Chapter 1

Juliet Marlowe fell for her brother's friend.

He was six years older, so she kept her crush carefully hidden until she couldn't hold back one night. In the dim light, she stole a kiss from him while he was drunk. Just as she turned to run, his eyes snapped open.

Opening his eyes, he lazily murmured, "Are you trying to get me to teach you how to kiss? Too bad I'm not into younger ladies."

Her cheeks flushed red, but she still mustered the courage to say, "If you think I'm too young, it's fine because I'll grow up!"

He paused before chuckling softly. "Alright then. If you still feel the same way about me when you're 22, I'll think about it."

Those words struck her like a thunderbolt. From that moment on, she stuck by his side whenever she could and counted down the days until she turned 22.

When she eagerly went to him to claim that promise, she stopped dead at the door of a private room upon hearing the cry of a baby inside.

Frozen, she peered in and saw Damien Kane cradling a wailing infant in his arms. His buddies around him sat with pained expressions, pressing their hands over their ears.

"This is brutal, Damien. How could you bring in a baby to pretend you're a dad just to ditch that kiddo?"

Juliet's mind buzzed and went blank.

"What else can I do? She turns 22 today and is coming over to make me fulfill my promise." Damien's voice carried that lazy drawl she knew so well.

"You sure don't like Juliet at all, huh? She's a good kid. She's pretty, sweet, and loyal to you—"

"It's not about liking her or not," Damien said, cutting him off. Then, he continued in a lowered voice, "You all know who I've always loved."

The room fell silent for a moment before there was a burst of knowing laughter.

"Callie, huh? Makes sense. Don't overthink it because with that face of yours, anyone would fall for you. Callie would never turn you down. You're just too damn careful with her."

"I just don't know how to say it, and I don't want to risk losing our friendship. It just so happens that Juliet is giving me the perfect excuse.

"I told Callie there's this kiddo who won't leave me alone, so I need her to go along with me as we pretend to date. I'll show up with her and this baby, then throw a wedding. Juliet will give up, and I'll get to strengthen my bond with Callie too.

"After the wedding is over, I'll confess to Callie," Damien said with a faint smile in his voice.

Listening to his perfect kill-two-birds-with-one-stone plan, his buddies clucked their tongues and cheered him on. No one noticed Juliet standing outside the door amidst the hearty laughter.

The cake box in her hands slipped and hit the ground with a dull thud. She lost all strength to open the door fully. Tears blurred her vision as she turned and ran.

Outside the club, heavy rain poured. Juliet ran through it, not caring that her dress—which she had carefully chosen for tonight—was drenched in seconds.

So, Damien had never liked her at all. All these years had been nothing more than just her delusions.

She had fallen for him at 14. That day, her brother, Henry Marlowe, hadn't shown up to pick her up from school. Some street punks cornered her in an alley until Damien showed up and scared them off to save her.

Seeing her cry so hard until her eyes were swollen, Damien tossed his jacket over her shoulders and handed her two pieces of chocolate. Then, he smiled and teased her, "You've got snot all over your face, sniffles. Your brother is still off playing ball, so let me take you home."

That day, she tasted the sweetest chocolate of her life and fell for someone for the first time.

Thanks to Henry, she got to see her crush, Damien, almost every day. Her teenage love grew and bloomed. She learned to cook and packed extra lunches so that Henry could bring them to school, hoping that Damien would try her cooking.

She found out his likes and dislikes, picked out gifts, and used every holiday as an excuse to give them to him.

For him, she turned down a chance to study abroad and stayed in Novara, just so she could wait to turn 22…

After waiting for eight years, she believed she'd finally get her wish to be with him. But it was only today that she realized her love for him was just a burden.

She ran endlessly until her mind cleared enough to stop. Then, shivering, she pulled out her phone and dialed Henry's number.

"I've thought it through, Henry… I'm going abroad for my studies, and I'll meet that friend you wanted to introduce me to…" she choked out the words.

All these years, everyone in their circle knew Juliet was head over heels for Damien.

Watching her desperate efforts, Henry had always seemed hesitant to voice what was on his mind. So, he tried to set her up with someone else in the hope that she'd give up on Damien. This friend from abroad was the 18th guy he had tried to introduce her to. Damien had said he was tall, good-looking, and no less than Damien.

Since Juliet studied design, a few years abroad would give her a whole fresh start. Now, she wondered if Henry knew all along that Damien's heart had always belonged elsewhere and had been trying to save her from this heartbreak.

Henry was silent for seconds before he asked, "Have you found out?"

Juliet shut her eyes as rain and tears streamed down her face. "Does he love Callie that much?"

