Chapter 5

Nadia had depended on Theodore's name to get her through the countless agonizing days and nights of the past decade. She'd never once expected to hear his name from Caesar's lips. Her heart sank, and a chill ran down her spine. She felt her throat clench but still forced herself to remain calm. She pretended to be confused as she asked, "What's wrong?" Caesar looked deep into her eyes, almost as if he was going to see through her act and right to her soul. After a heartbeat, he said, "You kept calling for Theo when you were asleep." Nadia was a little mad at herself but didn't show it. She even forced a smile and said, "He's my brother. I lost my parents as a child; my brother and I grew up together." "Why haven't I ever seen him, then?" "He died." Her tone became somewhat glum at this point. Caesar vaguely felt something was off but didn't probe further. After a brief silence, he turned to leave. Then, he faltered and said, "There's medication at home for a fever. Remember to take it." Then, he left the room. A few days later, Caesar suddenly gave Nadia an evening gown and told her to wear it for a banquet. Only when she arrived did she realize it was Josephine's birthday celebration. Shortly after they entered the banquet hall, Caesar abandoned her and made a beeline for Josephine. It was a birthday celebration for the princess of Jeriton City. Naturally, the guests were all wealthy and powerful. They gathered in twos or threes as they chatted and drank. However, they seemed to have a tacit understanding to stay away from Nadia. She was ostracized, but it didn't upset her. She was glad not to have to socialize. She hid in a corner and watched as Caesar followed Josephine around and gave her his tender, loving care. Soon, it was time to present the birthday gifts to Josephine. Caesar was the first. He waved, and several men carried a crystal castle to her. The crystal was clear and flawless. It was evident that the raw material used to carve the castle had been expensive and painstakingly selected. For a moment, everyone was abuzz. "I heard Mr. Gray recently attended an auction and won the bid for a slab of crystal that cost close to a million dollars. Is it the one he used to make this castle?" "How can one slab be enough? I heard he's bid on several of them in different auctions, and they were all of top-notch quality. The total amount is probably close to 10 million dollars!" "Look at the castle. Doesn't it look like the work of that master artisan? He shared it on his social media! Think about the cost of the raw materials and the labor fee. I bet certain people haven't even seen that much money in their lives!" "Are you talking about that doormat? She might be Mr. Gray's fiancée, but she doesn't have his heart. She's a disgrace to all women!" Nadia heard the comments loud and clear. She also sensed people pointing at her and whispering about her. To their surprise, they didn't see the sorrow and resentment they expected. It was as if she didn't care what was happening. They thought she was just putting on a calm façade. She was the only one who knew that she genuinely didn't care. She didn't love Caesar. Naturally, she couldn't care less who had his heart. She didn't care about anything he did as long as he didn't call off the wedding.