Kelsi woke up to a sharp, burning sensation slicing across her lower stomach.

She sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes flying open. The harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital ceiling blinded her for a second. The heavy smell of bleach and rubbing alcohol filled her nose.

She turned her head. The room was empty. A heart monitor beeped steadily next to her bed.

The anesthesia was wearing off. Every time she breathed, the surgical incision pulled and burned.

The door pushed open. A nurse in blue scrubs walked in, checking the chart at the end of the bed. Her nametag read Patricia Kowalski.

"You're awake," Patricia said, offering a warm, professional smile. She moved to the side of the bed and checked Kelsi's IV line. "How is the pain on a scale of one to ten?"

"Seven," Kelsi rasped. Her throat felt like sandpaper.

Patricia pressed a button on the IV pump. "I'm upping your pain medication. You had an emergency appendectomy. You got here just in time."

Kelsi nodded slowly. She pressed her hand lightly over the thick bandage on her abdomen.

"Have you been able to reach your family?" Patricia asked softly. "You signed the surgical consent forms yourself before you went under. We usually recommend having family here when you wake up."

Kelsi stared at the blank white wall opposite her bed.

"I don't have family," Kelsi said. Her voice was flat.

Patricia's eyes softened with sympathy. She patted Kelsi's arm. "Get some rest. Press the call button if you need anything."

The nurse left. The silence rushed back into the room, heavy and suffocating.

Kelsi slowly turned her head toward the small bedside table. Her phone sat there.

She reached out, her arm trembling slightly from weakness, and grabbed it.

The screen lit up. She had thirty-two missed calls and dozens of text messages.

Almost all of them were from Gisele.

Where are you? !

The hospital called me! I'm in LA for a shoot, I'm booking a flight back right now!

Kelsi, please tell me you're okay!

Kelsi swallowed hard. Gisele was her best friend. She was always there.

She scrolled past Gisele's frantic messages. At the very bottom of the screen, there was one single text from Jeb. It was sent at 3:00 AM.

Heard you went to the hospital. It's just a minor surgery, don't be so dramatic. I'll have my assistant send flowers tomorrow.

Kelsi stared at the words.

She waited for the anger to hit her. She waited for the tears to blur her vision. She waited for the familiar, desperate urge to call him and beg for his attention. She replayed his cold words, searching for the familiar sting of heartbreak, but the spot where it should have been was just... numb. It was the chilling realization that she wasn't losing love, but merely shedding a long-held illusion.

Nothing came.

Her chest felt completely hollow. The physical pain from her surgery was sharp and real, but her heart felt like a flatline.

She read the text again. Don't be so dramatic.

A memory flashed in her mind. Last year, on the anniversary of her parents' death, Jeb had promised to go to the cemetery with her. Instead, he spent the entire day with Seraphina because it was her "first birthday without her husband."

Another memory surfaced. Six months ago, they had planned a two-week trip to Italy. Jeb canceled it three days before the flight because Seraphina was feeling "emotionally unstable" and needed him nearby.

Every single time she needed him, he chose Seraphina.

For years, Kelsi had made excuses for him. She told herself he was just a good man honoring his dead brother. She told herself she needed to be more understanding.

But last night, while she was writhing on the floor in agony, begging for a ride to the emergency room, he told her to call an Uber so he wouldn't miss a party.

The man she loved didn't exist. He was a phantom she had created in her own mind to avoid feeling lonely.

Patricia walked back into the room holding a thermometer. She placed it under Kelsi's tongue.

"No fever," Patricia noted. "The doctor says if your vitals stay stable, you can be discharged tomorrow morning. Since it was a laparoscopic procedure and you're young and healthy, you can recover more comfortably at home. But you'll need someone to come pick you up. You can't drive."

Kelsi nodded. She pulled the thermometer out. "Thank you."

Patricia smiled and left again.

Kelsi looked back at her phone.

She opened Gisele's chat first.

I'm okay. Surgery went well. Don't rush back, I'll be fine. I love you.

Then, she opened her chat with Jeb.

She stared at his name at the top of the screen. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. Her breathing was slow and even. The panic that usually accompanied any conflict with Jeb was completely gone.

She typed out the words with steady fingers.

Jeb, we're done. The engagement is off.

She didn't write a paragraph explaining her feelings. She didn't accuse him of anything. He didn't deserve her words anymore.

She hit send.

Without hesitating for a single second, she tapped his profile, scrolled to the bottom, and hit Block Caller. She opened her social media apps and blocked his accounts there, too.

She locked the phone and tossed it onto the bedside table.

