I've been in a relationship with my brother's best friend, Emilio Slater, for three years, but he's never been willing to make our relationship public.

Still, I never doubt his love for me. After all, he's been with 99 women before, yet he stops looking at anyone else because of me. Even if I have a slight cold, he drops billion-dollar projects and rushes home to take care of me.

But on my birthday, when I'm excitedly preparing to share the news of my pregnancy with Emilio, he forgets my birthday for the first time and vanishes without a trace. The housekeeper tells me he's gone to pick up someone important from the airport.

I rush there and see him holding flowers, his face full of nervous anticipation, waiting for a woman—one who looks strikingly like me.

Later, my brother tells me she's Emilio's first love, the one he can never forget. Emilio defied his parents for her, and he fell apart after she dumped him. He sought out 99 women who resembled her to fill the void.

My brother speaks with admiration for Emilio's deep devotion, unaware that I'm one of those stand-ins.

I watch Emilio and his first love for a long, long time. Then, I return to the hospital without hesitation. "Doctor, I don't want this child anymore."

"What? Ms. LeBlanc, do you want to terminate the pregnancy? But just earlier today, after learning about it, you were so excited to share the news with your boyfriend!" The doctor looked at me incredulously, his astonished cry sounding particularly loud in the empty examination room.

I kept my head down as I clenched the hem of my dress tightly. Choking up, I said, "Please don't ask me anything. I just know I don't want the baby anymore."

The doctor watched me for a while before sighing heavily. "Ms. LeBlanc, I don't know what happened to you, but you're obviously emotional right now. Maybe you should calm down and reconsider."

He slid the abortion consent form back to me, and his gaze landed on the ultrasound attached to it. "This is a life, after all."

I looked up at the small black shadow on the report, and my eyes reddened further. After a long while, I tucked the form into my bag and left the hospital.

As I walked home, distraught, a red Ferrari suddenly skidded to a stop in front of me. A pair of exquisite leather shoes stepped into a puddle, and a handsome face appeared before me. Emilio Slater ran to me while holding an umbrella.

He pulled me into his arms and took off his suit jacket, draping it over my shoulders. "How could you not bring an umbrella with you when you left the house? You're not a child anymore. You've never been in the best of health—what if you catch a cold?"

I looked up at his profile and saw how anxious he was. I felt transported back to when we'd first started dating. He'd treated me like I was a treasure, as he was doing now.

However, I knew that there was no going back.

I looked down at his navy blue suit and smiled bitterly. He'd had it tailor-made a month ago for my birthday celebration. On this day, my birthday, he's wearing it, but it's not for me.

This afternoon, while preparing for my birthday celebration, I suddenly started throwing up. I thought it was my stomach acting up, but the doctor told me I was pregnant.

Learning that a new life was growing within me on my birthday felt like a gift from the heavens. But when I hurried home to tell Emilio the good news, he was nowhere to be found.

Laura Brown, the housekeeper, noticed my confusion. "Mr. Slater said he was heading to the airport to pick up someone important. He also said that you could eat without him if you were hungry. He told you not to wait for him."

It was my birthday, and he'd promised to throw me a grand celebration. Yet now, he was saying I didn't need to wait for him?

I suppressed my anger and asked Laura, "Who's this important person?"

She hesitated, then stammered, "I-I'm not sure, either. All I know is that Mr. Slater was pretty happy when he left. He even checked his appearance in the mirror for a long time."

For some reason, that response gave me a bad feeling.

After some hesitation, I asked the driver to take me to the airport. It was packed, but Emilio was easy to spot. He was tall, handsome, and always the center of attention.

Sure enough, I found him standing amid a crowd. However, I didn't approach him because I saw my brother, Christopher LeBlanc, beside him.

Emilio held a bouquet, and his gaze was fixed on the arrival hall's exit. His lips were pressed together tightly, and he seemed nervous.

I'd never seen him like that before. Even when we'd almost exposed our relationship in front of Christopher, Emilio had remained calm and composed.

Who was it who was making him act like that?

I trained my gaze on the exit, too. Then, I saw an alluring woman walk out.

Emilio immediately waved at her. "Amber!"

She took off her sunglasses and headed toward him and Christopher, but she didn't take the bouquet. Instead, she ignored Emilio outright and linked arms with Christopher.

In that instant, I saw the flicker of jealousy in Emilio's eyes.

Although Emilio used to be a ladies' man, he never took them seriously and only fooled around with them. He couldn't even bother to sweet-talk them when they were upset, let alone be jealous over them.

