Chapter 2

Nara

I pushed through the glass doors of the law firm, and the cold night air hit my face like a slap. My eyes were blurry, not from the wind, but from the hot tears that wouldn’t stop falling.

I started running.

I didn’t know where I was going, and I didn’t care. The city lights around me looked like blurry colors, and every breath I took hurt. My chest felt heavy, like something was breaking inside me, and it was hard to breathe.

How could he?

This wasn’t some casual fling. This was Derick — the man who swore he loved me. The man who promised we'd have three kids: two girls and a boy. The man who used to trace his finger down my spine and tell me forever wasn’t long enough.

I gave him everything.

My time.

My body.

My money.

I was broke because of him.

And for what? So he could call me pathetic behind my back?

I stumbled to a stop by the side of the road, my chest heaving. The tears came harder now, blurring everything. I doubled over, gripping my knees as a sob ripped from my throat. The kind of cry you can’t control — the kind that claws its way out whether you want it to or not.

God, it hurt.

I didn’t care that people passed by. I didn’t care about the stares. I didn’t care that my mascara was probably streaking down my cheeks like black rain.

I dropped down by the corner of the street, my back against a damp wall, and buried my face in my hands. The city felt too loud, too cruel.

And then — as if the universe decided to kick me one last time — a purple Lamborghini sped by, splashing a wave of dirty water all over me.

The cold filth clung to my skin, soaking my clothes, my hair. I gasped, shivering, drenched and shaking.

I sat there a moment longer, because honestly, what was the point? What was even left?

I pressed a trembling hand to my chest, like maybe I could hold the shattered pieces of my heart together, but it was no use. It was gone. All of it.

Finally, choking down another sob, I dragged myself up, waving down a cab.

The driver took one look at me — soaked, ruined — and his face softened.

“Where to, miss?”

I wiped at my cheeks, my voice hoarse and broken.

“Just… take me home.”

The moment I stepped into my apartment, I didn’t bother turning on the lights. I went straight to the fridge and grabbed every can of beer I could find. It didn’t matter how many were left. It didn’t matter that one had been sitting there for a week, half-finished. I didn’t care.

I opened one and took a long, burning gulp.

Tears rolled down my face again.

“Why… why did you do this to me, Derick?” I whispered into the empty room.

I slid down to the kitchen floor, my back against the fridge. The cold from the metal felt sharp against my skin, but I didn’t move. I just sat there, drinking, crying, thinking about everything I’d given him everything.

I thought we would get married. Have children. Build a life together.

I was a fool.

The pain in my chest felt like something sharp digging into my ribs. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think.

I lost count of how many cans I opened. Somewhere between the tears and the drinks, I fell asleep on the floor. My head resting against my arm, the empty cans scattered around me.

I didn’t dream.

When I woke up, my mouth was dry, my head pounding, and my body heavy like I’d been carrying a thousand stones. The light from the window stung my eyes. I didn’t even have the strength to sit up.

Then my phone rang.

I didn’t move at first, too tired, too numb. But it kept ringing.

I forced myself to pick it up. The screen was blurry, but I saw the name.

Mom. 23 missed calls.

I hesitated before answering, my voice barely a whisper.

“Hello…”

Her voice came through, sharp and worried.

“Nara! Where have you been? I’ve been calling you all night!”

I closed my eyes, my head pounding.

“Mom… I don’t feel well… Please, not so loud.”

She didn’t listen.

“It’s your father. He had a heart attack last night.”

I felt my stomach twist. The room spun.

“And this morning… the lawyer came… Nara, your dad—”

I could barely hear the rest. The words felt far away, like I was underwater. My hands were trembling. I tried to sit up but my body felt weak, like all my strength had left me.

I stayed on the floor for a while, the phone still pressed to my ear, tears falling again. Everything hurt.

I couldn’t even speak. My mother’s voice was still coming through, but I wasn’t listening anymore.

I slowly pulled the phone away from my ear and ended the call.

I didn’t care about how I looked. I didn’t care about anything.

I grabbed my bag with shaky hands, threw on the same clothes from yesterday, and left. No shower. No makeup. No mirror.

I flagged down a cab and whispered the hospital’s name, my voice hoarse. No need to ask my mom which hospital they were in — it was always the same place. The one owned by the Golden Group. Of course it was.

