Chapter 1 What's Your Problem

Rain hammered down in sheets, drowning the city of Eqralo in gray.

Daniela Stewart arrived at a club, led to a private room. She was soaked to the bone on the doorstep, but the birthday cake she carried-perfectly boxed, carefully protected-remained pristine.

In just two weeks, she was supposed to marry Joshua Clark. Today was his birthday.

She mustered a smile and reached for the private room's door, excitement fluttering in her chest. But as the door cracked open, the sight inside slammed all the air from her lungs. Joshua lounged on the velvet sofa, arms draped around a glamorous woman with movie-star curves and a face painted to perfection.

"Kiss him! Kiss him!"

Laughter and chanting filled the air, urging them on.

The woman locked eyes with Joshua, blushing.

Daniela's heart twisted, sinking lower with each cheer. As the crowd's voices swelled, the woman leaned in, their lips nearly brushing.

Without thinking, Daniela shoved the door wide open with a thunderous crash.

Every head in the room snapped toward her.

Bella Brooks, the woman in Joshua's arms, immediately shrank back, pressing herself against his side.

Daniela stepped forward, summoning a smile as she offered the cake to Joshua. "I picked this up from your favorite bakery downtown," she remarked, her voice bright but strained.

Joshua took the box with a distracted air, barely glancing at her. In the next second, the cake slipped from his limp fingers and hit the floor with a sickening splatter, icing and crumbs spraying across the polished tiles.

He didn't even flinch. His gaze was empty, unfazed.

A knot twisted in Daniela's chest.

That cake had been a small masterpiece-she had begged the head baker for days, trading on every favor she had just to get it made.

Bella's syrupy voice drifted in, too soft and too smug. "Don't take it the wrong way, Daniela. Joshua didn't do it on purpose."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and slid closer to Joshua. "I brought a cake too. Why don't we all have mine instead?"

Daniela's eyes flicked to the table. Bella's cake was an off-the-shelf fruit concoction, the kind anyone could grab last minute. Mango slices gleamed on top-a careless, dangerous choice.

Joshua's allergy flashed through Daniela's mind, but before she could speak, he turned to Bella with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Bella. That's really considerate."

Daniela's eyes locked onto the slender silver cross hanging at Bella's neck. She had given Joshua that necklace and told him it was for luck and protection.

A tremor caught in her voice as Daniela probed. "Why are you wearing that?"

She surged forward, intent on an answer, but Joshua shoved her aside. "Enough, Daniela." His words sliced through the air, cold and impatient. "What's your problem? I gave it to Bella. It's just a stupid necklace-why can't you let it go?"

The force of his push sent her stumbling to the floor.

For a split second, she almost laughed at the absurdity.

A stupid necklace?

She had clung to that cross through her darkest days, believing it might shield the person she loved. She had handed it over with all her faith-only for him to toss it away, like it was worthless.

Tears blurred her vision, thick and unrelenting.

With a gentle pull on his sleeve, Bella tilted her head, signaling him with a subtle glance.

Joshua caught on, his voice dropping a notch, almost gentle. "You don't look so great, Daniela. Maybe head home. Get some sleep."

Daniela didn't answer. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as she rose to her feet and walked out, the door clicking shut behind her.

The moment it closed, the room burst into laughter. "Daniela... still hanging on like that? She's honestly pathetic," someone sneered. "Even a stray dog would've taken the hint by now."

Another voice chimed in with a laugh, "Joshua, aren't you worried she'll finally dump you after all this?"

Joshua scoffed disdainfully, full of himself, "Dump me? She's obsessed. She wants to marry me so bad it's made her delusional. I could tell her to lick my shoe and she'd probably be glad."

The crowd roared, laughter echoing through the room.

Outside, Daniela clenched her fists and stepped into the pounding rain.

Just then, a sleek luxury car pulled up beside her.

The back door opened and her family's longtime butler emerged, umbrella in hand. "Miss Stewart," he said, a touch of worry in his voice, "standing out here like this... you'll catch cold."

Through blurred vision, she blinked up at him, eyes brimming.

The butler gave a quiet sigh. "You turned your back on everything just for Joshua. Your parents... they didn't tell anyone who you were, not because they didn't care. They were just trying to protect you. In their own way."

Daniela swiped away her tears, refusing to let them fall another second.

She had been born into the world with the Stewart name-an heiress by blood, raised for privilege and power.

But in seven years with Joshua, she had handed it all over, piece by piece. Instead of reaping her family's legacy, she had buried herself in work, grinding through endless nights to help Joshua chase his pharmaceutical ambitions.

It was her drive that made him a star in the industry, her relentless networking that earned him every accolade. Now, she was even on the cusp of clinching a deal between his company and Serene Hospital-a partnership that would catapult him into the big leagues.

There was a slight quiver in her voice, though her delivery stayed ice-cold. "I must've been out of my mind. How could I ever think he deserved me?"

With a slow, steady breath, she muttered, "I'm done here. This relationship ends with me-and I won't be slipping away in silence. In two weeks, we're supposed to walk down the aisle. If my memory serves, Serene Hospital is still under Stewart Group's control. I'll be the one to break this toxic tie. After that, I'll go home and face my parents myself."

Her tone turned glacial as she went on, "Let Serene Hospital proceed with the Aurora Pharmaceuticals partnership as planned. But the chairman will announce the final verdict in person-on the wedding day."

Joshua owed everything to her rise-and she intended to be the one who tore it all away. In no time, he would understand what it meant to fall not just hard-but straight into damnation, with no way back up.