Chapter 1 Chapter 1 The Eighteenth Proposal Betrayal

Everyone knew Clarissa Beckett had been madly in love with Sebastian Hamilton for six years-completely, blindly, with no reservations.

She'd give up everything for him, even her life if it came to that.

But tonight... tonight, she was finally calling it quits.

Sebastian had once said, joking or not, "If you propose to me eighteen times, I'll marry you."

And tonight's personal concert, which Clarissa had spent half a year preparing, was meant to be her eighteenth and final proposal.

Her car rolled smoothly into the underground garage of Hamilton Group. Clarissa parked right next to Sebastian's reserved spot like she'd done countless times before.

She took a deep breath, dabbed on a bit of lipstick in the mirror, and forced a smile.

Six years of repeating the same ritual, of making sure she looked her best before seeing him-

Now it just felt like muscle memory.

The executive floor was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Her heels barely made a sound against the plush carpet as she walked toward his office. Just as her hand reached for the doorknob of that heavy wooden door, she froze.

Laughter and voices filtered from inside.

"Sebastian, I heard Clarissa's planning to propose to you again tonight at her concert. Is that true?"

Clarissa's heart skipped. She instinctively stepped back, hiding in the shadow just beside the door.

"Where'd you hear that from?" Sebastian's voice was casual, almost indifferent.

"It's all over the place," Liam Hollis said with a click of his tongue. "You told everyone if she asked eighteen times, you'd say yes. She's really going for it-are you seriously gonna marry her just like that?"

Outside the door, Clarissa held her breath, clinging to that sliver of hope.

It's been six years-surely, even ice melts eventually.

But then she heard something that shattered her whole world.

Sebastian let out a short laugh. "Liam, since when did you get this naive?"

"That promise? Just me messing with her. If it weren't for my parents liking her-and her shamelessly clinging to me-I wouldn't have wasted these six years playing house with her for fun."

Liam sounded a bit displeased, "Come on, that's not fair. We all saw how she treated you these years. Remember when you had that stomach bleed? She stayed by your side for three whole days, didn't sleep a wink. Even a dog would grow attached after six years."

"Feelings?" Sebastian's tone turned ice cold. "Did you forget how Aria ended up like that?"

In the hallway, Clarissa's face lost all color. Even her lips were pale now.

The name "Aria Ellis" hit her like an old wound being ripped wide open.

"The accident ruined Aria's hand. She worked her whole life on the violin-she was just one step away from becoming Perry Quinn's final student. And because of that crash, her future went out the window."

"Clarissa took her place in the spotlight. You seriously think she had nothing to do with what happened?"

"But the cops said it was just an accident," Liam tried to argue.

"An accident?" Sebastian let out a mocking chuckle. "You really believe in coincidence that much? Keeping her around these six years, watching her chase after me like some pathetic stray-it was just to get Aria a bit of justice. Watching her build up hope, only to crush it again and again-don't tell me that's not satisfying."

Clarissa's knees buckled, and she staggered back. Her shoulder slammed into the cold wall, the impact barely keeping her from collapsing.

Six years of unwavering devotion-turned out to be revenge in disguise.

What she thought was deep love was, to him, worse than garbage.

She was nothing but a joke.

Slumping against the wall, she shut her eyes and took a long, shaky breath.

When she opened her eyes again, the flood of pain had drained away, leaving only a barren sense of emptiness.

She lifted her hand and rubbed her cheeks hard, trying to ease the stiffness from her face. Then she forced on that practiced smile - soft, a little clinging, the kind she'd rehearsed too many times.

Knock knock knock - she raised her knuckles and tapped at the office door.

The voices inside cut off instantly.

"Come in," came Sebastian's cold voice.

Clarissa pushed the door open, smiling just enough, her eyes landing straight on Sebastian behind his desk, as if nothing had just shattered her world. "Sebastian, Liam, what were you two chatting about?"

Sebastian leaned back lazily in his executive chair, not even bothering to look up. Liam looked awkward, stumbling to his feet with a forced laugh. "Oh, uh-nothing, really. Hey Clarissa, good to see you, but I've got to run. Something came up."

He practically bolted out, and as he passed Clarissa, he shot her a quick, apologetic glance.

Clarissa acted like she didn't notice a thing. She walked up to the desk and pulled a carefully prepared envelope from her purse, setting it gently in front of Sebastian.

"This is an invitation to my concert tonight. Front row VIP - saved just for you."

Sebastian finally looked up, but there was no warmth in his eyes, only clear impatience. "I'm busy. Not going."

Clarissa stared silently at the man she had loved for six years - a face that now seemed like a stranger's.

If it hadn't been for her mother grabbing her hand before she passed, begging her to marry into the Hamiltons...

Maybe she'd have let go a long time ago.

"This concert means a lot to me," she said again, voice steady but stubborn. "If you can make it, I really hope you'll come."

"Means a lot?" Sebastian scoffed like she'd just cracked a joke. He shot up from his chair, his tall frame radiating pressure as he moved around the desk and stopped right in front of her.

He grabbed her chin sharply, forcing her to look up.

"Clarissa, you really think you've earned the right to flaunt anything? When you're up there playing that violin, do you even think about Aria's hands? She can't play anymore - thanks to you."

She stared into the disgust and accusation in his eyes, and in that moment, the last flicker of hope inside her finally darkened.

She didn't fight back. She just gazed at him blandly. "Sebastian, I've told you over and over - I had nothing to do with Aria's accident."

She paused, six years of exhaustion and heartbreak catching up, and let it all out in one quiet sentence. "If six years of loving you isn't enough to earn a shred of your trust, then maybe... maybe we should just stop."

"Stop?" Sebastian's eyes narrowed and he tightened his grip so hard she could hear her bones creak.

"What gives you the right to say 'stop'?!" He let go, his hand flinging her away like she was something filthy.

"Isn't marrying me what you've always wanted? Fine - I'll marry you. I'll make you Mrs. Hamilton. But Clarissa, get this straight: that title's the only thing you'll ever get from me. My heart, my life - none of it's yours."

Even now, even after everything, he still thought she was just after the title.

Clarissa lowered her lashes, hiding the hollowness in her eyes.

She rubbed the red marks on her chin gently, and said, "Okay. Then just don't forget the concert tonight."

With that, she turned and walked out. Her back was straight, every step calm.

Tonight's concert - it was her final offer.

If he didn't show up, she wasn't going to humiliate herself with that ridiculous 18th proposal.