During Annika James' sophomore year of college, Xavier Parker returned from Europe after locking down three billion-dollar projects in the financial district and taking over Parker Group. He'd become the youngest business mogul in London. He rolled up to her campus in a limited-edition Rolls Royce to pick her up, and Annika felt a little embarrassed as she slid into the car. She scolded him, "Xavier Parker, if you don't want people on campus spreading rumors that I'm dating some rich guy, maybe skip the flashy cars..."

Before she could finish, he pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms. With a fierce, unexpected intensity, Xavier kissed her, sending a rush of heat to her cheeks. In the front seat, Rayan Henry discreetly hit the button to raise the partition. The sealed backseat left only her and Xavier, their heated kiss charging the air between them.

Xavier kissed her like he'd been waiting forever.

It was their first kiss, and it left Annika's mind spinning, her thoughts scattered, her body weak and flooded with warmth.

Xavier murmured, "Annika, I've waited years for this kiss."

Annika looked at him, dazed, not realizing this was Xavier's confession.

For over a decade, they'd bickered and bantered, and she hadn't yet adjusted to this new, more mature Xavier—a man, not just the boy she'd always known.

After a beat, Annika quipped, "Wow, you really do have a lot of patience."

Xavier blinked, slightly caught off guard.

With a playful pinch, he said, "Annika, you're such a goof."

Annika laughed, tilting her head. "I might be a goof, but if you're into goofs, what does that make you?"

Xavier smirked. "Hmm, the biggest goof of them all."

In that million-dollar custom Rolls Royce, the two "goofs" exchanged knowing glances, their faces lit up with a happiness that was almost too much to contain.

In their first year together, Annika and Xavier kept their old dynamic, often squabbling—little tiffs every few days, bigger blowups here and there. But usually, Xavier was the first to cave and admit he was wrong. Annika never told anyone how Xavier could totally disarm her when he showed up with reddened eyes, teetering on the edge of tears. One look at him like that, and her anger just melted away.

During Thanksgiving, Xavier took Annika to the Parker family estate, only to find Lina Turner and her brother Bowen, along with their parents, already there. The two families had been knee-deep in talks about a marriage alliance between Xavier and Lina.

Annika confronted Xavier, who claimed he knew nothing and accused her of being unreasonable. Furious, Annika stormed out.

On the road, Bowen, driving out to find her, was killed in a car crash.

When Annika heard the news, she rushed to the hospital. There, Lina's mother slapped her twice, then forced her to kneel before Bowen's body.

Annika felt like a hollow shell, numb to the pain and humiliation, completely detached from reality.

She couldn't wrap her head around how things had spiraled so disastrously.

The Turner family demanded Annika pay with her life—until Xavier arrived, standing firm in front of her, declaring that Annika was now Mrs. Parker and anyone who laid a finger on her would face his wrath.

Eventually, Xavier and Annika married. He transferred two billion-dollar projects and five percent of Parker Group shares to the Turners to smooth things over and get them to back off Annika.

Yet, Annika was branded a sinner.

Haunted by Bowen's death, she couldn't find forgiveness—not from others, and not from herself.

On top of that, her married life became another source of pain.

Once so vibrant and full of fire, after just three years of marriage, Annika had become a recluse, too tormented to even step outside.

—

Xavier finished his shower and came over to Annika, who was sitting on the bed, scrolling through her phone. He noticed her slender fingers were bare.

"Where's your ring?" he asked, towel-drying his hair, water trickling down his chest to the towel wrapped around his waist.

Annika, not bothering to look up, kept chatting with Emma Sanchez on WhatsApp. "It's worth a million bucks. I'm afraid I'll chuck it in a fit of rage and then regret it."

Xavier arched an eyebrow. "Then just don't get pissed off."

"That's tough," Annika shot back. "This world is crawling with idiots."

Xavier watched her in silence for a moment, then glanced at her phone screen. Annika noticed and tilted the phone away, blocking his view.

But he caught a glimpse of Emma's avatar—a bold white "Get Rich" on a red background, impossible to miss.

"Complaining about me to your bestie again?"

Annika shut off her phone and burrowed under the duvet, staying quiet.

