Chapter 1

Prologue

Three days before our wedding, I accidentally overheard my fiancé, Julian Vance, talking to his friend.

He admitted that every shred of devotion he had ever shown me was nothing more than an act.

The 365 love letters, the thousands of candid photographs, the custom-designed starry-sky engagement ring—all of it had been carefully calculated just to help my younger sister, Daisy, marry into the prestigious Payne family.

I had loved him for so long, only to find out I was merely a pawn in his grand scheme.

I didn't scream. I didn't confront him. Instead, I quietly spent a fortune buying a private island deep within the Arctic Circle.

On our wedding day, I planned to disappear forever.

Nora's POV

I stood in front of the full-length mirror. The starry-sky train of the bridal gown cascaded around my feet, its fine diamond dust shimmering like the Milky Way beneath the boutique lights.

The bridal consultant knelt on the floor, smoothing the hem, her mouth overflowing with endless compliments. "Miss Miller, this gown was truly made for you. Look at that waistline, and the French lace along the shoulders—you wouldn't find another piece like this anywhere in the city."

I offered a faint, polite smile and said nothing.

The woman in the mirror had soft, delicate features and a gentle demeanor. Her lips were curved into a customary, compliant smile, like a statue incapable of anger. Staring at my own reflection, I felt an unsettling detachment. How had I become someone who didn't even remember how to cry?

"Mr. Vance really poured his heart into this," the consultant chattered on. "I heard he sketched the blueprint for the wedding bands himself. He handpicked the placement of every single micro-diamond. It’s an astronomical theme, and when you open the bands, your initials are engraved inside... Miss Miller, you truly are the luckiest woman in the world."

Right. So incredibly lucky.

I cast my eyes down, my thumb lightly grazing the rough wax casting of the unfinished ring on my left ring finger.

What had happened last night was like a sewing needle buried deep in the softest part of my heart. It hadn't killed me on the spot, but it made every breath agonizing.

It had been eleven at night outside Julian's study.

The heavy oak door hadn't been pulled completely shut, and low voices drifted out into the hallway. I had been about to knock and bring him tea, until I caught a familiar name: Daisy.

It was Julian speaking, his voice calm, steady, and chillingly pragmatic. "I’ve handled everything on the Miller family's side. If the Payne family is going to accept Daisy, Nora had to be dealt with first. She was the awkward obstacle. Once our wedding happens, Lucas Payne's family won't have any excuse left to stall Daisy's marriage."

"Damn, Julian. You've been so ridiculously attentive to Nora, though. Three hundred and sixty-five love letters, thousands of photos, memorizing every single blend of tea she drinks... Did you get lost in your own method acting, or was it pure theater the whole time?" his friend asked, his tone laced with amusement.

A few seconds of silence hung in the air before Julian spoke again. "If you want to pull off a convincing performance, you have to commit completely. That’s the only way to fool everyone."

"Including yourself?"

"...Including myself."

Standing on the plush hallway rug, I had felt the blood in my veins turn to ice, inch by painful inch. All this time, I had believed I finally found someone who genuinely cherished me. I thought those late-night talks, those tender gazes, and every single handwritten letter from Julian were born of pure love.

None of it was.

Not from the very beginning.

Everything he had done was merely paving a smooth, gilded path for my sister, Daisy, to marry Lucas Payne.

And I was nothing more than a disposable stepping stone.

I had stood outside that door for so long that my legs went numb. It was only when I heard rustling and realized they were getting ready to leave that I crept silently back into my bedroom.

I hadn't cried that night. I had simply sat alone in the dark, my mind wandering through the past.

I wondered how on earth my twenty-some years of life had ended up like this.

The following morning, I made a discreet call.

On the other end was an overseas private agency specializing in providing bespoke "custom families and companions" for ultra-wealthy clients. My voice had been eerily calm. "I want an island. Deep in the Arctic Circle. A private estate. I need two actors to play my retired parents, and one man to play my fiancé. I submitted the preliminary inquiry five years ago. I want to finalize the contract today."

The representative ran a quick background check and verified my wire funds.

"Miss Miller, your request is fully processed. The estate has been renovated to your exact specifications. Your assigned family and fiancé are already on-site. When should we expect your arrival?"

I glanced at the desk calendar. The wedding was in three days.

"On the wedding day."

After hanging up, I began packing.

Not for my grand wedding with Julian, but to leave this city behind for good.

Opening my laptop, I typed a single phrase into an empty document: Aurora Island.

That was the private sanctuary I had purchased for myself in the Arctic Circle. It had a gentle name, and promised a quiet, untainted future.

Seeing me lost in thought, the bridal consultant called out softly, "Miss Miller? Mr. Vance is here."

Snapping back to reality, I watched the mirror as a tall figure stepped through the boutique doors.

Julian wore a charcoal-gray cashmere coat. Tall, striking, and effortlessly poised, he carried that trademark warm smile on his lips. He walked straight over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. Resting his chin lightly against the crook of my neck, his deep voice murmured, "Nora, do you like it?"

"I do," I answered softly.

My voice remained as gentle and docile as ever, devoid of the slightest tremor.

Julian smiled, clearly pleased. He reached up and smoothed a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his touch as delicate as if he were handling a priceless piece of porcelain.

If I hadn't learned the truth, I probably would have continued to believe this man loved me to his very marrow.

Yet now I knew.

So I had no choice but to play along.

"The wedding bands will be ready tomorrow," Julian whispered. "I paid extra to have the jeweler rush the order. Once you put it on, you’ll be my only wife for the rest of my life."

"Okay." I tilted my head slightly and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Julian."

My tone was sweet, my expression obedient.

Nobody looking at us would ever guess that this girl's heart had completely turned to ash the night before.

Julian Vance, you gave me a constellation ring, 365 love letters, and the ultimate illusion of tenderness.

In return, I’m giving you a vanishing act.

One that ensures you will never find me again.