When my mother first told me about the arranged marriage, Noah Parker lowered his head and kissed me, pulling me closer as we became tangled together.

After a haze of passion, he carried me into the bathroom. Warm water streamed over my skin, but his words sent a chill straight through me, as if I'd fallen into an icy pit.

"Go home. And don't come looking for me here again."

I thought he'd seen the text and was jealous, so I quickly clung to him and swore, "I won't marry anyone else—"

His smile stayed, but the heat in his eyes cooled into something distant.

"But I'm getting married."

He brushed back my messy hair, ignoring how my body trembled under his touch.

"My fiancée is gentle and kind—nothing like you. She’d never throw herself at her foster brother like that. We've already set a date. If you keep clinging to me like this, she'll be upset with me."

Noah Parker grabbed a towel, wrapped it around himself, and carried me into the guest bedroom.

Watching his tall figure turn and walk away, the blood in my veins seemed to freeze solid.

I was still staring blankly at the doorway when he suddenly returned.

Noah sat down beside the bed, and his familiar warmth surrounded me again.

Instinctively, I reached out for him.

Instead, he pressed a cold phone into my palm.

"Since Mom has already contacted you, you should go home. It's best not to drag this out."

Panicked, I reached for his hand and pleaded softly, "Noah, I won't agree to an arranged marriage."

"Lola's back."

Hearing those words, I lost my voice. Tears fell silently.

Lola Cohen was Noah's first love.

Back when she suddenly went abroad, Noah fell into a long, deep despair.

It was because of that I finally found the courage to confess my feelings to him.

From then on, we were affectionate foster siblings by day, and by night, tangled together again and again.

More than once, I secretly felt grateful—thank goodness Lola had left.

I never thought someone who walked away so decisively would actually come back.

Noah stood up and looked down at me.

"In the future, try not to appear in front of her. I don't want her to feel upset when she sees you."

His gaze toward me was cold, yet when he spoke of Lola, his tone held a tenderness I had never received.

Tears fell in clusters. I grabbed a dress nearby, pulled it on, and flustered, tried to escape.

Just as I reached the door, Noah's indifferent voice came from behind me.

"Elena, happy wedding to us both."

My heart shook violently.

Once, how desperately I had longed to hear those words.

But I never imagined they would come as he married someone else—and I married another man.

After replying to my mother's text, I started packing my things.

Looking at the photos of Noah and me together, I couldn't hold back the tears as memories of every moment we shared came flooding back.

Noah was five years older than me.

I watched him fall in love with Lola, argue with her, and finally break apart.

He suffered deeply, drowning himself in alcohol day after day.

My heart ached for him.

That's when I realized my feelings for him had long crossed the line of sibling affection.

Every day, I tried everything to make him happy. There was no trace of a smile in his eyes, but he still endured his own pain to comfort me.

"I'm fine, Elena. Don't worry."

I loved his gentleness, but I wasn't satisfied with staying where we were.

Until one night, when he was drunk again, I gathered my courage and kissed his lips.

That night was painful—yet full of bliss.

But early the next morning, I saw him kneeling on the floor, eyes bloodshot.

When he noticed I was awake, his expression was complicated, his tone full of disgust.

"Elena, how could you be so shameless?"

He hurled the cruelest words at me, saying he never wanted to see me again.

I ran out of the house and drank until I was numb.

When a friend helped me back, I saw Noah kneeling before my father's urn, slapping his own face over and over.

I lunged forward to stop Noah.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with regret.

I pulled him into the room and, driven by the alcohol still burning inside me, my fingers fumbled at his belt.

"Noah… it's not your fault. It's all mine. I'll be the one to make it right."

Noah pulled me into his embrace and offered no resistance.

From that moment on, we were siblings in public, and lovers in private.

I thought that someday, our secret would be brought into the light.

Until today, I realized… it had all been my own wishful thinking.

I tossed every photo into the trash, slung my suitcase over my shoulder, and walked out of the house.

Just as I was about to hail a cab, I heard Noah's voice.

"Say goodbye to Lola before you go."

I turned toward the sound and, for the first time, saw the person standing behind him.

Lola wore a gentle smile. "Elena, long time no see."

I forced a stiff smile. "Lola."

She stepped closer and took my hand, her voice soft as she spoke about her life over the past few years.

But every story ended the same way. "I thought of Noah every single day."

I forced a smile and nodded along.

Then Lola leaned in, her tone playful yet edged, "Elena, tell me… has your brother been seeing anyone all this time?"

There was a subtle challenge in her voice, her gaze flicking toward the faint red marks on my neck.

I instinctively covered them.

Lola raised a knowing eyebrow. "Maybe Noah hadn't been dating… but it looks like you might have a boyfriend?"