"...Yeah."

"Well, good luck to him, then. I guess I'll grant him his wish and stop feeling anything for him," she said, wiping her face.

After returning home, Juliet mechanically dragged out her suitcase and started packing. Her phone buzzed, and a new message lit up the screen.

Damien: "Why didn't you show up?"

She stared at the text for some time, and another message popped up right after.

Damien: "I have a girlfriend and a baby now, kiddo. I'm getting married soon, so get over me."

Then, he sent two photos. One was of a baby's tiny feet, and the other was an elegant wedding invitation card.

Juliet stared at them for a while before typing two words. "Got it."

After tapping on the send button, she tossed her phone onto the bed and pulled out a tin box from the back of a drawer. It was stuffed with movie tickets, theme park stubs, Damien's basketball jersey she had secretly kept, and the stuffed toys he had given her… These were the eight years of memories tied to him.

She carried the box outside and tossed it into the trash can without a second thought.

Chapter 2

In the private room of the club, Damien stared at his phone with a deep frown. He had expected tears and a scene from Juliet, not such a calm reaction.

"What did she reply?" one of his buddies leaned over and widened his eyes at the response. "J-Just a 'Got it'?"

"That's weird. Considering how much she loves you, she shouldn't be this calm," another chimed in and rubbed his chin.

They all looked puzzled until someone perked up in realization. "Wait a second. What if she came by earlier and heard everything at the door? She probably knows the baby and wedding are fake, so she's pretending not to care!"

Listening to their analysis, Damien's frown deepened.

Knowing how stubborn Juliet was, she should've caused a scene after learning that he had a girlfriend and a child—given that she had liked him for years. This eerie calm could only mean she had found out the truth and was playing a game of retreat just to win him back by acting indifferent.

His buddies agreed with the theory and piled on the advice.

"If that's the case, just stick to the plan of acting with Callie. This is a rare chance to bond with her."

"Juliet hasn't given up on you, but she'll have to let go for real once the two of you are really together."

Another buddy added, "Exactly. Who cares what Juliet thinks? What matters is that you have to strike the iron while it's hot and seal the deal with Callie. Once it's done, all your problems will be resolved."

They were in the middle of a heated discussion when Henry entered the room and locked his eyes on Damien. "Come out here, Damien. We need to talk about Julie."

So, Juliet had gone crying to Henry, huh? Damien lazily looked up and was about to speak when his phone rang.

When he picked up, Callie Frost's soft voice came through the line. "Got a minute, Damien? Since you mentioned putting on an act for Juliet, I thought we could pick out some baby products to make it look convincing."

Damien didn't hesitate. "Sure."

He immediately got up and brushed past Henry with a dismissive line. "Let's talk about it later. Something came up."

"It'll just take a few minutes—" Henry reached out to stop Damien as he left in a hurry, but their buddies stepped in.

"Forget it, Henry. He's got plans with the woman he loves, so don't bother trying to stop him."

"Yeah. You know how much he loves Callie and how long he's waited for the chance to confess to her, so don't push Juliet on him anymore."

Henry frowned at that. "That's not what I'm here for."

He had meant to tell Damien that Juliet had decided to go abroad for her studies and wouldn't bother him anymore.

…

After a night's rest, Juliet left the house to get her visa processed. The staff told her it'd be approved in two weeks. She spent the next few days at home until Henry's birthday came around.

He loved lively gatherings and made it a point to throw big parties every year. So, she changed into a fresh gown and showed up as promised.

The ballroom was packed with cheers and laughter. Henry's friends were all there too, so she made a point to stay away from them.

Soon, Damien arrived with Callie in his arms and the baby in the other. His radiant, triumphant expression sparked waves of envy and hushed whispers through the crowd.

"Who would've thought Damien would be the first to settle down? I heard he's been in love with Callie for years, and now, he's got the girl and the kid! What a lucky guy!"

"Too bad for all the girls who had a crush on him. I imagine they must be heartbroken!"

Juliet's expression remained devoid of emotions even after hearing those whispers.

Moments later, Damien led Callie up to her and casually called out, "Julie, let me introduce you to my future wife, Callie Frost. This is our baby."

All eyes turned to her at once.

Juliet held her smile steady and said, "Hello, Callie."

Ever the perfect actress, Callie stepped forward and extended her hand with a warm, practiced smile. "You're Julie, aren't you? I've heard a lot about you from Damien. You're young, and it's easy to get your feelings confused. But now that Damien and I have a baby, you should let all that go, alright?

"We're having our wedding next month, so be sure to show up!"