She closed her eyes, feeling the steady throb of her surgical wound. For the first time in three years, she felt like she could finally breathe.

The morning sun was blinding as Kelsi walked out of the hospital's sliding glass doors.

She had refused the wheelchair the hospital offered. She walked slowly, her hand pressed firmly against her right side, her posture slightly hunched to protect her stitches. Every step sent a dull ache through her core, but she needed to walk out on her own two feet.

She had instructed the billing department to send the hospital invoice directly to Harrington Group. It was the absolute least Jeb owed her.

She stood on the curb and pulled out her phone to order an Uber. She typed in Gisele's address in SoHo, not the Hampton penthouse.

As she waited, her phone started vibrating in her palm. An unknown number flashed on the screen.

She hesitated, then swiped to answer.

"Kelsi!" A shrill, grating voice pierced her eardrum. "Why haven't you been answering your phone? Do you know I've been going crazy trying to reach you?"

Kelsi pulled the phone an inch away from her ear. "Aunt Brenda. What do you want?"

"Did you and Jeb get into a fight?" Brenda demanded, her tone dripping with accusation. "What about Kevin's job? You promised me you would talk to Jeb and get Kevin a position at Harrington Group!"

Kelsi closed her eyes. A wave of exhaustion washed over her.

Kevin Crowley was her lazy, entitled cousin. Ever since Kelsi got engaged to Jeb, her aunt and uncle had treated her like a golden ticket, constantly demanding favors and connections.

"I'm not talking to Jeb about Kevin," Kelsi said, her voice completely flat.

Brenda gasped loudly. "Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? Kelsi, don't you forget who took you in when your parents died! We fed you and housed you for years! Now you're acting like you're too good to help your own family?"

Kelsi let out a dry, humorless laugh.

Took her in. They had moved her into their cramped attic and used her parents' trust fund to pay off their own mortgage, all while complaining about the cost of her groceries.

"First of all," Kelsi said, her voice dropping to a cold, hard whisper. "My parents' trust fund paid for every single cent of my living expenses and my tuition. You didn't give me a dime. Second, Kevin's employment is his own problem. It has nothing to do with me."

"You ungrateful little brat!" Brenda shrieked. "You think the Harringtons are going to respect you if you cut off your own family? You need us to look good!"

"Don't worry about it," Kelsi said. "And don't call me for this kind of thing ever again."

She hung up the phone. She went straight to her settings and blocked the number.

A black SUV pulled up to the curb. Kelsi verified the license plate and climbed into the back seat, wincing as she settled against the leather.

Thirty minutes later, the Uber pulled up to Gisele's luxury apartment building in SoHo.

Gisele was already standing on the sidewalk. The moment Kelsi stepped out of the car, Gisele rushed forward, her hands waving frantically in the air.

"Oh my god, Kelsi! You look terrible!" Gisele grabbed Kelsi's arm, supporting her weight. Her dark eyes scanned Kelsi's pale face. "Where the hell is Jeb? Why didn't that bastard come pick you up?"

"We're done, Gisele," Kelsi said quietly as they walked toward the lobby.

Gisele stopped dead in her tracks. "Done? What do you mean done? Kelsi, don't be impulsive. Couples fight, it's normal..."

Kelsi turned to look at her best friend. Her eyes were clear and completely devoid of emotion.

"I'm not fighting with him," Kelsi said. "I left him. I need to borrow your car, or I need you to come with me. I have to go pack my things."

Gisele stared at her. She saw the absolute finality in Kelsi's expression. Gisele's mouth snapped shut. She nodded sharply.

Meanwhile, across the city, in the sleek, glass-walled executive office of Harrington Group.

Jeb Harrington threw his phone onto his mahogany desk. It hit the wood with a loud clatter.

He rubbed his temples in frustration. He had tried calling Kelsi three times. Every call went straight to voicemail. His text messages were bouncing back with red exclamation points.

She had blocked him.

Jeb scoffed, leaning back in his leather chair. Unbelievable. She was throwing a tantrum because he went to Seraphina's party instead of sitting in a hospital waiting room for a routine appendix removal.

She would get over it. She always did. Kelsi was soft. She had nowhere else to go.

He pressed the intercom button on his desk.

"Yes, Mr. Harrington?" his assistant answered immediately.

"Order a massive bouquet of roses. The expensive ones," Jeb commanded. "Send them to the penthouse. And track down Kelsi's location. Find out where she went after she checked out of the hospital."

He released the button and turned his attention back to his computer monitor. He wasn't going to chase her. He would let her cool off for a few days, and then she would come crawling back.

