Kaitlin stared at Hugh with cold eyes and said, "You are truly pathetic, Hugh. You believe everything other people tell you. It seems you lost your brain along with your memory."

"How could you say that?" Rosalie frowned.

Gently, Hugh patted Rosalie's back to calm her down, but then he looked at Kaitlin with a very scary and cold stare.

"Do not ever let Rosalie see your face again."

Kaitlin let out a sad, empty laugh and replied, "Sure."

To his surprise, Hugh felt a sudden pain in his heart, but he quickly ignored the feeling and acted like he didn't care.

Because Rosalie had stayed by his side after he fell into the sea, he felt he owed her everything. She had helped him walk again after he broke his leg and cried for him often, so he promised never to let anyone hurt her.

Hearing Rosalie's voice brought him back to the present moment. "Please don't hurt anyone for me, Hugh," she said with a shaky voice. "If what you do for me makes people think badly of you, I would rather just leave..."

"Don't be silly. You are the only person I love. If you leave me, I will have nothing. I already talked to your father, and we are getting married next month."

"As long as you stay with me, I will never leave you," Rosalie promised. She rested her head on his shoulder, but when he couldn't see her, a mean and evil smile appeared on her face.

While the storm grew worse outside, Kaitlin got drenched from the cold rain and walked the streets looking pale and lost.

In all her twenty-five years, this had been the saddest and most painful one to date.

She and Hugh had been each other's entire world since their days in the orphanage, a bond forged over twenty years of survival. It wasn't until five years ago that Hugh's biological family finally tracked him down and welcomed him back into high society.

And yet, that twenty-year history of shared struggle proved remarkably fragile, crumbling in the face of the mere six months he had known Rosalie.

A sleek, black luxury sedan glided to the curb in front of her. The door flew open, and a figure emerged, cutting through the rain toward her under the shelter of a large umbrella.

Kaitlin's vision blurred as her knees finally buckled. With the last of her energy drained, she pitched forward, falling directly into the broad, solid chest of the stranger.

After waking up in an unknown room, Kaitlin's survival instincts immediately spiked, her eyes darting around the lavish space.

"Finally awake?" a low, resonant voice asked, shattering the quiet of the room.

Perched on a black leather sofa near the bed, a man in a bespoke suit watched her; his face was a masterpiece of refined features and icy indifference.

A flicker of dark amusement danced in his eyes as he studied her with a languid, predatory interest.

Kaitlin recoiled, pressing herself against the headboard as she gasped, "Who on earth are you?"

His hand shifted lazily on the armrest, drawing her attention to the platinum bracelet he was holding-it was intricately designed with the shape of a delicate bluebell. "Suite 1107. Don't tell me your memory is that short."

As Kaitlin saw the bracelet, memories came rushing back.

Kaitlin's exhaustion was quickly overtaken by fury. "Why are you here? Get out!"

The man let out a dry, mocking snort. "Get out of my own home? I'm the one who just pulled you out of the rain. And you're mistaken-Hugh's setup was in 1109, but you walked into 1107."

Kaitlin froze as the reality of the situation began to sink in, her fingers bunching the expensive silk of the blanket as she finally recognized the man before her.

The situation was beyond surreal. This wasn't just some random stranger; it was Andrew Evans, the formidable CEO of the Evans Group in Zluasey. He was a power player her own firm had been desperate to court only months ago.

Handsome yet ruthless, he had already secured a powerful foothold in the domestic market at a young age.

Kaitlin swallowed hard. "What are you planning to do to me?"

Without warning, Andrew threw a legal document onto the table. "You know exactly what happened between us. I need a wife now. Once we have an heir, you can leave it with me and walk away with enough money to live in luxury for the rest of your life."

This plan would finally get his grandmother to stop nagging him about marriage and stop setting him up on terrible dates. Above all, it would give her the great-grandchild she wanted. To him, it was a flawless fix.

Kaitlin felt a cold shiver run through her.

"And why on earth would I agree to that?" she demanded.

He stood up, his tall shadow stretching over her where she sat. "Because I'm the only one who can help you fight against Hugh."

He walked out without looking back. Kaitlin sat there in shock for a moment before she finally picked up the contract to read the fine print.

The amount promised for the divorce settlement was a staggering five hundred million dollars.

That kind of money would guarantee her a life of complete freedom. Besides, the Evans family was far more powerful than either the Williams or Douglas families combined.

She realized that marrying Andrew might actually be a very safe way to protect her future.

She looked down at the platinum bracelet.

It was the very first gift Hugh had given her after he started his career. Even though it didn't really cost much, she had treated it like a priceless treasure for years. Now, it just seemed like a cruel joke.

For the next two weeks, Kaitlin stayed away from work and remained hidden in her home to heal. She ignored everyone except for her close friend, Haley Yates.

Haley had been her roommate back in college. Coming from a wealthy family in Zluasey, she had started her own law practice right after law school. For the last two years, she had been the one handling most of the legal trouble for the Pioneer Group.

Haley was always the first to know the latest gossip, and she spent the whole time trashing Hugh for being so cold-hearted while she spilled all the news. One piece of news was that Rosalie had already started parading around the office as Hugh's fiancee, and she was already moving into Kaitlin's old office to take over as general manager.

Kaitlin didn't have the strength to worry about the office drama. After some consideration, she had decided to accept Andrew's proposal.

She decided to lean into this new reality and forge a different path for herself.