Chapter 3

Juliet lowered her gaze and replied, "I understand, Callie. I've crossed the line, but I won't anymore. I wish the best for both of you."

The moment she said so, Damien's buddies around them burst into mocking laughter.

"Which line are you talking about, huh? Calling him in the middle of the night and begging him to pick you up? Or showing up drunk and swearing you'd marry no one but him? Or sneaking into the Kane residence to quiz the housekeeper about his type?

"Damien is getting married, Julie. You're just gonna make a fool of yourself and embarrass the Marlowes if you keep clinging to him. It's better to be smart about it and not ruin Henry's friendship with Damien just because you can't let go."

Each teasing jab was like salt ground into Juliet's mental wounds.

Her gaze instinctively flicked to Damien, who stood just a few steps away with a calm and indifferent expression.

For a split second, she felt like she couldn't recognize him at all. He was no longer the Damien who had always protected her when she was younger. But now that she thought about it, he had always been this cold to any ladies who tried to make advances on him. He wasn't the type to give anyone false hope.

Looking back now, she realized he had tolerated her feelings for Henry's sake, refraining from embarrassing her outright.

But now that he was dating the woman he truly cared about, he had to draw a clear line. After all, Callie probably came before everything and everyone else.

The thought made Juliet bitter. She nodded and turned to walk away.

The birthday party began soon after. Henry, who arrived late, was too busy greeting guests to notice Juliet.

Meanwhile, Damien wasted no time introducing Callie as his future wife.

He'd accept all the toasts on her behalf, feed her sweets, gently smooth out her dress when it creased, and massage her aching shoulders.

Guests showered him with praise for doting on his wife. To them, Callie was the luckiest woman in the world to marry him, and they were the perfect couple.

Juliet watched from afar and forced herself to look away, feeling bitter. She sat in a corner, alone and quiet. That was until Callie approached with a glass of wine and broke the silence.

"It's Henry's birthday, yet you've been sitting here all night without saying a word. Are you upset?"

Juliet hadn't expected her to come over and instinctively scooted away a little. "I'm not upset, Callie. I'm completely done with Damien."

Callie seemed stunned, and a flicker of something complicated crossed her eyes. "But Damien told me you've made moves on him for years and that you're determined to get him."

"That was the past. The moment I learned he had been in love with you all these years, I gave up. I wish you both happiness."

With that, she turned to leave, but Callie grabbed her wrist. "Are you saying he has loved me for years? Who did you hear that from? Did he say it himself?"

Juliet's patience for the conversation was running thin, and she said, "Everyone says so. Ask him if you want answers. I don't know anything."

But Callie wouldn't let go and insisted on pressing for the truth.

As they tugged back and forth, the overhead chandelier suddenly creaked loose and came crashing down.

When Juliet looked up, all she saw was a huge shadow crashing down, and her mind went blank.

Before she could react, Damien, who happened to be nearby, paled at the sight. He lunged forward and pulled Callie out of the way.

The massive chandelier slammed into Juliet's shoulders and sent her crashing onto the ground hard. Warm blood gushed from her wounds, and excruciating pain tore through every inch of her body as if her bones had been crushed.

Lying in the pool of blood, her limbs twitched uncontrollably as screams filled her ears.

As her vision blurred, the last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Damien holding Callie tight and murmuring softly to comfort her.

…

When Juliet woke up, she saw Henry sitting by her bed with red, teary eyes. "I'm sorry, Juliet. I should've protected you better. You wouldn't be so badly injured if I had."

Juliet shook her head and said weakly, "It's not your fault, Henry. It happened so fast, and you were too far away to save me."

Hearing that only deepened his guilt as he recalled what had happened at the ballroom. "I was too far, but Damien was right next to you, yet he refused to save you. If Callie hadn't dragged you into that pointless chat, you could've avoided that disaster…"

She shook her head and sweetly reassured him, "The woman he loves and I were both in danger. It's only natural that he protects the one he cares about most. There's nothing wrong with that. I was delusional back then, but I swear I'm over him now after what just happened."

"As long as you're ready to let go, I'll always stand by you no matter what decision you make," Henry said, squeezing her hand tightly and giving her a firm nod.

Juliet managed another faint smile and calmed her thoughts.

As her condition gradually stabilized in the days that followed, Henry finally allowed himself to rest after days of staying by her side.

Alone in the quiet ward, Juliet pulled out her phone and booked a flight ticket for ten days from now.

When the airline called to confirm, she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her door and replied, "Yes, the earliest first-class flight to Arden on the 19th."

"What first-class flight?"

Chapter 4

Juliet was surprised to see Damien suddenly appear at the door.

"It's nothing."

