Chapter 1

1

I flew back to Chicago in secret, wanting to give my boyfriend, Hayden, a birthday surprise.

Instead, at his VIP lounge party, I found him with his arm wrapped around another girl while the crowd cheered for them to kiss.

The second their lips locked, I raised my phone, turned on the video and flash.

"Keep going, don't stop on my account―I'm recording!"

"Come on, give her a real kiss!"

Days before his birthday, Hayden had texted me.

【I know our busy Miss Holloway is swamped with work. Just make sure to make up for my birthday gift later.】

After reading it, I swallowed the urge to tell him I was booking a flight.

I wanted it to be an unforgettable surprise.

I contacted the downtown lounge his friends booked well in advance.

After proving I was his girlfriend planning a surprise, the manager let me disguise myself as a private room server.

My plan was to step out with the cake right when he closed his eyes to make a wish.

Wearing a cap and a black mask, I shrank into the dimly lit corner of the booth, stealing glances at him.

It had been three months since we last saw each other in London.

Whenever I tried to FaceTime him at night, he always made excuses.

It was either too late, he wasn't dressed, or he was too exhausted from work and needed to sleep.

I hadn't seen his face in so long.

Looking at him tonight, he looked the same, yet completely unfamiliar.

Three months apart could change someone, I reasoned.

I tried to soothe the cold knot of unease tightening in my chest.

The VIP door swung open, and a stunning girl walked in.

She had long dark hair and wore a delicate white dress, glowing like a beam of pure light in the smoky room.

"I wonder whose lucky date she is," I muttered to myself, quietly stepping back to close the door.

When I turned around, my breath caught.

Hayden, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, naturally reached out and pulled the girl's hand, tugging her down beside him.

Then, he threw his arm possessively over her shoulders.

A wave of nausea hit me square in the chest.

The air conditioning in the lounge seemed a little too cold.

The girl shivered slightly and rubbed her bare arms.

Hayden noticed immediately, slipping off his designer jacket to drape it over her shoulders before pulling her close again.

The room erupted into rowdy cheers.

"Look at Mr. Shaw taking such good care of his lady! We really need to take notes!"

The girl blushed, ducking her head with a shy smile.

Hayden smirked around his cigarette.

"Back off, guys. Stop teasing her. Can't you see how shy she is? She's hiding her face from all of you."

"Aw, then give her a kiss, boss! Make her look up!"

The chanting grew louder and louder.

I didn't know which idiot had dimmed the lights so low.

Amidst the deafening noise, I noticed a strange stillness―it was the pure tenderness in the way he looked at her.

"Light the candles! Light them now so he can kiss her when he makes a wish! Hey, server, yes you, light the damn candles!"

The voice got swallowed by the cheering, but I heard every word.

Honestly, it was a romantic idea―a kiss over glowing candlelight while making a wish.

I stepped up and lit the candles on the cake, positioning it right between Hayden and me.

The flames danced in front of my eyes.

I watched Hayden lean in toward her like a predator closing in on its prey.

The girl leaned back in playful resistance, but his grip on her waist held her firmly in place.

She resisted for a second, then gave in, closing her eyes as if waiting for this exact moment.

Then, Hayden kissed her.

It wasn't a gentle peck or a polite brush of the lips.

It was a deep, passionate kiss full of hunger I had never seen from him before.

Thunderous applause and rowdy whistling filled the room like a grand celebration.

It felt as though Hayden's birthday was always meant to be this way.