Terri Darton hesitated, clutching the bills tightly in her hand.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the shop in front of her.

It was a small shop, unmanned, with only a few indistinct words visible—[family planning] and [adult].

Moments later, she wrapped her oversized scarf tighter around her head, gripped the bag in her hand, and turned to disappear into the darkness.

Terri had no other choice.

Blayne Holzman never came home at night. They had been engaged for so long, yet their relationship existed only in name.

Since Blayne refused, she would handle it herself.

Pain was inevitable, one way or another.

Her so-called title as the future wife of Blayne Holzman was just that—a title.

No one truly cared about her, so even if she returned home in the dead of night, no one would notice.

The villa was empty. She shut the door behind her with a flick of her wrist and went straight into the bathroom.

Moments later, Terri was kneeling on the floor, her face contorted in pain.

It wasn’t working.

She rubbed her eyes, forcing back the tears welling up from sheer physical distress.

In the end, she gave up.

“What is it?”

A knock sounded at the door, accompanied by the faint rustle of movement outside.

It was around the time when Mrs. Tilley usually brought her food. Without hesitation, Terri opened the door.

But the moment she saw who it was, she instinctively took a step back.

Blayne—the man she had longed for yet could never seem to meet.

——

“H-hey… why are you here?”

She hesitated for a moment, asking in surprise and uncertainty.

Blayne—her fiancé in name and the man she had loved in silence for so long.

But it was obvious. She loved him, and though he had once liked her, his love for her paled in comparison to his love for her sister.

Ever since their engagement, he had vanished.

And today was no special occasion. His sudden appearance wasn’t something that brought her joy—it only surprised her.

Because ever since Valerie returned to Massachusetts, Blayne’s eyes had only ever been on her.

“I came to check on my lonely fiancée in this empty room.”

His words were casual, yet every syllable dripped with ridicule.

Watching Terri’s face turn slightly pale, Blayne’s lips curled into a smirk, unable to hide his satisfaction.

Yes, he did it on purpose.

He looked down on Terri.

She knew he loved Valerie, yet Terri still conspired with his grandfather to exchange marriages for money.

Any past fondness or affection Blayne had for Terri had long since turned to resentment because of what she had done.

She deserved whatever situation she found herself in now.

Terri felt a dull ache in her chest at his mocking tone.

Her gaze flickered to the object hidden beneath the blanket, and shame burned through her as she instinctively moved to shut the door. “I’m tired. I want to rest.”

Blayne made no move to step back. Instead, he lifted his foot, blocking the door from closing.

With his superior strength, he pushed the door open with ease—finally taking in the full sight of Terri.

She had gotten up in a hurry, wearing only a pair of shorts.

In her rush to get up, she had only put on a pair of shorts. Her legs were slender, fair, and soft—impossibly alluring.

As he took in her appearance, his gaze grew darker and more intense.

Terri had no idea why he had come here so late at night.

But under his unrestrained stare, she instinctively stepped back.

She barely took two steps before her body was suddenly lifted off the floor.

Blayne’s fingers wrapped around her throat, pinning her against the wall.

It was a show of dominance, a silent warning—yet thick with something unmistakably intimate.

His body leaned in, closing the distance.

Terri struggled to breathe, the weightless sensation sending a wave of panic through her. Without meaning to, she wrapped her legs around Blayne’s waist for support.

“You are my woman, Terri. Even if I don’t want you, you don’t get to go looking for someone else.”

Blayne looked down at Terri with a threatening gaze, towering over her.

Because of her movements, it now felt like he was holding her soft, delicate body in his arms.

With such a fragrant, tender warmth so close, Blayne suddenly realized his body was reacting on its own.

His grip tensed for a moment. Terri, feeling the discomfort, took the chance to turn her head and pry his hand away.

As her warmth left him, Blayne was momentarily, instinctively reluctant to let go.

But this wasn’t concern nor was it love. The possessiveness in his words was nothing more than a matter of pride and control.

She didn’t know if he had come to confront her because of some baseless rumors or if Valerie had told him something.

Her eyes were slightly red, but she forced herself to swallow the pain cutting through her chest and replied indifferently, “You’re overthinking it.”

The place where Terri lived was remote, so there was no way Blayne had come all this way just to exchange a few harsh words with her.

Of course, she wouldn’t be conceited enough to think it was because of her, either.

Sure enough, Blayne took another look at her face—one that bore some resemblance to Valerie.

He let out a cold chuckle before turning to leave.

Terri’s throat tightened as she remembered what was hidden under her blanket.

“Tomorrow, your Grandma is sending someone to examine my purity. What am I supposed to say then?”

Before leaving, the old lady had given Terri a cold warning.

“Don’t try to fool me with any tricks. I despise liars the most.”

Blayne paused. He had almost forgotten about that.

Demetria, his grandmother, was born into a prestigious Victorian-era aristocratic family and continued to uphold the feudal rules of the past.

It had been three days since the engagement. Though they weren’t married yet, Terri was already expected to fulfill wife’s duties. Tomorrow, they will come to collect the Cathedral-length wedding veil.

But Blayne didn’t care for her, much less wanted to touch her. From the moment their engagement party ended, he had completely disappeared.

