After hanging up, I made my way down the mountain alone, returning to the home I shared with Felix.

I decided to visit Felix's grandmother, Pauline Perella. She and Grandma had been part of the same ballet troupe, and their friendship had always transcended the boundaries of our families.

When I was eight, I was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. The Valentino family ran the most prestigious private hospital in northern Clyravan, and my family sent me there to recover.

Felix's parents, Don Marco Valentino and Madre Isabella Lucchetta, treated me as if I were their own, and Grandma Pauline herself was the one who taught me the family's traditions and values. She even suggested to others that I could someday be the Valentino family's future lady.

But all of that ended tonight.

Standing in front of her now, I dipped my head slightly and said softly, "Grandma Pauline, I have to go."

Her gaze, warm yet heavy with sadness, lingered on me. "You've been through so much, Sylvie."

She sighed. After a long, quiet moment, she pulled an emerald ring from her sleeve and carefully slipped it onto my ring finger.

"Take this, Sylvie. No matter where life leads you, you'll always be one of the Valentinos."

I looked down at the ring and felt a rush of emotions I couldn't put into words.

…

Felix had stayed out all night again.

At 4:00 am, my phone lit up with a message from Lilian.

"My dearest lion, thank you for making wishes on the shooting stars with me. You're the reason I keep going."

Attached was a photo of a meteor slicing through the night sky. Felix and Lilian were huddled close, grinning at the camera, their fingers laced together in a wish-making gesture.

The caption read, "May all our wishes come true."

But seconds later, the message disappeared.

"Sorry, Sylvie. Wrong person.

"Felix really cherishes this photo and asked me to send it to him. You're not mad, are you?"

I didn't respond to Lilian. I barely glanced at the photo before shutting my phone off. That night, I packed my things in the room, ready to leave.

Felix didn't come home until noon the next day.

"Lilian wasn't doing well last night, Sylvie. I had to be there for her," he said, handing me an elegant gift box. "Sweetheart, I got this for our anniversary. I never forgot how much you wanted one."

I lifted the lid of the gift box, revealing a Harry Winston diamond necklace that sparkled with breathtaking brilliance. The design was familiar.

Lilian had one just like it—though hers, adorned with pink diamonds, was far more expensive.

Felix's unease grew as he took in my lack of enthusiasm. "Sylvie, you're not upset, are you?"

I offered a smile, my voice flat. "Considering Lilian's delicate condition, it's only natural you'd want to look after her."

He let out a quiet sigh of relief. "I'm glad you understand. We've got a long road ahead of us, after all. But Lilian's running out of time. There's still so much she wants to do…"

His voice broke off suddenly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

I studied him with a faint smile. "If it's tearing you apart, then go to her completely. I won't stop you. How could I possibly resent someone who's dying? But don't spend the rest of your life mourning at her grave. I have no intention of waiting around on my own."

As I turned to leave, Felix seized my wrist with a sudden, fierce grip. "Sylvie, what are you getting at?"

"Are you jealous, by any chance?" Felix asked. "You've always been the one telling me to look out for Lilian, especially with her health being so fragile. Now that I'm doing exactly that, you're upset with me."

When I didn't respond, his tone took on a self-righteous tone. "Don't be unreasonable, Sylvie. She's your best friend. Weren't you the one who asked me to be kind to her? And now you're upset because I stayed to make a wish with her?"

I was exasperated. "How incredibly noble of you, Felix."

He frowned, about to fire back when his phone buzzed again. He glanced at the screen, then looked up.

"I'll be out of town for a few days on business. Take care of yourself while I'm gone."

I gave a vague hum in response, secretly hoping he might just stay away for good.

…

Early the next morning, I slipped into an elegant gown and got ready to head to Valentino Estate to say my goodbyes.

In the grand hall, the family elders were gathered around the long table, engrossed in discussion about recent family affairs.

Don Valentino sat at the head of the table.

I gave a slight nod. "Don Valentino, thank you for your generosity over the years. I've come today to say my goodbyes."

The murmur of conversation stuttered to a halt. The grand banquet hall went still.

Madre Isabella's face tightened with concern. "What's going on, Sylvie? Why are you leaving all of a sudden?"

Don Valentino slammed his hand against the table. "Where's Felix? Why isn't he here with you? Did he do something to you?"

