Had he forgotten? This hidden room was where it all began for them, the place where they shared their first intimate moments. It held so much significance, a promise he made to never let anyone else step foot in this space.

Yet now, Callie watched with her own eyes as he tangled with another woman inside that very room.

The pain hit her like a wave, sharp and sudden. She pressed her hand against her chest, trying to hold herself together as she stumbled away. The place in her heart that once held warmth for him was now nothing but ruins.

Her eyes were red as she fled the scene, her steps hurried and frantic. In her rush, she collided with an employee on her way out.

The employee’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing her. He quickly covered his mouth. “Miss Dodson?”

“Don’t tell Reid I was here,” Callie whispered, her voice tight.

“Okay…” The employee hesitated, then nodded.

But as soon as Callie stepped through her front door, Reid’s phone call came through. His voice was frantic, as if he were running.

“Callie, did you just come to the office?”

Callie wiped away the tears, forcing a smile. “Yeah, but I couldn’t find you. So I left. I just wanted to ask if we should go check out the wedding venue.”

Before she could finish, she heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. The door swung open and Reid barged in, pulling her into his arms. His heartbeat was fast, unsteady and Callie could feel the tension in his touch.

His first crack in his usual composure, Reid stammered, “You were looking for me just for that?”

“Mm-hmm. Your office door was closed, so I came back.”

Reid exhaled sharply, pulling her even closer as he kissed the top of her head, a desperate gesture like a man clinging to life. “I thought... I thought… nevermind. I’ll leave the venue style to you. I’ll go with whatever you chose.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and said, “Since you leave it to me, let’s choose the most extravagant one. I want the world to see my wedding.”

“Of course,” Reid’s heartbeat slowed, his voice filled with affection. “Just let me know if you need more.”

“It’s okay. I don’t need you to pay for it,” Callie said, her words laced with an emotion Reid couldn’t quite place.

Her refusal made his thoughts spiral. In the past, Callie would always ask him to buy things for her, to surprise her with gifts. But now, why was she refusing everything he offered? It felt like she was pulling away, distant.

But she had agreed to marry him. In a few days, he was going to propose and they were about to have the kind of wedding everyone would envy. That couldn’t be wrong, could it? Callie loved him, surely she wouldn’t leave him.

He pushed the unsettling thoughts aside and dialed the finance department, instructing them to transfer ten million to Callie’s account.

“Callie, I know you can afford it yourself, but for something as important as a engagement party, I want to give you the best,” he said earnestly.

“The best,” Callie’s voice turned cold, her words sharp. “Did you ever give that ‘best’ to anyone else, Reid?”

Reid, holding her close, his tone unwavering, responded, “I’ve only ever given it to you.”

Callie let out a small, bitter laugh. “Only me?” she repeat to herself. Then what about everything with Geneva—the romantic gestures, the constant closeness, the video she sent just now? What were all those things?

“Why are you laughing?” Reid asked. Callie’s laugh got him warry. “Do you not believe me?”

“No, it’s..” she sighed, try to keep her tone relax. “I just remembered someone said something funny today. Well, since you love me so much, why don’t you throw me a birthday party tomorrow? In your office.” 

Reid instinctively tightened his hold on the phone but eventually agreed. “Okay.”

The next morning, Callie woke up, but Reid’s side of the bed was already empty.

Callie found a note left by Reid on the nightstand.

“Breakfast is on the table. Don’t forget to eat. I’ll have the driver pick you later and bring you to the office. I have a big surprise planned for you today.”

Callie made her way to the living room, where, as expected, a breakfast spread was waiting for her. This time, it was particularly lavish and it was clear that Reid had woken up early to prepare it.

Reid was a great cook, something he’d learned just for her. He had promised that for the next several decades, he would make sure she always had home-cooked meals. But Callie had no appetite. She had long since noticed Geneva’s social media posts.

Geneva had posted a picture of an identical breakfast a month ago. After Reid’s late nights, he had been staying with Geneva, preparing these same breakfasts for her every morning—always varied, never repeating, a mix of both Western and Asian.

It had been so long since Callie had seen such a rich Western breakfast. Most of the time, Reid would prepare porridge in a rice cooker to appease her.

Without thinking twice, Callie dumped the entire breakfast into the trash. Just as she was turning to leave, her phone buzzed with a message from Tommy.

[Tommy: Want to grab breakfast?]

[Callie: Be there soon!]

Another message from Tommy buzzed her phone, the location of a private high-end restaurant not far from her place.

Callie threw on her clothes, put light make up and left quickly. When she arrived, Tommy had already called over the waiter, giving instructions for the food to be served. All of dishes were already served on the table.

“There’s only both of us. Why you order so much?” Callie blinked in surprise. 

Tommy set a plate in front of her, then poured her a glass of water. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I ordered everything on the menu. And don’t worry about not finish it of. I'll take the leftover to go,” he explained lightly.

Callie nodded. She knew Tommy didn’t waste time on anything that wasn’t important, so this meal had to be about more than just food.

“Mr. Caldwell, if you have any additional requests to put on our agreement, feel free to say.”

Tommy’s face remained neutral as he reached out to wipe the food crumbs from Callie’s lips before speaking in a calm voice. “We’ll be married soon, so it’s normal for me to take you out for a meal. I’ve already met with your family and discussed the wedding. They say you like traditional style, so we’ll go with that theme. The venue and invitations are already taken care of. I’ve also arranged for a cultural heritage craftsman to custom-make your wedding gown. When you have time, I’ll take you to try it on.”

Callie didn’t know what to say. After finishing the breakfast, she simply nodded and said, “Okay.”

There was nothing for her to worry about at the moment.

