I really couldn’t stay any longer, so I made an excuse to go to the restroom.

I had barely stepped out when Nathan followed me. The warmth in his eyes from before was gone, replaced by an unreadable mix of cold indifference.

My eyes stung, and before I could stop them, tears started falling. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t accept that the man in front of me had only ever seen me as a pastime.

"Sienna."

My heart trembled. He was calling me by my full name now.

He looked at me, raising a hand as if to wipe away my tears, but I turned my face away to avoid him.

"I’m sorry."

Just three simple words, yet they made everything between us clear.

Nathan had been abroad for over a month. I had missed him so much that I couldn’t even wait until the next day, so I had rushed over excitedly to join his friends’ gathering. I never expected to uncover such a cruel truth.

"Sienna, I’m really sorry."

I wiped my tears away in frustration. "Nathan, don’t you have anything to say to explain yourself?"

He didn’t look at me, his gaze fixed on the window outside. "I've never wronged you. In these three years, I think I’ve treated you well enough."

I let out a bitter laugh. "If you liked Bianca all along, why did you stay with me?"

At the mention of her name, his expression instantly turned cold. "You knew I loved her. Why did you still stay with me? Isn’t that just pathetic on your part?"

His words sent a chill through my entire body. I opened my mouth to curse at him, but no sound came out.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, and in an instant, his expression softened.

"Bianca…"

I had been right. It really was her. However, I had never guessed that Nathan never loved me.

Not wanting to hear his conversation, I lowered my head and returned to the private room.

Lucas and the others were still talking about Nathan.

"I bet he lashed out just now because of Bianca," Lucas said before taking another sip of his drink, looking like he had everything figured out. "He went abroad this time just to see her but didn’t even get to meet her. He only dared to watch her from a distance, in secret."

"I thought he was in a relationship to move on from Bianca, but turns out that girl was just a distraction. His heart still belongs to Bianca."

So that was why he went abroad. That was why he traveled abroad every month, telling me it was for work.

"Nathan has liked Bianca for years. He used to secretly draw portraits of her and lock them away in his cabinet, never letting anyone see them."

My mind buzzed as I listened to them praise how deeply Nathan loved her, how much he had sacrificed for her. I forced myself to smile, but my body trembled uncontrollably. I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood.

Then, Lucas suddenly changed the topic.

"But his girlfriend is the real victim here. He wasted her time for years and never even gave her a proper title."

Lucas suddenly patted my shoulder.

"Sienna, I was just joking earlier. You can’t be with Nathan, and you definitely can’t believe anything he says. He’s a complete piece of trash."

His words sent a dull ache through my heart.

It was too late. I had already believed him.

Nathan never came back after answering the call.

"Bianca called him. No idea what she said, but Nathan's arranged a private jet for her."

Everyone laughed at Nathan, but I was the only one who wanted to cry.

Despite him treating me well, I was never the special one. All of his tenderness, his devotion, his favoritism—it was all for Bianca.

The gathering ended hastily, and I drove Lucas home.

Lying in bed, I kept replaying his words in my mind. I had always been quiet and reserved since I was young. On the other hand, Bianca was beautiful, lively, and sweet-talking.

I had nothing, but Nathan had noticed me, the girl always in the corner.

I still remember the day he said, "Wait up, Sienna! Don’t walk so fast!"

Those words had stayed with me for years.

At first, I only dared to steal quick glances at him. Then, I couldn't take my eyes off him. Even though I knew Nathan loved Bianca, I still opened my heart to him.

Three years ago, he gave me a bouquet of white roses, his eyes filled with warmth.

"Sienna, let’s be together."

That moment felt like it had happened just yesterday, yet today his indifference was a cruel contrast.

For days after the gathering, Nathan didn’t reach out to me. Of course, he wouldn’t. He never loved me. He had someone new.

I was in a daze, and Lucas, who was ever perceptive, noticed. He started coming into my room more often, trying to chat with me.

One day, he paused when he saw the diamond jewelry scattered across my desk.

"Sienna, I remember you love pearls. Why do you have so many diamonds?"

I couldn’t tell him they were all gifts from Nathan. While Lucas knew my preferences, Nathan never did, even after three years together.

I got up and threw them all into the trash.

"Why are you throwing them away? They’re perfectly fine."

I forced a bitter smile. "No matter how beautiful something is, if you don’t like it, there’s no point in keeping it."

Lucas didn’t understand the deeper meaning behind my words. Instead, he urged me to get dressed.

"Bianca’s back. We’re going to her welcome party. You should come too. It’ll help take your mind off things."

My heart twisted painfully.

