Stranger With a Ring

After my 99th failed confession of love to Jim, my parents grounded me for two weeks.

"You've embarrassed yourself enough over that illegitimate son from the Larson family," they snapped. "Has he ever even spared you a proper glance?"

"Stay home and reflect. We've already arranged your marriage to the Shaw family. The wedding will be in two weeks."

However, I didn’t give up. I was so determined to see Jim, no matter what.

Only to walk in on him locked in a deep kiss with his precious first love in a private room.

"Jim, you really know how to play," one of his friends laughed. "If the Cunningham family's heiress catches you like this, she'll probably lose her mind again."

"Seriously, you've turned Ella down so many times, and now that she's grounded, you haven't even sent her a message. Aren't you afraid she'll finally give up on you?"

Jim just scoffed with disdain and said calmly, "What's there to be afraid of? Everyone in the capital knows Ella is obsessed with me. Who else would want her but me?"

"If I hadn't needed her to get back into the Larson family, I never would've postponed my engagement to Rowena in the first place."

I hesitated at the door to the private room, my hand frozen on the handle. It felt like my heart had dropped into a pit of ice.

Inside, Jim Larson was still laughing, his voice full of mockery.

"You don’t get it. I’ve been pretending to like Ella for the past five years—bottling everything up. I had no feelings for her, but I still had to act like I cared."

He looked like he was barely holding it together, knocking back his drink in big gulps. The others rushed over, trying to comfort him.

"But hey, you're back with the Larsons now, right? Once the Cunninghams help you secure those shares, you’ll finally be free."

"And don’t forget—Rowena's been waiting for you this whole time. With a fiancée like her, what are you even worried about?"

Jim grabbed Rowena Scott’s hand, his eyes filled with emotion.

With the crowd cheering them on, he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her, completely ignoring the fact that everyone could see.

Five years ago, I was in a car crash, and Jim was the one who saved me.

He stayed with me at the hospital for a full month, never leaving my side.

He even traveled to some remote little town just to find a pendant that was supposed to protect me.

Back then, when I saw him bruised and battered, I couldn’t help falling for him.

Even after I learned he was the Larsons’ secret son, I never once looked down on him.

He told me Rowena was just an old friend, nothing more.

However, I never imagined they were actually promised to each other.

I forced the memory out of my mind and turned to leave quietly—only to be stopped by a