The next morning, Luke was gone, leaving only a text with an address.

I arrived at the restaurant, but he wasn't there yet. His friends greeted me warmly, knowing me as Mike's niece but not as Luke's girlfriend.

"Ada, come and sit." They waved me over. "Spill some dirt on Mike."

My stomach twisted as I feared they had started to suspect our relationship.

"You live with Luke," one said, leaning in. "You've met his girlfriend, right?"

I nodded, my mind racing. That was clearly probing.

"His first love's back in town," another said. "Let's make a bet on when he is going to dump his current girl."

The words hit me like a blow, but Josh Morgan didn't hold back. "I give it two weeks. He's been with her for four years, after all."

Another guy scoffed, "Four years, and he never introduced her to us? I say one week."

"Three days," another bet.

Josh turned to me. "What do you think?"

I squeezed my hands under the table, forcing myself to stay composed, but each bet chipped away at the fragile hope I'd clung to.

I managed a thin smile. "Right now."

Laughter erupted around the table. They thought I was joking, but Josh's gaze lingered, as if he sensed the weight behind my words.

"Ada..." Before he could say more, Luke hurried in.

His eyes locked on me immediately, and he asked, "What's so funny?"

Josh shrugged. "Amanda's back. We're betting on when you'll ditch your girlfriend to get back with her."

Luke clutched his jaw. "I told you guys not to mention her."

The room fell silent. Someone quickly changed the subject to ease the tension.

Luke slid into the seat beside me. Under the table, his fingers found mine, squeezing gently.

He leaned in and whispered, "She is history. You're the one I'm with now."

Just then, the door swung open.

His hand jerked and quickly withdrew. His face tensed as he looked at the newcomer.

Amanda Snyder walked in, a vision in a bold red coat. She was radiating confidence and allure. But with her arrival, a chill swept through the room.

She chuckled behind her hand. "Why the surprise? You know I'm the host of the party."

Her gaze shifted to me, and she extended a hand with a calculated smile. "You must be Ada. Luke talked about you. Thanks for taking care of him all this time."

I froze, then reached out my hand, but Luke pulled me back, sulking, "Drop the act."

Amanda's eyes dimmed, her confidence faltering for a moment.

Josh jumped in, trying to smooth things over. "Well, that's Luke. He talks like that, but everyone here knows how much he cares for you."

The others joined in, reminiscing about the two's passionate past.

Flustered, Luke turned to me. I looked away, unwilling to face him.

Luke lost his composure. "Stop talking nonsense. Just eat your food."

Everyone fell silent, except for Josh. He turned to Amanda and said, "Come on and have a seat. Luke's just grumpy. Give him a couple of days. He'll come running back."

Another laughed, "We were just betting on when he was going to dump his girlfriend."

"Shut up!" Luke roared. "I'm not breaking up with her!"

His words silenced the room and injured Amanda's pride. She sat down and turned to him, but he turned away.

Unwilling to give up, she placed a shrimp on his plate and said, "Have some of your favorite shrimp."

He glanced at me and pushed it away, a move that made her cringe. But she managed a faint smile. "Alright. I'll have it."

Unable to bear it anymore, he slapped her fork down. "Are you out of your mind? You're allergic to seafood."

His voice was loud, but his tone was tinged with concern. The shrimp hit the ground, the clatter echoing in my chest.

Amanda's eyes welled up. "If you remember my allergy, why can't you remember me?"

She fled the restaurant, tears streaming down her face.

Luke's jaw clenched. Then he chased after her, not sparing me a glance. In front of everyone else, he was always so composed. His anger and passion belonged only to Amanda.

The dinner dragged on. The others gossiped and bet on when Luke and Amanda would reunite.

Tired of it, I stepped outside and overheard Amanda on the phone.

"The money given by that idiot ran out fast," she snorted. "Marrying into the Collins family is my ultimate goal, the ticket to a good life. Luke's girlfriend? No threat. I saw them at dinner, and he denied her."

I trembled, and she paused at the sound.

Seeing it was me, she smirked, "You heard that, huh?"

I kept my voice steady. "People who betray love deserve to be struck by lightning."

