Blurb：
On Lucas Reed’s engagement day, he hired thugs to harass Irene Sullivan. After giving her statement at the police office, Irene overheard Lucas laughing with friends Jason and Zach about having her detained. He called her spoiled and said he’d be thrilled if she left. Heartbroken after seven years as childhood sweethearts, Irene realized Lucas was marrying Mia Lowell. She blocked Lucas on all platforms and fled Seabreeze City during a winter storm. Now in a warm place without Lucas, Irene rebuilds her life while Lucas desperately searches for her. This emotional story explores betrayal, growth, and moving on from toxic relationships.
Content：
On the day Lucas Reed got engaged, he specifically hired a few mobs to harass me.
By the time I finished giving my statement at the police office and got home, it was already dark.
As I reached my door, I heard someone ask where I’d been.
Lucas laughed, I was afraid she’d cause a scene, so I arranged for her to spend the day cooling her heels at the police station.
“By the time she gets back, it’ll all be settled.
I stood outside the door, shaking my head with a bitter smile.
I blocked Lucas on all platforms and boarded a flight overseas.
That night, I heard Lucas couldn’t find me.
The usually easygoing guy lost it, his eyes bloodshot as he muttered,
“She must be jealous, playing hard to get. She’ll calm down and come back. She has to.”
But he didn’t know.
I wasn’t running away in a fit of pique. I genuinely didn’t want him anymore.
It was dark when I finished at the police office.
On Lucas’s engagement day, I’d been so distracted I rear-ended someone at an intersection.
The other driver was deliberately obstructive, dragging things out until now.
Lucas’s phone was perpetually busy.
My social meida was flooded with photos of him and his fiancée.
Each image stabbed at my eyes.
I was furious, a day’s worth of pent-up hurt and rage demanding an outlet.
I hailed a cab straight to his place.
The door was ajar, voices spilling out.
Lucas sometimes brought friends home, to drink or watch the game.
I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but I stopped when I heard them talking about me.
“Honestly, we all thought you’d end up with Irene Sullivan. Grew up together, childhood sweethearts. She’s stunning, sure, but that temper…”
Jason sighed, sounding regretful.
“She’s spoiled. All these years of tantrums, doesn’t she get tired?”
Lucas slumped on the sofa, glancing at his watch.
A frown of irritation creased his handsome features.
“She should be here by now. Guaranteed waterworks and drama. Gives me a headache just thinking about it.”
“That’s weird,” Jason said.
“You getting hitched to Mia, and Irene doesn’t blow up the whole block? Haven’t seen hide nor hair of her all day. Where is she?”
Lucas chuckled. “Didn’t want her causing a scene. Had her spend the day in the police office. By the time she gets back, it’ll all be over.”
“Savage move. Only you could handle Irene, Reed.” Zach was surprised.
“Lucas,” Jason pressed,
“have you thought that if you really go through with marrying Mia, Irene might actually be heartbroken? What if she just… leaves?”
An image of her tear-streaked face flashed in Lucas’s mind, irritating him.
He snorted dismissively. “I’d be thrilled.”
Thrilled.
My seven years of devotion boiled down to that.
I pulled my hand back from the door and walked away.
Early winter, the air hadn’t truly chilled yet.
But I felt frozen to the bone.
All these years circling Lucas, fighting, making up… I was the only one who stayed.
I thought we’d be together forever.
But he’d schemed to have me arrested just so he could get engaged to someone else.
How pathetically low must I have sunk for him to treat me like this, again and again?
Rain began to fall.
The forecast warned of a temperature drop later, maybe snow.
Snow in Seabreeze City was relentless.
I used to dread winter.
Lucas would wrap me inside his coat, his car always had a throw blanket waiting for me.
Now, those smugly cherished memories felt like they could never heal me.
The rain intensified, plastering strands of hair to my forehead.
My steps faltered.
I shook my head, a bitter taste in my mouth.
How had my life come to this?
Suddenly, I lost my former vigor.
Arguing over love felt like a joke.
Pulling my damp coat tighter, a single thought took root.
I needed to go somewhere warm.
Somewhere without winter, without snow.
And without Lucas Reed.
I blocked Lucas on everything – his friends included.
An unknown number texted me: Mia Lowell, Lucas’s fiancée.
[Lucas is mine now. You wouldn’t believe how he dotes on me. Do the right thing and leave. Save yourself the embarrassment.
[He couldn’t stand you, you know. Every time he saw you, he’d buy me a gift to make up for it. I have everything you had, and more.
[Stay away from my fiancé. If you don’t, I’ll tell everyone how you tried to seduce him.]
