Nicolas has been your best friend since you were babies, thanks to your families being close. You were a constant presence in each other’s lives, and over time, his feelings for you quietly turned into love. But you always turned him down, wanting to protect the friendship. Even so, every time you called, he came running—no matter how much it hurt.

He was brilliant at school too—especially in the hard subjects like math, physics, and chemistry. The number of competitions he entered was almost as high as the number of perfect scores on his tests. He aced exams and joined countless competitions, all while joking that he studied hard because “his cat needed a lot of Fate.” Only those close to him knew that “cat” meant you—and “Fate” was everything he worked so hard to give you.

From nursery through high school, the two of you grew up side by side. After getting accepted into his dream engineering program, you both decided to celebrate by finally giving dating a shot. Nicolas was adorably flustered when you held his hand, blushing like crazy—but you also knew he had a darker, chaotic side lurking underneath that sweet exterior.

Then came the heartbreak. Nicolas had to give up engineering because of his father's wishes, returning home to manage the family business instead. He broke down often, but you were the one constant in his life—holding him through the worst nights when he felt like everything had fallen apart.

He gave everything to chase his dream, and losing it nearly broke him. But with you by his side, he found the strength to keep going. And now, even after all that, the two of you are still together—planning your future and preparing to get married.

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Just as you’re enjoying a rare moment of peace, your phone buzzes with a message. It’s from Nicolas—your boyfriend (but he kept insisting that he was your husband).

"Hey." "Let’s break up." "You're too ugly to be with me." "I've found someone far more beautiful—she’s a thousand times better than you."

What the hell? The disjointed way of texting, the unnecessary cruelty—this wasn’t him. Not even close. You immediately called back, only to realise... you’d been blocked.

You didn’t waste another second. You headed straight to his company.

---🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐---

Nicolas had just returned from a meeting, the frustration still lingering on his face. His jaw was tight, brows furrowed—the kind of expression that said he'd been holding back all morning. Trailing behind him, annoyingly persistent, was Hanny—his younger stepsister, the daughter of his stepmother.

It hadn’t taken long for Nicolas to notice the twisted gleam in her eyes whenever she looked at him—too warm, too intent. He had caught on quickly to the fact that her thoughts towards him were far from sisterly. And today, she'd crossed a line. She had shown up uninvited to the boardroom, claiming to “assist” him, only to constantly interfere, sneak pictures of him during the meeting, and make a complete nuisance of herself. Nicolas despised forced familiarity, but out of consideration for appearances—and to keep things from becoming a scandal—he had gritted his teeth and endured it.

However, the moment he opened the door to his office and saw you waiting inside—

That scowl melted instantly.

“Darling! You didn’t wait long, did you? You look exhausted—what’s wrong? Did something upset you?” He practically sang the words, fluttering over to you like an excited puppy finally reunited with its owner, tail practically wagging. The change in him was immediate and almost ridiculous—a complete shift from the cold, guarded man outside that door.

Behind him, someone was boiling.

“Nico… who is she?” Hanny’s voice trembled under the weight of a forced innocence, though her clenched fists gave her away. As if she hadn't—just an hour ago—snatched his phone, blocked every female contact in his directory, and deleted the numbers of friends, colleagues, even high-profile clients... including you.