She replayed Emma's earlier advice in her head: "That Lina is a piece of work, always copying your every move just to one-up you. One day, let her choke on your fumes."

Crude, but not without a point, Emma's words pulled a smile from Annika, lightening her mood a little.

Then Xavier's warm arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close, his hand slipping under her nightdress.

Annika blocked him. "Xavier, what the hell are you doing!"

"Fulfilling my husbandly duties," he murmured against her neck. "Did you miss me this week?"

His warm breath against her skin stirred something deep, making her breathing hitch.

Xavier knew her body inside and out. Annika always remembered their first night together—beyond the initial discomfort, it was actually good. She'd asked how he was so skilled, wondering if it was really his first time.

Xavier had replied, "I've never been a butcher, but I've seen pigs run. I prepped for this moment for years. I didn't want you to have any regrets."

Annika scoffed. "Men are such basic creatures, always scheming for a little action."

He ground his teeth. "Annika, other women might want me, but I don't want them."

"Big deal, other men want me too, and I don't want them."

"…"

She used to match him word for word, never backing down.

But somewhere along the line, she stopped the bickering and arguing.

Maybe it was last year, when yet another fight erupted over how stupidly attentive he was to Lina. Xavier, with ice in his voice, had said, "If Bowen were alive, I wouldn't feel like I have to look after her; she's his sister, after all."

In that moment, Annika was left speechless.

She'd assumed that even if the whole world blamed her for Bowen's death, Xavier wouldn't.

She believed he understood her suffering, her pain, and wouldn't be the one to twist the knife.

But she was dead wrong.

The deeper her trust, the bigger the letdown.

The next morning, Xavier Parker got dressed with deliberate quietness, stealing a glance at Annika James, who was still lost in deep sleep. The night before had been intense. She'd pushed back against his advances with a firm resolve, but eventually, her defenses crumbled, and she turned pliant and soft in his arms. By the end, she was pleading with him to stop, then slipped into an exhausted sleep with tears drying on her cheeks.

Xavier felt a pang of remorse. He'd missed her like hell the past week, and when she brought up divorce, a storm of anger and longing had driven him to go too far. He hadn't meant to be so rough.

He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead—a silent apology and tenderness both. Annika remained oblivious, still lost to the world.

His phone buzzed quietly, jerking Xavier out of his reverie. He glanced at his watch and left the bedroom.

At the front door, Rayan Henry stood holding open the backseat door. Once Xavier settled in, Rayan circled the car and slid into the driver's seat, clicking his seatbelt into place. They hadn't driven far when Xavier's voice cut through the silence. "Why does the car smell like roses?"

Rayan froze, sniffing the air but detecting nothing. Still, he knew Xavier's sense of smell was freakishly sharp. Realization hit, and embarrassment crept in. "I'm sorry, Mr. Parker. The other night, my girlfriend had a company event. I picked her up late, and she had a bouquet of roses—the company gave them to all the women. The scent must have lingered."

The backseat went quiet. A flush of shame crept up Rayan's neck. He knew Annika hated the scent of roses—it reminded her of someone she despised. No wonder she'd rolled down the window yesterday as soon as she got in. When he asked if it was too hot, she just shrugged it off and told him to keep driving. Regret twisted in his gut. His damn sinus issues always left him nose-blind to stuff like that.

"Mr. Parker, I could explain to Mrs. Parker—" Rayan started.

After a pause, Xavier cut him off. "No, leave it."

He knew it wasn't the roses she loathed—it was the person who adored them.

Silence settled again. Rayan glanced at Xavier in the rearview mirror, catching the calm but contemplative look on his boss's sculpted face, a shadow of worry creasing his brow. Taking a breath, Rayan ventured, "Mr. Parker, Mrs. Parker hasn't seemed herself lately."

Xavier's gaze snapped to the mirror, sharp and assessing despite its casualness. Under that weight, Rayan pressed on. "Sir, your wedding anniversary with Mrs. Parker is coming up. You were away last year. Maybe... plan something special?"

Xavier looked out the window, rubbing his temple. "I'm aware."

