His Talisman, My Severance

"From now on, you're my exclusive restorer. We'll be in touch."

From that day on, we truly began to "keep in touch."

It started with professional correspondence, which soon bled into dinners together. Before long, he was bringing me to less formal family gatherings. Samuel wasn't much of a talker; most of the time, he would just watch me quietly, his deep eyes swirling with emotions I couldn't comprehend. I would take small bites of food while secretly feeling his gaze on me, my chest thrumming with a dangerous thrill.

On New Year's Eve, he took me to see the fireworks from his private yacht. The sea breeze was cool, and the yacht insulated us from the world's clamor.

As I was lost in the spectacle, he suddenly hugged me from behind, and all his men tactfully turned their backs.

As the fireworks exploded in the night sky, he shouted, "Trinity, I've wanted you since the first moment I saw you! Be my woman!"

I looked into his sparkling eyes, my heart thumping like a drum, and shouted back with all my might, "I will!"

Our beginning was a whirlwind.

He would send someone across half the city in the early morning just to bring me my favorite croissants. When I was sick, he would drop everything to stay by my side, fumbling awkwardly to take care of me. He remembered an out-of-print art book I had casually mentioned wanting to see and would use all his connections to find it for me.

He made me believe I had chosen right.

But then, about six months into our relationship, Roxanne appeared.

She was Samuel's supposed fiancée, the Principessa of the Rinaldi family. It was a well-known fact in the underworld that the two great families were joined by an alliance for mutual benefit.

The first time I met Roxanne, I finally understood what it meant to be "a perfect match."

Roxanne, wearing a couture gown, walked over with a smile and laid a familiar hand on Samuel's shoulder.

"Samuel!"

Only then did she notice me. Her eyes swept over my face before she said with a smile, "So this is the little project you've been keeping? She looks clean enough. Though that dress is a bit…"

She let out a small laugh, the disdain in her eyes unconcealed.

I lowered my head, twisting the hem of my dress until the fabric was wrinkled, my cheeks burning. This was the best dress in my wardrobe, but compared to the diamonds she wore, it looked shabby.

Samuel casually pulled out a chair for Roxanne and asked her why she had come so suddenly. She said she was in a bad mood, that there was some trouble in her family.

That afternoon, Samuel and I had planned to attend a private auction together.

But after listening to Roxanne complain for a while, he turned to me and said, "We'll go to the auction next time. I need to help Roxanne with something first."

I was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

Roxanne immediately linked her arm with his and winked at me apologetically. "Sorry about that. You don't mind if I borrow your man for a bit, do you?"

No one noticed my humiliation. Not even Samuel.