Chapter 3 Marriage Alliance

"But later on," Colin continued in a hesitant voice, "I came to realize Brinley isn't like Milly at all. She's softer, depends on me more, and... loves me in a way Milly never did."

Vance chuckled derisively. "And with that realization, you still justify deceiving her?"

"I don't deceive her!" Colin's voice rose with sudden intensity before falling again into a whisper. "I truly do care for her... it's just..."

"Just what?" Vance asked impatiently.

"It's just that I can't seem to cut Milly off completely," Colin admitted, sounding torn. "She was my first love. When she came back from abroad and reached out, I couldn't push her away. But at the same time, I didn't want to give up Brinley."

"So you went as far as to forge a marriage certificate, letting Brinley believe the two of you were legally bound?" The disgust was obvious in Vance's voice. "Colin, that makes you nothing short of a scumbag."

Colin fell silent for a few seconds before answering with a bitter, self-mocking laugh, "Yes, I'm a scumbag. I want Milly's fire, Brinley's gentleness... I even let myself imagine how perfect it would be to keep them both in my life."

"You must be delusional!" Vance snapped. "If Brinley ever found out about your double life, do you honestly think she'd forgive you?"

"She won't ever know," Colin said, interrupting Vance. "She trusts me completely, never questions a thing. Even when she phoned while Milly and I were in bed, she was too oblivious to notice anything unusual."

Those words smashed Brinley's heart like a ruthless strike.

Turning, she walked soundlessly toward the elevator. Each step felt unreal, as though she were moving through a heavy fog.

The man she had loved for two whole years was nothing but a liar.

...

Brinley had no idea how she managed to return home.

Absentmindedly, she unlocked the door, drifted into the kitchen, and began preparing dinner mechanically.

At half-past six, the sound of a key turning in the lock reached her ears.

Colin entered with his usual charm, carrying a fresh bouquet of lilies.

"I'm back." He leaned in and brushed her forehead with a kiss, smiling warmly.

Brinley forced her lips into a smile as she accepted the flowers.

Oblivious to her stiffness, Colin shrugged off his suit jacket and sniffed the air. "Mmm, what did you make? Smells delicious."

"Your favorite. Grilled meat." Brinley turned away to place the bouquet into a vase, hiding her cold expression.

Through the entire meal, Brinley kept her eyes fixed on him, studying every gesture.

Collin's phone never left the table, lying face down, and every so often he flicked his eyes at it, as though waiting for a message.

"My head aches a little," Brinley muttered after dinner. "Could you fetch me some medicine from upstairs? It's in the nightstand drawer."

"Of course," Colin said immediately, springing up. "You just rest here."

The moment he was upstairs, Brinley snatched his phone.

The screen came on, requiring a password.

She tried her own birthday, then their anniversary. Neither unlocked it.

Just as she was about to attempt again, a message notification flashed across the screen. "Colin, wonderful news-I'm pregnant!"

Brinley's fingers froze. The words blazed before her eyes, stabbing her like sharpened steel.

She stared in shock until Colin's footsteps began descending. Panicking, she dropped the phone back onto the table.

Colin returned with the pills and a glass of water. "You don't look well. Do you want to lie down early?"

Brinley accepted the pills, pretended to swallow, then replied, "I'm fine. By the way... is there something going on at the office? You kept glancing at your phone."

For a moment, Collin stiffened, but then he quickly composed himself. "Yes, a project issue. I might need to head back later."

"Then go," Brinley said with a gentle smile, though her heart was breaking inside. "Work always comes first."

Colin slipped on his coat, pausing to kiss her cheek. "Don't wait up for me. Get some rest."

As the door clicked shut behind him, Brinley's smile crumbled.

Tears formed in her eyes, but she stubbornly tipped her head back, refusing to let them fall.

Only after a long struggle did she finally pick up her phone, her hand trembling, and dial a number she hadn't called in two years.

"Dad, I've decided. I'll return home... and I'll accept the marriage alliance you arranged."