She tried to brush it off, but he could tell something was off and locked his eyes on her. "Since when did you learn to lie? Where are you going with that plane ticket?"

Faced with his questions, Juliet was briefly silent before answering in a hoarse voice, "You're about to get married, so where I go has nothing to do with you, does it?"

Damien had been skeptical, and hearing that made him certain that she was up to something. His expression resumed its usual coolness as he replied, "You're right. It has nothing to do with me, but Callie was worried and sent me here to check on you."

"I'm fine, Damien. Just leave."

Her unusually distant tone caught him off guard. Just as he was about to speak, a nurse knocked and stepped in to say it was time for a check-up.

With her leg injured, Juliet struggled to get down from the bed and almost tripped over.

After Damien swiftly reached out to steady her, she murmured a soft "thank you" before trying to wheel herself away.

Seeing her so bruised and unsteady, he couldn't help but step forward to push her wheelchair. "Where's the examination room? Let me take you there."

"It's fine. I can manage."

She rejected the help, but Damien insisted and wheeled her out anyway.

Halfway down the hallway, they ran into Callie.

When Damien saw her, he immediately let go of the wheelchair and rushed to her side. But the hallway was sloped slightly downward, and without any brakes to hold back, the wheelchair started speeding down the slope.

Right before the wheelchair crashed into a flowerbed, Juliet threw herself off as her heart pounded fearfully at the narrow encounter. She hit the ground hard and ended up having her palms and knees scraped and seeping with blood.

Groaning in pain, she clutched her torn wounds. Beads of cold sweat even dripped from her forehead. Meanwhile, the wheelchair lay nearby, broken into pieces.

Even Callie looked startled. She quickly stepped forward to check on Juliet and tugged urgently at Damien's sleeves.

"Julie's hurt, Damien. The wheelchair is ruined too. You should carry her inside and get her wounds treated."

Damien's eyes flickered and landed on Juliet shuddering in pain on the ground. Then, he looked at Callie and slowly shook his head. "No. I'm about to get married. I should stay away from other women."

Every word hit Juliet like a blade as she dug her nails into her palms until blood welled up between her fingers.

Seeing that he wouldn't budge, Callie had him fetch another wheelchair instead. This time, he agreed and turned away.

Once his figure disappeared around the corner, Callie held out a napkin and said, "That's how Damien's always been. He only listens to me, so don't mind him. What happened at the hotel and your injuries were partly my fault, but the baby's been sick, so I couldn't visit you myself. That's why I sent him to check on you.

"Though we didn't mean for it to happen, it's still our fault, and I'm really sorry about that."

Juliet wasn't sure what Callie was up to and forced herself to her feet as she endured the pain. "Like I said, I don't love Damien anymore, Callie. It doesn't matter to me whether you're getting married or just putting on a show."

With that, she turned to limp away with unsteady steps, but Callie relentlessly followed. "So, you know that it's all an act—"

Her voice was suddenly cut off with a sudden splash, making Juliet spin around, only to see that Callie had accidentally slipped into the pond. She was flailing and desperately crying out for help.

Juliet hesitated briefly before stepping forward to reach out a helping hand.

That was when Damien came running back. Seeing Callie gasping in the water, he dove in and pulled her out.

As Callie coughed weakly against his chest, he turned to Juliet with cold, angry eyes. "I was gone for just two minutes, and you pushed her in?"

Juliet had never expected him to push all the blame on her. Seeing how furious he was, she was about to explain, but he didn't give her the chance.

Holding Callie, he got up and shoved Juliet into the water. "I tolerate everything you do, but Callie is where I draw the line. If you ever hurt her again, don't blame me for not showing mercy."

His sharp and cold voice rang in her ears as the freezing water closed over her head. Before long, her blood mixed with the pond water, spreading into a faint red swirl.

Since she couldn't swim, she flailed and gasped for air with all her might but failed terribly at getting anywhere near the edge. With her lungs running out of oxygen, her face started turning purple, and her pulse slowed. Waves of dizziness crashed over her, dragging her consciousness into complete darkness.

Chapter 5

When Juliet opened her eyes again, she heard heated voices arguing just outside the door.

"Julie's my sister, and she grew up under your care too! How could she have possibly pushed anyone into the water? Don't you think you owe her an apology for drowning her on purpose?"

"Fine, I can apologize, but only if she apologizes to Callie first! If she hadn't let jealousy get the best of her and hurt Callie, I wouldn't have had to retaliate! You care about your sister, while I care about my wife! If anything had happened to Callie, Juliet wouldn't be able to make up for it even if she died a hundred times over!"

