Chapter 3

"Kennedy!" Aubrey cried out, his voice filled with a panic I had never heard him use for me.

He caught her, his face a mask of frantic worry. "I' m taking you to the hospital. Right now."

He started for the door, then paused, remembering me.

"Eva, you go to the cemetery alone," he ordered, not even looking at me. "I' ll come find you after I get Kennedy settled."

Then he was gone, leaving me alone in the silent apartment.

I stood by my parents' graves, the wind cold against my face. I stared at their smiling photos, a familiar anger and sorrow welling up inside me.

"I' m sorry," I whispered, a tear finally escaping and tracing a path down my cheek. "I' m sorry I let you down."

My father had been Aubrey's father' s second-in-command. They were more than colleagues; they were brothers. My father died saving his life on a mission.

His last wish was for the Gregory family to look after me.

To fulfill that wish, General Gregory had arranged my engagement to Aubrey.

I had been in love with him for years. I agreed without a second thought.

But Aubrey's heart belonged to someone else: Kennedy. She had been his childhood sweetheart, but she'd left him years ago for a wealthier man. Heartbroken and cynical, Aubrey had agreed to the engagement with me.

A few months ago, he heard Kennedy had fallen on hard times. He pulled strings, used his influence, and brought her back, giving her a job as a paralegal in his office.

And my life had become a living hell.

"I got in," I said to the photos, my voice thick with emotion. I pulled the acceptance letter from my pocket. Stanford University. Engineering.

I held it up for them to see.

Aubrey had always looked down on me for not having a college degree. He said I was uncultured. So I studied in secret, for years, poring over books late into the night after he went to sleep. I wanted to surprise him. I wanted to be the woman he could be proud of.

When I got the letter, my first thought was to turn it down. To stay, marry him, and build a life together.

Now, the letter felt like a lifeline. There was no reason to give it up anymore.

I stayed at the cemetery until the sun went down. Aubrey never came.

When I got back to the apartment, it was dark and empty.

I wasn' t surprised. I wasn' t even hurt anymore. I just felt... empty.

I went to my closet and started packing a small bag. At the back of the closet was a locked box where I kept our savings and important documents. I opened it and began sorting through the contents.

I counted the cash. Suddenly, I froze. A thick stack of hundred-dollar bills was missing. It was our wedding fund.

I searched the box again, my heart starting to pound. I knew I hadn't misplaced them.

Just then, the front door opened again. Aubrey and Kennedy walked in.

My eyes landed on Kennedy. She was wearing a brand-new designer dress. A fine, expensive dress that would have cost a fortune.

I knew instantly where my money had gone.

Aubrey saw me holding the box and frowned. "What are you doing? Stop messing with that and go make some chicken soup for Kennedy."

A cold smile spread across my face. "I think we' ve been robbed."

His face darkened. "Don' t be ridiculous. I took the money."

"You took it?"

"Kennedy was cold," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She needed a new dress. It was for a work event. It' s not a big deal."

My voice was barely a whisper. "Do you remember what you promised me?"

I looked down at my own worn-out jacket, the elbows patched. "You said we would use that money to get me a new suit for our wedding. I saved for two years."