So that’s why Nathan hadn’t contacted me. He must have been with Bianca all this time.

Before long, Lucas and I arrived at the Mayne family’s house.

The moment we stepped inside, I was met with a breathtaking sight—white roses filled the entire hall.

Bianca lifted her dress and ran toward me, smiling brightly. "Sienna! Long time no see!"

I tried to smile back, but I couldn’t. I had never hated her. We had grown up together as childhood friends, but she was also the woman Nathan loved.

That lingering thorn in my heart began to ache again.

I didn’t know what to say, so I forced myself to find a conversation topic.

"So many white roses… how romantic."

Bianca smiled sweetly. "Nathan arranged all of them. He knows they’re my favorite, so he practically emptied the entire city to get them."

My heart clenched.

I suddenly thought back to the day Nathan had asked me to be his girlfriend.

Something clicked.

He had wanted to give Bianca these roses, but she had gone abroad, so he couldn’t. Therefore, the flowers he couldn’t give her… he gave them to me instead.

I lowered my head, trying to hide the tears threatening to fall.

So that was the truth.

Even the flowers from his confession—I had only been given what she left behind.

Nathan walked in, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. The moment he stepped through the door, his gaze immediately landed on Bianca.

He took a few steps forward, about to speak, but then he noticed me sitting nearby. His steps faltered for a brief moment before he walked straight to Bianca’s side.

"This is for you."

"Really? Let me see!" Bianca excitedly opened the exquisite gift box, revealing a stunning diamond necklace.

"I knew you’d like it. I specially bid for it at an auction just for you." Nathan’s eyes lingered on Bianca’s face, filled with tenderness and adoration.

Unfortunately, he forgot that today was our third anniversary. Technically, we hadn’t even broken up yet.

Bianca’s face lit up with joy. "It’s so stunning! Put it on for me!"

Nathan smiled and carefully clasped the necklace around her neck. They stood so close together, looking like a perfect match.

"I love it! You’ve given me so many diamonds, but this one is the most beautiful!"

A tight, suffocating feeling gripped my heart, especially when I caught the wary look in Nathan’s eyes.

Feigning innocence, I asked, "Nathan, do you give Bianca gifts often?"

Bianca nodded without hesitation. "Of course! He sends me something every month—so many diamonds, I can barely keep track. He knows I love them."

How ironic.

The diamonds Nathan gave Bianca were carefully selected, chosen with thought.

But mine? They were given merely out of convenience. For someone who was just a pastime, Nathan didn’t need to know my preferences.

The pink diamond sparkled brilliantly under the light, piercing my eyes like a cruel joke.

I don’t know where I found the courage, but my words carried a sharp edge. "Nathan treats you so well. I wonder if his girlfriend would feel uncomfortable about it."

Nathan’s smile vanished instantly. He shot me a warning glare.

Nevertheless, Bianca hadn’t noticed. She suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, my brother’s here!"

Then, she turned to me with an apologetic smile. "I’ll be right back!"

As soon as she left, Nathan grabbed my arm and pulled me into the empty garden. His brows furrowed, eyes filled with reprimand.

"Sienna, what are you trying to do?"

I rubbed my sore eyes, my voice calm but firm. "I should be asking you that, Nathan. Today is our third anniversary. Are you still planning on keeping our relationship a secret?"

Nathan was caught off guard. He hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "I’ve been really busy lately. Let’s talk about this later."

Under the dim moonlight, I noticed his gaze flickering back toward the hall. Even in this brief moment, his mind was still on Bianca.

"Sienna, you used to be so understanding. What’s gotten into you?"

A sharp pain stabbed through my heart. So, because I was ‘understanding’, that meant he could openly trample on my feelings?

"Nathan, you won’t break up with me because you don’t want to be the bad guy, is that it?"

His face turned slightly red, as if I had hit the nail on the head. "That’s not true. When did I ever say I wanted to break up? Sienna, don’t be unreasonable. Acting like this isn’t cute at all."

I laughed bitterly. "Bianca is cute. She’s perfect in every way. Nathan, from this moment on, we’re done. Go be with her."

"Sienna!" he called my name sharply. "What does this have to do with Bianca? Don’t drag innocent people into our problems."

So Bianca was innocent, and I was guilty by default?

I clenched my fists, reached for the necklace around my neck, and yanked it off with force. "I never liked diamonds. Take your cheap charity and get lost!"

This was probably the first time in my life I had ever cursed. I had truly reached my breaking point.

Nathan’s expression darkened. "Sienna, don’t go too far."

Just as I was about to retort, a cold, low voice sounded from behind me.

"If you don’t like it, throw it outside. My house doesn’t take in trash."