Chapter 1

I spent seven years building Julian’s empire with him. Everyone in our circle said he loved me to his core.

Until the day I opened his office safe and found a marriage certificate.

His name was written on it.

And his legal wife was Serena—his childhood friend, the girl he always claimed he only cared for out of guilt because she developed severe depression after saving his life.

Outside the door, his friend asked him, "Chloe has been with you for seven years. Do you really plan on keeping her in the dark forever?"

Julian let out a low, careless chuckle. "She loves me too much. She’ll understand. My body, my heart, my fortune—they will all be hers in the end. Serena just got a useless piece of paper."

I looked down at the blinding marriage certificate, my heart turning to ash. I dialed a number I had blocked seven years ago.

"Grandpa, I agree. I’ll accept the family alliance."

The line went silent for a moment.

"Are you sure, Chloe?"

I put the certificate back exactly where it was, my voice dead calm.

"I’m sure. Send the Vance family’s private jet to pick me up in two weeks."

He thought I would understand.

But I decided to leave him, along with the seven years of my wasted youth, forever behind in New York.

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**Chloe's POV**

I had been with Julian Sterling for seven years. I stayed by his side from the days when he was just a broke entrepreneur to now, when he was one of New York’s newest self-made billionaires.

Everyone said Julian adored me.

For me, he would drop millions at auctions just to buy a rare pink diamond to make me smile. For me, he would drive across the city in the middle of a torrential storm just because I casually mentioned I craved a strawberry cake from a specific bakery.

I used to believe in his love, without a shadow of a doubt.

Until today.

I was looking for the design drafts for our upcoming fall haute couture jewelry collection in his study. I opened his safe, and there, lying at the very bottom, was a crisp, blinding marriage certificate.

The names on it were Julian Sterling and Serena Wood.

The registration date was three months ago. That was during the time Julian supposedly went to Europe on a business trip to search for a rare sapphire for me.

My fingers hovered in the air. The blood drained from my face, and my entire body went numb.

Serena was the daughter of Julian’s old college professor, and the girl he had grown up with.

Three years ago, during a car accident, Serena had pushed Julian out of the way. Her right wrist was shattered, permanently ending her career as a violinist. She fell into deep depression shortly after.

Since then, Serena had become Julian’s untouchable, unspeakable sacred cow.

Outside, through the cracked door of the study, Julian’s voice drifted in, mingled with the voices of his friends.

"Julian, you seriously gave the title of Mrs. Sterling to Serena? What about Chloe? She’s been with you for seven years. Everyone in the city knows she’s your future wife. If she finds out, with her pride, she’ll tear your world down."

After a brief silence, the sharp click of a lighter cut through the air.

Julian exhaled a plume of smoke, his voice smooth and oozing control. "She won’t find out. The certificate is just to keep Serena stable. Her therapist said her depression is making her suicidal. She’s lost everything and is extremely insecure. Only the legal status of being my wife can keep her alive."

"But..." Marcus, his friend, hesitated. "That’s not fair to Chloe."

"How is it not fair?" Julian laughed, a hint of arrogance in his tone. "Chloe is independent, rational, and strong. She has her own career, and she has my undivided love. My body, my heart, my assets—they’ll all be hers eventually. Serena gets nothing but a piece of paper. Once Serena is stable, I’ll quietly divorce her and give Chloe the grandest wedding New York has ever seen."

"Julian, you’re playing with fire. Chloe isn’t the type to tolerate this."

"She won’t find out," Julian said, his voice dripping with absolute confidence. "And even if she does, she loves me too much. She’ll understand my position. She’s not some hysterical, unreasonable woman."

Inside the study, I listened quietly. I didn’t shed a single tear, nor did I burst out to scream at him.

I just found it incredibly absurd. Absurd to the point of nausea.

Seven years of my youth, countless nights fighting side-by-side to build his company, and all it got me was his self-righteous "cost-benefit analysis." He gave the legal status of his wife to another woman, yet expected me to play the role of his "true love" in the dark, appreciating his noble sacrifice.

I put the marriage certificate back, closed the safe, and locked it.

I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I had blocked seven years ago.

It was picked up almost instantly. A grave, powerful voice echoed from the other end. "Changed your mind?"

"Yes, Grandpa," I said, my voice as flat as still water. "I’ll return to San Francisco. I accept the family alliance."

"Good! The Vance family boy has been waiting for you. When are you coming back?"

"Two weeks," I said, looking down at the simple band on my ring finger—a gift from Julian. "Give me two weeks to wrap things up here completely. In two weeks, send the Vance family’s private jet to get me."

I hung up, pushed open the study door, and walked out.

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