Chapter 1

Winter was deepening as my wife and I moved into our new home in Coastal City with our son.

The wind carried the salty scent of the sea, hitting us as we arrived. To our surprise, we ran into Aunt's family right at the entrance of our building.

They stared at us with complex expressions. Aunt spoke up immediately, asking when I'd be able to let go of the past after all these years away and return home to have a proper talk with Seraphina, the heiress to the Johnson Group.

Seraphina was my first love from college. Five years ago, we had plans to get married.

But on my birthday, she suddenly changed her attitude.

In the dim light of a bar, she smashed the gift I had carefully prepared right in front of me, then left abruptly with Mason, her college roommate's younger brother.

Furious, I broke up with her on the spot and packed my bags, escaping to this small, sea-breeze-swept town of Coastal City.

Now reunited, Aunt sighed and tried to persuade me.

"Seraphina has never really gotten over you. On the day of her engagement to Mason, she said she'd be willing to start over with you if you'd come back for her."

Start over?

I forced a faint smile and calmly replied.

"Aunt, I got married three years ago. My son is two now."Seraphina probably thought I was still trying to one-up her, little did she know I had already turned the page to a new chapter in my life.

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1

The news of my marriage never made it back to my hometown.

So when I unexpectedly ran into my aunt in Coastal City, she was completely in the dark.

Snowflakes fell like cotton, as I walked with an umbrella at the street corner, carrying a remote-control car I'd bought for my son, passing by the seaside boardwalk.

From a distance, I spotted my aunt and cousin standing there, staring at me with shock on their faces.

Having not seen each other for five years, the first words out of my aunt's mouth were reproachful.

"Mike, where have you been hiding all these years? Not a peep, not even a phone call!"

I glanced at her sideways, my face as cold as ice, without a hint of warmth at our reunion.

In contrast, my aunt and cousin were as excited as if they'd discovered buried treasure.

My cousin spoke urgently.

"Bro, you've finally shown up. Seraphina's been looking for you all these years. Come back with us, quick!"

My aunt chimed in.

"That's right, Mike. You don't know, Seraphina's now in charge of the family business, making waves in the social circles."

"If you get back together with her, you'd be the envy of everyone as the son-in-law of a wealthy family. Our family could bask in some of that glory too, don't you think?"

My aunt was beaming, and my cousin looked hopeful, fantasizing about how one person's success could elevate the whole family.

The funny thing is, they never gave a damn about me before.

After my parents passed away, they cut off contact, like we were strangers.Now seeing that I might be of some use, they're as warm as long-lost relatives.

I let out a cold laugh, shattering their illusions.

"Seraphina and I have been over for a long time."

Mentioning this long-buried name, my tone was as indifferent as if I were discussing today's wind direction.

As if she were just an insignificant passerby.

Aunt and cousin froze, falling silent for a moment, then eyeing me with strange looks.

Clearly, they didn't believe I could be so nonchalant.

After all, my obsession with Seraphina back then was the talk of the entire campus.

They gossiped behind my back, saying that Carlisle kid had no parents to teach him, always messing around, just a troublemaker with no direction.

During my student days, I was inseparable from Seraphina of the Zhao Group.

In high school, I had a bold personality, and those idle gossips never made me frown.

It was only because in our freshman year, Seraphina and I became official, and I was convinced she'd be my lifelong partner.

So, I was always clinging to her.

Dragging her to watch games, staying up late to help her prepare for debate competitions.

From when we met at seventeen until we were twenty-one, we were practically joined at the hip.

If not for that accident, at twenty-five, I should have been engaged to her.Unfortunately, that summer vacation, Seraphina's college roommate's brother Mason came to stay at her house for a short visit.

Mason was refined and shy, with gentle manners - the perfect gentleman in others' eyes.

Standing next to me, he seemed like the more suitable one for her.

While I was too reckless.

Indeed, it was how someone my age should be, but not how the person by her side should be.

"After all, he's just an unruly kid with no parents to keep him in check. How could he compare to the poised young man from the Yates family?"

These rumors crept into my ears, filling me with anger and shame. I wanted to find Seraphina and ask her directly if she also thought I wasn't good enough.

But when I arrived at the agreed-upon open-air bar, I found Mason was there too.

He smiled gently.

"Mr. Carlisle, I was bored during summer break, so Seraphina brought me out for a stroll. You don't mind, do you?"

Normally, I wouldn't have cared.

But that day was my birthday.

Seraphina had promised to celebrate with me, yet she casually handed Mason the gift I had prepared - a handmade ring I had carved myself.I stared at the handmade ring on Mason's finger, remembering the late nights I'd spent painstakingly crafting it. My heart felt like it was being set ablaze, ready to explode.

"Seraphina, what the hell is this about?"

The bar was a cacophony of voices, with the sea breeze carrying the stench of alcohol.

My sudden outburst caught her off guard.

She glanced at Mason with a frown, then pulled me outside, speaking in a hushed tone.

"He had nothing to do over summer break, so I thought I'd show him around. Why are you overreacting like this?"