She had been innocent from the very beginning, so she saw no reason to let herself be kicked out of the Pioneer Group in shame just to make room for another woman.

Kaitlin pressed her lips together, reached for her phone, and dialed the number she had been thinking about.

Over at the Evans estate, Doris Evans sat with her reading glasses on, occasionally peeking over them at Andrew, who was relaxing on the couch with a magazine.

"Why aren't you married? You won't even go on a date. I'm eighty years old, and I don't have much time left. Your father is a disgrace, and he clearly likes that other woman's son more than you. If you don't have an heir, who is going to keep your grandfather's company away from them when I'm gone?"

Andrew's father, Glenn Evans, had been unfaithful during his youth. The stress had devastated his wife, who tragically died from amniotic fluid embolism shortly after giving birth to a stillborn baby. Only six months after her death, Glenn had married again and moved in a son who was actually two years older than Andrew.

Andrew gave a cold smirk. "Don't worry, Grandma. I won't let him get anything."

At that exact moment, his phone started vibrating on the table.

Andrew looked at the caller ID, and a small smile appeared. "Grandma, your wish might be coming true sooner than you think."

Doris sat up straight, her eyes bright with excitement. "Oh, is that so?"

Andrew picked up the phone and put it on speaker. "Miss Clarke, do you have some good news for me?"

A woman's voice responded, sounding quiet but sure. "Yes. Is our deal still on?"

Cutting Kaitlin off before any word of the collaboration could even cross her lips, Andrew declared firmly, "The deal still stands. We're getting married immediately. Expect me there in thirty minutes."

Hanging up with a practiced flick of his wrist, he turned to meet Doris' wide-eyed, speechless gaze and explained, "Grandma, that setup of yours never showed. Luckily, I found a replacement-a manager over at Pioneer Group. She's sharp, stunning, and honestly, she's exactly the kind of woman you've always wanted for me."

Scrolling through his phone, he retrieved a photo of Kaitlin and held the screen out for her inspection.

Despite the flat lighting of a basic ID picture, Kaitlin's elegance was undeniable, her features aligning in a rare, poised harmony that caught the eye immediately.

"Perfect! I'm coming to the hospital with you," Doris announced, her face lighting up with a radiant, disbelieving joy that demanded physical proof.

Gently guiding her back down into her chair, Andrew urged, "Slow down. She's quite shy. Let's get the paperwork squared away first, and then I'll bring her over. We can dive into the wedding plans after that."

...

"Keep in mind that once your signature is on that paper, there's no undoing it," Andrew remarked, his voice as cold and transactional as a board meeting. "Are you absolutely certain about this?"

Nodding with a look of deep sincerity, Kaitlin took a moment to truly look at him, suddenly struck by the sharp, captivating pull of his features.

"My mind is made up, and the contract is already signed-I'll get it to you soon. I do have one request for the wedding, though. I want it on the fifteenth of next month, and I want it to be a massive affair that the whole of Zluasey talks about. Is that asking for too much?" She felt unsure. In the end, this was only a marriage of convenience, so she had no reason to expect an elaborate wedding.

To her complete astonishment, Andrew didn't even blink before answering, "Consider it done. Let's go get your gown and jewelry custom-ordered right now."

Entering the largest bridal boutique in Zluasey, Kaitlin immediately spotted Hugh sitting in the lounge area as soon as she opened the door.

Clad in a perfect suit, he was busy flipping through a magazine until the sound of the door caused him to glance up.

Kaitlin hadn't expected to run into him, and her emotions wavered for a few seconds before she quickly composed herself. Andrew was still in his car on a business call, leaving her to begin browsing styles on her own.

Looking at her with icy eyes, Hugh spoke with pure arrogance. "Kaitlin, have you no shame? Why are you following me here?"

Admittedly, his cruel words still caused a small, familiar ache deep in her chest.

Clenching her fists, she stood her ground. "You have a lot of nerve. Why would you assume I am following you?"

"What other reason would there be? You plotted against Rosalie just to force me to remember a past that I find disgusting."

He viewed their shared history as something revolting and completely beneath him.

Kaitlin fired back with her own contemptuous tone. "You are right about one thing. It is disgusting, but I am referring to you."

Hugh's expression darkened at once. He rose to his feet and closed the distance between them, step by step. "Don't push your luck, Kaitlin. I don't have the patience for you. If Rosalie sees you and gets upset, you won't like what comes next."

Laughing coldly, she brushed off his threat. "I am not obligated to follow your rules. I am here to pick out my own wedding dress."

He let out a derisive laugh, tightening his grip on her wrist. "A wedding dress? You're still holding on to the fantasy of becoming my wife? The only woman I will ever marry is Rosalie-the one who stood by me through everything, not a vicious, scheming woman like you."

"Hugh, who are you talking to?" A soft, sweet voice rang out as Rosalie's delicate face came into view.

Upon seeing Kaitlin, Rosalie's smile vanished as she stared at Hugh's hand gripping Kaitlin's wrist with a look of pure sorrow.

Disdainfully, Hugh shoved Kaitlin's hand away and hurried over to put a protective arm around Rosalie's shoulder while whispering to her.

Rubbing her sore wrist, she watched him care for the other woman and realized she felt no emotion at all.

Examining the gown Rosalie was wearing, Kaitlin frowned. "Miss Douglas, aren't you getting a custom dress? Or do you just enjoy taking things that others have already thrown away?"