Mia Lowell. Lucas’s perpetually flustered little assistant.
Slender, fragile.
A harsh word and her eyes would well up like a kitten’s.
Would Lucas recognize this version of her?
She’d sabotaged me countless times before.
Spilled wine on my designer gown. “Accidentally” broke my diamond necklace.
Even then, I knew she was a manipulative little snake, but Lucas was utterly charmed.
If I raised my voice even slightly, he’d jump to her defense.
Such a waste of my beautiful clothes and jewelry.
Whenever I complained, Lucas would dismiss it lightly,
“You’ve got closets full of that stuff. She’s just a kid fresh out of college, doesn’t know any better. Don’t be so hard on Mia.”
Doesn’t matter how much I had, you break it, you should pay.
I handed the case to a lawyer, instructing him to demand compensation from Mia for every single item.
Then, I pulled out the SIM card and tossed it in the trash.
Jerk and snake. May you be miserable together forever.
Mom and Dad came upstairs, saw me packing, their faces etched with worry.
“Irene, are you sure about this? That Reed boy is beyond unacceptable! We’re going straight to his parents!”
My relationship with Lucas had been tacitly approved by both families.
Similar backgrounds, childhood sweethearts – what could be more stable?
“Mom, Dad, if you want to spare me any more humiliation, don’t go.
“Isn’t it good I’m going abroad to help Liam run the business? You’ve always wanted me to gain some experience.”
They looked surprised.
I’d been the queen of teenage drama, chasing Lucas since high school.
“You’re not just doing this out of anger?” Mom asked tentatively.
I hugged them tightly. “I know I’ve been difficult. But that stops now.”
My parents had always held the same hopes for me as they did for Liam.
I was the one who’d been foolish, stubborn, mistaking Lucas for my entire world.
“Alright, alright,” Dad said, voice thick.
“Our Sullivan kids are all made of strong stuff. You set your mind to it, you go. And if you make a mess? Daddy’s got your back.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.
I boarded the flight overseas.
Everything about Seabreeze City has become a thing of the past for me.
That night, Lucas waited.
For Irene. Or her call.
He thought, If she calls again, I’ll answer. Be decent about it.
Even if she cried and screamed, he’d endure it.
But nothing came.
The feeling was like a kite string snapping, leaving a hollow dread.
“Lucas, I’m beat. Gotta sleep.” Zach could barely keep his eyes open.
He’d been drinking with Lucas all night, feeling the latter’s focus drift as the hours wore on.
Mia called, her voice sweet with concern.
“Lucas, still up? I miss you. Can I come over?”
Lucas swirled his drink.
“Zach and Jason are here. My last bachelor bash. Be a good girl, get some sleep.”
Mia wheedled a bit more before hanging up, sounding disappointed.
Zach leaned over to Jason.
“What’s up with Lucas? Bachelor party after you’re engaged? First I’ve heard of it.”
Jason spun his glass, sighing deeply.
“Bachelor party? He’s waiting. Isn’t it obvious?”
By now, Irene should have stormed in.
Her absence felt ominous.
“Should I call Irene? Find out where she is?” Jason offered.
Lucas walked to the window. “Whatever.”
Jason called the police office first. Irene had left hours ago.
Her phone was unreachable.
Lucas tried next, realizing he was blocked. So were Jason and Zach.
“Lucas, looks like Irene’s really pissed this time,” Zach ventured.
“Will Irene be serious with you this time? You make her to go to the police station, got engaged to someone else… it’s harsh, man,”
Jason finally voiced what he’d been thinking all night.
Jason and Zach called Irene’s friends. No one knew where she was.
The usually mild-mannered Lucas lost it.
He kicked over the coffee table, smashed a bottle.
Glass flew everywhere.
He’d never imagined Irene would leave.
She’d been like his shadow, trailing him, clinging to him.
They’d been together so long, their families intertwined.
As for Mia… the more Irene targeted her, the more fiercely he’d protected her.
Protectiveness that had twisted into something murky, hard to define.
Eyes bloodshot, Lucas muttered,
“She’s jealous. Playing hard to get. She’ll calm down and come back. She has to.”
Before Mia, she’d caused scenes too.
A little patience, a little coaxing, and she’d forgive him, love him even more intensely.
He didn’t know.
Irene wasn’t running away to punish him. She was truly done with him.
It was a long haul. The flight took an entire night.
At the airport, it wasn’t my brother Liam waiting, but his best friend, Caleb Crawford.
Rumor had it they’d been inseparable since diapers, the kind of friends who’d share a toothbrush.
