The year I was at my poorest, I impersonated my sister to take care of her blind fiancé in exchange for one hundred thousand dollars.

On the day he regained his sight, I left without a word.

When we met again, it was during a business interview.

I was a nameless intern reporter.

He had returned to his rightful status as the heir of the influential Hughes family.

During the interview, the host asked, "We’ve heard that during your illness, your fiancée, Miss Dawson, stayed by your side through thick and thin. The two of you are about to get married?"

He lifted his hand slightly, revealing a ring, and his lips curled into a faint smile. "Yes, we’re getting engaged soon."

Yet, his gaze, through the lens of his glasses, landed—intentionally or not—on me, standing in the corner.

Before the interview began, the room buzzed with hushed discussions.

"The young gentleman being interviewed today is the head of the entire Hughes family.

"I heard he went blind five years ago and was even kicked out of the family. If it weren’t for his fiancée sticking by his side and taking care of him, he might not have made it."

"Shh, keep your voice down—"

I sat to the side, barely maintaining a smile, but my nails dug deep into my palm.

Suddenly, Wade Jones, the senior colleague who had brought me along, turned his head.

"Chloe, go get me a glass of water."

Just as I reached the water dispenser by the door, the entrance suddenly swung open.

A familiar figure came into view, and my mind went completely blank.

In three years, Liam Hughes had changed drastically.

The once slender boy had grown tall, his features sharper and more defined.

His eyes, which used to be clouded with mist, were now cold and piercing.

"Excuse me."

His voice was indifferent as his gaze swept past me through the lenses of his glasses, like he was looking at a stranger.

Ther wasn’t even a moment of hesitation.

Surrounded by bodyguards, he walked up to the stage.

As he passed me, a faint, crisp scent of wood lingered in the air.

I stood frozen, taking a few seconds to react.

For those two years by his side, Liam was at his lowest.

He was cast out of the Hughes family after going blind from the car accident, so he had no idea what I looked like.

Maybe that was for the best.

By the time I returned with the glass of water, the interview had already begun.

Liam sat on the stage, fingers interlaced, resting against his chin as he calmly surveyed the audience.

He was answering business-related questions when, suddenly, the side door of the stage swung open.

Linda Dawson walked in, smiling as she complained to Liam,

"Sorry, Liam. There was a bit of an issue with the production team, so I got here late."

Lifting the hem of her elegant champagne-colored gown, she gracefully took a seat beside him.

For a brief moment, the entire room fell silent before the atmosphere quickly turned heated and suggestive.

Wade, holding his glass of water, glanced at me out of the corner of his eye as if he had just made a groundbreaking discovery.

"Chloe, you know, you actually look a bit like Linda Dawson."

Pressing my lips together, I forced a smile. "She’s a celebrity. You’re giving me too much credit."

Of course, we looked alike.

Because she was my sister.

…

"I heard that during your illness, Miss Dawson stayed by your side without wavering. Are the two of you about to make it official?"

My throat tightened as I looked at Liam on stage.

He curved his lips slightly and raised his left hand, revealing a simple silver ring on his ring finger.

It was the same one I bought years ago with my part-time earnings, just to cheer him up.

For someone of his status, wearing such a cheap ring seemed completely out of place.

Yet, he brushed his fingertips over it as if he didn’t notice.

"Yes, we’re getting engaged soon.”

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the audience, pausing, intentionally or not, on me in the far corner.

Just for a few seconds before pulling away.

The microphone was then handed to Linda.

"Miss Dawson, I heard you're currently filming a project with Mr. Reed. He rarely works with new actors—did Mr. Hughes have anything to do with that?"

She admitted with a smile, "Of course, I’ve always been confident in my own abilities, but I won’t deny that Liam has done a lot for me. And I completely deserve his devotion."

Her poised and self-assured response earned the admiration of the crowd.

Someone asked, "Could you share a story about how you and Liam supported each other during tough times?"

Linda's smile suddenly froze.

A strange silence filled the air, stretching time thin.

After a long pause, Liam let out a soft chuckle and took the microphone.

"There’s nothing to talk about. Our memories are just for the two of us."

A sharp sting rose in my heart.

I tightened my grip on the pen, lowering my head in a flustered attempt to hide my emotions.

The moment I closed my eyes, the past came rushing back.

Back when we were younger, Liam’s rebellious nature made him plenty of enemies.

After he fell from grace, some of them came looking for trouble.

I tried to shield him and was shoved down the steps, landing hard, covered in scrapes and blood.

The sight must have rattled them, because they quickly scattered in a panic.

I gritted my teeth, forced myself up, and pretended nothing had happened as I walked back to him.

"Come on, let’s go home."

But Liam suddenly grabbed my hand.

"You’re hurt. We’re going to the hospital."

"I’m not…"

"I can smell blood!"

His voice suddenly rose, and tears slipped from his clouded eyes, like fallen stars covered in dust.

With arms that weren’t particularly strong, he pulled me into a tight embrace.

But the name he called out wasn’t mine.

"Linda, when I recover, I’ll give you the grandest wedding in the world."

…

By the time the interview ended, the sky had darkened.

Outside the venue, rain fell in a fine, steady curtain.

Wade patted his pocket before turning to me again.

"Chloe, I left the memory card inside. Go grab it."

I stepped onto the damp pavement and jogged back.

