"Dad, Mom, I've decided—I'll go through with the marriage arrangement with the Kingston family. I'll be back by the end of the month."

Daphne Wharton made the decision in the middle of a camping trip with Luke Hardy.

She curled into herself, pulling her scarf higher against the chill.

For a moment, there was only silence on the other end of the line. Then, her mother's voice came through, thick with tears.

"Daphne, we know this isn't fair to you. Our company is struggling, and the Kingston family is willing to help—but only if you marry their son. We've failed you as parents…"

Her father let out a heavy sigh beside her mother.

Daphne listened, her gaze unfocused. A faint, bitter smile tugged at her lips. "It's okay, Mom, Dad. This is what I should do. I'll be back in fifteen days—when their son returns to the country."

After Daphne and her parents exchanged a few more words of mutual consolation, the call ended.

"Daphne, who were you talking to this late at night?"

She turned to see Luke emerging from the darkness.

He wore a deep blue windbreaker, the fitted sleeves hinting at the firm muscles beneath. His face, sharp and striking with a touch of untamed wildness, carried an undeniable allure.

He pulled her into his arms, brushing his chin lightly against the top of her head before placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Sorry for making you wait so long for this trip," he murmured.

"It's fine. The company matters too."

His hand moved slowly along her back, sending a faint shiver through her.

The quiet mountaintop felt charged, the air between them thick with something unspoken.

She stepped back from his embrace and looked at him with expectant eyes. "Let's get our marriage certificate the day after tomorrow. I checked the calendar—it's a good day."

Luke stilled for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle, ruffling her hair.

"Baby, not so soon. You know this is one of the most important moments of our lives. I want to give you the perfect, most romantic ceremony—something that'll make everyone jealous of you. But there's not enough time to prepare. Let's wait a little longer. When everything is set, we'll do it properly. Alright?"

Daphne had already expected this answer, but she still hesitated for show. "Really? You're not just making excuses?"

Luke tightened his arms around her. "Babe, of course not. I just want to give you the best. This isn't something we should rush."

Daphne's mind drifted back to the first time they met.

That day, she had accompanied her brother to a competition. His teammate was Luke. Her brother introduced him, saying he was the most reliable guy he knew.

And in that instant, she had been drawn to him.

From then on, she found excuses to attend every similar event, just to be closer to him.

One night, she heard from a friend that Luke was drinking alone at a bar, one glass after another.

Panicked, she rushed over to find him.

He was already drunk when she arrived, his gaze hazy, as if seeing right through her—searching for someone else.

He reached out and traced her cheek with his fingers, whispering another woman's name, his eyes filled with longing.

Something inside her clenched, but looking at him like that, she felt more pity than pain.

She knew he wasn't seeing her. But she didn't care.

Gently, she wrapped her arms around him and whispered in his ear, "It's okay. Even if you see her in me, I'll stay by your side."

It was unclear whether he heard her or not.

He only held her tighter.

That night, he took her home. "Have you thought this through? I'm your brother's old friend."

"I've thought it through," she said, her face flushing red. "You're only six years older than me. That's not such a big gap."

Her cheeks were warm, flushed like a ripe cherry.

That night, they fell into each other, tangled and breathless.

And from that moment on, she became his girlfriend.

Now, five years had passed.

Brushing away the memory, she returned to the present.

"Trust me, babe. We just need a little more time. When everything is perfect, we'll get married."

With that, Luke pulled out a small, exquisitely wrapped box and handed it to her.

"I picked out this scarf for you. Do you like it?"

She looked down at the soft pink silk, the designer logo stitched neatly into the fabric. It was expensive.

But as she stared at it, her eyes grew red.

Because she knew—this was the scarf Seraphine had rejected.

That morning, Daphne had scrolled through her feed and come across a new post.

There was a photo of an open gift box, brimming with expensive presents.

The caption read: [My boyfriend always buys me random things. Most of them are fine, but this scarf is hideous. Might as well tie it around the dog's neck!]

So this was the scarf Luke had given her—one that Seraphine had discarded like trash, something only fit for a dog.

Just like all the other gifts.

Ever since Seraphine returned, he had been giving Daphne presents more frequently. At first, she had thought it was love. But now she understood—these were the things Seraphine didn't want.

And yet, she had treated them like treasures. She had held onto them and cherished them. She had convinced herself they meant something.

Until she saw Seraphine's posts. One after another. And finally, she woke up from her dream.

"What's wrong, Daphne? You don't like it?"

Daphne tucked the scarf away and forced a faint smile. "I like it."

Luke let out a breath, relieved. He thought she had let it go. "Babe, don't overthink things. It's just a piece of paper. With or without it, I'll still love you just the same."

She pressed down the coldness in her chest. "I'm tired. Let's sleep."

"Alright."

Luke kissed her forehead lightly, never noticing the storm behind her eyes.

That night, as his breathing grew steady in sleep, Daphne lay awake in the dark.

Was it really just bad timing? Had he truly not been ready to marry her?

Or was it because his heart still belonged to someone else—that she was just Seraphine's replacement?

Last week, she had seen Seraphine for the first time.

She had gone to find Luke at his usual club. As she passed by a private room, she heard a voice she recognized.

She glanced inside.

There he was, holding a woman in his arms. His gaze was filled with deep, aching tenderness. His voice, thick with emotion, repeated the same name over and over.

"Seraphine… Seraphine…"

Each word was an arrow, piercing straight through her.