Kelsi sat on the plush velvet sofa in Gisele's living room. She held a mug of hot tea between her palms, letting the warmth seep into her cold skin.

Slowly, methodically, she told Gisele everything. She told her about the Vera Wang fitting room. She told her about the agonizing pain on the floor. She told her about the phone call, and Seraphina's voice in the background.

As Kelsi spoke, Gisele's face morphed from shock, to disbelief, to pure, unadulterated rage.

Gisele slammed her hand down on the coffee table. The tea in Kelsi's mug sloshed over the rim.

"He did WHAT?" Gisele screamed, jumping to her feet. She began pacing the room, her hands gesturing wildly. "That bastard! That absolute piece of trash! I'm going to his office right now and I'm going to kill him!"

Kelsi offered a small, tired smile. "It's not worth it, Gisele. I've already made my decision."

Gisele stopped pacing. She looked at Kelsi, taking in her pale face and the way she was carefully holding her stomach. Gisele took a deep breath, walked over, and sat down next to her. She grabbed Kelsi's hand and squeezed it hard.

"Okay. You're right," Gisele said fiercely. "He's not worth the jail time. I support you, one hundred percent. We are getting your stuff right now. You are not leaving a single pair of socks in that apartment for him." "Thank you," Kelsi murmured, a sudden clarity settling over her. "I need to get my life back in order, starting with my own finances. I've already scheduled a meeting with my family lawyer to review everything my uncle handled. No more loose ends."

They took Gisele's Range Rover to the Hampton penthouse.

Jeb wasn't home. Kelsi used her key to unlock the door. She stood in the entryway, looking at the expensive modern furniture. It looked like a magazine cover. It didn't look like a home. She felt absolutely nothing.

They worked like a military strike team. Within two hours, Kelsi's clothes, toiletries, and personal documents were packed into four large suitcases.

Gisele picked up a pair of Jeb's limited-edition sneakers. "Can I throw these in the toilet?"

"Leave them," Kelsi said, shaking her head.

Before they walked out the door, Kelsi walked over to the sleek console table in the foyer. Sitting right in the center was a massive, obnoxious bouquet of red roses. Jeb's assistant had been fast.

Kelsi pulled the three-carat diamond engagement ring off her finger. She placed it carefully on the table, right next to the roses. She dropped her apartment keys next to the ring.

The metal clinked against the wood. It sounded like a period at the end of a very long, very bad sentence.

By 8:00 PM, Kelsi's suitcases were piled in the corner of Gisele's guest room.

Kelsi was sitting on the edge of the bed in sweatpants, staring blankly at the wall.

Gisele walked into the room and threw a flowing, black silk A-line dress onto Kelsi's lap.

"Get up. Put that on. We are going out."

Kelsi frowned, looking down at the silk fabric. "Gisele, I just had surgery yesterday. I'm in pain, and I really don't have the energy."

"You don't need energy, you need a distraction," Gisele said, crossing her arms. "You are not sitting in my guest room moping over a man who chose his sister-in-law over you. Trust me. I know a place. It's exactly what you need."

An hour later, their Uber pulled up directly in front of a discreet, unmarked door in the Meatpacking District. Gisele carefully helped Kelsi out of the car, supporting her weight as they stepped onto the sidewalk, stopping in front of a dirty, abandoned-looking phone booth.

Gisele picked up the heavy receiver and spoke one word into the mouthpiece. "Valhalla."

The back wall of the phone booth slid open silently, revealing a dimly lit staircase. The low, thumping bass of jazz music drifted up from the dark.

It was a speakeasy. An exclusive, members-only underground club.

Kelsi followed Gisele down the stairs. The interior was stunning. Exposed brick walls, plush leather booths, and crystal chandeliers casting a warm, amber glow over the crowd. The air smelled of expensive bourbon and expensive perfume.

"Welcome to the cure," Gisele winked. "Your only job tonight is to drink a strong cocktail, look at beautiful men, and delete the name Jeb Harrington from your brain."

Kelsi sighed, but a small smile finally touched her lips.

Gisele led her to a corner booth and immediately ordered a round of drinks.

What Kelsi didn't know was that on the second floor, in a private VIP section overlooking the main bar, a man was standing by the railing.

He held a glass of whiskey in his hand. His dark, piercing eyes were locked directly on Kelsi.

He had been watching her since the moment she walked down the stairs.

He set his glass down on a passing waiter's tray. He turned to the man sitting on the sofa behind him.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said, his voice a low, smooth baritone.

He turned and began walking toward the stairs, his eyes never leaving the woman in the black dress.