Chapter 5

The day before the wedding.

Ethan finally came home.

When he unlocked the door, I was sitting on the sofa, sipping water.

"Chloe, I'm back."

He kicked off his shoes and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"Isla's fever is down. Now I can finally focus on our big day."

He walked into the living room, threw his coat over the back of the sofa, and sat down next to me.

"How was the rehearsal? No issues, right?"

He reached out to put his arm around my shoulder.

I held my mug and casually leaned away, just enough to make his hand land on empty air.

Ethan frowned and pulled his hand back.

"Still mad? I told you, Isla was really sick. I couldn't just abandon her."

He sighed, his voice dripping with condescending tolerance.

"Alright, the wedding is tomorrow. I'm here now, aren't I?"

He stood up, walked over to the coffee table, and pulled his laptop out of his briefcase.

"I haven't written my vows yet. Better get on it."

He opened the laptop and connected to the Wi-Fi.

I watched his profile.

I watched him expertly open that familiar ChatGPT tab.

"Write a wedding vow. 800 words. Make it emotional and express deep, undying love for my fiancée."

He tapped away on the keyboard.

Soon, paragraphs of gorgeous, flowery prose appeared on the screen.

Ethan stared at the screen, highly satisfied. He even muttered a few lines aloud.

"Meeting you is the greatest miracle of my life..."

He turned to look at me.

"Chloe, what do you think of this line?"

I looked at him.

I looked at the man who was about to marry me, yet couldn't even be bothered to write a single word from his own heart.

"It's great," I said softly.

"I knew you'd like it."

Ethan smiled and copied the text into a Word document.

He was so oblivious that he hadn't even noticed what was missing from the apartment.

My plants on the balcony were gone.

My skincare products in the bathroom were gone.

And my side of the closet held nothing but empty hangers.

He was so sure I could never leave him.

He was so sure I would sleep soundly next to him tonight, just like I had for the past three years.

"I'm going to take a shower," Ethan said, closing his laptop. "We have an early morning tomorrow. You should sleep early too."

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

I stood up and walked to the hallway.

My final suitcase was waiting there.

I grabbed the handle and opened the front door.

Without looking back, I stepped out into the night.

I had booked a hotel room in advance.

Julian Sterling was already waiting for me in the lobby.

He was wearing a perfectly tailored black trench coat, leaning against his black Maybach, holding an unlit cigarette.

Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes were deep and sharp.

Julian was my college senior, and now, the youngest senior partner at Sterling & Associates.

During this past week, while Ethan was busy moving Isla and fixing her pipes, Julian was the one who helped me draft the prenuptial asset protection agreement.

He was also the one who used his connections to replace the wedding coordinators with people I trusted.

"Got everything?" he asked, taking my suitcase.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Did Ethan suspect anything?"

"He has no idea."

Julian raised an eyebrow but didn't pry. "Let's go. I'm taking you to a proper dinner to celebrate your escape."

He put my suitcase in the trunk and opened the passenger door for me.

The car glided smoothly onto the main road.

Outside, the city lights blurred past us.

"Is everything set for tomorrow?" Julian asked while driving.

"Yes."

I looked out the window.

"I had the wedding coordinators send the updated digital invitations to all of my guests. As for Ethan's guests... I used his iPad to log into his Snapchat."

"I sent a mass message saying 'The wedding has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances,' and then logged out."

"By the time he realizes it, it'll already be tomorrow."

Julian chuckled, his long fingers tapping the steering wheel. "Ruthless. I like it."

I turned to look at him, my voice serious. "Thank you, Julian. Not just for the legal help, but for putting your own reputation on the line."

"We're just helping each other out."

Julian smiled playfully, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"My grandfather has been pressuring me to marry lately. He threatened to cut off my offshore trust fund if I didn't comply."

"Rather than marrying some spoiled heiress, I'd much rather partner up with a smart woman like you."

He paused, his voice dropping slightly.

"Besides, that trust fund includes a penthouse in New York. You can use it as your new design studio. It's a win-win."

I looked at his sharp profile.

The rumors said Julian Sterling was a cold-blooded, calculating lawyer who only cared about profit. But I knew that in this ridiculous "marriage of convenience," he was doing everything he could to protect my dignity.

He turned the wheel, and the car entered a quiet street.

"I picked out a dark red suit for tomorrow. Paired with your white dress, we are going to look stunning."

I looked at him.

"Thank you, Julian."

"Don't mention it," he said, waving his hand.

"Like I said, it's a partnership. I handle your legal battles, and in exchange, you play along with this marriage until my grandfather backs off."

I didn't say anything. I just leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes.

Tomorrow, the game would be over.