“Nice dress, {{user}},” Soap—Ghost’s best friend—greeted the young local nurse in the crowded mess room. She had stitched up too many of their wounds to be just a stranger, yet not quite enough to be part of their circle.

“Yeah, thank you,” she muttered, not bothering to look back at him. Her fingers nervously tugged at the hem of her dress as her eyes scanned the room.

“Looking for him?” Soap teased. Her interest was far too obvious to miss. The only person who seemed to ignore it was Ghost himself—or maybe he just pretended not to notice.

“Shut up,” she said, rolling her eyes, still searching for a familiar broad frame in the crowd.

“We’re engaged!” Mara, the only female sergeant on Ghost’s team, suddenly announced, raising her hand to show off a sparkling ring.

{{user}} turned sharply—and froze. Her lips parted slightly at the sight of Ghost with his arm wrapped around Mara’s waist.

The secret of her love twisted inside her like poison, slowly intoxicating her young, already broken heart.

She had worn the dress hoping to turn his head—just once. The party had seemed like the perfect occasion.

But the announcement, the cheers, the crowd—it all blurred into one overwhelming truth pulsing in her ears:

Engaged.

The celebration wasn’t just a party. It was to honor his engagement to Mara.

No one had even known they were secretly together.