Lena Clermont fell hard for her dad's friend, Andrew Rohan—twelve years older.

The first time she saw him, he was all sharp suits and broad shoulders, effortlessly standing out. He smiled, patted her head, and handed her a princess dress.

Fast forward to twenty. He got drugged at a banquet. She wore that same dress, offering herself as the cure.

Lena Clermont fell hard for her dad's friend, Andrew Rohan—twelve years older.

The first time she saw him, he was all sharp suits and broad shoulders, effortlessly standing out. He smiled, patted her head, and handed her a princess dress.

Fast forward to twenty. He got drugged at a banquet. She wore that same dress, offering herself as the cure.

By morning, they were a wreck—clothes askew, air thick with implication.

Nicole Jenner, Andrew's childhood sweetheart, stood frozen in the doorway before bolting, tears blinding her. She never saw the truck.

She died on impact.

Andrew changed after that.

Buried Nicole with eerie calm. Married Lena with the same detachment. Took her to bed every night—cold, empty. And every time she got pregnant, he made sure it didn't last. Dragged her to the clinic over and over until the eighteenth time nearly killed her.

Lying on the operating table, weak and drained, she heard the doctor call him.

His voice was ice. "Is she dead? Let me know when she is."

That was the moment she finally got it.

He hated her. Hated that she'd been his so-called cure. Hated that Nicole was gone because of it.

As her heart monitor flatlined, regret swallowed her whole.

Then—she woke up.

Back in the same hotel room. Back on the night Andrew had been drugged.

Lena's breath hitched. Andrew lay on the bed, shirt half-unbuttoned, his usual cold expression softened by fevered exhaustion.

This was it. The moment that had wrecked everything. The moment she'd thrown herself at him, blind to the fallout.

But now she knew the truth.

Andrew and Nicole had always loved each other. They just never said it—until she came along and tore them apart.

Maybe fate pitied her. Maybe it was handing her a do-over.

This time, there was only one goal—make sure Andrew and Nicole ended up together.

She grabbed her phone and dialed.

Ten minutes later, Nicole burst in, breathless.

Lena took her hand. "He loves you. You love him. But neither of you ever said it. He's drugged right now—this is your chance."

Nicole hesitated, eyeing her like she'd lost it. "You've chased Andrew for years. And now, instead of taking advantage of this, you're handing him to me?"

Lena let out a dry laugh. Yeah, no wonder Nicole was suspicious of her. The whole city knew how obsessed she'd been.

She used to think love was about persistence. That if she just held on long enough, she could close the distance between them.

But love didn't work that way.

Shaking her head, she whispered, "I don't love him anymore. And I never will again."

A low, strained groan came from the room.

Time was running out.

"If you don't go in now," Lena said, "you'll regret it."

Nicole wavered, then bit her lip. "Then why are you still here? Want to listen in?"

Lena flinched but stepped aside.

The second Nicole reached out and touched Andrew's face, Lena shut the door.

Soft gasps, broken murmurs, the rustle of sheets—muffled but unmistakable.

Each sound slammed into her like a blow, shattering the last remnants of her past self.

She sank to the floor, hollowed out. Tears slipped down her cheeks, but strangely, relief settled in her bones.

At last, she was free.

Lena wiped her tears and stumbled back to her room.

Next door, Andrew and Nicole lost themselves in each other, no hesitation, no restraint.

Lena didn't sleep a wink.

At dawn, her phone rang.

Her dad, Benjamin.

"Lena, do you want to come live with me?"

Years ago, when Clermont Group expanded overseas, Benjamin had moved abroad alone. Worried he wouldn't have time for Lena, he left her in Andrew's care.

That arrangement lasted for years.

Later, she fell for Andrew. So even when the company stabilized and Benjamin begged her to join him, she refused.

But now, Andrew and Nicole were finally together.

It was time to move on.

She took a deep breath. "Dad, I'm ready to leave Altesia."

Silence. Then, Benjamin's voice—unusually excited. "Lena, you finally came to your senses! I told you—Andrew was never right for you. You were too stubborn, and nothing good could've come from it!

"There's nothing wrong with falling in love, but you need to pick the right person. I've already found you a fiancé—he's your age.

"Once you get to Engloria, spend some time with him. Just give it a shot. It won't hurt."

Lena's already swollen eyes burned again.

In her past life, he'd tried to talk sense into her, but she wouldn't listen. And she wasted everything because of it.

She clenched her palm, forcing a smile.

"Dad, I'll do as you say. I'll handle my immigration paperwork today."

After hanging up, Lena wiped her tears, grabbed her documents, and headed for the door.

The second she opened it, she nearly crashed into Andrew.

Faint red kiss marks trailed down his neck, stark against his skin. Even though she'd braced herself for what went down between him and Nicole, her gaze instinctively flicked away.

Andrew caught the reaction. Paired with her red-rimmed eyes, it wasn't hard to figure out what she was thinking.

His tone was firm. "Lena, whether you like it or not, Nicole and I are together now. I'm marrying her.

"Since you're staying here, show her some respect and drop those ridiculous things you used to say."

Lena's voice was steady. "Got it, Uncle Andrew."

He froze.

It had been years since she called him that. When she first moved into his place, it was always "Uncle Andrew" in that sweet, little voice. But the second she caught feelings? She dropped the title, refusing to use it again.

His frown deepened, about to say something—

"Andrew, I brought my luggage! Which room should I take?"

Andrew snapped out of it, turning to pull Nicole into his arms. "You like sunlight. Lena's room faces south and gets the best light. I'll have her move to the guest room—you can stay there."

A flicker of triumph flashed in Nicole's eyes, though her voice dripped with fake modesty. "Oh, I don't want to impose. Compared to Lena, I'm the newcomer. Maybe I should take the guest room instead?"