Before I could respond, slow, deliberate footsteps echoed from the hallway. Felix walked in, Lilian by his side.

"Sylvie? What are you doing here?" Lilian's voice carried the confidence of someone who saw herself as the Valentino family's future daughter-in-law.

A faint smile crossed my lips as I replied coolly, "Where I decide to be is no business of yours."

I turned and headed to the door.

Snapping out of his daze, Felix rushed after me. "Don't get the wrong idea, Sylvie. I only brought Lilian here so my parents could help her find a good doctor. You're not mad, are you?

"Haven't you always wanted the best for Lilian? She's ill. Doesn't it make sense to let her stay here so we can look after her?"

For some reason, a memory flashed through my mind. It was from when Felix was 16, back when we'd taken that trip to Mount Frostara in Javellis. Standing at the snow-covered peak, he'd made me a promise.

He said that marrying me was the one thing he wanted more than anything else and that I'd someday become the lady of the Valentino family. But now, he'd brought Lilian into his family all while feeding me some lie about a business trip.

I let out a bitter laugh, the absurdity of it all hitting me.

When I didn't respond, he added, "Sylvie, you're not bothered by something this insignificant, are you?"

I kept my eyes on him, struck by how pitiful and ridiculous he'd become.

Felix pulled me into an embrace and kissed my forehead. "Just go home. I'll see you later."

The moment he walked away, I wiped my forehead clean. He made me sick to my stomach.

On Valentine's Day, Felix had brushed me off with the same old excuse about "family obligations", making sure no one let the truth slip.

But that evening, an anonymous message popped up on my screen.

"Live stream link—Felix Valentino and Lilian Fenati's Wedding."

I clicked it. The screen lit up to reveal a grand, solemn ceremony, filled with mafia dons from Solara. My blood turned to ice.

Three months earlier, Lilian had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. She'd made her announcement at a family gathering.

"I want to marry the person I love most before I go."

Back then, I hadn't noticed anything unusual between them. I'd even teased her at the gathering, "So, who's this 'person you love most'?"

She'd given me a sly smile and said, "You'll find out soon enough."

It wasn't until later that I realized she meant Felix. I'd never forget that Valentine's Day, how I cried until I passed out, while he stood on that private island named after Lilian, making his vows to her.

But now, at least, it was almost over.

The moment I got home, Lilian called.

"I'm really sorry, Sylvie. I didn't expect to run into you today."

I let out a bitter laugh and stayed silent.

"The Valentinos put relationships above all else. Don Valentino personally met me and assured that they'd go to great lengths to find the top doctors in the world for my treatment."

After a pause, she added, her voice tinged with significance, "Sylvie, don't you think it would've been great if I were the one marrying into the Valentino family?"

"If you can make it happen, go for it. You've got my blessing," I replied.

As soon as I hung up, I was about to block Lilian, but my finger slipped, and I accidentally opened her social media feed. There it was, my RV staring right back at me, labeled as a surprise gift from Felix.

I'd built that RV from scratch. For an entire year, I'd thrown myself into the designs, sourced every part, assembled it piece by piece, and perfected every detail.

I'd imagined traveling the world with Felix in it once things calmed down. But now, it was sitting in Lilian's front yard.

She stood in front of the vehicle, glowing with excitement.

Her caption read, "Thanks for the amazing surprise, Felix! Let's hit the road together once I'm back on my feet!"

My fingers trembled slightly as they hovered over the phone screen. It had never crossed my mind that Felix would hand over even my cherished RV to her.

Right then, my underboss, Nora Cappello, called.

She snapped over the phone, "What is this, Sylvie? Why does Lilian have your RV? She doesn't deserve it! You put in sleepless nights for that thing, and now she just gets to take it like it's hers?"

I took a deep breath, steadying my voice. "It doesn't matter to me anymore."

"Doesn't matter?" Nora slapped her hand against the table. "Sylvie, if you really didn't care, you'd have blown up that RV by now! How can Lilian use her illness as a free pass to take Felix and your RV?

"For all we know, she could be faking the whole thing. That's it. I'm hiring investigators to find out if her so-called terminal illness is even real. And Felix, the shameless man. How much longer does he think he can keep lying to you?"

"Not long. The wedding's coming up soon," I said.

Just then, Felix's voice cut in. "Wedding? What wedding?"