Chapter 1

I have a severe panic disorder. The smallest things can trigger a massive attack.

Because of this, I've always lived my life with extreme caution.

But on the eve of my engagement, an old flip phone mysteriously appeared inside my penthouse—an apartment protected by a high-tech biometric lock.

There was a single message glowing on the screen:

"Ten million dollars to leave Julian Vance. Or I will ruin your wedding."

I was shaking, absolutely terrified. That very night, Julian upgraded the apartment's security to military grade. He kissed my forehead gently and whispered, "Don't be scared, Chloe. I'm here. No one can touch you."

His close friend, Victoria, only mocked my fragility. "Scared by a petty prank? How can Julian ever trust you with his empire or wealth if you're this fragile?"

With Julian's constant comfort, I tried my best to calm down.

But the threats only got worse. The terror began eating me alive. I suffered two episodes of stomach bleeding from the sheer stress, spending my nights curled up inside the closet, too terrified to close my eyes.

Finally, the day of our rehearsal dinner arrived on a luxury yacht.

But during the toast, Julian projected those exact threatening messages onto the giant screens for all our guests to see. He smiled and announced:

"Sorry to startle everyone. This was actually a stress and loyalty test I designed for my fiancée. And she passed beautifully."

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. The keys to a multi-million-dollar estate were presented to me on a silver platter as my reward.

I stared at his deeply affectionate face, but I didn't reach for the keys.

There would be no happily ever after for us.