The elevator display counted down to the first floor and when the slid open, I came face to face with the two people inside.

Linda stood slightly turned, chatting with Liam about some trivial on-set matters.

Though his expression was indifferent, he listened patiently.

The closeness between them was undeniable.

The moment Linda saw me, her face twisted into an ugly scowl.

"Sorry."

Mumbling an apology, I turned away and headed for the stairs instead.

Liam's voice rang out behind me.

"Hold on."

I froze.

"Aren’t you taking the elevator? Go ahead."

I slowly turned back, deliberately lowering my voice. "Thank you, Mr. Hughes."

He told me to take the elevator, yet he didn’t move aside.

Instead, he just stared at me.

"You’re one of the reporters covering today’s interview? Why didn’t I hear you ask any questions?"

I lowered my gaze. "I just graduated and recently returned from studying abroad. I’m only an intern—I don’t have the qualifications to ask questions."

"I see."

His response was flat, as if he were lost in thought.

Beside him, Linda shot me a sharp glare before speaking up.

"We should go, Liam. We’re meeting with Mr. Reed tonight."

At last, Liam looked away.

"Let’s go."

…

I stood alone in the ascending elevator, staring blankly ahead.

After my parents' divorce, my father took Linda with him and married into the Dawson family, securing his place in the Dawson family through the marriage.

For as long as I could remember, I had never seen Linda until five years ago, when she suddenly came looking for me.

"I’ll give you one hundred thousand dollars. Take my place and look after someone for me."

At the time, my mother had passed away from illness, leaving behind a mountain of debt.

I had no other choice but to agree.

It wasn’t until I met him that I realized the person she wanted me to care for was Liam.

He was the Hughes family's heir and Linda’s fiancé.

They just got engaged before tragedy struck.

"Who would be willing to take care of a blind man, who was abandoned by his own family.”

She looked disgusted. "If it weren’t for my public image, I would’ve called off the engagement long ago."

At the time, Linda was just starting her career.

She had landed a decent role, and her future was on the rise.

Afraid of being labeled heartless, she handed the burden over to me instead.

Liam had lived eighteen years without a hitch, then suddenly, everything fell apart.

His temper turned awful.

In the beginning, when I first started taking care of him, he would lash out at me with cold, cutting remarks.

I was paid to do a job, so I never talked back until that one particular day when I went to visit my mother’s grave and returned a little late.

That was all it took for him to unleash his anger again.

"Linda, drop the act! Don’t think I don’t know that you’re just putting up with me because you’re afraid of what people will say. Deep down, you can’t stand—"

The rest of his words never made it out because I suddenly leaned in and kissed him.

It was my first kiss—messy, unpracticed, and fueled by frustration.

It was less like affection, but more like a reckless bite between wild animals.

Liam fell silent.

Even the tips of his ears turned bright red.

"You—!"

With a hint of mischief, I bit his lip again.

Then I pulled back just enough, bracing my hands against his shoulders, breathing hard.

"Did you feel that? Do you still think I can’t stand you?"

…

I took the memory card downstairs to find Wade.

He looked pleased. "Chloe, you’re pretty diligent. Perfect timing—there’s a dinner tonight. I’ll take you along so you can meet more people. Connections are everything in journalism."

I quickly thanked him.

But when we arrived, I spotted a familiar black Rolls-Royce in the parking lot.

I froze. "Mr. Hughes… he’s here tonight too?"

Wade glanced back at me and winked. "Of course. The dinner I’m bringing you to is with Mr. Hughes himself. Don’t underestimate my connections, Chloe."

It was too late to back out now.

I had no choice but to brace myself and follow him inside.

Thankfully, the private dining room was spacious.

People like us—small-time reporters—weren’t seated anywhere near Liam’s table.

Wade introduced me to several senior figures in the industry.

"This is our company’s newest recruit. She’s a sharp girl. Her name is Chloe Burns. Come on, introduce yourself."

As the newcomer, I had no choice but to drink my share of toasts.

By the end, my head was spinning.

I barely managed to mumble an apology before rushing to the restroom, hand over my mouth.

I threw up until my stomach was empty.

After rinsing my mouth, I splashed some cold water on my face and stepped out.

The hallway lights were dim and in the shadows by the window stood a familiar figure.

My heart pounded hard.

I wanted to pretend I hadn’t seen him and just walk away.

But as soon as I took a step, Liam spoke.

His voice was low, deliberate, and laced with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher.

"Chloe Burns."

I froze mid-step.

Swallowing hard, I heard the sound of slow, steady footsteps approaching.

I instinctively shut my eyes.

Then he stopped right in front of me, his familiar presence pressing in inch by inch.

When I opened my eyes, I met his deep, unfathomable gaze.

“Mr." Hughes.

My throat tightened with nerves, and I spoke quietly. "How do you know my name?"

He didn’t answer right away, just studied me for a long moment before straightening up.

"Your senior had you toasting at every table. By now, everyone in that room knows your name."

Thinking of Wade’s booming voice, I suddenly felt my face heat up.

"Sorry, he’s been really kind to us newcomers—maybe a little too enthusiastic. If we disturbed you, I apologize."

I carefully chose my words, worried about dragging Wade into this.

But Liam didn’t respond.

Under the warm glow of the lights, he narrowed his eyes slightly, watching me with an unreadable, almost amused expression.