Zion Harding's voice came out low and gruff.

"Leave the stuff by the door. Go eat in the side room. Don't be an eyesore here."

He spoke like he was chasing off a stray dog.

Nolan didn't move. He just looked at me, waiting for my reaction.

Emma suddenly let out an exaggerated "Oh!" and stood up, a glass of red wine in her hand. She swayed toward Nolan with deliberate unsteadiness.

"Brother-in-law, you made it! I'm so happy—let me toast you!"

Before she'd even finished, her hand tilted. The entire glass of red wine splashed across Nolan's light gray shirt without missing a drop.

The dark stain spread fast, ugly and impossible to ignore.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Brother-in-law, I didn't mean it!"

Her mouth was apologizing. Her face was smug.

Nathaniel chimed in. "Emma, you're way too careless. That shirt doesn't look cheap—gotta be a few hundred bucks, right? That stain's not coming out."

Joanna pulled Emma's hand, her expression pained. "You clumsy girl. Forget it—it's just some cheap thing. I'll have Eva buy him another one later."

She turned to me.

"What are you standing there for? Take him to clean up. Don't embarrass us and ruin everyone's mood."

I stood up and ignored their little performance.

I walked over to Nolan and pulled out a tissue, dabbing at the stain on his chest.

He caught my hand and shook his head.

I looked up and met his eyes.

He knew everything.

"Mom, we're leaving."

I took Nolan's hand and turned toward the door.

"Stop right there!" Joanna's shriek came from behind. "Did I say you could leave? It's your sister's engagement party—where do you think you're going? You're the bridesmaid!"

I didn't look back.

Back at my small apartment, Nolan took off the ruined shirt.

His torso was covered in old scars. The deepest one ran from his left shoulder all the way down to his lower back.

He'd already had that wound when I first found him.

A year ago, on a rainy night, Emma had stolen a spot in a design competition I'd spent six months preparing for. I was furious. I drove out to the suburbs to clear my head.

My car broke down on a winding mountain road. Rain poured down in sheets.

That was when I found Nolan collapsed by the roadside.

He was covered in blood, unconscious. I thought he was going to die.

I dragged him into the car and drove to the nearest private clinic.

The doctor said if I'd been half an hour later, nothing could have saved him.

After he woke up, he refused to explain anything. Wouldn't say who he was or why he'd been so badly injured.

There was nothing on him to prove his identity—just a black metal tag engraved with a single character: Chen.

I took care of him for a month.

That month was the calmest of my life.

No parental favoritism. No scheming from Emma.

Just a quiet, taciturn man who needed me.

After his injuries healed, he asked me, "Why did you save me?"

"I was in a bad mood that day. Figured I'd do a good deed and build up some karma."

He was silent for a long time.

"I'll repay you."

After that, he became my boyfriend.

I thought he was homeless, an orphan. He never denied it.

I used my own savings to rent him a place, bought him clothes, and took him to every roadside food stall I loved.

He never asked me for anything. He just quietly stayed by my side.

When my family made things difficult for me, he was always there.

When I stayed up late working on design drafts, he'd silently hand me a cup of hot milk.

Today at home, he'd done the same.

I took the first-aid kit and dipped a cotton swab in iodine, carefully treating the back of his hand where the broken glass had cut him.

That had been Emma's doing—when she'd "accidentally" shattered the cup.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

"No." He caught my hand. "Don't feel sad for me."

I didn't answer, just kept my head down and continued applying the medicine.

"That jade bangle your parents gave Emma—it was Grandma's. Meant for you."

"Mm."

"On your eighteenth birthday, Grandma put it on your wrist herself. Said she wanted you to have it as part of your dowry when you married."

"Mm."

"Then your mom said it was too valuable, that she was afraid you'd lose it. She'd hold onto it for safekeeping."

"Mm."

I'd only ever talked about this once, rambling when I was drunk.

And he'd remembered every word.

My nose stung. Tears pricked at my eyes.

I blinked hard, forcing them back.

"It's just a bangle. If she wants it, let her have it."

"Eva."

Nolan said my name softly, his fingers brushing my cheek.

"You don't have to keep doing this to yourself."

"I'm not."

My voice came out steadier than I felt.

He didn't push. Instead, he pulled a small box from his pocket.

Inside was a delicate diamond brooch—a brand I'd always loved but could never justify buying.

I stared at him, stunned.

"How did you—"

He lifted the brooch and pinned it to my chest.

"Walked past the shop. Thought it suited you."

"But this is so expensive."

"I earned the money myself."

His eyes held mine, serious.

