At my best friend's wedding, a girl lunged forward and caught the bouquet—only for it to slip from her hands and land squarely in my arms.

My best friend, Lauren Walker, beamed at me. "Madison, looks like you're the next bride."

The guests exchanged knowing glances and turned toward my boyfriend of eight years—Mason Ryder, the CEO of the Ryder Group.

But he calmly plucked the bouquet from my hands and casually passed it to the girl standing beside me—his secretary, Natalie Carter.

"She caught it first." He ruffled my hair, his voice gentle. "Be good. Give it back to Natalie for now. We'll wait for the next time."

The spotlight—and the guests' attention—shifted with the bouquet, settling on Natalie.

I looked at her startled yet shy expression, then rested a hand on my stomach and forced a bitter smile.

Mason didn't know there wouldn't be a next time.

Our eight-year promise had already come to an end, and we still hadn't taken the step into marriage. And I had already promised my parents, who were royalty, that next week, I would leave and return to Montelvia to inherit the family legacy.

The moment Natalie Carter ended up with the bouquet, my best friend Lauren Walker's smile vanished.

She was even angrier than I was. Leaning close to my ear, she whispered through gritted teeth, "That Natalie did it on purpose! Before the wedding, I specifically told everyone the bouquet was meant for you!"

I gently interrupted her.

"Lauren, today is your big day. Little things like this don't matter."

"But you've waited eight years just to marry Mason!" she said anxiously. "And now you're carrying his child. If you still don't have the wedding soon—"

"It's okay."

I turned my head calmly and looked toward Mason Ryder.

Natalie, holding the bouquet, was sitting right beside him.

The distance between them was far closer than what a secretary should reasonably keep.

Most of the guests were friends who knew both Mason and me well. Their eyes drifted toward me—curious, sympathetic.

Lauren grew even more upset and squeezed my hand tightly.

"Madison, I looked into Natalie earlier. She's a calculating gold digger who specializes in seducing rich men! She's been trying to get close to your boyfriend for months. You need to be careful…"

"Lauren, you're the most beautiful bride today. Don't worry about me." I squeezed her hand back and gave her a faint smile. "Besides, I'm not planning to marry Mason anymore. I haven't even told him I'm pregnant."

My words were so shocking that Lauren's eyes widened as she stared at me in disbelief.

After a long silence, she finally remembered that the wedding ceremony still had to continue.

When the wedding ended, Lauren hugged me tightly.

"Madison, if you need any help, just tell me. I support whatever decision you make."

"What decision?" After she left, Mason walked toward me, calm as ever. "What were you two talking about just now?"

Out of habit, he reached out and draped an arm over my shoulders. I shifted slightly to the side and avoided the gesture.

"Nothing."

He didn't seem to mind my reaction. With a soft laugh, he said, "Are you angry? Natalie caught that bouquet first, after all. She's a young girl—of course, she dreams about weddings. Catching the bouquet was just her way of borrowing a little luck. Didn't we agree we'd wait for the next time?"

He leaned closer, stroking my hair as he patiently tried to soothe me.

"Why care so much about Lauren's bouquet? When we get married, I'll prepare an even more beautiful one for you. You can have as many bouquets as you want."

Silently, I curled my fingers into my palm and looked straight into his eyes.

"Can we get married this month then? Lauren and I made a promise when we were kids—whoever married first, the other would marry right after. We would be each other's bridesmaids and witness each other's happiness."

The air seemed to freeze.

Mason's hand, which had been brushing my hair, paused midair. A few seconds later, he chuckled lightly.

"You're still taking childhood jokes seriously? I'm the CEO of the Ryder Group. A wedding can't be thrown together so hastily. Don't rush. I promise you—it will be the most perfect wedding."

Bitterness surged quietly in my chest. Every time a conflict arose, he would make promises about "next time," about that future wedding.

Eight years had passed, and I was still waiting for the day that promise would come true.

But now, I had decided to go home. I wouldn't wait any longer.

The car moved silently through the night before stopping in front of my villa.

Mason unfastened his seatbelt, apparently assuming the tension between us had already passed. Out of habit, he leaned toward me, trying to kiss me.

I raised my hand and pressed it lightly against his shoulder.

"I'm tired, Mason."

He froze and stared into my eyes for a few seconds. Finally, he patted my shoulder gently.

"Mm. Being a bridesmaid is tiring. Get some rest. Natalie said she couldn't get a taxi and is still at the venue. I'll go back and pick her up. It wouldn't be safe to leave her there alone."

I nodded calmly, but Mason didn't move right away.

He seemed to be waiting for me to respond the way I usually did—telling him to drive safely, or complaining that he was leaving me home alone so late at night.

But instead, I simply opened the car door and stepped out.

Watching the car drive away into the distance, I wiped the tears that stung my eyes and dialed my parents in Montelvia.

"Mom, Dad… I agree to fulfill the marriage arrangement and marry Devon Ryder…"

When my parents learned that I was pregnant, they were overjoyed.

