Chapter 1

For seven years, I've been dating Celeste Monroe, a CEO who never keeps her promises. Every time we make plans, she's either late or doesn't show up at all.

The first time, her newly hired male assistant, Grady Keller, lost an important contract. I waited at the restaurant until closing, had my food reheated three times, and never heard a word from her.

The second time, Grady called to say he was lost. Celeste was already downstairs when she got the call, but I sat through the entire movie without ever seeing her.

After that, whenever Celeste and I had plans alone, Grady would suddenly have some kind of emergency. She would disappear without a word, then laugh it off afterward and promise she'd make it up to me next time.

Then came the day I planned to propose.

Once again, she vanished without warning.

But this time, I didn't wait. I boarded a ferry to another country.

That was when she started flooding my phone with messages, desperately begging me to forgive her.

Chapter 1

"Man, is Celeste still not here? The candles are almost burned out."

One of my friends, who'd helped set everything up for the occasion, approached me cautiously.

I looked around at the proposal I'd spent so much time planning. Rose petals covered the floor, and candles flickered all around us. What had seemed romantic hours ago now felt like it was mocking me for ever believing this night would happen.

I picked up my phone and called my girlfriend, Celeste Monroe, for the seventh time.

"The person you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please try again later."

At the familiar automated message, I hung up and forced a bitter smile. "Here we go again."

No response to my texts. No answer to my calls. Just disappearing without a word.

By now, it was practically routine whenever Celeste and I had plans.

Obviously, her assistant, Grady Keller, had gotten himself into some kind of trouble again, and she'd dropped everything to help him.

I waved a tired hand. "Let's call it. You guys can go home."

I'd barely started sending everyone home when my phone suddenly rang.

Celeste.

My heart leaped. After all the times she'd disappeared on me, this was the first time she'd ever called me first.

She was late, and the proposal was already far from perfect, but none of that mattered. As long as she came.

"Celeste, where are—"

But the voice on the other end wasn't hers. It was Grady's, thick with irritation.

"Luca Reynolds, can you quit blowing up her phone? She's watching a movie with me. Seriously, how desperate can you get?"

My mind went blank.

A movie?

In seven years together, Celeste and I had never once gone to the movies. She was always too busy.

Busy with work. Busy entertaining clients. Busy with one obligation after another.

Even when I'd suggested going on one of her rare days off, she'd always said movies were a waste of time. If I had that much time to spare, she said, I should study the market and help take some of the pressure off her.

So it wasn't that she didn't have time. She just hadn't wanted to waste any of it on me.

I forced down the anger burning in my chest. "Put Celeste on the phone."

Grady gave a mocking laugh. "Wow. Bossy, aren't we? She's busy. I was thirsty, so I sent her downstairs to grab me a milkshake.

"Seriously, save yourself the trouble and take the hint. She's spending the rest of the day with me. She's not coming to see you.

"Oh, and I almost forgot. She bought me a new watch. It's gorgeous—"

I hung up before he could finish and blocked the number.

Even back in college, Grady had constantly used the excuse that he was a younger student who needed help studying to get Celeste to meet him.

After we graduated and started working, I'd thought things would finally go back to normal.

Chapter 2

Grady had somehow convinced Celeste to hire him at her company as her personal assistant.

For years, he'd found one excuse after another to ruin every date Celeste and I planned.

I'd realized a long time ago that something wasn't right. I just hadn't wanted to believe that seven years together could fall apart so easily.

But now, I'd finally run out of patience. It was time to leave.

Instead of going home, I headed straight to the office. If I were walking away, I would want a clean break.

I went to HR and handed over the resignation letter I'd already prepared.

Vanessa Quinn, the HR manager, stared at me in surprise. "Luca, are you sure about this? You've spent three years working your ass off on the New Horizon project, and you're about to be promoted to manager. Walking away now would be such a waste."

I couldn't blame her for being shocked. I'd been with the company since its early days, and I'd just landed a major project, but none of that mattered as much as finally setting myself free.

"I'm sure."

Vanessa seemed to realize something. She picked up her pen and quickly signed off on my resignation. "That makes sense. You and Celeste have been together for years, and I heard you were proposing today.

"You two have always been so close, so I guess it went well. There's no reason for you to keep working this hard anymore. Congratulations. I hope you two have a wonderful marriage."

I immediately understood. She thought I was quitting so I could live comfortably as the CEO's husband.

I was leaving anyway, so I couldn't be bothered to explain.

As for Celeste and me, there had been a time when we really were happy. So happy that I'd believed we'd stay together forever.

But that was all in the past.

Back then, Celeste hadn't been a CEO. She'd just graduated from college.

We'd crammed ourselves into a tiny apartment, lived on the cheapest frozen dinners we could find, and worked side by side toward our dreams.

We didn't have much money, but we had each other.

