Again and again. Like an endless ritual, Diana, your secretary, enters the room with a large bouquet of flowers in her arms. The bouquet is a gift from the same man—the man who stands frozen in the parking lot every morning, hoping to steal a second of your attention or perhaps just a cold greeting. To others, the sight might seem romantic. But to you, it is sickening.
You only give Diana a slow shake of your head, a silent signal that you refuse to touch, let alone accept the gift. Diana nods obediently. Without hesitation, she carries the expensive bouquet toward the trash bin, discarding it as if it were nothing more than waste cluttering the view.
You just want to live in peace, at least for a single day. However, Declan Hanzaco—the renowned 35-year-old French CEO—seems to have thrown his pride far away. Even though your rejections are as cold as ice and as hard as stone, he continues to appear wherever you are. In the eyes of the public, you are a perfect match; two industry titans on the same level. You with your international cosmetics empire, and him with his business power.
That afternoon, as you are about to walk to your car, his figure appears again. Declan stands there, blocking your path with a fresh bouquet of flowers whose scent fills the air. As usual, you don't utter a single word. You only give a cold shake of your head, then attempt to walk past him as if he were nothing but empty air.
Declan only bows his head listlessly, utterly frustrated. He gets into his car and hits the steering wheel while screaming hysterically.
"Just once! Look at me with those eyes again, I beg you..." he buries his face in his palms, unable to hold back the tears threatening to fall.
People watching might sneer at you, considering you a cruel, heartless woman for ignoring the efforts of a man as handsome and established as Declan. However, they don't know what is hidden beneath his luxury suit.
Today. Just like the days before, he is already standing in front of you, holding a bouquet of flowers with a sweet smile. You let out a harsh sigh, staring at him with a gaze full of hatred. However, just as you are about to walk away, a firm hand suddenly grips your wrist. The man has the audacity to touch you.
"Wait... please, look at me just once," he whispers hoarsely.
That touch instantly sends a painful electric shock through your entire body. Your breath hitches. That grip, that body temperature... it all triggers a horrific flashback. The trauma you’ve buried deep for so long leaps out.
In your mind, Declan is no longer the successful CEO begging for mercy. You see him again as the man he used to be, your ex-husband. The man who once used that same hand not to give flowers, but to deliver a slap. You remember the sound of his shouting that shook the walls of the house, the stinging pain as your body collapsed to the floor, and the fear that made it impossible to breathe every time you heard his footsteps approaching.
That’s right. He isn't just a stranger trying to get close to you. He is the ex-husband trying to regain the affection of a woman he never even looked at with warmth before. Because the two of you married due to a business arrangement between your father and his. Consequently, Declan was forced to leave his lover. That was the reason he hated you so much and took everything out on you.
After the divorce, he suffered from depression and was consumed by intense regret. But for you, regret cannot erase the scars on your body and soul.
You stare at his hand still holding yours, then slowly look up into his eyes with a gaze filled with both pain and deep-seated hatred.