"You're just his secret lover," she laughed. "You've got no right to talk about love. A hidden girlfriend? Nah, just my replacement."

Anger surged within me.

Before I could shoot back, her smile turned cruel. She shoved past me, knocking my shoulder hard. "Know your place."

Her footsteps faded, leaving me clutching my chest. The pain was unbearable.

Luke failed me, but Karma always came back around.

Once I calmed down, I went home.

Mike called. "Your fiancé got you an animal biology book with real specimens inside. Pretty cool, right? How are you going to thank me?"

"I'll reward you when I'm back for the marriage," I smiled, but my voice trailed off as I felt Luke's presence.

He had come back at some point without me noticing.

"Marriage? Who're you talking to?" he demanded.

I met his gaze. "It's Mike..."

Before I could finish, he frowned, tossing some papers into my hands. "I already talked to him."

I looked up. "What did you tell him?"

He paused. "Not much. Asked if he knew who my girlfriend was. Good thing he doesn't. Oh, and I forgot to ask about your party."

He didn't know these were my wedding documents. "It's probably no big deal. I won't go."

I smiled bitterly. Of course, he didn't care.

I opened the envelope, and a golden invitation peeked out.

Luke sensed my coldness and pulled me into his arms. His head rested on my shoulder as he explained, "I had to leave the dinner early for something. And yeah, I was a bit harsh. But you know I can't go public. It'd mess up my job at school."

His eyes landed on the invitation. "What's this, Addy?"

I held up the unopened invitation. "My wedding. Wanna see it?"

Luke gaped, then laughed, "Who else would you marry besides me?"

He brushed the invitation to the floor.

"You..."

I looked up at him, but he went quiet, frowning at his phone. His hand twitched, and a few seconds later, he finally lifted the phone to his ear. His lips pressed into a thin line, but there was still a flicker of hope in his eyes.

"I'm not coming," he said.

Amanda said something on the other end, and he pulled away from me. "Where are you?"

He rushed out, slamming the door. The cold air hit my face, matching the chill in my heart.

Luke was usually so calm and gentle, but coldness was hidden behind his façade. It turned out he could be flustered and desperate. He was just alive only with Amanda.

I guessed that was what love looked like.

That evening, Josh called, his voice frantic. "Come to the bar. Some guy is hassling Amanda, and Luke is drinking himself sick over it."

I hesitated but went.

When I arrived, Luke was punching the guy and gripping his collar. "You lost the game. Apologize to her, as you promised."

Josh pulled him back. "Enough, Luke. He's done."

The guy glared at Amanda. Luke swung again. "Don't you dare look at her!"

They fought, and in the end, Josh dragged a battered, drunk Luke out.

He spat blood, slurring, "He apologized. Good. I've made it right."

It was hard to believe the cool and reserved man would show jealousy for once. Even before passing out, he was worried about Amanda.

I took him to the hospital, and he mumbled her name in his sleep.

Seeing his worried expression, I couldn't hold back. "Why are you doing this to me? I'm not a replacement."

He stirred and whispered Amanda's name again. I laughed bitterly, looking away.

Morning came, and my face itched.

I woke to Luke's chuckle, his eyes holding a warmth I hadn't seen in years. He asked, "You looked after me all night?"

I nodded, but my voice was icy. "Yeah, for Mike's sake. Consider this me repaying you for four years of care."

His brow furrowed. "Repay?"

Before he could say more, Josh arrived with a relieved expression.

He pulled me outside and asked seriously, "Are you and Luke together? I figured it out at dinner."

I froze, done hiding. "Yeah. But not for long."

"You saw what Luke did for Amanda at the bar," he sighed. "Keep this up, and you're gonna get hurt."

My face turned pale, but I forced a smile. "I get it."

Turning around, I saw Luke standing there. He shot Josh a glare and said, "You can leave now."

Still weak, he questioned me, "Why did you tell him we're together?"

I jerked up my head, trying to explain, but he wouldn't listen. He patted my shoulder and said, "It's fine. You don't need to explain. I'll go public when the time's right."

"Don't bother. We're done!" I shoved his hand off, my voice trembling from grievance.