Chapter 1

1.

“Did you hear? The city’s golden boy is shutting down half of the downtown district today. He’s planning a massive proposal for his sweetheart!”

“That is so like Jasper. Such a grand gesture, truly.”

I stood under the warm sun, yet felt a wave of cold, dizzying nausea.

Listening to the chatter of the crowd, I finally realized that today was the day Jasper Reed, our city’s elite prince, was going to propose to his one true love. The event was billed as the spectacle of the century, broadcast live across every screen in the city.

The news of the city’s golden boy spending a fortune for love had spread like wildfire. Everyone treated it as a modern fairytale, hanging on every detail.

Even after three years, hearing that name still sent my heart plummeting into a dark abyss.

As I blinked, I suddenly saw the figure I hadn’t laid eyes on for three years.

Jasper Reed.

He was dressed in a tailored suit, the youthful edges of his past polished away. He appeared more mature and composed, though his aura remained detached, just as I remembered him on the day we last met.

He was scrutinizing the stage layout, where 999 roses formed a massive heart with his name and hers intertwined inside.

Jasper’s expression was intense and focused, exactly the way I used to see him when we worked side-by-side.

Everything about this felt painfully familiar.

Usually, a reunion after years apart would be a cause for celebration. I should have walked up to him, maybe shared a quick word about the old times.

After all, he was once the father of the child I had carried.

I had once fantasized about wearing a white dress, walking toward him in his tuxedo, and starting our lives together.

Alas, it was clear that none of that was possible now.

Oh, right. I almost forgot to mention a small detail.

This was actually my third year being dead.

Now, I could only stand among the spectators, watching in silence and offering a ghost of a blessing.

Wait, it seemed someone was fulfilling my wishes instead.

I looked at the other lead of the show, Chloe Bennett. She was dressed in an exquisite white gown, styled like a princess, wearing a look of rehearsed emotion as she prepared to accept Jasper’s proposal.

So, it was her. I curled my lips in a bitter smile, unable to do anything but watch.

Jasper pulled a velvet box from his pocket and opened it carefully, revealing a diamond ring so bright it was impossible to ignore.

The crowd erupted into cheers at the sight.

Just as Jasper knelt on one knee, ready to recite his rehearsed vows, the sharp, jarring ring of a cell phone cut through the romantic haze.

The warmth that had softened Jasper’s face while looking at Chloe instantly vanished, replaced by a cold, professional edge.

Because he was a police officer.

And that ringtone was specifically assigned to his work.

“Detective Reed, we just unearthed a female body in the underground construction site at the Northside School. Judging by the decay, she’s been there for three years. We need backup immediately. Can you make it?”

Clearly, Chloe had heard the call too. The smile on her face stiffened instantly.

She lowered her voice, trying to keep it from the cameras, her teeth gritting in frustration.

“Jasper, can’t you just stay? Everyone is watching us…”

But even under her pleading gaze, Jasper tucked the ring box away.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. It’s my duty. I have to go.”

Chloe knew she couldn’t stop him now. Her face slowly turned pale.

Seeing her current state, I couldn’t help but empathize.

Because I, too, had been left behind by Jasper, feeling abandoned and utterly helpless.

Three years ago, Jasper and I were partners.

I had fought my way out of a destitute mountain town, graduating at the top of my class to serve my country.

Jasper, fueled by his own dreams, had abandoned his family’s massive inheritance to join the force.

Our backgrounds couldn’t have been more different, but our souls were surprisingly in sync.

That was how we ended up falling for each other.

But office romances were never easy to handle, especially with our high-stakes, erratic jobs.

He had personally denied our relationship, telling everyone not to read into things.

“She’s just a colleague. There’s nothing else going on between us.”

Furthermore, if I made even the slightest mistake, Jasper would punish me without mercy.

So, no one ever suspected that we had shared a bed, or that he was the father of the baby I once carried.

Chloe, on the other hand, was the exception.

As a fresh recruit who constantly messed up forensic samples and mismanaged evidence, she was always forgiven by Jasper with ease.

He would tell me, so coldly, “Everyone makes mistakes. She’s new, don’t be so hard on her.”

It was as if I were the malicious, jealous villain.

Even when I collapsed from a severe illness after days of high-intensity work, Jasper―who had promised to stay and care for me―left the moment Chloe called, crying about a sudden pain in her chest.

“I’m sorry, Elena. Chloe sounds like she’s in agony; she needs me more right now!”

“You just stay here and get some rest!”

With those two brief sentences, he left me, burning with fever, alone in the dark.

Recalling those moments, my heart ached with a dull, persistent sting.

Perhaps in everyone else’s eyes, they were the perfect match.