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.

When I returned to the hospital room, Emilio was gone. All that remained was a payment receipt with his signature, which had been left on the bed.

The nurse explained, "He paid the bill and left in a hurry. He probably had something urgent to handle."

I stared at the receipt. After a long pause, I asked softly, "What was he like when he left?"

The nurse thought for a moment before saying, "He didn't seem okay. His eyes were red, like he'd been crying."

Crying?

I gripped the paper tighter. I'd underestimated how much Emilio cared for Amber.

"Are you okay, miss? Are you feeling unwell again?"

I shook my head and turned to the nurse. "Please process my discharge."

She looked surprised. "But you're still—"

"I don't want to stay here anymore." I didn't want to stay in a place that still carried the faint scent of Amber's perfume.

Instead of going back to the villa I shared with Emilio, I went to my own home.

Christopher was shocked to see me. "Calista, weren't you in the hospital? Why are you back so suddenly?"

I welled up and threw myself into his arms, allowing my tears to soak his shirt.

"Oh, my. What's wrong, Calista?" Amber's voice rang out.

I pulled away from Christopher and turned to her. "Why are you here?"

Christopher explained, "We're having a welcome-back party for Amber here. She's the star of the show today."

My eyes met Amber's. Hers were filled with clear provocation and mockery.

Christopher ruffled my hair. "Calista, what's wrong? Why were you crying? Did someone upset you?"

I shook my head and wiped my tears haphazardly. "It's nothing."

Then, I headed toward the door.

"Hey, where are you going? Calista, what's wrong?" Christopher started to follow, but Amber grabbed his hand.

She said softly, "Let me talk to her. You don't understand how women feel."

The sound of high heels followed me. Amber leaned close and whispered, "Calista, shall we have a chat?"

I shook off her hand and said coldly, "We have nothing to talk about."

Instead of getting angry, she laughed. "Oh, really?"

She leaned in further, her voice low enough for only me to hear. "After all, we've both slept with the same man."

I jolted.

Amber led me back to the living room, where her friends were gathered. Their eyes brimmed with malice. She must've already told them who I was.

Still, she put on an act and introduced me to the crowd. "This is the piece of trash Emilio hasn't gotten around to throwing out."

Her offensive words made me turn to her coldly. "And what are you? A manipulator who wants to trick Emilio into falling for her by playing hard to get?"

Amber faltered, clearly not expecting me to fire back. Her expression darkened instantly, but her friends jumped in to attack me.

"A manipulator?"

"Ha! At least Amber genuinely won Emilio over, unlike you!"

"Yeah. Didn't she come in crying earlier? She's pathetic."

"Wanna bet how long it takes for Emilio to dump her?"

"I say one day!"

"I say one hour!"

I hurled a glass onto the floor, the sound echoing sharply.

The room fell silent, but Christopher rushed out from the kitchen. Amber immediately picked up the glass shards, gently holding my hand and asking if I'd been burned.

In that moment, I wasn't repulsed. I merely felt relieved.

So, this was the scheming woman Emilio had been unable to forget all these years. I suddenly wondered how he would react if he knew that all his pain and hysteria over Amber were just part of her game.

Of course, that had nothing to do with me anymore. I turned and headed to Christopher, saying, "I heard from Mr. Slater that you wanted to set me up with someone."

He blinked, then chuckled. "Yeah. He even told you about that? Since when did you two get so close?"

For a moment, I was tempted to tell him that Emilio and I weren't just close. We kissed every day, touched each other, and called each other pet names.

But all I did was smile bitterly and say, "We're not close. As for that guy you wanted to introduce me to—I'm game."

I kept my head lowered as I walked out, adding the guy's contact on my phone. His profile picture was a seascape, old-fashioned and quaint.

Soon, he responded to my message with one of his own. "I'm Rowan Sterling."

The name felt familiar, like I'd seen it somewhere before.

Suddenly, my phone was snatched away. Emilio had shown up at some point, looking displeased. "Why didn't you tell me that you got discharged?"

His gaze flicked to my phone, and he frowned. "Rowan Sterling? That's a guy's name. Who is he? Why haven't you mentioned him before?"

I grabbed my phone back, ignoring his barrage of questions. I said coldly, "You left without a word, too, didn't you?"

He stiffened. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, Christopher waved him over. "Perfect timing! Today's Amber's welcome-back party. Come have a drink."

Emilio looked at Amber, who stood in the center of the crowd. He growled, "A welcome-back party I wasn't told about?"

Sensing the tension, someone chimed in, "Oh, Amber only invited close friends. Don't take it personally."

"Yeah, and her crush, Jon Clarke, is here. It'd be awkward to invite you."

"Crush? Jon Clarke?" Emilio's expression darkened completely at that. I knew he was on the verge of losing it.

If I weren't there, he might've already stormed over to Amber to confront her.

I smiled bitterly at the sight of his furious, trembling figure and turned to Christopher. "I'm heading home."

My steps were unsteady because my fever hadn't fully subsided. Emilio instinctively reached out to steady me but stopped when he glanced at Amber. His hand dropped silently.

"Calista, you don't look well. Why don't you let Emilio take you home? He's got nothing better to do here, and I'm busy entertaining other guests, anyway." Amber brushed past Emilio and grabbed my hand.

He turned to look at her, the sorrow in his eyes piercing my heart like a sword.

I shook my head. "There's no need to trouble Mr. Slater."

Emilio froze. He stepped forward to follow me but ultimately stopped himself. In the end, Christopher was the one to take me home. I leaned against the car window without saying a word.

My phone pinged with a message from a number I didn't recognize. The sender revealed that she was Amber, and she sent a photo of Emilio's profile as he sat in the driver's seat.

"Oh, he's so petty. The moment you left, he punched Jon and dragged me away. Poor guy—he was just playing along with my act. I'll have to make it up to him later.

"You still don't know how to handle men, Calista. You need to be hot and cold; be nasty one moment and nice the next. Keep them on a leash, and they'll never forget you."

I zoomed in on the photo, noticing blood at the corner of Emilio's mouth. It was probably from his fight with Jon.

"Calista, what's going on with you?" Christopher pulled over and turned to look into my red-rimmed eyes. "You've been off all day. Tell me what happened, and I'll take care of it for you!"

I pursed my lips. Just as I wanted to speak, a Porsche pulled up in front of us. Emilio and Amber got out.

He yanked her out of the car, and they started arguing again. But this time, it didn't end with them parting ways. He suddenly pinned her against the car door and kissed her fiercely. He gripped her waist and deepened the kiss.

I started trembling as I watched them quietly.

Christopher noticed me staring and chuckled, thinking I was curious. "Don't be so surprised. That's just how they are. One second, they're fighting. The next second, they're getting a room. I'm used to it by now. After all this time apart, Amber still has Emilio wrapped around her finger."

He glanced at me, panicking when he saw me sweating profusely. "Calista, what's wrong?"

I clutched my abdomen and said weakly, "Take me… to the hospital…"