Waiting for a Heart Long Dead

Luke stepped out to take a call and told me to wait for him.

While I was deep in thought, my best friend, Sabrina Bell, burst into the room with red-rimmed eyes. She said it was for the best that I had forgotten that bastard, Nathan.

"The doctor said your brain chose to protect itself, so it blocked out the most painful memories."

My chat history held every bitter memory from the past seven years.

Years ago, my mother, Jessica Kane, died in a fire trying to save Nathan. After that, I ended up being raised in his home as his adopted sister.

He cared for me in every way possible, and I mistook it for love. Later on, I threw away my pride and kept trying to seduce him. Yet, all he would do was help me get dressed without a flicker of emotion and promise to marry me.

It wasn't until I saw him confessing his buried desires over the phone to Lily.

"Marrying Willow is just to repay a debt. That way, I won't owe her anything anymore."

That was when I realized how foolish I was.

That night, during our heart-to-heart, I told Sabrina that if I could forget him, I would do anything.

I cried throughout the night.

In the morning, Nathan saw how pale I looked and carried me to the car before rushing me to the hospital. However, halfway there, he heard that Lily had returned to the country and pushed me out of the car.

Right then, a speeding car hit me, and I stumbled off the bridge that crossed the sea.

After that—just as I wished—I really forgot everything about Nathan.

I felt nothing but relief after hearing about the past.

"Sab, I'll take your place and marry Luke," I said.

When Nathan and I announced our engagement, Sabrina was told to go into an arranged marriage too, even though she already had a boyfriend.

Sabrina frowned at my proposal.

"Are you crazy? Luke is Nathan's biggest rival," she said. "He's been having an affair with an actress for years. I can't let you escape one mess just to fall into another."

I held up the surgery form and gave it a shake. Luke's signature was right on it.

"If he weren't Nathan's rival, I wouldn't even consider it," I said. "At least he saved my life and helped me out of an embarrassing situation.

"Besides, it doesn't matter who I marry now. Not to mention, can Hector even say no to the Pattons?"

Back when everyone was tearing me apart, it was Hector Bell who'd declared me as his goddaughter. That worked in shutting everyone up.

Now that the Bells were in trouble, it made sense for me—his goddaughter and Sabrina's best friend—to step in and marry Luke in her place.

In return, Sabrina prepared a grand wedding gift for me. However, she was saving it for Nathan on the day of the wedding.

After sending Sabrina off, I went back to the villa alone to pack my things. I vaguely remembered that the code to the door was my birthday date, but now, it wouldn't open no matter what I did.

I texted Nathan and asked, "I need to pack. Can you tell me the code?"

Just like always, there was no reply to my message.

It wasn't until my whole body had gone numb from the cold that the door lock finally clicked open.

The passcode was Nathan and Lily's wedding date.

A woman's soft, flirty voice spilled through the gap in the door.

"Nate, feel this rosary. Isn't it smooth from all the work I've done on it?"