I couldn't help but give the woman a second glance. Amber… Amber Granger?

It hit me.

I'd grown up abroad, but Christopher, who was based back home, told me plenty about his two childhood friends. One was Emilio, and the other was Amber. The three of them were Jeston's three musketeers.

But from what I'd just seen, it was clear the relationship between Emilio and Amber wasn't just friendship.

With curiosity gnawing at me, I called Christopher when he went off to collect Amber's luggage. "Christopher, I heard from Mr. Slater that Amber is back. How are they related? He seemed really agitated, and he skipped a meeting for her."

Christopher was taken aback, then laughed. "He even told you that? Looks like he's really excited. He and Amber dated for a few years, and boy, they were madly in love. Amber chose to leave the country when his love for her was at its deepest, and he lost his mind.

"He might seem cold and aloof now, but he constantly cried and ranted to me back then. He even threatened to end his life. In the end, he found all those stand-ins…"

"Stand-ins?" My hand trembled as I gripped my phone.

Christopher hummed in agreement. "Yeah. You probably haven't met Amber yet, but you'll know how much those women Emilio dated resembled her when you see her. Hey, now that I think about it, you look a little like her, too. Of course, you're prettier…"

I didn't hear the rest of his words. My ears buzzed, and my body grew colder with every word he said. I looked up dazedly at the alluring woman ahead.

I'd already seen her.

"Calista? Why aren't you saying anything? Anyway, why are you asking this?" Christopher continued talking on the other end of the line, but I no longer had the strength to reply.

I said softly, "I'm just looking out for my boss. It's only right. Oh, and don't tell Mr. Slater that I asked you about this."

After he responded in the affirmative, I hung up. When the screen went black, I saw my reflection. Then, I looked up at Amber again.

Did we look alike?

I smiled bitterly. The dimple at the corner of my mouth was identical to hers. We did indeed look similar.

I had no recollection of leaving the airport that day. All I knew was that it was pouring outside.

…

When we got home, Emilio grabbed a towel and dried my hair. Then, he made me some warm soup and fed me.

As he stroked my hair, he said, "Guess what, babe. I almost slipped up today. Christopher said he has a friend who wants to get to know you, and he was actually thinking of arranging for you two to meet. I lost control and shot to my feet in objection. Man, was he stunned."

I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. "And? Did he find out?"

"Of course not. He's so dense—he would never imagine that his best friend is dating his sister. If he found out, do you think I'd be back in one piece?"

When I heard how light-hearted he sounded, I reached up to stop his hands as he dried my hair. I asked seriously, "Emilio, do you really see me as your girlfriend?"

He was taken aback at my question. Then, he laughed and crouched before me, pinching my cheek affectionately.

He asked gently, "If I didn't, why would I have gotten mad when Christopher said he wanted to introduce someone to you?"

His expression darkened at the mention of this man we'd never met. He yanked me into his arms and brushed his lips against my neck. "The thought of you being with someone else—even if it's just sitting down together for a meal—makes me feel awful."

My body went weak as his warm breath fanned over my neck. Right before I succumbed to him, I shoved him away. "I'm tired, Emilio."

Emilio faltered. Then, thinking I'd caught a cold from the rain, he hurriedly scooped me into his arms and carried me to the bed.

He felt my forehead when he thought I was asleep, only leaving the room when he was sure I didn't have a fever.

As the door shut with a click, I slowly opened my eyes. I turned and buried my face in the blanket, crying so hard that I couldn't breathe.

A girlfriend? I was just a stand-in for Amber.

I remembered how Emilio always told me that he loved my smile and wanted me to do it more. I felt disgusted.

Tears blurred my vision, and my temperature rose. As my head grew foggy, I suddenly remembered things from the past.

When I was 18, Christopher had brought Emilio with him when picking me up at the airport. It took only one look for me to fall for Emilio, who was tall and handsome.

Later, I gave up the cushy lifestyle of a wealthy heiress and asked Christopher to get me an internship in Emilio's company.

Emilio and I didn't have much to do with each other at first. He was either busy negotiating deals or racing at the racetrack. The women who occupied his passenger seat changed one after another.

Once, during a business dinner, a rival drugged him. He stumbled to the restroom after realizing something was wrong.

Worried that something would happen to him, I'd given chase. However, I lost him after a few steps. As I stomped in frustration, a pair of hands suddenly reached out and yanked me into a storage room.

I screamed and struggled, only calming down when I smelled Emilio's unique herbal scent.

