Chapter 1

The night before the fall team-building party, the company broke out a "find your match" mystery-box game.

Whoever drew your name had to spend the day as your pretend couple.

My boyfriend, Dean Gilbert, picked up a slip. My name showed faintly through the back of the paper.

But the next second he set it down and reached for another one instead.

"I drew Amanda."

Smiling, he took her hand and led her up on stage for the cheek-kiss round.

The whole crowd laughed as she got kissed until her knees went weak, and the teasing started up again.

"Mr. Gilbert makes VP and walks off with a beauty too. Living the dream."

"Mr. Gilbert gets promoted, brings Amanda back to headquarters. Marriage and kids next, right?"

Amanda Fox looked up at him, shy and pleased.

We'd agreed we would go public once he was promoted.

But he avoided my eyes.

Suddenly I didn't feel like confronting him anymore. I sent my brother, the CEO, a message:

"Kill Dean Gilbert's promotion. I'm coming back to take over."

Headquarters had sent the transfer order long ago, calling me back to the group as Vice President.

Since he'd chosen his old flame,

then I'd take back every bit of light I'd ever shone on him.

From now on he could stand under the moon. I'd be the sun in the sky.

...

Catching sight of how pale my face had gone,

Dean Gilbert instinctively slid over to sit beside me.

He raised his glass, hiding his lips behind it, and explained in a low, gentle voice:

"That was just to keep things above suspicion. Don't read into it."

My chest felt tight and choked.

I opened my palm to show five slips of paper.

Every one had Amanda Fox's name written on it in his own hand.

This year's fall event was held at the water park.

There were five rounds of couple games,

not just the cheek-kiss round but a whole day as a pretend couple too.

So he'd prepared ahead of time, just so he could swap in Amanda Fox for every round.

Out of all five, not one had my name on it.

"Keeping things above suspicion, or planning this all along?"

His throat bobbed.

"Amanda's my mentor's daughter. She doesn't know anyone here, so of course I should look out for her."

"So that makes it okay to get cozy with someone else's boyfriend?"

"She doesn't know we're together."

"She doesn't know. Did you forget too?"

Something unnatural crossed his face.

"It's just a game. Don't blow it out of proportion."

I picked up the slip he'd tossed carelessly on the floor.

My name was covered in footprints.

This was the one I'd secretly slipped into the box after writing it myself.

The one time he drew it, he threw it away like trash.

He never knew

that what he'd thrown away wasn't just his secret girlfriend,

but the heiress of Gill Group.

Five years ago I hid my identity and started from the ground floor.

That same year he was brought in as a high-end hire, parachuted in as VP.

When we first got together, he was the one who raised the idea of keeping it quiet.

He worried people would say I'd risen by leaning on him.

And I was just as afraid that one day his own ability would be written off as nepotism.

So without a word between us, we kept the relationship underground.

He stayed above suspicion. I stayed hidden.

We were only waiting until we'd found our footing to go public.

And now he was about to rise to VP,

but the woman he'd always carried a torch for had arrived too.

His brow furrowed, his tone edged with the irritation of being caught out:

"You're that desperate to get married?"

"The promotion isn't even confirmed, and you're already forcing me to go public?"

My head snapped up.

Before, his caution had been about protecting me.

Now it had become his backup plan, his way out.

He caught that he'd said too much and gave my palm a secret squeeze:

"I know you get jealous."

"I've already set up dinner with my parents tomorrow night, the whole family."

"Come on, don't be like this?"

Against my will, my heart softened a little.

But the next second he shot to his feet

and draped a towel over Amanda Fox's shoulders,

covering every inch of her in her swimsuit.

A male coworker couldn't resist a crude joke:

"Never took Mr. Gilbert for the jealous type."

"Girlfriend's got a body that hot, of course you keep her behind closed doors for yourself."

His eyes went dark all at once, and he snapped out a warning:

"If you can't talk right, you can donate the mouth."

The coworker rushed to apologize to Amanda Fox.

The sight of him shielding her churned my stomach.

Back when I complained to him about coworkers spreading crude rumors about me,

he'd brushed it off and told me to keep my distance from men.

Now a few words about her, and he wanted to tear the man's mouth apart.

So real love really can't be hidden.

My phone buzzed. My brother had finally replied:

"A mature, healthy love is one you can hold hands in broad daylight."

"Come home, find someone who's your equal, and love out in the open."

The knot in my chest loosened a little.

I put the slips away and stood.

There really was no reason to keep shortchanging myself.