A Heart Eclipsed by Shadows

Chuck Bassett, heir to an Urbington East fortune in Nuvark City, has dated 42 girlfriends—all foreign, all in white dresses, every single one with a mole at the corner of her eyebrow.

People joke about his obsession, saying he'll never get over his first love, Lylith Fowler.

Then, Lorrie Scarrow shows up.

She's sharp, short-haired, hates dresses, and her eyes are clear and bright. She's nothing like the women he's dated before.

Chuck buys her a private island. When she mentions how much she loves the stars, he fills the sky above their estate with millions of drones, crafting a shimmering galaxy just for her. He even gets her initial tattooed beneath his collarbone.

Everyone is amazed. Chuck has finally moved on from the past. Even Lorrie starts to believe it.

Until she spots him in the red-light district, shelling out a fortune to book a hostess for a whole month. The woman has short hair and a button-down shirt. She looks just like Lorrie.

Chuck's friends are floored.

"Have you lost your mind? Lylith changed her look, and now you're after someone who looks even more like her? Remember how she dumped you for that wealthy foreign businessman when she thought you were broke?

"She only came crawling back after she found out you're the heir to one of the Four Great Families. You've always said there's nothing you hate more than women like that!"

Chuck knocks back the shot. "I hate her, and I love her. She pulled me out of a fire ten years ago. No one else can ever replace her in my heart."

"And what about Lorrie? You proposed to her! She gave up a career at one of the world's top design firms for you. Aren't you worried she'll walk away when she finds out?"

Chuck leans back on the couch, his expression cold. "I won't marry a traitor. Lorrie's pure, innocent—the closest thing to how Lylith used to be. So I'll still marry her. She loves me too much to walk away."

Unseen in the shadows, Lorrie stands frozen, her heart plummeting.

Turns out, she's just another her.

Lorrie Scarrow stood frozen, stunned.

Chuck Bassett, the man who swore he loved her to the bone, had never meant a single word. She was just a stand-in for Lylith Fowler, nothing more.

Heartbroken, Lorrie turned away and entered the restroom around the corner. She splashed cold water over her face, trying to steady herself. The woman in the mirror looked shattered.

Lorrie first crossed paths with Chuck during a fashion week event.

The year before, she'd spent over six months working on her collection, and it won first place. As the designers stepped forward for their final bow, she could sense Chuck's gaze lingering on her.

From then on, he pursued her with everything he had.

Lavish gifts ranging from imported flowers to a limited-edition supercar were poured into Lorrie's studio.

Whenever she dealt with a difficult client, Chuck would swoop in, smooth things over, and then quietly ensure that the person went bankrupt.

Lorrie couldn't help but fall for his charm.

Last month, Chuck proposed, and she accepted with a heart full of joy. She even got his initial tattooed secretly below her collarbone.

Still, she couldn't shake the worry that Chuck, always the playboy, might not be ready to settle down. So she gave him three months to end things with all those other women for good.

But Chuck just chuckled, his voice warm with affection. "That's all in the past. There's only you now."

Lorrie's face burned red.

That night, they lost themselves in each other until dawn, moving from the floor-to-ceiling windows to the couch, then the dining table, leaving traces of their passion everywhere.

Lorrie had been sure Chuck was done with his playboy ways. But two weeks ago, he started hanging around the red-light district, staggering home drunk night after night.

At first, she thought he was slipping back into old habits until she heard what he told his friends. Only then did she realize he'd never stopped loving Lylith, his first love.

His sudden shift in taste wasn't random. Lylith had changed her style, and so had he. And just like that, Lorrie became the newest stand-in for the woman he'd always wanted.

Lorrie wiped her tears away and turned to leave the restroom. As she pushed the door open, the familiar scent of sandalwood washed over her.

"I saw someone at the entrance who looked just like you from behind. Turns out it really was you," Chuck said, his voice soft as he gently brushed a loose strand of hair from her forehead. "What brings you here all of a sudden? Miss me?"

Lorrie's heart still ached like an open wound. She seized Chuck's wrist. "Do you really mean it? About marrying me?"

Chuck paused before pulling her into his arms. "What's wrong? Getting cold feet?"

Lorrie winced as her fresh tattoo pulsed with a dull ache.

Chuck's eyes dropped to her chest. "You got my name tattooed?"

She quickly pulled away from his embrace. "It's just... kind of a trend right now."

"You know I don't like tattoos on women," Chuck said, his voice going flat.

Was it because Lylith didn't have any? Now that Lorrie did, was she no longer good enough to be her stand-in?

"I'll get it removed in a few days," Lorrie said.

She'd meant to tell Chuck that she'd only gotten the tattoo after seeing her initial inked on his skin, thinking they'd made a matching pair.

But now she knew the truth. That "L" on his body had never stood for Lorrie.

It was for his first love—Lylith.