He panted lightly. The top three buttons of his white shirt were undone, and the drug made a blush spread across his taut chest. He looked beyond sexy.

I couldn't help but swallow, and Emilio saw that.

He chuckled and tilted my chin up, his voice husky and lazy as he asked, "Like what you see?"

I pushed him away, embarrassed that he'd seen through me. I stammered, "N-No…"

He pulled me into his arms again, pressing my hands to his chest. His brows furrowed, and he looked like he was in discomfort. "Help me if you like me…"

Emilio leaned in to kiss me before I could respond. My eyes widened in shock before I slowly got caught up in this dominant yet restrained kiss.

When I woke up again, we were naked as we lay beside each other on a bed. Emilio had his head propped on one hand as he looked down at me. The drug's effects had worn off, but his eyes still burned with lust.

That day, he said to me, "I'll take responsibility for this."

And he did. He stopped fooling around with other women and became exclusive with me. Meanwhile, I rejected many offers to form marriage alliances with other men and stayed in Emilio's company. I stayed by his side.

Whenever Christopher saw me bury myself in work while other heiresses partied it up abroad, he would ask me what about Emilio's company had me so enthralled.

Countless times, I wanted to tell him about my relationship with Emilio. However, Emilio was adamant that we keep it a secret, when he usually went along with everything I said.

I originally thought it was because he was scared Christopher would get mad at him after finding out, but now, I knew the truth.

Christopher had witnessed Emilio's love for Amber and knew how he'd threatened to take his own life for her. How could he possibly bear to leave me in Emilio's hands?

How could Emilio dare to let Christopher find out about this?

Well, Emilio wouldn't need to worry about that anymore because we would no longer have anything to do with each other.

Now that Amber was back, I would return Emilio to her. As for our time together and the love we'd shared, I'd picked them up in the past, and I could set them down now.

The next day, I woke up to find it was already the afternoon. I'd been burning with a fever all night. My head pounded, and my throat was so hoarse I couldn't speak.

I checked my phone and saw dozens of unread messages.

"Happy birthday, Calista! I bought you a yacht—let's take it for a spin soon!"

"Callie, your dad insisted on flying back to celebrate your birthday. Honestly, I can't do anything about him."

"Happy 25th birthday, Callie! I'll always love you!"

The screen was filled with birthday wishes from my parents, who were abroad, Christopher, friends, and classmates. They'd all sent their blessings.

But Emilio, who slept by my side every night, hadn't sent a single message.

I sighed, my mind fuzzy as I vaguely recalled asking Emilio to get me a glass of water in the middle of the night.

However, he'd been on the balcony, taking a call. After ending the call, he'd left in a hurry, and he hadn't come back since.

I dragged my exhausted body out of bed. The fever made it hard to stand steady.

Just then, the door opened. Emilio was back. He carried a pile of gifts, each one clearly expensive from the packaging alone.

Noticing my gaze, he hurried over. "Why are you only waking up now, sleepyhead?"

I turned my head, dodging his outstretched hand. I looked down at the gifts and said softly, "My birthday's already over, Emilio."

He froze, his hand hovering in the air for a long moment before slowly dropping. He glanced at the calendar on the wall and quickly set down the gifts, looking guilty as he grabbed my hand. "Babe, I'm so sorry. Work was crazy yesterday. Let me make it up to you today, okay?"

"Don't bother. You missed it, and that's a fact." I rejected his offer without hesitation.

Emilio watched as I trudged back to the bedroom, the guilt in his eyes deepening.

I sat in the bedroom, feeling like my head was heavier and dizzier. Half an hour later, I stepped out again to find that Emilio was gone.

Laura noticed my confusion and explained, "Mr. Slater went out to buy you a birthday gift, Ms. LeBlanc. Don't be upset with him. He really was tied up with something important yesterday."

I faltered and looked at the pile of gift bags on the table. "He's buying me a gift?"

Laura followed my line of sight and hurriedly moved the bags to a cabinet, as if afraid I'd touch them. "Ms. LeBlanc, these are for Mr. Slater's important clients. He instructed that no one should touch them."

Important clients?

I immediately understood when I saw the cosmetics and women's handbags. To Emilio, the most important person besides his parents was probably Amber. In fact, she probably meant more to him than they did. After all, he'd once fought with them to the point of cutting ties just to marry her.

So, Emilio hadn't forgotten my birthday by mistake. He'd never thought of it at all. He could've pretended to have mixed up the dates and used these things he'd already bought to appease me, but he didn't. Anything meant for Amber was untouchable by others.