Before she left, out-of-nowhere Tommy handed her a bouquet. Just happen to her favorite pink rose. 

“Happy Birthday,” he said calmly.

Callie thanked Tommy as she held the pink roses in her hands.

At that moment, Geneva’s message popped up on her phone—a picture of another bouquet of pink roses. She had deliberately photographed the message card, which read: “To my sweet baby, love me every day. You deserve everything others have.” The card was signed, TO: Geneva’s.

Just as Callie was processing the message, Reid’s own text arrived. Attached was a photo of a bouquet identical to the one Geneva had posted, except this one had a different message card. It simply said: “Happy Birthday.” The card was signed, TO: Callie.

Callie let out a cold laugh as she glanced at the bouquet of pink roses in her arms. She turned to Tommy and asked, “Have you given this to anyone else before giving it to me?”

“No,” Tommy answered briefly, his face serious.

Callie hugged the bouquet tightly, a small smirk curling on her lips as she walked into her office. As soon as she entered, a burst of confetti exploded around her.

The sight was overwhelming and for a moment, she stood frozen, the soft petals of the roses against her chest almost ironic in the midst of the celebration.

Reid entered shortly after, his eyes immediately landing on the bouquet in her hands. His smile faltered and his brow furrowed. “Who gave you those roses?” he asked, his tone more guarded than usual.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she replied, her voice casual, though her eyes never left his. “It’s from a friend.

But Reid wasn’t ready to let it go. He huffed in frustration and walked out of the room, only to return moments later, dragging behind him another massive arrangement of pink roses. This time, they filled an entire corner of her office, their scent overpowering. It was clear he’d ordered the flowers from all over the city, a display so extravagant it was almost theatrical. From a distance, it looked like Callie was standing in the middle of a vast flower field.

Without missing a beat, Reid dropped to one knee in front of her, pulling out a diamond ring. “Callie Dodson,” he said, his voice full of warmth and emotion, “I love you. Will you marry me?”

The office erupted with cheers and excited shouts.

“Oh, my, isn’t Mr. Matthews so amazing? Just because he’s jealous over a bouquet, he filled the entire room with roses!”

“I got here at 7 this morning and the security guard told me he was already here at 4 AM, preparing everything just for Miss Dodson’s birthday! If my boyfriend did something like this, I’d be so happy!”

“Look at how huge that diamond ring is! It must’ve cost a fortune!”

Callie’s hand remained unmoved as she stared at the ring. Reid had to reach out to place it on her finger. But the paused, confusion and frustration growing on his face.

“Where’s the ring I gave you before?” he asked, clearly doubtful.

“I lost it,” Callie swiftly pulled her hand back and, without another word, walked over to the cake. She began cutting it, serving slices to everyone around her.

Reid stood there, a mixture of guilt and confusion written across his face. It finally dawned on him that there’s something off with. He quickly grabbed a piece of cake himself and handed it to her, trying to salvage the situation.

“Look, I don’t mean to interrogate you. If the ring is lost, so be it. But could you please, wear this one for me? If I’ve done something wrong, please tell me. Don’t give me cold shoulder. So, what have I done?”

“I know,” Callie smiled faintly as she took a bite of the cake. “Everything is fine. Reid. I know. I know everything.”

Before Reid could respond, the phone rang, cutting through the tension. A security guard appeared at the door, informing Reid of an urgent matter.

“Mr. Caldwell, your assistant, Miss Vega just collapsed outside the office. She said she has some important documents for you and needs you to come right away.”

Reid immediately put down the ring box, panic flashing in his eyes. He rushed toward the door without thinking. But just as he was about to leave, Callie grabbed his shirt sleeve, holding him back.

“Reid,” she said, her voice low but firm, “You can have someone else get the documents. It’s my birthday. Don’t leave me alone.”

Reid hesitated, torn between his commitment to Callie and his responsibilities at the office. Finally, he sighed and gently pulled her hand off his sleeve.

“Callie, don’t be silly. You heard him. It’s important file. I can’t just trust it to some random. You should know this.”

With that, he rushed out, too quickly to even grab his phone. As soon as the door closed behind him, the phone buzzed.

She looked at the screen, her gaze hardening as Reid’s phone lit up. The sender was Geneva, her contact saved under the nickname “Foxy.”

Callie’s lips curled into a mirthless smile as she tapped on the chat. The messages between Reid and Geneva spilled out in a damning cascade, a record of intimacy that cut deeper with every word.

“Are you wearing pink today? That’s my favorite color on you. Does it feel as good as it looks, Foxy?”

“Don’t be jealous when I celebrate Callie’s birthday later. I’ll make it up to you with a special surprise just for you. Be good, okay? ”

“Foxy, go to the villa first. I’ll meet you there soon. I’ve canceled the afternoon meeting to spend the whole day with you. How does that sound?”

She marked the messages as unread and placed the phone back where Reid had left it, amidst the chaos of paperwork on the desk. Her chest felt heavy, but her face betrayed no emotion. It wasn’t shock—this was a confirmation, not a revelation.

Her hand rested briefly on the desk, steady as ever. She had seen enough.

Callie stared at the messages, feeling an eerie calm wash over her. She didn’t feel anger or betrayal—just numbness, as if her heart had already prepared itself for this.

After reading the messages, she marked them as unread and placed her phone carefully among the pile of papers on her desk. Her hands didn’t tremble. No, she was beyond that.

Reid returned not long after, looking flustered. His eyes darted around the room as he rifled through the papers on Callie’s desk, only to freeze when he saw his phone lying conspicuously in plain sight. His gaze flicked nervously from the phone to Callie. Guilt was written all over his face.