In his haste to leave, Hunter Perry accidentally dropped his wallet on the floor. Almost on instinct, Mina Long picked it up. She remembered how, when they first married, Hunter had carried an old, beat-up wallet. She'd pinched pennies and saved up to buy him a new one as a gift. His reaction had been cool, but something in him seemed touched. "This is Mrs. Perry's first gift," he'd said. "I'll carry it with me always."

But the wallet on the floor wasn't the one she'd given him. Clearly, he was still using the old one. Curiosity got the best of her. Mina opened it—and found a photograph.

It was a picture of Malani Castillo and Hunter Perry. They looked younger, like it had been taken years ago. Malani wore a Victorian-style gown, her arms wrapped around Hunter, grinning at the camera like she didn't have a care in the world. Hunter wore a gentle smile, warmth radiating off him.

On closer inspection, Mina realized the photo had been altered. Hunter had cut out Malani's wedding photo and pasted it beside himself. Exhaustion crashed over Mina, as if Hunter's smile were mocking her. After all these years of marriage, he'd never once hung their wedding portrait in their bedroom. Love lives in the heart—that was what he always said.

Now she understood. She wasn't worthy to stand beside him in wedding white. Malani was the bride he truly wanted.

In the bottom right corner of the photo, in Hunter's elegant handwriting, were the words "My Love," followed by a date. Their wedding date—the same day Malani had left the country.

As the memories tangled together, Mina lay on the bed and laughed without a sound. Everyone envied her for marrying the perfect husband, for living some fairy tale. But who would've guessed that, in Hunter Perry's heart, it was her sister Malani he treasured above all?

As the sun sank below the horizon, neither Hunter nor Vincenzo showed up all day. Weariness settled over Mina's heart—the meaningless marriage she'd endured for years had finally run its course.

Watching the sunset, she called her older sister and said, "I've made up my mind. I'm ready to go back to my roots." A year ago, a phone call had revealed she wasn't an orphan after all. After a beat, she added, "But give me three months."

Three months later would be Thanksgiving. Her grandmother had been the only one in the Castillo family who'd ever been kind to her, and Mina wanted to say a proper goodbye before leaving the city. Three months would be enough time to get her health back and divorce Hunter Perry.

Across the ocean, at the Gibson Estate—home to the world's wealthiest family—Naomi Gibson hung up the phone, disbelief written all over her face. Turning to the other three in the room, she exclaimed joyfully, "Our little sister has agreed to come home!"

Once her health improved, Mina was discharged from the hospital. When Hunter saw her on crutches, his eyes filled with tears. He helped her into their home, eased her onto the couch, and wrapped his arms around her. "It's all behind us now, Mina. From here on out, we're a happy family."

Happy? They'd deceived her this deeply and still expected her to find joy? Vincenzo came darting over like a little bird, exclaiming, "Mom! Welcome home!"

In his excitement, he accidentally pressed on her injured hand. Mina inhaled sharply. Vincenzo jumped back, showing barely any real remorse, and asked, "Sorry, Mom, are you alright?" Expressionless, she shook her head. She didn't want to confront them, and she didn't have the energy to engage.

As father and son watched TV in the living room, Mina retreated to her room. She wanted to take—or destroy—anything that belonged to her. But the house was practically empty of her possessions.

Mina smirked knowingly. The outcome didn't surprise her. Her presence in the household was negligible, just like her significance in Hunter and Vincenzo's lives—disposable.

But one item was missing: the necklace she'd entrusted to Hunter before going to prison. It was her grandmother's only keepsake. The necklace was the one thing in the house worth taking with her, yet it was nowhere to be found.

"Mom, Malani is here to see you!" Vincenzo's voice from outside interrupted her thoughts. Mina walked into the living room and found Malani holding a gift, smiling as she sat comfortably on the couch. Cheerful chatter filled the room. But the moment Malani saw Mina, she went quiet, and a sudden awkwardness fell over the scene.

Noting Mina's silence, Malani quickly distanced herself from Hunter, trying to downplay things. "Mina, don't get the wrong idea. Hunter and I are just good friends. You have no reason to be jealous." Hunter's expression turned cold and impatient. "Malani stopped by specifically to see you after hearing you were discharged."