"Eva, believe me. Everything they've taken from you—I'll get it back double. Every bit of pain they've caused—I'll make them pay it back a hundredfold."

My phone rang.

Joanna.

I put it on speaker.

Her voice exploded through the line.

"Eva! Where the hell have you been! Get your ass back here now!"

"What is it?"

"What is it? Your sister's engagement invitations need to go out, and the address listed is your place! Clear your crap out of that room! Emma's moving in! Did you hear me!"

That room—my room—was the bridal suite I'd decorated with my own hands.

Our double-happiness characters were still on the wall. Mine and Nolan's names.

"That home is mine."

"Yours? What in that house is yours! I'm telling you, Eva—if your stuff isn't out by tomorrow, I'll have someone throw all your junk in the street!"

She hung up.

I gripped my phone, my whole body going cold.

Nolan came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

He didn't say anything. Just rested his chin on top of my head.

The next day, I went to work.

Joanna followed through. That afternoon, the housekeeper sent me a photo.

Everything from my room—my design drafts, saved for years. My award certificates. Every little memento of me and Nolan.

All of it stuffed into black trash bags, piled by the villa entrance like actual garbage.

Madam says you have until today to collect this trash. Otherwise she's calling a garbage truck.

I stared at that photo. It felt like a fist had closed around my heart and was squeezing until I couldn't breathe.

Then Emma texted me.

A video.

In it, she twirled around my emptied room in a gorgeous princess dress. The double-happiness characters I'd cut by hand—torn down. In their place hung an enormous wedding photo of her and Nathaniel.

She smiled brightly at the camera.

"Eva, thank you for giving me your room. The lighting here is so good—I really like it. I looked through your stuff. Nothing valuable, so no loss tossing it out. Oh, and those design drafts of yours? So ugly. I helped you get rid of them."

At the end of the video, she threw a stack of drawing paper into the burning fireplace.

The flames leaped up and swallowed my hard work.

I couldn't hold it in anymore and rushed into the bathroom to dry heave.

Nolan followed me and gently patted my back. "You'll feel better if you throw up."

Nothing came up—only sour liquid surging in waves.

After a long time, I finally straightened up and splashed cold water on my face.

In the mirror, my face was frighteningly pale.

"Nolan."

"Yeah?"

"What you said before—does it still count?"

"Which part?"

"Help me. Make them pay it back a thousand times over."

"It will always count."

He answered without a trace of hesitation.

I looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Okay."

That afternoon, Emma called and said she wanted me to come try on a bridesmaid dress.

"Eva, you have to come. I specially picked the prettiest one for you."

I agreed.

Nolan and I arrived together at the custom bridal shop.

Emma, Nathaniel, and several of her socialite friends were already there.

When they saw Nolan, their faces showed undisguised mockery.

"Emma, this is your poor brother-in-law? He looks okay, but it's a pity he's a freeloader living off a woman."

"Look at that shirt—looks like something from a street stall."

Emma walked over with fake warmth. "Eva, brother-in-law, you're here. Hurry, the bridesmaid dress I picked for you is right here—go try it on."

The clerk brought over a formal dress.

It was a fluorescent green strapless gown with an old-fashioned cut and cheap fabric. The waist was made especially thick, like it was designed for a barrel.

"How is it, Eva? This color really makes your skin look pale."

Emma covered her mouth and laughed.

Her friends burst into loud laughter too.

"Emma, you're too mean. That dress is for the cleaning lady, right?"

"Put that on and stand next to the bride—perfect match!"

I didn't get angry. I calmly took the dress.

"Okay. I'll go try it on."

I walked into the fitting room, and Nolan came in too.

He closed the door, cutting off the mocking laughter outside.

"Don't pay attention to them," he said.

I didn't speak, just took off my coat.

Just then, the fitting room curtain was yanked open.

Nathaniel stood in the doorway. He thought I was alone, and a malicious smile spread across his face.

"Eva, changing clothes alone is so boring. Want me to—"

His words stopped short when he saw Nolan.

Nolan stepped in front of me, his expression going ice-cold.

Nathaniel shuddered under his gaze and instinctively stepped back.

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. Didn't know brother-in-law was in here too."

He smiled awkwardly and reached for the curtain.

But Nolan stepped forward and grabbed his wrist.

"What are you trying to do?"

Nathaniel's face went white.

"I... I wasn't trying to do anything. I just came to... to take a look..."

"Look at what?" Nolan's fingers slowly tightened.

Nathaniel's face twisted in pain, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"Ah! It hurts, it hurts! Let go! My hand's going to break!"

Outside, Emma heard the commotion and rushed over.