Chapter 1

Theron canceled our engagement for the third time.

"Diana has her solo concert that day,"he stated over the phone,his tone leaving no room for argument."I refuse to miss it.A few months'delay won't kill you."

The first time,he abandoned my birthday because Diana felt"homesick"abroad.

The second time,he ditched our anniversary to chase her on a spontaneous road trip.

Now,this.My heart didn't break;it simply froze solid.

I hung up the phone and turned to Evander Thorne—my childhood friend and the untouchable prince of the Royal City.

Meeting his dark,unwavering gaze,I asked,"Do you need a fiancée?"

On the day of our supposed engagement ceremony,Theron was affectionately hugging Diana at the celebration banquet for her concert when he saw Evander's engagement with me.The event was broadcast all over the city,and as he watched,his eyes turned red.

Evander looked at me and asked,"Have you thought this through?Can you really forget about Theron?"

I spread my hands helplessly.“I gave him enough chances.This is the third time he’s canceled our engagement for the same woman.Maybe this is fate telling me we were never meant to be together.Even the warmest feelings can't thaw a frozen heart,can they?"

Evander smiled."If you're sure about this,I want to hold a grand engagement ceremony.The Thorne Family has quite a list of guests to invite,and I want everyone to know exactly who I’m marrying.”

I looked at him,trying to peer into Evander's heart.What I saw was unwavering determination.Summoning a courage I didn’t know I had,I answered,“Alright.”

I went home and began packing my belongings.When Theron came back home and saw my suitcase,he sneered,"Are you running away from home again?Veda Sterling,aren't you tired of running away every time we quarrel?You've done this for the entire four years we’ve been together."

"It's just postponing the ceremony!Why do you have to make a big deal out of it?Postponing the ceremony for a week doesn't mean I refuse to marry you,okay?"The irritation in his voice was evident.It seemed he wanted to slam the door and leave.

I replied calmly,"I'm not running away.I'm just organizing my things."Though in my heart I told myself that this time I would leave him for good.

Theron loosened his tie and carelessly ordered me,"Oh?Well,since you’re tidying up,why not prepare the guest room as well?Diana told me this place is closer to her concert venue,so she’ll be staying here for a while.”

I pushed my packed suitcase to the corner and answered without looking up,“Alright.I’ll have Julie clean the guest room tomorrow.”

My easy willingness stunned Theron.His tone softened when he spoke again,"Okay,I know I made you upset.So,tomorrow,how about you go to the jewelry store and pick up a set of jewelry.It's my gift to you.I've also been busy these days,you know,with Diana back and all.What's more,her house hasn't been lived in for ages,so I have to accompany her to clean and decorate it."

He added,"For now,you just have to worry about our engagement preparation.Once Diana's concert is over,I’ll make it up to you.Is that okay?”

It felt like a heavy stone had been lifted from my chest,so I told him,“There’s no need to accompany me.I have plenty of things to keep me busy.I’m just sorting through some old things and doing some cleanup.”

Theron did not inquire about the reason I suddenly wanted to clear up things in a house I just moved into.Instead,he looked at me with relief.“The last time she was here,Diana mentioned she didn’t like you using the sunroom as a studio.She wanted to practice her piano there.So you’re finally ready to move all your junk away?”

As I took a deep breath,I replied,"Yes,I thought it through.The sunroom will be hers starting tomorrow.”Silently,I added:and so will you.

The next day,Diana returned to the city.I had not even had the time to get out of bed when photos of her and Theron embracing at the airport went viral online.This breaking news landed them at the top of the trending charts.