Amber had only just returned to the country, and I'd already lost completely. I didn't dare think about how many more times Emilio would make me lose in the days to come.

…

When Emilio returned with a bouquet of flowers, I was lying in bed, blankly scrolling through my phone.

Noticing my glumness, he sat on the edge of the bed and ruffled my hair. "Babe, don't be mad. I bought you lots of things. If you're still upset, how about you give me a slap?"

As he spoke, he took my hand and pressed it to his cheek.

Seeing him act so humbly made my heart ache even more. He wasn't someone with a good temper. In the past, when his girlfriends threw tantrums, he never bothered to placate or coax them. He would just dump them and move on.

But with me, he was endlessly indulgent, even humbling himself to beg for forgiveness like this.

I wondered whether he was so good to me because he loved me, or because I resembled Amber the most.

With that thought, I turned to look at him and raised my hand, letting the slap land.

Emilio froze, clearly not expecting me to actually hit him. However, he didn't mind, assuming I was just angry. Sporting a clear handprint on his face, he quickly turned to grab a gift box.

Inside was a necklace—a new piece by my favorite designer that had been released two weeks ago. I'd been trying to get my hands on it but couldn't.

I hadn't expected Emilio to get it in just half an hour. It must've cost him a fortune.

Suddenly, I couldn't understand what he was thinking. He was still so good to me, so good that it was enough to make everyone envy me.

The only flaw was that I would always come second to Amber.

Emilio smiled faintly when he saw my stunned expression. He brushed aside my hair, wanting to put the necklace on me. But when his hand touched my neck, his expression turned serious. "Why are you so hot?"

He finally noticed my fever and scooped me up without another word, rushing me to the hospital.

Before leaving, he shouted at the maids, "Didn't any of you notice that Calista has a fever? You're all fired as of tomorrow!"

Then, he hurriedly drove me to the hospital, running a dozen red lights on the way.

At the hospital, the doctor asked about our relationship.

"He's my brother."

"I'm her boyfriend."

We spoke simultaneously.

The doctor eyed us in confusion, and Emilio repeated firmly, "I'm her boyfriend."

I looked at him, puzzled. In the past, he would never have admitted our relationship in public. Even when no one we knew was around, he would call me his sister. Over time, I'd gotten used to introducing myself that way, too.

To think he would now openly acknowledge our relationship out of guilt.

I smiled self-deprecatingly as I watched the IV drip slowly release its contents.

A nurse standing nearby couldn't help but say, "Good thing you brought her here in time, or the ba—"

I coughed violently, cutting her off. Emilio turned to get me water, and in that moment, I shook my head at the nurse, signaling her to stop. I'd already decided to end things with Emilio, so I didn't want him to know about the child.

Thankfully, he didn't think much of it. He helped me sit up and fed me water.

Just then, Christopher burst through the door and rushed to my bedside. "Calista, why didn't you tell me you were—"

He stopped short as he locked eyes with Emilio. Emilio returned to his senses first and calmly set the water back on the table.

"Why are you here?" Christopher asked.

"Calista collapsed from exhaustion at the company. I happened to see her and brought her to the hospital." Emilio's lie was delivered smoothly, but his expression changed instantly when he saw Amber outside the room.

She, on the other hand, walked in with a fruit basket. She smiled and held her head high. "I was catching up with Christopher at a cafe when he heard his sister was sick. He was so worried he nearly forgot to pay the bill. I tagged along to check on things. You don't look too happy to see me, Emilio."

Emilio's expression darkened. As he met Amber's gaze, his eyes held an emotion I couldn't decipher.

Then, it hit me. The emotion was anger—something I'd never seen in him before, sparked by Amber's indifference.

As the atmosphere grew tense, I got out of bed and extended my hand to her. "Hi, I'm Calista LeBlanc."

She looked me up and down. Then, her eyes widened as if in realization. She smiled faintly and shook my hand. "Hi, I'm Amber Granger, Christopher's friend."

Emilio stiffened at her introduction and unconsciously clenched his fists. I forced a bitter smile at his reaction.

Suddenly, Amber gasped and covered her mouth daintily. "What a coincidence, Calista. You have dimples, too! You look so pretty when you smile, and you look a bit like me."

At those words, Emilio tensed even more. I remained calm and smiled again. "Really? Our meeting must've been written in the stars, then."

Christopher laughed at our exchange. "Amber, after all these years, you're still so awkward when trying to get close to others."