Rayan shut his mouth.

In the office, Rayan went through the day's schedule on his tablet. Xavier interrupted. "What's the date tomorrow?"

"The 17th," Rayan answered.

The 17th of every month was set aside for Annika to visit her father. Her dad, Andrew James, had worked for the Parkers for over twenty years before an accident left him with severe brain damage, his mind reduced to that of a child. He was in a care facility now, and Annika went to see him regularly. Xavier fell silent, thoughtful, as he stepped into his office and closed the door behind him.

—

Annika woke to the midday sun, her body aching all over. She cursed Xavier silently for being so damn rough. The smell of food hit her as she stumbled out of the bedroom.

The housekeeper had finished cooking and was about to head out. When she saw Annika, she gave a warm but restrained smile. "Mrs. Parker, I'll be finishing up at the end of this month."

The announcement caught Annika off guard. She paused, surprised.

This housekeeper had been hired after Annika married Xavier. She only came to cook, and Annika genuinely loved her food. She'd even joked during arguments that she'd give up any settlement just to keep the housekeeper. So why now?

Annika remembered Lina Turner visiting once. Lina had raved about the food, then 'jokingly' offered the housekeeper double the salary to come work for her. Lina always had a way of wanting whatever Annika cherished, always passing it off as a joke. The housekeeper had politely turned her down then.

"Is it about the money?" Annika asked.

The housekeeper shook her head, rubbing her hands nervously. "Oh no, you and Mr. Parker pay me well. It's just... my daughter is having her first baby next month. I've spent years taking care of other people's families. It's time I took care of my own. With postpartum care and all, she'll need her mother there."

Annika understood. There was no arguing with that. "Of course. Having a baby is a big deal. It's best you're there with her."

The housekeeper caught the glisten of unshed tears in Annika's eyes. In the three years she'd worked here, she'd learned something about Annika: for a woman who seemed to have it all, she cried easily. Some days, Annika would duck her head over her bowl, pretending to savor her food while quietly sobbing. As an outsider, the housekeeper never pried, but sometimes she couldn't help feeling a stab of pity for Annika. In all this time, she'd seen few visitors. Even fewer friends.

"Over the years, I wrote down the recipes for your favorite dishes," the housekeeper said, pulling out some papers. "You can give them to the next housekeeper."

It was too much. Annika turned quickly, her voice tight. "Just a moment." She retreated to the bedroom, where she dug through drawers for cash and an envelope, drying her tears with tissues. She found the envelope Xavier had given her last Christmas—still holding two thousand dollars. She returned to the kitchen and pressed it into the housekeeper's hands.

The housekeeper tried to refuse, but Annika was firm. "For your grandchild. Having a baby is a big deal. Call it a blessing."

The housekeeper's eyes brimmed. She bit her lip, accepting it. "Thank you, Mrs. Parker. I hope your kind blessing comes true."

At the door, she paused and looked back. "Mrs. Parker, you're young and beautiful. Please be happy. Life's too short to stay down. You can get through anything. I wish you all the best."

After the housekeeper left, Annika sat alone at the dining table. Her tears splashed into her food, turning every bite salty and warm. By the time she met up with Emma Sanchez that afternoon, Emma could tell right away she'd been crying. Her face grew serious.

"What happened?" Emma asked, her voice tight with worry. "It's not worth getting worked up over someone like Lina Turner. If you're really that fed up, I'll go with you to her place and we'll rip that stupid necklace to shreds!"

Annika, her eyes still puffy, forced a smile. "It's not about her," she sniffled. "My housekeeper is leaving. She cooked the most amazing meals, and I won't get to eat like that anymore."

Emma studied Annika for a long moment. There were a million things that could make Annika cry—Xavier's favoritism toward Lina, the crap the Parker and Turner families put her through, years of bottled-up frustration. But it was this one tiny thing that finally broke her.

Emma sat down across from her. "Annika, remember that therapist I told you about? Did you ever go see them?"

Annika dodged the question. "I'm not crazy. Why would I go to a therapist?"

Emma gave her a worried look. "You don't have to be messed up to see a therapist. If something's eating at you and you don't know who to talk to, that's literally what they're there for."