She started down the stairs, but the next second—

A startled yelp.

Andrew had swept her back into his arms. "You're going to be my wife—the lady of this house. How could you stay in the guest room?"

"But Lena's been in that room for so long. Moving all of a sudden... won't that be hard on her?"

Andrew glanced at Lena by the doorway. "She'll have to get used to it. She needs to accept that I'm getting married, that this house has a mistress now, and that she's nothing more than an outsider."

Lena's lashes trembled. A self-mocking smile tugged at her lips.

An outsider.

He wasn't wrong. That's exactly what she was.

She exhaled softly. "I'll pack up now."

It didn't matter. Soon, she'd be gone—back to her father, never stepping foot here again.

This house belonged to Andrew and Nicole.

***

Lena buried herself in embassy paperwork, leaving early, coming back late—anything to dodge Andrew.

Didn't matter. She still saw it. His over-the-top devotion to Nicole.

If Nicole had no appetite, he flew in world-class chefs.

If she felt sick, he ditched billion-dollar deals to stay by her side.

If she so much as glanced at a piece of jewelry, it was in her hands within minutes—hand-delivered by him.

Lena just watched. No drama. No tears.

While waiting for her immigration papers, she started packing. Clothes first. Then, every pathetic love letter she'd ever written him. Sketches, too. All of it went into a box.

She planned to throw it all away.

Box in hand, she headed for the door—only to collide straight into Andrew. He was carrying desserts. Probably for Nicole.

She ignored him, kept walking.

Pain shot through her wrist. He had grabbed her.

"You've been avoiding me?"

Lena frowned. "I'm not."

Andrew stepped in, eyes locked on her. "Still denying it? You leave early, come back late, won't even say hi. If that's not avoiding me, what is? Because I'm with Nicole now?"

Lena shook her head fast. "No! Uncle Andrew, I'm genuinely happy for you. You found the one you love, and as someone who grew up around you, I really do wish you both happiness. Don't worry—I know you'll never like me, so I won't like you anymore either."

She said it so matter-of-factly, like it was just a simple truth.

Andrew's expression darkened.

Lena not liking him? Yeah, right.

"You confessed, I rejected you. You clung to me, I rejected you. And now what? Changing tactics?" His eyes didn't miss the slight flicker in hers, and his suspicion only grew.

He stepped closer, gaze dropping to the box in her arms. "You don't like me anymore? Then why write me all these love letters? Why sketch me over and over? You chased me for years, and now you expect me to believe you just stopped? Lena, don't you think that's laughable?"

She met his gaze, silent.

She knew how crazy it sounded.

She'd cried wolf too many times. Who would believe her now?

But that didn't make it any less true.

"I did love you," Lena said, voice steady. "For a long time. But you'll never love me back. So I've really given up."

Then, without hesitation, she flipped the box over, dumping everything onto the floor.

One by one, she picked up the letters, the sketches—ripping them apart right in front of him.

Shreds of her past feelings fluttered around them, weightless, meaningless.

Andrew didn't look relieved. If anything, his expression darkened.

For a second, she wondered if she was imagining it.

But before the thought could settle, his voice cut through the air, cold and sharp.

"Keep up the act. But remember this—no matter what tricks you play, the only girl I'll ever love is Nicole."

***

After that day, Lena and Andrew didn't exchange a single word.

She was done. He thought she was playing hard to get. So he ignored her.

The tension dragged on until the Rohan family's private banquet.

These events used to revolve around Lena—Andrew's parents adored her, doting on her every chance they got. They'd fuss over her until Andrew inevitably swooped in and pulled her away.

Now? It was all about Nicole.

She was the future lady of the Rohan family. Lena? Just an outsider.

That morning alone proved how much they valued Nicole. The moment she arrived, Andrew's mother, Coreene, slipped the Rohan family's heirloom bracelet onto her wrist.

Lena had never even laid eyes on that bracelet in her past life.

At dinner, the family openly discussed the wedding date. By the end of the banquet, it was set.

As Lena was about to leave with Andrew, Coreene suddenly stopped her.

"I need a word with you. In private."

Inside the study, Coreene skipped the pleasantries.

"Lena, it's time for you to leave Andrew." Her tone was sharp, leaving no room for debate. "He's with Nicole now. Staying here will only embarrass you—and cause trouble for him. What's the point?"

Not a hint of warmth.

A bitter taste settled in Lena's mouth. Coreene used to adore her—until the day she confessed to Andrew. From then on, she was reckless, shameless... a nuisance.

Lena's fingers curled into her palm. "Don't worry, I'm leaving."

She pulled out her immigration papers and handed them over.

"I already told my father I'm moving abroad. He even arranged a fiancé for me. From now on, I'll stay far away from Uncle Andrew—I won't bother him again."

Coreene studied the documents before her expression finally eased.

"You'd better keep your word."

Once Coreene left, Lena exhaled slowly, finally relaxing.

She tucked the documents back into her bag and turned to leave—only to find Andrew standing in the doorway.

Their eyes met.

His voice was cold. "Who are you planning to stay far away from?"

Lena's mind blanked.

She had no idea how much he'd heard, but instinct screamed that he couldn't know she was leaving.

Shaking her head, she muttered, "No one. You misheard."

She turned to walk past him, but before she could take a step, his voice brushed against her ear.

"I know you don't want to leave Altesia. You don't have to move out after I marry Nicole. Your father and I are old friends—I can take care of you for the rest of your life."

Lena's eyes widened.

Behind him, Nicole, who had just walked in, froze.

Silence. Thick. Heavy.

Then Nicole's resentful glare snapped Lena back to reality.

Without another word, Lena turned and walked away.