There were whispers about their closeness, even secret crushes.
So I kept my guard up, offering a polite smile.
“Long time no see, Caleb.”
He was tall, handsome, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt.
His smile was as warm as the local climate.
“Liam got called away last minute for a business trip. Sent me to fetch you.”
He took my suitcase, patting it. “Sit?”
“I’m not five anymore.”
Caleb was five years older than me.
He used to visit often, pulling me around the house on my suitcase.
He whistled, tossed my luggage into the back of his flashy red convertible, and cranked the music loud.
Looking out at the scenery, the warm breeze washed away the fatigue, the chill of Seabreeze City.
I liked this place.
“Liam’s place is under renovation. You’ll bunk with me for a few days. Room’s ready – upstairs, second door on the right. Across from mine.”
The room had a great view, huge windows.
The decor, though… was something else.
Pink. Everywhere.
Peak clueless bachelor aesthetic.
Exhausted, I barely unpacked before sleeping.
In my dream, I was back in high school, seeing Lucas for the first time.
Leaning against the window sill, headphones on, book in hand.
Wind rustled the trees outside, ruffling his hair and his crisp white shirt.
Picture perfect.
Girls compete to see who dares to confess their love first.
Without thinking, I went.
“Lucas, I like you.”
He looked up, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “Irene, are you an idiot?”
I woke up.
Even it’s a dream, I was so embarrassed.
I really had been that bold then.
But in reality, that day, he’d just mocked silently.
Caleb’s voice cut through the memory, shouting through the door.
“Irene! Are you an idiot? You’ve slept a whole day! Get your butt down here for food!”
Caleb cooked the meal. It was delicious.
He’d once hated a restaurant so much he opened his own.
Wanted to drum? Started a band.
Obsessed with rocks? Went deep into the wilderness, needed a helicopter rescue.
Quit college halfway to race cars.
Countless wild actions. His family finally kicked him overseas.
When he heard Liam was here, he moved his company branch nearby.
Back then, my parents were terrified he’d corrupt Liam, our golden boy.
I kind of admired him. A life like his… no regrets, right?
“Caleb, what have you been up to these years?” I asked curiously.
“Business,” he replied without looking up. “Why’d you come?”
“Learning business from Liam.” We sounded painfully awkward.
He frowned thoughtfully. “Liam’s away. Stick with me for now.”
I learned business from a reformed playboy.
Turns out, appearances deceive. The man was sharp as a tack.
Starting as Caleb’s assistant – coffee runs, photocopying – felt a bit beneath my fancy degree.
A new girl in the secretarial pool, makeup heavy, neckline plunging, snatched the coffee I’d made and waltzed into Caleb’s office.
“Mr. Crawford, your coffee.”
Caleb didn’t look up.
“Before you ‘accidentally’ spill coffee, a heads-up: This suit and shoes? Twenty-three grand. Bespoke. Three-month lead time. Sure you can cover it?”
She silently retracted her foot.
Placing the coffee down, she deliberately leaned forward.
Caleb pulled out a handkerchief, covering his nose.
“Is that insecticide? My sinuses are staging a revolt.”
She ran out, makeup streaked with tears.
I stood outside the door, stifling laughter.
“Miss Sullivan. Military school?”
I froze. “Uh…?”
“Stance that good? Should I transfer you to Security?”
“No! No.”
“Then get in here.”
I wanted to call Liam and ask what the hell happened to Caleb. His tongue was venomous.
Caleb lounged, legs crossed, long fingers tapping his keyboard, sharp eyes scanning the screen, a faint smirk on his lips.
“You wrote this quarterly report?”
I held my breath. “Yes, Mr. Crawford.”
“Not bad.” He nodded.
Relief flooded me. “Thank you, sir! I’ll keep striving!”
He looked up. “It reads like War and Peace. Rewrite it. On my desk by close of business.”
My soul withered.
But quitting wasn’t my style. It was just a report.
I worked until 10 PM.
“Still not done? You’re making me hungry,” Caleb complained from the sofa.
I sat rigidly in his plush chair.
An hour later, food arrived.
“Eat first. Looks like you’ll write a while.”
Could someone please gag him?
So annoying.
We got back after midnight. I was extremely tired.
Work consumed me. I hadn’t dreamed in ages.
Half-asleep, my phone rang. My lawyer.
“Ms. Sullivan, Mia refuses to pay. Mr. Reed offered to pay it for her, but only if you meet with him personally.”
He wants to see me now? Unbelievable.
“Do I look broke? Tell them: Pay up, or I sue Mia for willful destruction of property.”
I hung up, sleep gone.
I went downstairs for water.