"No way. Just thinking about therapists makes me feel better," Annika said stubbornly. She'd hated hospitals and doctors since she was a kid. The mere thought of a needle could cure any symptom—she honestly felt like she could suit up for a football game afterward.

Seeing Annika's walls go up, Emma let it drop. Instead, she asked, "You're going to see your dad tomorrow, right? Is Xavier coming with you?"

Annika nodded, then shook her head, finally admitting, "I'm not sure."

He always went with her before, but a couple of times he ditched her for Lina. It really got to Annika. Even though Xavier promised it wouldn't happen again, Annika wasn't so sure he'd actually follow through.

Wanting to get Annika's mind off Lina, Emma switched gears. "Why don't we go pick up some sweaters for your dad? It's getting chilly, and he's always been sensitive to the cold."

Annika agreed, and as they left the café, they bumped right into Nash Sanchez.

"Annika, fancy meeting you here," he said with a grin.

Annika was startled to see him. Recovering, she asked, "You're back?"

"Yeah, I got back last night and picked up Lina from the Parker estate," Nash said.

Annika's mind immediately went to Xavier—had he not taken Lina home yesterday? Catching her expression, Nash added, "Annika, I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

"I'm the one who asked Xavier to go with Lina to her prenatal check-up. I didn't give you a heads up, and it caused problems between you two. I'm really sorry."

His genuine apology threw Annika off a little. There were plenty of reasons she and Xavier argued, and it wasn't just about Lina's appointments. She still couldn't quite put her finger on the real issue.

After a beat, she replied, "It's fine. We fight for sport."

Nash, always the charmer, chuckled. "As long as you're not still mad at him."

"We should head out," Annika said, and with a nod from Nash, she and Emma walked on.

Emma glanced back at Nash. He was tall and lean, with a boyish face thanks to those bangs, giving him this sweet, wholesome vibe. From certain angles, he reminded her of that British actor, Tom Holland.

Turning back to Annika, Emma whispered, "I swear, Lina Turner doesn't know how lucky she is. She's got a husband like that, and she's still chasing after someone else's man."

"But Nash has nerve," Emma went on, "being her backup plan all those years and still marrying her. And now he's acting all noble about it."

Nash had known Annika and Lina since they were kids. His family wasn't as big name as the Parkers or Turners, but they still ran in the same circles, so they'd cross paths a lot growing up. He'd always had a thing for Lina, trailing after her even though she was always brushing him off, calling him a pest and doing everything to avoid him.

Emma met Annika in high school, and since they were friends, she ended up seeing Nash around a lot—always chasing after Lina just to get shut down.

Emma had once said to Lina, "Nash is actually a pretty decent guy. He's cute, he's polite. You don't have to treat him like crap."

Lina had shot back, "You don't think it's annoying having someone constantly there, someone you can't get rid of no matter what you do? Don't people have any pride? How can someone be that shameless?"

Emma could only say, "Because he likes you."

That's love for you—makes people lose all shame.

Emma and Lina were actually close once—until that fateful English class. The teacher had everyone pick an English name. Emma and Lina both went with "Cindy." Since Emma was older and taller, people started calling her "Big Cindy" and Lina "Little Cindy."

Lina kept quiet at first, but later she was ranting to everyone, "Why do I have to be Little Cindy? I'm prettier and richer. Emma is just some country bumpkin—she doesn't even deserve a name like Cindy."

Word got back to Emma, and they had a huge blowout. Annika tried to play peacemaker, telling Lina to apologize. Lina wouldn't, accusing Annika of siding with Emma, and then she ran off crying to find Bowen Flores.

In the end, Bowen dragged Lina to apologize to Emma, gifts in hand, and admitted he'd been spoiling Lina rotten.

Emma had told Annika at the time, "Lina is so freaking lucky. How does she have all these people falling over themselves to spoil her? Most people can't even find one person like that in a lifetime, and she's got two—one of them being her own brother. It's just... enviable."

Years later, Annika finally understood how heavy those words were. Yeah, it was enviable. Somewhere along the line, she realized all she could ever do was look up and envy Lina Turner.