Noah slid onto the bench beside her and let out a low chuckle.

"Elena's already engaged. We'll both be at the wedding."

Their closeness was natural, intimate, as if no one else existed.

I couldn't sit still any longer. Panic rising, I stood up abruptly.

"Noah… I—I should get going."

Lola paused, studied me for a moment, then stood up. "Your bag looks heavy. Let me carry it for you."

Before I could refuse, she'd already taken my suitcase in her quick hands. Smiling, she linked her arm through mine and guided me outside.

Along the way, she chatted lightly about funny memories she shared with Noah.

We only stopped when we reached the trash bin.

"Noah seems cold, but he's soft-hearted. So soft he couldn't even turn away his foster sister's advances."

She pointed at the photos in the trash, her smile curdling into a sneer.

"Elena… you're not the type to seduce your own brother, are you?"

The blood drained from my face. Panic locked me in place.

But Lola just laughed lightly.

Then, in a flash, she raised her hand and slapped her own face—hard.

I stared, stunned, unable to process what she'd just done.

Tears welled in her eyes.

"Elena! Even if you don't like me, you can't hit me!"

Before I could react, a sharp slap cracked beside my ear, followed by burning pain across my cheek.

I looked at Noah in disbelief.

He froze, staring at his own hand. "Elena, I…"

Before he could finish, Lola's tears spilled over again.

"Noah… maybe I shouldn't have come back. It's all my fault… If Elena hates me this much, maybe I should just leave."

She pushed him away, pretending to turn and go.

Noah immediately pulled her back into his arms, his voice trembling as he soothed her.

"Lola, I'm sorry… I never should have left you alone with her."

His voice shook with regret, heavy with fear and remorse—emotions he had never once shown for me.

The sting spread across my cheek, and only then did I fully understand what had just happened.

"Noah… I didn't hit her!"

I tried to defend myself.

But Noah's eyes were filled with disappointment.

"Are you saying Lola hit herself? Apologize! If you apologize, this will still be your home."

My whole body went numb. I pressed my lips together stubbornly, refusing to speak.

Noah's gaze turned to ice as he stared me down.

I looked at the face that had once made my heart race so many times—and suddenly, I just felt tired.

All the feelings that had made me want to spend my life with him were gone. Now, all I wanted was to leave.

So I turned to Lola. "Lola… I'm sorry."

Noah's eyes widened in surprise.

I'd never backed down for anyone before. This was a first.

Lola sniffled softly, tugging on Noah's shirt. "Noah, I don't want to see her anymore. Let's just go home."

Noah snapped out of it and quickly took her hand, turning to leave.

I stood frozen, watching them walk back into what had once been my home.

Noah kissed Lola gently.

Lola wrapped her arms around his waist and began undoing the buttons of his shirt. Whatever had been simmering between them was now boiling over.

Then, the door shut firmly.

I knew exactly what was happening inside.

I'd been there myself, more times than I could count.

Gripping the handle of my suitcase, I turned and walked away without looking back.

…

Back at my own house, I knelt before my father's urn to confess.

Every time I'd been with Noah, I'd spent half the night kneeling here afterward.

This time would be the last.

After midnight, I shakily got to my feet and stumbled back to my room.

My phone on the desk showed several unread messages—all from Noah.

I opened the chat.

A photo loaded.

On a woman's shoulder blade was a small, bright red mole.

[Elena, he said his favorite part is this mole on my back. When we're in bed, his kisses always linger here.]

[You've been around him so long. You must know what that's like, right?]

[From beginning to end, you were only ever a stand-in for me.]

Instinctively, I looked over my own shoulder.

I couldn't see it clearly, so I walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, undressing.

In the exact same spot as in the photo, I had a red mole, too.

Around it were clusters of faint kiss marks.

Every time we were together, Noah had lingered there.

It turned out that spot reminded him of his first love.

Every bit of tenderness I'd believed in had been an illusion.

The truth struck me like a bolt of lightning.

I let out a hollow laugh and went straight to the hospital that night to have the mole removed.

Exhausted, I collapsed into bed as soon as I got home.

In a fitful sleep, Noah's face kept appearing and fading away. All that remained was his voice, scolding me, calling me shameless.

"Elena… you were having a nightmare."

I opened my eyes to find my mother watching me with concern.

I opened my mouth to speak, and a wave of hurt and grief tightened in my chest.

She smoothed my hair. "It's okay to cry. I know you've been through a lot, Elena."

I shook my head, burying my face against her. "I'm fine."

Seeing I seemed steady, she spoke carefully.

"Your fiancé is here. He came to set the wedding date. How would you feel about next month?"

I nodded.

I picked up my phone and opened Noah's chat.

Me: [Noah… my wedding is next month.]