Chapter 4

The day after I returned home, the sun was bright. I arranged to meet Erin at our favorite café by Central Park.

Erin, my best friend since high school, was the only person who had witnessed my entire decade-long secret crush and open devotion to Alex.

"I saw the email about canceling the wedding." She got straight to the point, her voice sharp with anger. "Isabella Kane, you'd better give me an explanation that will stop me from storming over to Norston Tower and punching someone right now."

"The explanation is that the wedding is canceled."

"Why?!" Erin leaned forward. "Don't tell me you suddenly stopped loving him. Even ghosts wouldn't believe that."

"I finally saw where I stood." I took a sip of my Americano.

"It's because of Selena Roland, isn't it?"

I didn't deny it.

"That 'life-saving benefactor' who suddenly appeared?" Erin was incredulous. "Seven years ago in that car accident, the person who saved Alex was you! And then what? Some Selena comes out of nowhere, and because you didn't want to bind him with the debt of gratitude, you never corrected his mistake about who saved him? Isabella, I told you then that you were being ridiculously foolish!"

I was silent for a moment, then spoke: "Selena is sick. She only has a year left. Her dying wish is to have a child. Alex's child."

Erin's expression froze. "What?"

"Alex agreed." I added. "Through IVF. And a month ago, it was already done. Selena is now two months pregnant."

"Has he lost his mind?!" Her voice rose with disbelief and fury. "Who does he think he is? A medieval nobleman? Repaying a debt of gratitude in bed?! This is an insult to you! A blatant insult!"

Nearby gazes swept over us. I reached out and held Erin's arm.

"Calm down. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you—I've decided to cancel the wedding."

"I'm not going to correct the truth about who the life-saving benefactor was anymore." I said softly. "There's no point. Even if he found out, it wouldn't change how he's looked at me for the past ten years."

Erin looked at me. After a long moment, she finally sighed.

"Alright. What do you need me to do now? I can beat him up for you!"

She made me laugh. "Not yet. I can handle this myself."

When I left the café, the sun was still shining bright.

Just as I reached the curb to hail a taxi, my phone rang.

That familiar name flashed on the screen: Alex.

"Isabella, where are you?" His voice came through. "Why aren't you home?"

"I went to visit my parents."

And told them I'm not marrying you.

"Come back immediately." His tone carried its usual commanding edge. "There's something important to discuss with you in person. I want to see you within an hour."

This tone—over the past ten years, I had heard it countless times.

A sudden demand, and I would always immediately adjust my schedule to appear at whatever location he needed.

But this time, I didn't want to.

"I'm not your subordinate, Alex." I said clearly into the phone. "I have no obligation to come running at your beck and call."

There was an obvious pause on the other end. He clearly hadn't expected this response from me.

After a few seconds of silence, his voice came again, lowered, as if trying to make his tone sound gentler. "Isabella, don't throw a tantrum. This is very important. It's about the wedding. Come home. Let's discuss it."

About the wedding?

Discuss? What an unfamiliar word.

Fine.

It was time to bring these ten years to a face-to-face conclusion.