Together, we'd struggled through countless difficult days and sleepless nights until Celeste finally proved herself, defeated the greedy relatives who'd tried to take advantage of her, and regained control of the company her parents had left behind.

I'd thought nothing between us would ever change. Reality had proved me painfully wrong.

I took a deep breath, pulled out my phone, and called my friend who worked in tourism abroad.

"Hey, Tyler. Can you book me a flight to Caldria? The sooner, the better."

"What? Luca, why are you coming all of a sudden? Are you bringing Celeste for a vacation?" Tyler Harmon sounded genuinely surprised.

"No. Just me. Arrange everything. I'll explain the rest when I get there."

I didn't want to explain. I just wanted to get away as quickly as possible.

There was a reason I'd chosen that particular country. It was where Celeste's parents had died in a car accident. The place held memories she never wanted to revisit. I was certain she would never follow me there.

She had her responsibilities, her career, and... Grady.

As for me, all I wanted was somewhere quiet where I could heal and start my life over.

After hanging up, I spent the rest of the day taking care of everything I needed to do before leaving.

By the time I finished, it was already late at night. Exhausted, I dragged myself home, ready to get some sleep.

But the moment I opened the door, I froze. The living room lights were on.

Celeste was sitting on the couch, apparently waiting for me.

What was she doing here?

Chapter 3

Wasn't she supposed to be with Grady?

Celeste looked up. A trace of guilt crossed her face when she saw me. "Luca, you're back. You blocked my number. I've been waiting for you. I need to talk to you."

I stared at her coldly without saying a word.

Celeste sighed. She walked over and reached for my hand.

"I know you're angry about what happened today. But there really was a reason.

"Grady... he's claustrophobic, and he's afraid of the dark. The lights suddenly went out in the theater, and he... he got so scared that he passed out. I had no choice but to take him to the hospital."

Her voice was soft and gentle.

I instinctively pulled my hand away.

Afraid of the dark?

Claustrophobic?

I almost laughed.

The arrogant, obnoxious Grady I'd heard on the phone certainly hadn't sounded like someone who'd just passed out from fear.

Besides, Celeste always had some bizarre excuse. Maybe she wasn't tired of making them, but I was definitely tired of hearing them.

More importantly, today was our seventh anniversary. She'd probably forgotten all about it.

When I remained cold toward her, Celeste reached into her bag and pulled out an elegant box. "Luca, I know you're hurt, but please believe me...

"This is for you. It's your seventh-anniversary gift. I spent a long time picking it out. See if you like it."

There was a hint of anticipation in her voice, as though she hoped the gift would make up for what she'd done today.

I was genuinely surprised. She actually remembered our anniversary?

Still skeptical, I took the box and opened it.

A Patek Philippe watch rested on a velvet cushion. The face gleamed with understated luxury. There was no question it was expensive.

But...

I picked it up and examined it more closely.

A faint floral scent clung to the band. Neither Celeste nor I ever wore fragrance. Grady did.

And the watch itself...

Someone had clearly cleaned it carefully, but there were still tiny scratches along the inside of the band. It had obviously been worn before.

Suddenly, everything made sense. This must have been one of Grady's old watches. After all, he'd made a point of bragging to me earlier that Celeste had bought him a new one.

Maybe she'd come home, seen the candlelit dinner I'd set up, and suddenly remembered that today was our seventh anniversary.

So she'd grabbed one of Grady's old watches and hurriedly passed it off as my anniversary present.

What a "thoughtful" gift.

I looked up at the expectation in Celeste's eyes, and a wave of bitterness washed over me. I was about to refuse it when she spoke first.

"Luca, I know how important that project you've been working on is to you.

"But Grady's been with the company for a while now, and he hasn't really accomplished anything. People are starting to talk... Some of them are even saying he should be fired..." She hesitated.

"Could you... give the project to Grady?" She chose her words carefully, as if afraid I might get angry.

A bitter laugh escaped me.

So even this "thoughtful" secondhand gift had come with strings attached. She hadn't been trying to make things right with me at all. She'd only come here because she wanted to use me to clear the way for Grady.

Chapter 4

"Okay," I agreed without hesitation.

I'd already resigned anyway. That project didn't mean anything to me anymore. Giving her what she wanted could be my final farewell to our relationship.

I left the watch where it was, turned, and went into the bedroom to start packing.

Celeste watched me for a moment, surprised. "Are you going on a business trip? Is it urgent?"

"Yeah." I nodded without explaining further.

"That makes sense. You probably shouldn't take such an expensive watch on a business trip anyway. I'll help you pack."

For some reason, Celeste seemed relieved. Even her voice became lighter. She came over and started helping me organize my clothes.

But a moment later, her hands suddenly stopped. "Luca, where's the good-luck charm I gave you? Why aren't you bringing it?"

The good-luck charm?

It took me a second to remember. She'd made it for me herself when we'd first started dating.