She couldn’t afford to offend the old lady. Terri had no choice but to find a way to deal with it herself.

Blayne didn’t respond. Instead, he suddenly turned back and scooped her up in his arms.

The abrupt sensation of weightlessness made her chest tighten, her heart pounding wildly. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

Because of her background, Terri had never truly belonged—neither in the Dartons nor in the Holzmans.

And Blayne was her only possible refuge.

At that moment, a tiny, foolish hope quietly rose in her chest.

If he was willing to touch her, did it mean she held even the slightest place in his heart?

She clutched his collar tightly and caught a faint whiff of roses.

It was the same scent her sister always wore.

A sharp, trembling pain rippled through her heart, but her face remained expressionless.

She was used to it.

Blayne placed her onto the bed and reached up to unbutton his suit.

Terri clutched the blanket tightly, a trace of panic flashing in her eyes.

Sensing her gaze, Blayne glanced up, revealing his strikingly handsome face.

But there was only mockery in his expression.

“Come on, Terri, don’t get delusional.”

Meeting her startled eyes, he reached for the scissors on the table.

Grabbing the white silk cloth from beneath the blanket, he made a swift cut across his arm.

The wound was on his forearm—somewhere discreet, unlikely to raise suspicion.

Blayne put his clothes back on and left without looking back, his expression calm, distant, and laced with unmistakable disgust.

“It’s done. Make sure it looks convincing. Don’t cause trouble for me and Vee.”

Terri listened in silence.

At the doorway, he paused for a moment.

“You’ll be attending the party tomorrow. Don’t forget. In front of others, act properly. Do what you’re supposed to do.”

Terri stood still for a long while before stepping barefoot into the bathroom.

She took out everything she had bought from the family planning store, shredded them into pieces, and tossed them into the trash.

Terri pulled up the contract on her phone.

Without hesitation, she signed it.

She put on her sunglasses as she got into the car.

She didn’t want to go, but she had no choice.

Her makeup was thick, covering the dark circles under her eyes.

After Blayne left last night, she cried herself into a daze and couldn’t sleep no matter what.

In the middle of the night, Mrs. Tilley texted her.

Blayne had gone back to get the jewelry his mother left behind.

Terri knew that necklace.

Back when Blayne was lost in the moment, kissing her with unrestrained passion, he had promised—once she married him, he would put it on her himself.

And now?

They weren’t even officially together, but even drunk, Blayne still made sure Valerie got her dignity.

Bitterness filled Terri’s chest, yet somehow, she felt a little lighter.

It didn’t matter. She had already signed the termination papers.

Five more days, and she could finally leave.

“Terri, isn’t it?”

Terri snapped out of her thoughts and turned toward the voice.

The car window on the other side rolled down—both front and back.

She finally saw who it was.

Her sister—Valerie.

And someone else.

Blayne was there too.

The two of them sat together in the backseat, their fingers tightly interlocked, leaning into each other.

Side by side, they looked straight at Terri.

She had been prepared for this, but seeing them like that still sent a sharp sting through her chest.

Then, she scoffed at herself.

Why was she even reacting?

She had known this was coming.

“You only sent a driver to take Terri? Today’s her first public appearance as your wife, after all.”

Valerie glanced at Terri, then turned to Blayne, pretending to chide him.

Her eyes were full of warmth—sisterly concern, soft and affectionate.

But she never let go of his hand.

Terri was Valerie’s younger sister.

And Blayne was, in name at least, Valerie’s brother-in-law.

Yet here he was, sitting with her.

“One person is fine. She’ll have to get used to it sooner or later.”

Blayne shrugged, his gaze on Valerie filled with tenderness.

Even with Terri sitting right there, he didn’t spare her a glance.

In the backseat, Terri clenched her fingers together.

The spot on her waist—where Blayne had held her down last night—was still faintly warm.

The thrill of being wanted.

The sting of being ignored.

The emotions tangled together, making her legs instinctively press tight against each other as she swallowed back the aching in her chest.

“I don’t mind going alone…”

She had barely started speaking when Valerie cut in.

“We happened to run into each other. I’ll go have a chat with Terri—we haven’t seen each other in a while.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned to Blayne.

He didn’t object.

He only sat up straighter, watching Valerie step out of the car.

His warm expression shifted into something else.

A warning.

His lips moved silently.

“Stay in your place. Don’t make trouble.”

Terri suddenly felt like laughing.

Stay in her place?

Don’t make trouble?

What trouble, exactly?

Did he mean when he had almost forced himself on her after finding out Valerie had left the country?

Or when he had thrown money at her face, only to pull her into bed night after night?

Valerie was his precious jewel.

And Terri?

What was she?

A stand-in? A decoration?

For once, a faint sense of satisfaction burned in Terri’s chest.

She lowered her gaze, pretending not to see Blayne’s warning look.

“I heard Blayne went to see you last night?”

Valerie got into the car, rolling up the window behind her.

The outside world disappeared.

Her earlier warmth vanished.

Her eyes were cold as she looked at Terri.

“He didn’t come to see me. He came to warn me.”

Terri’s voice was calm, but the bitterness was impossible to hide.