The second I spotted my mom pacing in the hallway, I rushed over. “Mom — what happened?!”

She didn’t even answer. Instead, she scrunched up her face and clamped her hand over her nose. “Good Lord, did you drink? You reek of cheap beer! And what the hell, Nara? You couldn’t even comb your hair? What if someone sees us? I swear, you look like a stray dog they dragged in from the alley.”

“Mom!” I snapped. “Forget all that — just tell me what happened!”

She sighed dramatically like I was the biggest burden of her life. “Your father had a cardiac arrest last night after the Asia investors pulled out of the deal. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the lawyers came to the house. They’re giving us one week — one week, Nara — before everything we own is taken from us.”

My stomach dropped. “How’s Dad now?” I asked quietly.

"He’s… not fine. They’re saying he needs a heart transplant. Nara, everything is a mess."

I felt my knees give out, and I sank to the floor, pressing a trembling hand to my forehead as the weight of it all crashed over me.

Mom wasn’t having it.

“This is no time for drama, Nara,” my mom snapped. “You need to marry Nicholas.”

I froze. “Nicholas? Who is Nicholas?”

She sighed like she was tired of me. “You don’t even know your own fiancé’s name. You don’t care to ask about him, you don’t care about this family. You never have.”

“Mom,” I said, my voice shaking, “how is marrying some stranger you and Dad picked out supposed to fix anything?”

“If you must know,” my mother snapped, “Nicholas is the son of your father’s old boss — Henry Gold. When your father went to him for help, Henry agreed to save the company, cover all the debts… but only if you marry his son. I just got off the phone with him before you came in. He even promised to pay for the surgery.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. The room tilted a little, my breath catching in my throat. “What… what did you just say his father’s name was?”

“Henry Gold,” she said, matter-of-factly.

Gold. That name. It clung to the edges of my mind like a splinter, nagging, pulling at me.

“Nicholas…” I whispered. “Nicholas Gold?”

“Yes. Nicholas Gold.” She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

And then it hit me.

Like a slap. Like a blow to the chest.

Nick Gold.

Nick.

Freaking.

Gold.

I stood up, the air punched out of my lungs. My knees almost gave out.

“No,” I whispered again, my voice shaking. “No — Mom, please… tell me you’re not talking about Nick Gold.”

She frowned, puzzled. “What? You… you know him?”

I stared at her, horror clawing up my throat. “Of course I do. Mom, that guy is a walking disaster. He’s arrogant, reckless, a total mess. I can’t marry him.”

She crossed her arms. “Then get ready to bury your father. And I’ll never forgive you. I’ll blame you for his death.”

Tears stung my eyes. “How can you say that to me?”

“It’s simple,” she spat. “You wasted your life sponsoring a man. And now, when you finally have a chance to save your father, you want to run from it too. Well, you can’t. Not this time. Your father will die if he doesn’t get that surgery, and you don’t have the money. So yes — if you refuse to marry Nicholas, I will blame you for his death.”

I tried to steady my voice. “But… what if he doesn’t want to marry me? What if he already has someone else?”

She rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t matter. The truth is, he needs you. His father is desperate. The board of directors is trying to push him out because of a scandal. Henry wants him married to clean up his image, and Nicholas has already agreed.”

My stomach twisted. “The scandal… about the senator’s wife?”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Yes,” she whispered. “The senator nearly died of a heart attack after what happened. But Nicholas is innocent.”

I scoffed. “Right.”

“He is,” she insisted sharply, pointing a finger at me. “That’s why Henry’s rushing this marriage. To silence the board and protect their name. And you can use that, Nara. Use it to your advantage.”

I felt sick.

“Now, go home, clean yourself up, and be at the restaurant by seven. I already sent you the address. You’re going. No arguments. If I have to drag you there myself, I will.”

I swallowed hard, my whole body heavy, like I was carrying the weight of a thousand bricks.

“And Nara,” she added coldly, “this is your last chance to make things right. Do this for your father. Don’t let him die because you were too selfish to help.”

That’s how, at exactly 7:00 PM, with my heart pounding and my stomach in knots, I found myself standing in front of an expensive restaurant — about to meet the man whose name made my hands shake.

Nick Gold.