Ignoring them both, Mina sat in a chair farther away, unwilling to argue, choosing instead to act as if she didn't notice them. "Mina, this is a gift for you," Malani said, approaching with a box in hand. "I remember you used to love this..."

Opening the box, Mina found an evening gown inside—one she had indeed once adored. Her eyes narrowed. Her legs would never dance again in this lifetime.

"Miss Castillo, I won't be needing this," she replied, her tone flat. "Oh," Malani exclaimed, covering her mouth a beat too late as she glanced at Mina's legs. "Sorry, I forgot. Sorry, Mina. I'm as oblivious as any guy—no delicate thoughts like you ladies have. You're not angry, right?"

Mina offered a cold smile and finally lifted her gaze to meet Malani's. All she found was malice in Malani's eyes. The irony was overwhelming. In a calm voice, Mina said, "No worries. I stopped dancing a long time ago. Keep your gift; I won't need it."

Gifts she didn't need. A husband and son she didn't want anymore.

Malani chuckled softly and placed the gift down. That was when Mina noticed the necklace hanging around Malani's neck, swaying with her movements. Mina's eyes widened, her fingers curling instinctively. This was her grandmother's necklace!

Mina Long’s throat tightened until it hurt. Her eyes were locked on the pendant. “Why is that pendant around your neck?” Her voice barely came out.

Malani Castillo blinked, caught off guard. Her hand instinctively flew to the pendant. “Oh, this? Hunter gave it to me. Why?”

So casual. To Mina, it landed like a blade between the ribs. Hunter had given it to her?

“You know exactly what this pendant means to me,” Mina said, voice ragged, turning to Hunter Perry. “I left it with you before I went to prison.”

She’d always known what it meant. She’d been terrified it might get lost or stolen while she was locked up. She’d painstakingly instructed him to keep it safe. And he’d just handed it over to Malani?

Hunter’s brow knitted. His reply came out calm and indifferent. “It’s just jewelry, Mina. You’ve never been this petty before.”

Just jewelry? The words hit Mina like ice water. Hunter knew it was her grandmother’s only keepsake. One winter, during a brutal snowstorm in the Alps, the pendant had slipped off its chain and vanished into the snow. She’d searched all night on her hands and knees, fingers numb and split, blood staining the snow. Hunter had watched her do it. And now? Now he called it just jewelry.

Mina dropped her gaze, her voice trembling under the weight of her grandmother’s memory. “It’s the only thing my grandmother ever left me.”

Malani let out a light laugh. “Oh, don’t take this the wrong way, Mina, but you’re not really a Castillo. Grandma was my grandmother too, so I wanted something to remember her by.”

“You inherited Grandma’s estate,” Mina shot back, eyes boring into Malani. “But she gave me this pendant herself.”

When Grandma had given it to her, she’d said Mina was family—not by blood, maybe, but family all the same. She’d left her the pendant along with an inheritance. Yet Malani had claimed the inheritance without blinking. Hunter had talked Mina into letting it go back then, so she’d walked away with nothing but the pendant. Now Malani was rewriting the story all over again.

“Come on, don’t make a scene.” Hunter’s frown deepened, his voice sharpening. “Malani is your sister. Grandma was her grandmother too. Why are you making such a big deal over a pendant?”

A big deal? Mina felt something tear open in her chest. A cold wind rushed through the empty space.

“Why am I the one making a big deal for wanting back what’s mine?” Her voice shook with anger.

“Mama, this is just some petty drama!” Vincenzo cut in, annoyed. “You can’t act like this. You’re always picking on Malani.”

Vincenzo had always chafed under Mina’s rules, while Malani spoiled him rotten. Malani called it freedom—coffee and spiced honey cakes, no rules, no lectures. But every time Mina caught them, she’d lose her temper. To Vincenzo, it looked like nothing more than rivalry.

“I get that you feel insecure now that you’re back from prison with a disability,” Vincenzo went on, his voice innocent and knife-sharp. “But that’s no reason to target Malani. A physical disability isn’t the scary part—it’s a crippled heart. You should learn from Malani. She actually knows how to see the beauty in life!”

His childish words sliced into Mina like knives. She knew her son favored Malani. But hearing the very source of her pain stand on some moral high ground and accuse her? That was a special kind of irony.

For years, she had given them everything. And still, one smile from Malani seemed to erase all of it.

