Chapter 1

The spotlight hit Liam.

He stood on the stage at AuraConnect's 10th-anniversary gala.

Austin' s tech elite watched him.

He held a small, velvet box.

Inside, a ring he' d spent months designing.

For Jessica.

His Jessica.

High school sweethearts, college sweethearts, business partners.

Ten years building AuraConnect from a dorm room dream to a multi-billion-dollar giant.

He was the tech brain, she was the face.

Tonight, he planned to make her his wife.

"Jessica," he began, his voice shaking a little, amplified by the microphone.

The crowd hushed.

Jessica stood near the front, stunning in a sequined gown.

But her eyes weren' t on him.

They were on her phone.

A small smile played on her lips, but it wasn't for Liam.

"For ten years," Liam continued, trying to draw her attention, "we' ve built something incredible."

He spoke of their journey, their shared dreams, his love for her.

He opened the box.

The diamond glittered.

"Jessica, will you marry me?"

The silence stretched.

Jessica finally looked up, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes.

She tapped her phone screen one last time before slipping it into her clutch.

Then, she laughed.

Not a happy laugh.

A dismissive one.

"Oh, Liam," she said, her voice carrying through the silent ballroom. "That' s... sweet. But really? Now?"

She gestured vaguely.

"We' re celebrating a decade of AuraConnect, not... this."

A murmur went through the crowd.

Liam felt his face burn.

"This is a business event, darling. Let's not make it awkward."

She didn't even look at the ring.

Her eyes scanned the room, landing on someone near the back, a young, handsome guy Liam didn't recognize.

A model, he' d heard whispers.

Jessica' s new distraction.

The texts.

Liam just stood there.

The ring felt heavy in his hand.

The world seemed to tilt.

Jessica gave a tight smile to the audience, then turned and walked away from the stage, towards her friends, already pulling out her phone again.

Publicly. Cruelly.

The rejection was a physical blow.

His heart, which had been soaring, crashed.

He saw pity in some faces, amusement in others.

His carefully planned moment, his decade of devotion, shattered.

He wanted the floor to swallow him.

This wasn't just a no.

This was a statement.

He didn't matter.

Not anymore.