Back then, Celeste had still been a sweet, uncomplicated college girl. There hadn't been all these secrets and calculations between us.

When she worried about how I was doing at work, she'd drag me out early on a Saturday morning to make a wish for me at a little chapel.

In crowded places, she'd cling tightly to my hand because she was afraid we'd get separated.

Once, I'd gotten seriously sick while away on a business trip. She'd been so worried that she'd spent an entire day at the chapel praying for my safety.

Afterward, she'd taken the red cord she'd received there and carefully sewn it, stitch by stitch, into a small fabric pouch. Then she'd attached the charm to my bag herself.

"Luca, you have to bring this every time you travel, okay? That way, I'll always be there keeping you safe!"

Her eyes had sparkled when she smiled, bright as stars. Maybe she'd really loved me back then. I'd certainly believed that love would last forever.

Every time I traveled for work, I'd carefully bring that charm with me, as though I were carrying her blessing and her love.

But now...

That love had changed a long time ago.

And without it, the blessing meant nothing either. Now the charm was nothing more than a superfluous trinket.

Celeste opened her mouth to say something else when her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the screen, and all the color immediately drained from her face.

I didn't need to guess who it was. Who else but Grady could make her react like that?

"Luca, I… Something came up at the office. I need to go take care of it right away." She looked up at me, practically pleading with her eyes.

When I didn't respond, she hurried to explain, "You're not leaving until tomorrow night, right? We still have time. I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow. We'll go out, just the two of us."

"I promise nothing will go wrong this time. I swear. I'll be back by noon at the latest, and I'll spend the rest of the day with you. Okay?"

She reached for my hand. I moved away before she could touch me.

She really had some nerve. After everything that had happened, did she honestly think I still believed her promises?

"Go. You've got plenty to deal with at the office. Wouldn't want to keep you from something important." I couldn't keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

"Okay. It's a promise. As soon as I'm done, I'll come back tomorrow and spend the day with you." Celeste bit her lip, but in the end, she still turned and left.

I watched her hurry away.

The irony was almost laughable.

Chapter 5

I went back to the bedroom, lay down, and closed my eyes.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I was completely at ease. I fell into a deep sleep.

In seven years, I'd never slept so peacefully. No anxiety, no uneasiness, no wondering where she was or what she was doing.

I slept straight through until noon the next day.

When I woke up, I picked up my phone and checked it.

No missed calls or unread messages.

Sure enough, Celeste had forgotten her promise yet again. She hadn't even tried to contact me.

I should've known. She was always like this, making promises without a second thought, then breaking them just as easily.

I left my breakup letter and the good-luck charm in plain sight on the table. Then I grabbed my suitcase and walked out of our home without looking back.

...

Before long, I arrived at the port. The ocean breeze brushed across my face, carrying the faint scent of salt.

I'd always loved the ocean, yet in all seven years Celeste and I had been together, we'd never once gone to see it together.

She'd always been too busy. If it wasn't the company, it was Grady.

That was why I'd deliberately chosen to travel by ferry this time.

I boarded and stepped onto the deck, ready to enjoy the view, when my phone buzzed. I pulled it out and saw a new social media post from Grady. He'd uploaded a photo.

Celeste was asleep beside his hospital bed, her fingers intertwined with his.

Apparently worried I might somehow miss the point, Grady had even tagged me in the comments.

[Luca, my stomach's acting up again. Good thing Celeste was here running around taking care of me all day.]

[I saw an alarm on her phone. Looked like she was supposed to meet you, but she was so exhausted she fell asleep. You understand, right?]

[And don't get mad about us, okay? Celeste and I really did have "nothing happen" last night!]

Maybe Grady thought he'd finally gotten close enough to Celeste that he didn't need to pretend anymore. Today, he wasn't even bothering to hide the fact that he was deliberately provoking me.

I simply smiled and gave the post a like.

I was about to put my phone away when a voice call from Celeste suddenly appeared on the screen. My finger slipped, and I accidentally answered.

"Luca! Let me explain!" Her frantic voice came through the phone.

"What happened yesterday really was a misunderstanding! I didn't mean to do it. I was just... I was so busy that everything got away from me, and I forgot to tell you...

"Grady's still young. He doesn't know any better. Please don't take anything he says seriously!

"I've already booked a hotel. As soon as you get back from your business trip, we'll get engaged—"

Before Celeste could finish, the ferry started moving. A deafening horn echoed across the harbor.

Celeste went silent. Then she asked uncertainly, "Luca... where are you? Why do I hear a ship? Aren't you supposed to be away meeting a client?"

I simply replied in a calm, detached tone, "No. I'm going to Caldria. And as for us... I don't ever want to see you again."

I hung up.

The ferry slowly pulled away from the harbor and headed toward open water.

The signal on my phone grew weaker and weaker, and in the final moments before I lost service completely, Celeste's calls started pouring in one after another.