“Why so serious?” Malani cut in. She watched Mina’s face, then burst out laughing. “I was only joking. You two are so sensitive.”

She unclasped the pendant. “Otherwise, you might think there’s something going on between Hunter and me. Please. If there were, it would’ve happened years ago.”

Hunter’s expression flickered—so fast, almost no one would’ve caught it.

Mina frowned, eyes fixed on the pendant. Just as she reached for it, Malani smirked and let it drop.

It hit the floor with a sharp clang and shattered.

Mina’s eyes went wide. Trembling, she shot to her feet, ignoring her crutch, desperate to save it. Pain tore through her legs. She lost her balance and lurched forward.

Malani nimbly stepped aside—then let herself drop to the ground beside Mina with perfect, theatrical grace.

“Malani!”

“Malani!”

Two panicked voices rang out. Hunter and Vincenzo rushed to Malani, not even sparing Mina a glance.

Hunter helped Malani up, his face cold as he looked down at Mina. “Mina, Malani was giving the pendant back. You still pushed her? You’re being irrational.”

Mina ignored him. Shivering, she gathered the broken pieces, now slick with her blood—just like that night in the snow, all those years ago.

Hunter’s voice softened, almost gentle. “Mina, apologize to Malani. Let’s put this behind us.”

Apologize? Mina looked up, tears and laughter tangling in her throat. She was the one at fault?

Eight years of marriage. Eight years of Malani sowing discord, and Hunter always taking her side. After all, Malani was the woman he could never refuse to protect.

Even knowing how this would end, Mina had still hoped for some scrap of real affection. Now she saw how foolish that hope had been.

“Sorry,” Mina whispered. Her voice was hollow, wrung dry. “I was wrong.”

Something uneasy flickered across Hunter’s face, but he kept his composure, brow knitting slightly.

“I’m glad you understand,” he said, pulling Mina to her feet. He lowered his voice so only she could hear. “Malani is your sister. Don’t make things hard for her. She hasn’t had it easy all these years.”

His tone softened. “We’re family. Is a pendant really worth all this? I’ll have my assistant find you another one at auction.”

“I see my mistakes,” Mina replied, her voice steady and empty.

She looked up at Hunter and pushed him away. The chill in her eyes made him still. “I was wrong to mistake sentiment for love. Wrong to take a worthless stone for a precious gem. And most of all, wrong to marry you and join the Perry family.”

Hunter Perry’s expression darkened as he watched Mina Long hobble awkwardly on her crutches, deliberately putting distance between them. A flicker of frustration cut through him. Ever since she’d gotten out of prison, she’d grown more and more independent. Still, he wanted to fix things between them.

“Mina, what the hell are you doing?” Hunter’s voice was edged with impatience, his tone dripping with condescension. “It’s just a pendant. Why are you making such a big deal out of nothing?”

Mina met his stare with icy calm, a cold wave of realization washing over her. He knew exactly what that pendant meant to her—and he’d still brushed it off like it was nothing. It was clear now: she meant next to nothing to him.

Not that it mattered anymore. She was leaving in three months. His indifference no longer had the power to touch her.

“Mom, can you just stop?” Vincenzo’s scowl mirrored his father’s, his voice taking on the same cutting tone. “You’re being irrational. Where’s your dignity? Your maturity? You’re supposed to be a mother.”

A humorless laugh slipped from Mina’s lips. “So because I’m a mother, I’m supposed to just bury my own feelings?”

Vincenzo hesitated, his boyish face set in stubborn lines, his eyes wary instead of warm. “If you keep acting like this, I don’t want you as my mom. I’ll ask Malani instead. She’s educated and classy—not like you. You’re just a housewife.”

Mina’s gaze hardened. If she hadn’t married into the Perry family and given birth to Vincenzo, she could’ve had a PhD by now. She’d chosen not to, because she wanted to be a devoted mother. And now the education she’d sacrificed was being used as a weapon against her?

The irony was almost laughable.

The son she’d carried for nine months had inherited Hunter Perry’s ice-cold demeanor.

A faint, ironic smile touched her lips. “You’re right. Maybe I’m not fit to be your mom.”

Hunter’s expression turned harder. “Mina, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Mina fought a silent battle inside herself, but kept her expression steady. “I’m saying I won’t be your mom anymore. You can choose whoever you want.”