They said the child was a descendant of the royal family. They would never allow him to carry the stigma of being an illegitimate child. He would be given the best future possible.

They also told me that Devon had already prepared several wedding plans for me to choose from.

I booked a flight for three days later.

After returning to the villa, I began clearing out the bedroom drawers—years of keepsakes I had carefully saved: the love letters Mason had written to me and the photos we had taken together.

By the time I finished packing my luggage, Mason came home.

"You're still up this late?"

His gaze swept over the messy closet and the suitcase beside it. His tone was relaxed. "Why are you suddenly sorting through clothes and organizing the closet? Going on a trip?"

I didn't answer his question. Instead, I asked calmly, "Did you take Natalie home?"

"Yeah. Her apartment's pretty remote. It really is hard to get a taxi there."

"Oh."

I lowered my head and turned to leave.

The next second, Mason wrapped his arms around me from behind.

The rose perfume clinging to him made me feel slightly nauseous. It was Natalie's scent.

Instinctively, I pushed him away.

His body stiffened. He looked at me for two seconds, then let out a laugh.

"You're still mad about the bouquet? Don't be so petty."

He stood up, loosening his tie, his tone helpless—like he was coaxing a child.

"Alright, I'll order you a bigger bouquet tomorrow. Let's wash up and get some sleep. I've got a meeting in the morning."

With that, he headed toward the bathroom.

I watched his back and said softly, "I promised my parents I'd return to Montelvia to get married in a week."

Mason's hand froze on the bathroom doorknob.

When he turned back, his patience had clearly run out. His brows knit together in irritation.

"Madison, stop making trouble. I told you—I'm the CEO. I can't just impulsively throw together a wedding without any planning. Marriage is something between the two of us. We can't rush into it just because of some promise you made with your best friend."

"Then…" I took a deep breath, holding on to the last thread of hope. "If I were pregnant, would you give me and the baby a home?"

His expression faltered for a moment. Then he lifted a hand and pressed his fingers to his temple.

"A wedding and having a child are both major life events. I want everything to happen according to plan.

"Madison, the Ryder Group has many important projects right now. This is a critical stage in my career. Getting married at this moment would only distract me and disrupt all my plans.

"So don't use pregnancy as an excuse. I want to welcome the child when everything is properly prepared."

His words fell like stones, each one crashing heavily into my heart.

The pain was unbearable.

In that moment, I decided to put away every last expectation I had.

Seeing my reddened eyes, Mason sighed, his expression softening.

"Just wait one more year. Once my career stabilizes, we'll—"

Before he could finish yet another promise, the ringing of his phone interrupted him.

On the call, Natalie told him there was an urgent issue with a project. Everyone needed to gather immediately for a meeting.

After hanging up, Mason left.

He took his luggage with him—and never came back.

Perhaps my sudden talk of marriage had made him feel suffocated. The company had simply given him the perfect excuse to move out and avoid my pressure.

What he didn't know was that by the time he returned, I would probably already be back in Montelvia.

In the days before my departure, I quietly took care of everything that needed to be done.

I sold the house we had lived in together at a reduced price.

On the day I handed the keys to the real estate agent, I discovered a stack of project documents from Mason's company in the study.

After hesitating for a moment, I decided to deliver them to him.

Just as I reached the door of his office, I heard laughter and conversation coming from inside. Not only were Natalie and Mason there, but so were a few of his close friends.

I was about to knock when one of them spoke.

"Mason, the others already know you and Madison argued at the wedding. They've been secretly asking me if the two of you broke up."

Natalie caught sight of me standing at the doorway. Her voice sounded apologetic, but the look she gave me was openly provocative.

"Mason, it's all my fault. It was my first time attending a wedding, so I didn't know the customs. I shouldn't have grabbed the bouquet and caused a fight between you and Madison."

Mason's voice followed. "It has nothing to do with you. Madison's just being petty."

One of his friends began to tease him, testing the waters.

"Mason, are you serious this time? You even moved out. Are you planning to break up with Madison and get together with Natalie?"

Mason paused. When he spoke again, his voice carried a hint of coldness.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I love Madison. How could I possibly break up with her? I moved out because I want her to reflect on herself. She can't keep acting so possessive all the time."

Mason didn't notice the flash of jealousy that crossed Natalie's face.

"When she's done reflecting, I'll move back home."

His assistant spoke cautiously, his tone hesitant.

"Mr. Ryder… are you really going to keep giving Ms. Blake the cold shoulder? Yesterday, I saw Ms. Walker buying a dress. I even heard her tell the sales clerk that in a week she'd be a bridesmaid for her best friend. Her best friend… isn't that Ms. Blake?"

The room fell silent.

Mason's expression stiffened.

"A wedding without a groom? There's no such thing," he said. "Normally, I indulge her enough. But this time she needs to understand that I'm the CEO of the Ryder Group. Not everything can go her way. She can't make every decision."

I gently set the documents down on the floor outside the door. Then, I turned and walked away without looking back.

The next day, carrying my luggage, I boarded a plane bound for Montelvia.