The kitchen light was on. Caleb sat at the table, working.
“Jeez! Scared me!”
“Only guilty consciences startle easily.”
I poured water and approached. “Hey, are you editing my report?”
Caleb sighed dramatically.
“For the board. Didn’t want them thinking we’re circling the drain. Might cause coronaries.”
I could strangle him.
But I needed the roof.
“Good luck. Bedtime.”
I turned, stumbled, and landed squarely on his lap.
My lips brushed his cheek. My upper body pressed against his chest.
Single man and woman. Night. Very awkward.
And sitting… right there. It felt prominent.
His gaze dropped to my lips.
I could hear his heartbeat, smell the clean, woodsy scent of his aftershave.
“At least I didn’t spill the water,” I blurted, standing up.
His hands lingered briefly on my waist.
“Trip over flat ground? Impressive.”
He looked away, fingers drumming randomly on the keyboard.
“Goodnight. Get some sleep.”
I fled upstairs. I could feel his eyes on my back.
Next morning, Caleb came down looking like a panda.
“Pull an all-nighter, boss?” I asked, surprised.
Reports were hard for him too?
“Call me Caleb at home.”
I ate my breakfast, fighting a smile.
He wore sunglasses to work.
In the break room, colleagues cornered me.
“Miss Sullivan, what’s with Mr. Crawford today?”
“Maybe he just wanted a new look?” I lied smoothly.
Finally, a day off.
Caleb insisted on showing me around, ending with dinner.
Just as I got into his Maybach, an unknown number called.
Only family and my lawyer had this number.
Mia’s tearful voice filled the car.
“Ms. Sullivan, I’m so sorry to bother you, but I’m desperate!
“I didn’t mean to ruin your things! Lucas offered to pay! Can’t you just drop it?
“Suing me hurts him! Don’t you care about him?
“If you don’t stop… I’ll leave! Then Lucas won’t be stuck in the middle!”
Unbelievable.
She was still performing.
Caleb shot me a puzzled look.
I smiled weakly, biting back curses.
He tactfully commented after I hung up, “Interesting audiobook.”
“Uh, yeah.” I said.
He pondered. “Irene, seriously? At your age? No wonder your reports read like bad fanfic.”
I had no defense.
Even Caleb spotted Mia’s act. Yet Lucas, the idiot, fell for it.
Why hadn’t Lucas paid? Did he still expect me to crawl back?
Idiot. Moron. Imbecile.
Caleb drove us to a famous mountaintop restaurant.
Two hours of winding cliffs later, the view was breathtaking – misty, ethereal.
The view was the main course.
The owner welcomed Caleb warmly, trying to hug me next. Caleb blocked him.
“Miss Sullivan, you’re the first girl Caleb’s brought here,”
the owner whispered, delivering our food.
My eyes widened.
Was he really into Liam? Liam and I look alike…
“Every couple who dines here leaves a photo there,”
he gestured to a wall covered in pictures against a backdrop of stunning wood.
“The Wood of the Sacred Peak. Blessed by the mountain, one can be together forever.”
Caleb grinned at me.
Before I could dodge, his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me close.
Our cheeks pressed together in a picture-perfect, intimate shot now adorned the wall, blessed by a mountain.
He beamed at the photo.
I braced myself for an awkward “you remind me of your brother” speech.
Lucas’s sudden appearance blindsided me.
I got out of Caleb’s yellow convertible after work.
He stood across the street under a large oak.
Tall, striking. Objectively handsome.
He flinched slightly when he saw me.
Irrelevant. I’d drawn my line.
Lucas didn’t leave until it got dark.
At dinner, I glanced out the window.
His silhouette under the streetlight looked achingly lonely.
“Who’s the garden guard?”
Caleb asked, sipping coffee by the window in light linen loungewear, striking a pose.
“Lucas Reed.” I prayed he wouldn’t call the cops again.
He drew out an exaggerated, “Oooh. That stupid heir of the Reed family? Now it makes sense.”
I wondered how he’d described me to Liam.
He set his cup down and headed outside.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t like trespassers eyeing my property.”
My property? Me?
He glanced back at my half-eaten dinner. “Finish your noodles.”
Eating was impossible. Would they fight?
He even locked the door from the outside.
I watched from the window, peeking through the curtains.
Caleb walked up to Lucas. They talked.
Lucas looked towards the house, despair etched on his face. Then he drove away.
“What did you say?” I demanded.
Knowing Lucas, flying here was a huge concession. He wouldn’t leave easily.
Caleb looked innocent. “Told him you’re pregnant. Need peace and quiet.”
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