and the object of countless socialites' desires. She had also heard about his story with Sophia Page. Sophia was the scholarship student the Reids had sponsored. She had earned her way into prestigious universities through academic merit. Jason loved her deeply and was willing to defy his family to be with her, but Sophia was proud and principled. Refusing to accept a relationship that no one approved of, she chose to break up and leave the country. The Reids were overjoyed by her departure, and they immediately arranged a marriage alliance for Jason. Married life had turned out even harder than Maya had imagined. Jason's study was filled with photos of Sophia, and he flew to Montclaire every week to see her in secret. Meanwhile, Maya, his own wife, wasn't even allowed into the master bedroom. She could only sleep in the guest room at the end of the hallway. She was cautious and meticulous, working hard to play Victoria's role perfectly. To avoid jeopardizing the partnership between their families, she spent these three years caring for Jason with almost desperate devotion. When he worked late, she left the foyer light on all night, waiting for him. When his stomach troubled him, she woke up at 5:00 am every morning to make him herbal broth. When he preferred silence, she made herself the quietest presence in the house. Gradually, rumors began circulating in their social circle that she was madly in love with him, and Jason's gaze toward her seemed to carry subtle changes. Sophia's photos disappeared from his study, and the weekly Montclaire trips stopped. He remembered her birthday, came home early when she caught a cold, and even shared intimate moments with her. Maya almost believed that genuine feelings had bloomed in their marriage. Then Sophia returned three months ago. And everything went back to how it had been. Jason's heart was once again filled with Sophia. He began staying out all night, and Sophia's photos returned to the study. Everyone treated Maya as a joke, mocking her. But she only smiled quietly, neither arguing nor making a scene. After all, she had never loved Jason. She had simply stayed by his side for the money and freedom her parents had promised. His love would make her life easier, but if he didn't love her, she didn't mind either. No one knew that although Maya and Victoria were twins, their fates had been completely different. Margaret had bled so severely during Maya's birth and nearly died. From that moment on, she looked at Maya with disgust. While their father, Henry Coleman, who doted on his wife, saw Maya as a curse. They had sent her away to live with a nanny, Olivia Goode, in the countryside. She remembered that winter when she was five. Olivia's heater had stopped working. Maya had shivered from the cold, without even a thick winter coat to keep her warm. Meanwhile, Victoria was in their warm mansion, wearing expensive wool dresses, treasured and adored by their parents. 18 years of unequal treatment had long since worn away any expectations she had for familial love. Now, in just one month, she would receive 30 million dollars for playing Victoria for the past three years. She would finally leave this city and live a life on her own terms. Just as her spirits lifted, her phone suddenly vibrated, displaying an incoming call. It was Jason. She took a deep breath and answered. "Hello?" "Bring some feminine products to Midnight Lounge in 20 minutes. Get the overnight kind." Jason's voice was cold as ice. The call ended abruptly. Maya held her phone, instantly understanding who these were for. Jason remembered Sophia's cycle more clearly than his company's quarterly reports. Rain poured outside. The drive from the Reid residence to Midnight Lounge would normally take at least 40 minutes. Still, Maya grabbed an umbrella and headed out. Halfway there, traffic came to a complete standstill. She checked her watch and realized she had 12 minutes left. Gritting her teeth, she opened the car door and ran into the downpour. Rain soaked her clothes instantly. Her high heels slipped repeatedly on the wet pavement. She stumbled and fell hard into a puddle, her knees burning with pain. But she didn't have time for that. She picked herself up and kept running, finally reaching the club with one minute to spare. Laughter erupted from inside the private room just as she was about to knock on the door. "Jason, seriously? You made your wife drive out in this storm to deliver pads? This place has got to be at least 40 minutes from yours." "Sophia's in pain," Jason said flatly. "She'll figure it out." "Well, yeah. Everyone knows how crazy she is about you. Three years of you pining for someone else, and she's never complained once." Someone else laughed. "But come on, Jason. A gorgeous woman was devoted to you for three years. You're seriously telling me you never felt anything? Not even once?" The private room suddenly fell quiet. Maya held her breath. The pause lasted for several seconds before Jason said, "If it's between Sophia and her, I'll always choose Sophia. No matter what." Such ruthless words didn't sadden Maya. Instead, she was relieved. She waited for them to finish talking before knocking. When she opened the door, everyone stared at her in shock. "Holy shit! Right on time!" "My God, Victoria… Why are you soaked?" Jason stood up, his brow furrowed. "What happened to you?" Maya handed over the carefully protected sanitary pads. "You said 20 minutes, didn't you? I was worried you were in a hurry, so I got out of the car and ran." She didn't mention falling or that her knees were now trembling with pain. Jason's expression shifted. He suddenly took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her. "Put this on." Then he pointed to the products in her hand. "Take that to the ladies' room." Maya nodded and obediently walked toward the restroom. When she knocked, she heard Sophia's delicate voice from inside. "Who is it?" "Delivery." There was silence for a few seconds, then the door opened a crack. Maya handed the items through and turned to leave immediately. Once she got home, she took a hot shower. The wound on her knee throbbed dully. As she lay in bed, she felt an indescribable sense of relief when she thought about how she'd soon be completely free. Just as she was about to fall asleep, her bedroom door was suddenly kicked open with tremendous force. Jason burst in and grabbed her wrist. "Get up!" Before Maya could react, she was roughly dragged from bed. She stumbled as he pulled her to the staircase. "Jason? What are you—" Her words were cut short as he violently shoved her. She fell backward, the back of her head slamming hard against the steps as she tumbled down the entire staircase. Excruciating pain shot through her entire body. She lay at the bottom of the stairs, vision blurring as warm liquid trickled from her forehead. "Why…" She struggled to prop herself up. "Why are you… doing this to me?" Jason stood at the top of the stairs, his face obscured by shadow, but his voice was ice-cold. "Did you push Sophia?" Maya looked up in confusion. "What?" "Stop pretending!" He descended the stairs step by step. "You've been playing the magnanimous wife all this time, just waiting for today, haven't you? "Do you have any idea what you've done? Sophia has fractures all over her body. She nearly died after you pushed her off that ledge!" "I didn't…" Maya shook her head weakly, but the movement aggravated her head injury, causing a wave of dizziness. Jason crouched and grabbed her chin roughly. "Victoria, did my kindness over the years give you some kind of delusions? Let me make this clear. Our marriage was arranged. There were never any feelings involved." He leaned close to her ear, saying each word icily, "The love you want from me? I will never, ever give it to you!" Maya's vision went black from the pain, and she suddenly felt like laughing. It was just that… She had never wanted his love at all.