Chapter 1The Two Projected on the Screen

In Adrian’s suit pocket were two concert tickets. I thought they were a surprise for me.

I waited eagerly for the concert date, only to watch him pack his bags—and the tickets—for a “business trip.”

I pulled some strings and paid a scalper’s price for my own ticket, just to witness him passionately kissing another girl amidst the roar of the crowd and the pulsing music. Their kiss was projected onto the giant screen for everyone to see, their faces streaked with what looked like tears of joy.

After the concert, I found the girl’s Instagram post:

Kissing the love of my life at our favorite artist’s concert. The best birthday present I could ever ask for.

The comments were a sea of well-wishes. Then, his car suddenly accelerated, and I was on the pavement.

When I woke up, Adrian was sitting by my hospital bed, head bent over his phone, a gentle smile playing on his lips—a smile I had never seen directed at me.

I asked him who the girl was. He just looked up, his expression blank.

“I’m your boss,” he said coolly. “Now that you’re awake, focus on getting better.”

He left as quickly as he could. I picked up my phone and dialed my uncle’s number.

“Uncle,” I said, my voice steady. “That arranged marriage you mentioned before? I’ll do it.”

* * *

My uncle was stunned into silence for a moment, then his voice filled with relief.

“Kristina, you’ve finally come to your senses! A boyfriend who’s kept you a secret for five years deserves to stay in the shadows forever.”

“When can you come back? I just texted them, and they’re already asking to set a wedding date.”

Five years with Adrian, and I was the one who was never meant to see the light of day. He was so desperate to distance himself from me that I knew he wouldn’t make a fuss about my resignation.

“The sooner, the better,” I replied. “The paperwork on my end should be quick.”

Just then, Adrian returned to the room, looking for his car keys.

“Resignation? Is someone from our company leaving?”

I knew my resignation would have to cross his desk for final approval, so there was no point in hiding it. But he was too engrossed in his phone to notice my nod.

He picked up his keys. “The doctor said you hit your head and might have some memory loss,” he said casually. “I was half-afraid you’d actually forgotten everything.”

“I was the one driving. It was dark, and you were looking down at your phone…”

I froze.

So that was it. That was why he’d pretended not to know me, even though we were alone in the room.

Ten minutes ago, when he’d claimed to be just my boss, his expression had been perfectly cool and distant, a carefully measured dose of professional concern. There was no trace of guilt.

But just before the impact, I had seen the car clearly. Adrian was in the passenger seat. The girl he’d been kissing was behind the wheel.

He hadn’t even given me a chance to confront him, just used a flimsy excuse about being busy and fled. I had thought he was overwhelmed with guilt for hurting me, that he didn't know how to face me.

How laughably wrong I was. He didn't care at all.

“I was still a bit fuzzy when I woke up,” I said, playing along. “Sorry for not recognizing you, Mr. Wright.”

He had fed me a lie, and I was serving it right back to him.

He turned, a flicker of confusion in his eyes as he took in my cold expression. The girl who would have cried and demanded kisses and hugs for a paper cut was gone. Something was different.

He glanced around, and once he was sure we were alone, his voice softened. “Kristina, hospitals are full of prying eyes. It wouldn’t be good if someone saw us. You just rest and get better. When you’re discharged, I’ll make it up to you at home, I promise.”

I offered a polite, practiced smile. “Thank you, Mr. Wright.”

In private, I used to call him “boss” as a playful, flirty nickname. But now, the word was a wall of ice between us. Adrian’s brow furrowed.

Before he could say anything, the doctor came in for his rounds, and Adrian’s cool, professional mask slipped back into place.

As he left, he added one last instruction. “Get some rest. And don’t think you can use your ‘special status’ to get privileges at the company. Everyone is treated the same. Rules are rules.”

The doctor saw the strained smile on my face. “He’s gone now,” he said kindly. “You don’t have to pretend anymore. Your boss seems like a tough nut, but he paid for everything upfront.”

My fake smile turned into a bitter one. Adrian was a master actor. That’s why, apart from a few of his closest friends, no one knew we were together. No one knew we had been for five years.

I’d lost count of how many times I’d asked him when we could go public. He always brushed me off, saying the time wasn’t right. It got to the point where I wasn't even sure what we were.

Today, he gave me the answer. In that moment when he thought my memory was gone, the words “I’m your boss” slipped out. That was the truth.