Chapter 3

Hearing the excitement in the man's voice, I looked up.

He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him.

"It's me, Owen Wright! From the dessert competition? I lost to you!"

The name clicked. I remembered him.

"Kaelen, do you have a minute to talk?"

Seeing the genuine enthusiasm in Owen's eyes, I found myself agreeing.

"What's on your mind?"

Owen sat across from me, practically bouncing in his seat. "Kaelen, I've been looking for you for two years since I came back to the States, but no one knew where you went."

"My dad never forgot the Rainbow Heart you made at the competition. He wants to hire you to lead our dessert development team."

Before I could speak, he continued, "You can bring your girlfriend with you to Paris. We'll take good care of both of you."

He paused. "Actually, it's been a few years. She's probably your wife by now, right?"

"Our company is serious about this offer. I really hope you'll consider it."

Three years ago, I won a national dessert competition with my original creation, the Rainbow Heart.

Owen's father had offered me a three-hundred-thousand-dollar salary to work for his company.

I turned him down without a second thought.

First, Paris was too far away. Second, Elara didn't like me working in the food industry.

I promised her that after that competition, I would quit making desserts.

I would find a more "respectable" job.

"I don't make desserts anymore," I told Owen honestly.

He was clearly stunned, but he recovered quickly.

"That's okay, I have faith in you. Just think about it. I'll wait for your answer."

In the end, we exchanged numbers.

As Owen and I were chatting by the entrance, the restaurant manager walked over.

"Sir," he said to Owen, "Ms. Jiang and Mr. King have booked our venue for their engagement party, but they want us to provide our limited-edition dessert."

I was about to say goodbye when I heard the name "Ms. Jiang." I casually glanced at the client file in his hand.

My heart went cold when I read the words: "Engagement ceremony for Ms. Elara Jiang and Mr. Julian King to be held on October 24th."

When Elara got home, I was still sitting numbly on the sofa.

"Kaelen, why are you still up?"

I looked up at the sound of her voice.

She was still wearing the evening gown. "Where were you?" I asked, my voice flat. "Dressed so formally."

A guilty look flashed across her face, but she quickly masked it.

"I was asked to attend a last-minute banquet for work."

My gaze lingered on a faint red mark on her neck for a few seconds before I looked down at my phone.

When I didn't say anything else, Elara frowned.

"Why are you up so late? And you've been acting strange all day."

I accepted Owen's friend request, then looked up at her.

"I was just thinking about where we should go for our birthday."

Our birthdays were on the same day.

Every year, we'd take a two-day trip.

She paused for a moment while taking off her shoes. "Kaelen," she said in a low, apologetic voice, "I have to go on a business trip those two days. I can't celebrate with you."

"When I get back, we'll go somewhere, I promise."

In the past, that sad tone of hers would have made me agree to anything.

But this time, I held her gaze and asked, "Do you have to go? Can't someone else go instead?"

My unusual behavior all day had finally pushed Elara to her limit.

She was used to me giving in, to my unconditional tolerance. She couldn't handle this new, defiant version of me.

"Kaelen, what the hell is wrong with you?" she snapped. "Why do you think I work so hard? If it wasn't for you having no degree and making no money, would I have to struggle like this?"

"You're sleeping in the guest room tonight. Think about what you've done."

With that, she slammed the bedroom door shut.

I had no degree and made no money. So she was going to marry her boss.

Staring at the locked door, I closed my eyes.

I took out my phone and sent a message to Owen.

"Mr. Wright, I accept your offer. But I have a special request. Could I be in charge of the desserts for the engagement party on the 24th?"

When Owen's positive reply came back, a strange calm washed over me.