She froze, rooted to the floor.

In that moment, she finally understood—he had never been looking at her. He had only been seeing her through the shadow of someone else.

After that, she couldn't stop herself. She searched for Seraphine's social media.

She scrolled through post after post, her hands turning ice cold.

Then, a new update appeared before her eyes.

Seraphine had posted a photo of a milk tea shop on the outskirts of town. A tall man stood in line, his back to the camera.

The caption read: [Feels just like old times. No matter how long the line, you'd always wait if I wanted this milk tea.]

Daphne stared at the screen. Her mind went blank.

Seconds later, a comment popped up beneath it: [Seraphine, welcome home. From now on, your milk tea is on me.]

She clicked on the profile picture.

A simple avatar—two bold letters, LS, paired with a single white rose.

And in an instant, she knew. It was Luke's private account.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The initials embroidered on his cuffs, and his inexplicable fondness for white roses. Everything led back to Seraphine.

That night, after Luke fell asleep, she couldn't help herself. She reached for his tablet and tried logging into his private account.

She tried her birthday. His birthday. Their anniversary. Even Seraphine's birthday. None of them worked.

Then she remembered a date she had seen in one of Seraphine's posts—the day they first got together.

She typed it in.

The screen shifted. She was in.

And what she found there felt like a knife twisting deep inside her.

Photo after photo—memories frozen in time.

The two of them at the beach, wrapped in each other's arms, love in their eyes vast enough to swallow the sea.

On a cobblestone path, he held an umbrella over her, gazing down at her like she was his entire world.

At the peak of a mountain, they watched the sunrise, their silhouettes outlined in gold. They brimmed with happiness, pure and untainted.

Every post, every caption, was a fragment of the love they had shared. And now, each one pressed down on Daphne like an unbearable weight, crushing her completely.

She didn't sleep that night.

And by morning, after hours of silent torment, she made her decision.

She would go home. She would accept the marriage her parents had arranged.

She wouldn't love Luke anymore.

The sun rose early on the mountaintop.

Daphne didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but when she woke, Luke was already gone.

Stepping outside, she vaguely heard his voice in the distance, speaking into the phone.

"Don't be mad, okay? I promise I'll be there for your birthday. I already bought that limited-edition bag you love."

A pause. Then, in a quieter voice— "Stop calling me. If Daphne hears, it won't be good."

The moment he hung up and turned around, their eyes met.

His gaze flickered, unreadable. "Daphne, you're up. Did you hear me on the phone?"

"I just got here when you hung up. Why?" she said, her expression calm.

Something wavered in his eyes—guilt, maybe—before he quickly stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her. "I didn't wake you because the fog was too thick. I figured there wouldn't be a sunrise anyway, so I let you sleep in."

Daphne nodded.

Luke seemed to want to say more, but just then, his phone rang again.

Glancing at the caller ID, he immediately said, "Daphne, I need to rush back to take care of some work. It's freezing up here—let me drive you home first."

Without waiting for her reply, he rushed inside to gather his things.

He didn't even notice how pale she was.

Of course. What could possibly be more important than spending Seraphine's birthday with her?

Luke was in a hurry. He drove really fast all the way back. When they reached her apartment, he barely slowed down.

He didn't walk her in.

Didn't even look back.

The car disappeared down the road before she even had time to react.

Daphne ordered takeout and ate alone.

Then, her phone rang. It was her father.

"Daphne, the Kingston family called. They're starting to prepare for the engagement ceremony. This is a lifetime decision. Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure."

There was a time when she believed she and Luke were happy. But now, she realized—it had all been an illusion.

Maybe this relationship had been a mistake from the beginning.

Maybe he had never really let Seraphine go.

And maybe it was time to put an end to this fragile, crumbling thing between them.

Since Luke loved Seraphine that much, she'd give him back to her. Forever.

She hadn't slept at all the night before, and exhaustion soon crept up on her.

Just as she drifted off, half-awake, half-asleep, she heard Luke's voice.

"Sorry, Daphne, I probably won't be home tonight. There's still work to do at the company."

In an instant, her sleepiness vanished.

Before, when he told her he was working late, she never doubted him. But ever since she saw Seraphine's Instagram, she had realized just how many times he had used "work" as an excuse to lie to her.

This time was no different.

But strangely, her heart felt nothing. Just emptiness.

"Okay," she said. "Go ahead."

There was a brief silence.

Luke hesitated.

She used to question him and press him for answers. But now—now she just agreed, without a fight.

Something about that unsettled him.

He kissed her cheek, as if to reassure himself. "I won't be gone long. I'll be back before you know it. I know I've neglected you lately, Daphne. But we have a lifetime ahead of us."

Then, he turned and left.

Daphne watched him walk away, his silhouette growing smaller, until he was gone.

A quiet voice echoed in her mind, 'Luke, there is no "lifetime ahead of us". There won't be a "next time".'

When she woke the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky.

Luke had not come home.

Then, her phone rang.

It was one of his colleagues.

"Daphne, do you know why Luke didn't come to work today?"

Daphne froze. "He told me he was at the office all night."

Silence.

Then, hurriedly, Luke's colleague said, "Ah, never mind. Forget I said anything."

The call ended.

Daphne slowly opened her Instagram.

And there it was.

The first post on her feed.

[My boyfriend is the sweetest! I was scared of sleeping alone last night, so he came over to keep me company.]