Juliet felt her body go cold after listening to Damien's furious roar. All the times he turned her away had never left her feeling this hopeless.

She had assumed that even if they could never be lovers, there'd at least be a shred of care between them since they'd known each other for years. But now, she knew that she was nothing when it came to matters involving his true love.

Outside the door, the argument raged on. The two men were oblivious to the fact that she was awake.

"You have no proof at all, yet you're putting all the blame on Julie! Can't you even let her explain herself? Just because she has liked you all these years, you think you can hurt her however you please?"

"I only put up with all her years of clinging for your sake! Haven't I done enough to spare her pride? Now that we're talking about hurting her feelings, have you ever considered how long I've had to put up with it?"

All the anger Henry had bottled up finally snapped. He could no longer hold back from grabbing Damien by the collar and swinging his fist over. Damien didn't back down either and returned the punch.

Juliet's heart skipped a beat when she heard the commotion. Forcing herself up, she stumbled out to ease the fight.

When she saw their bruised faces and the two still locked in a brutal fight, she threw herself between them. Tears she had been fighting to hold back streamed down her face as she hysterically cried out, "Stop it! Please, just stop! Henry, just come back with me, okay? I'm begging you!"

Her tears cut through Henry's rage as he snapped back to rationality. His nose stung, and he shut his eyes, slowly taking a deep breath before letting go at last. Taking Juliet's hand, he turned and led her back to the ward with slumped shoulders.

Just as the door swung shut between them, they heard Damien say in an icy voice, "Don't think playing the victim will get you my forgiveness. This is my last warning—stay away from Callie."

Henry's suppressed anger threatened to ignite once more, but Juliet threw her arms around him and pleaded, "Leave it, Henry. I'm leaving soon and won't ever appear in Damien's life again. You don't have to fight him or any of your other friends for me."

The more she begged, the more it tore at him.

Silence fell over the ward and lasted for some time before Henry finally said, "It's my fault, Julie. Damien has only ever cared about Callie and would even fight his best buddies for her. I should've told you the truth the moment I realized you had fallen for him. Maybe you wouldn't have been so obsessed."

Chapter 6

Juliet shook her head lightly. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion and resignation as she said, "I know you had your reasons. I've never blamed you. Now that things have come to this point, nothing's gonna help even if I regret it now. I'm 22 and still young, so I can always start over."

Seeing the forced smile on her face, Henry reached out and gently patted her head. "That's right. You'll have a whole new life, and I'm sure you'll meet someone better."

For the next few days, Juliet stayed in the hospital for recovery. Sometimes, she would overhear bits of gossip when the nurses came in to check on her.

"I heard the entire VIP ward upstairs was booked by the CEO of Kane Group. That explains the generosity. His fiancee is staying there, right?"

"I heard he barely leaves her bedside, feeds her soup, and brings her gifts just to spoil her!"

"Apparently, she gave birth to their child before they even got married. The wedding is gonna be held in a few days, and they say her wedding gown and ring cost billions."

"Judging from how he's gonna stream the ceremony live to the world and the lengths he has gone for her, that's honestly some mad love."

Hearing their envious chatter, Juliet was reminded of the plan she had overheard outside the private room of the club that night and slowly closed her eyes. Since Damien was going all out to host such a grand, lavish wedding, he had to be certain that Callie would accept his confession.

He had waited so many years and planned this act so carefully. It was all falling perfectly into place now.

As the clingy fool he had always found so annoying, Juliet would vanish quietly and never show up again after their wedding. It was the perfect, best-of-both-worlds ending for him that was worth celebrating.

Lost in her thoughts, Juliet didn't even notice her phone ringing. By the time she snapped out of it and saw the name on the screen, she blanked out for a few seconds before tapping on the answer button.

"I heard you were admitted to the hospital, Julie. Are you feeling better?" It was a call from one of Henry's closest friends. He asked about her recovery and beat about the bush with small talk.

Juliet could sniff out his intentions a mile away, and sure enough, after endless circling around, he hesitantly came to his true agenda. "I heard Henry and Damien got into a fight, and things are pretty tense right now. We tried talking some sense into them, but nothing worked. Do you know what happened?"

She was silent for a moment before calmly briefing him on the truth.

After listening to her recount, he sighed and said, "This is years of brotherhood. It'd be embarrassing if word got out that they fell out over such a minor misunderstanding. Julie, could you help us? We're getting everyone together tonight, so tell Henry to come. They could sit down face-to-face and talk it all out."

Juliet knew that Henry attached the most significance to his family and these buddies, who had been through thick and thin with him. She didn't want to be the reason he drifted apart from them, so she agreed.