She turned to Vincenzo, her voice soft but resolute. “I hope you won’t regret this. And take care of yourself—your health isn’t great.”

“You think I want you as my mom?” Vincenzo exploded, his face flushing red. “I’d choose Malani any day!” He snatched a box of Legos off the shelf and hurled it to the floor. “Who needs your nagging? You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore!”

Lego pieces scattered across the floor. Mina glanced at them, a dull ache twisting in her chest. That set had been his birthday gift—they’d spent hours putting it together, side by side. Now it was just another broken memory.

She said nothing else. If Vincenzo wanted his precious Malani, he could have her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Mina! I never thought it would come to this.” Malani covered her mouth, a flicker of triumph barely hidden beneath fake concern. “If I’d known how you felt about me, I never would’ve visited.”

“Mina, what kind of drama are you stirring up now?” Hunter’s irritation hardened into cold disdain as he seized her wrist—too tight. “I regret marrying you more than anything.”

Mina smiled bitterly. “Let’s get a divorce, Hunter.”

He’d broken her spirit for Malani. Now she’d give him and his son exactly what they wanted—freedom.

Hunter’s brow furrowed deeper, and a cold laugh escaped him. “Have you lost your mind after those three months in prison?”

His voice was ice, his stare pinning her in place. All these years, he’d been distant—but never like this. Never this angry.

“Mina, where will you go without the Perry family?” His voice sent a chill down her spine. “I’ll cut off every card you have until you come to your senses.”

Mina almost laughed. She wanted to tell him she’d be gone in three months, but Malani’s exaggerated “ouch” cut through the air first.

Hunter let go of Mina’s wrist so abruptly she nearly fell. She caught herself on the arm of the couch, barely keeping her balance. When she looked up, Malani was already leaning into Hunter’s arms.

“Hunter, my leg hurts! What if I can’t dance anymore?” Malani’s voice dripped with fake distress, and the worry that flooded Hunter’s face cut straight through Mina. She let out a breath and managed a bitter smile.

Maybe this was fate. She was meant to slip away quietly, without even a proper goodbye.

“I’ll have the divorce papers drawn up, Hunter. Make sure you sign them.” Mina spoke calmly, without looking back, and left the room on her crutches.

Her frail, limping figure made a lonely exit, stirring something deep inside Hunter. He crushed it down before it could take root.

“Oh, what a misunderstanding.” Satisfaction flickered in Malani’s eyes before she hid it. “Honestly, women can be so melodramatic. Everyone knows we’re practically siblings, Hunter—and I’m happily married!”

“Why don’t you go comfort her?” Malani suggested, all innocence. “Even though she pushed me, I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m not as fragile as your wife.”

Irritation flashed through Hunter’s eyes. He lowered his gaze, impatience sharpening his voice. “There’s no need. Let her throw her tantrum. She has nowhere to go in this city. As for you—you can’t get hurt. Your legs are far too valuable.”

For years, Mina had gotten upset over Malani, but a new handbag always smoothed things over. Now, with no support and no credit, she couldn’t do much. Her outbursts were just her way of begging for reassurance. After what she’d done for Malani, he owed her some compensation.

Vincenzo sidled up and wrapped his arms around Malani. “That’s right, Malani! She’s always like this. Mom and Dad spoiled her. She’ll come around in a few days.”

He glanced at the shattered Lego pieces on the floor. A pang of regret hit him, but he shoved it down. His mom loved him and his dad too much to really leave them. She was just speaking in the heat of the moment—like always.

When Mina left the Perry house, she realized she had nothing—not even cash. Hunter was right.

With her cards cut off, she was alone, stranded in a city that had never truly been hers. As she stood at the roadside, lost in the blur of her own thoughts, a smooth, almost hypnotic voice cut through the noise. “Mina.”

The voice had a familiar, soothing warmth that tugged at her memory. Mina turned. A man lounged effortlessly against the door of his car, the dark vehicle making his pale skin stand out. A few strands of silver hair fell across his forehead, framing eyes that were mischievous and utterly captivating.

He carried himself with a quiet, effortless elegance. His lips curved into a faint smile as his gaze flicked briefly to her injured leg. “Need a ride?”