She playfully nudged his arm, their familiarity evident.

Meanwhile, Emilio stood to the side like an outsider. His eyes narrowed—a sign I knew meant he was furious.

He said to Christopher, "Since you're here, I'll leave Calista to you. I'm heading out."

But Christopher stopped him and held out a set of keys. "Perfect timing. Why don't you give Amber a ride home?"

Emilio stared at the keys, unmoving, refusing to take them. Finally, Amber pushed Christopher's hand back. "There's no need to trouble him. I can get home on my own."

With that, she bid Christopher goodbye and thoughtfully wished me a speedy recovery. Then, she turned and left in a hurry.

Emilio's gaze didn't leave her the entire time.

Christopher looked at him helplessly and sighed loudly. "Man, I gave you a chance, and you still didn't take it. Aren't you going to chase after her? Do you really want to miss out on her again?"

At that, Emilio instinctively glanced back at me, his expression darkening. He snapped, "Are you drunk on coffee or something? What nonsense are you spouting?"

Christopher was taken aback, puzzled by Emilio's sudden anger. He rolled his eyes and pushed past him, heading out while jingling his car keys. "If you're not going to drive her, I can't sit by and watch as Amber goes home alone."

Soon, Emilio and I were left alone in the hospital room. Neither of us spoke.

My calm demeanor seemed to make him uneasy. He opened his mouth to explain, but before he could, a nurse came in, saying I needed to go for more tests.

Emilio nodded and gently helped me up, instructing the nurse not to hurt me. He was as attentive as ever, but from start to end, his mind was elsewhere.

As I followed the nurse down the hall, I caught sight of two familiar figures in the opposite corridor. Christopher leaned against the railing, saying, "From the way you acted just now, it seems like you're really not interested in getting back together with Emilio."

Amber lit a cigarette and exhaled slowly before smirking. "Get back with him? Over my dead body, maybe."

As her final word landed, I noticed Emilio standing frozen at the end of the corridor. He stared at Amber, as if they were the only two people in the long hallway.

Christopher stubbed out his cigarette and patted Amber's shoulder. "Well, this'll be interesting. You two take your time. I'll wait in the parking lot."

But after he left, Amber and Emilio didn't just talk. They looked more like they were arguing. Though I couldn't hear the specifics, Emilio's heated gestures told me it was intense.

I stood across the hall, my heart tangled in complicated emotions. This was the first time I'd ever seen Emilio lose control.

He was always nonchalant at high-stakes business events and composed even during dangerous races. But now, because of something Amber had said, he was unraveling completely.

I didn't watch any longer. I turned and followed the nurse away.

When I finished my tests and came out, I heard Christopher's voice again. "Amber, if I'm not wrong, you came back for Emilio. You clearly still have feelings for him, so why say something like that? Aren't you afraid he'll get mad and actually give up on you?"

She laughed as if she'd heard the most absurd joke. "Him, give up on me? From day one, I've always been the one who has the right not to want him. You don't know Emilio, Christopher. He's the type who responds to tough love, not softness.

"If we don't fight, how else will he remember the pain of our breakup? Pain is love. I want him to recall what it felt like to love me."

"The feeling of loving you?" Christopher pulled out his phone, scrolling through photo after photo of Emilio with his ex-girlfriends. "Look at this—Emilio's never forgotten what it's like to love you. Sure, he's dated a lot of women over the years, but every single one looks like you.

"They were all just flings, too. The moment he heard you were coming back, he dumped them all. I didn't even realize he was that devoted to you…"

Amber glanced at the photos briefly before looking up, her tone carrying a deeper meaning. "Dumped them all? I wouldn't be so sure."

Christopher frowned, looking confused. "No way. He's head over heels for you."

She merely chuckled without explaining. "He does love me, but it's not enough. It's nowhere near enough. If he'd been head over heels for me back then, why would I have left?

"Everyone thinks I left for my career, but the truth is, his parents forced me to go abroad after my family went bankrupt.

"They wouldn't let me be with Emilio, let alone marry him. That's why I have to use these tactics to make sure his heart belongs to me alone. Only then will he have the courage to stand up to his parents."

Amber patted Christopher's shoulder reassuringly when she saw the stunned look on his face. "Don't worry about it. We may have fought today, but all it'll take is a little sweet-talking for him to come running back to me."

With that, she and Christopher headed downstairs. As she left, she glanced upstairs, where I stood. I clearly caught the provocation in her gaze.