Chapter 1The Heir's Secret Obsession: He Played It Cold, But Begged Me Not to Leave

Married to the heir of the Sinclair Empire for two years, he had always treated me with icy indifference.

One night, I got up to go to the bathroom, and he suddenly grabbed my hand.

When I turned around, the corners of his eyes were rimmed with red, his voice trembling:

"Lily Monroe, are you trying to abandon me again?"

* * *

I never expected to run into Oliver Sinclair.

In the VIP lounge of an upscale club, Bella affectionately pulled my arm, introducing me to Oliver.

"Lily, this is my best friend from London. She just moved back."

Oliver looked at me, raising an eyebrow, his tone lazy and drawling. "Oh? Just moved back."

The knuckles of his hand gripping his whiskey glass slowly turned white.

Bella leaned in and whispered in my ear, "That's Oliver Sinclair. The heir to the Sinclair Empire. We're all friends here, so if you ever need a favor, you can go to him."

Oliver stared at me, his eyes bottomless and dark.

I forced a smile and extended my hand. "Oliver, long time no see."

Bella looked surprised. "You guys know each other?"

"Yeah, we know each other," I said, my voice cutting through the loud music. "But we're not that close."

Bella, always the carefree optimist, didn't overthink it upon hearing my response.

Oliver looked at me and let out a scoffing laugh.

He tilted his head back and downed his drink in one shot.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

In the past, I used to love teasing Oliver. I'd grab him, press my face against his neck, and kiss and bite that exact spot.

I'd watch his breath hitch, pull away, and leave him looking at me with misty, puppy-dog eyes.

Oliver looked away, his gaze falling coldly on the screen behind me.

"Yeah, definitely not close."

My extended hand hovered awkwardly in the air. Bella quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Well, the more you hang out, the closer you'll get!"

She patted my shoulder. "Don't mind him, Lily. He's just got a cold personality."

I gave a quiet "Mm."

Bella wanted to say more but was interrupted by the people around her. "Bella, your song is up."

"Lily, come sing with me!"

Bella was in high spirits tonight and had clearly had a lot to drink.

I was forcibly dragged along by her.

In the corner of the room, a few girls were huddled around Oliver.

Oliver sat with a dark expression, looking completely detached.

But whenever a drink was offered to his lips, he didn't refuse.

This sent the girls, who were already thrilled just to be near him, into fits of excited squeals.

The laughter from the corner was too loud.

Bella jutted her chin toward Oliver's direction. "Oliver's acting totally out of character today. He usually doesn't even spare a glance at girls like that."

I lowered my eyes and handed the microphone back to her. "Bella, it's a bit stuffy in here. I'm going out for some fresh air."

Around the corner of the hallway, there was an open-air balcony.

The cold, damp air sobered me up a bit.

Oliver had his own reckless, vibrant life.

And he and I were never meant to cross paths again.

I leaned against the railing, staring blankly at the streetlights in the distance.

The heavy sound of footsteps approached from behind.

I turned around.

Our eyes met.

His narrow, pitch-black eyes were like a massive, inescapable net, ready to swallow me whole.

Oliver's voice was deadly cold: "Lily Monroe, how dare you show your face in front of me again?"