My half-sister was dying of cancer, and she had one final wish: to steal my life.

She demanded my wedding, my fiancé, everything. So I watched as she walked down the aisle in the dress I designed myself, on the arm of the man I loved, into the wedding that should have been mine. For a dying woman, I could bear it.

But when she came for the heirloom bracelet my late mother left me, something inside me snapped. At the auction, I watched my ex-fiancé, Jasper, shield her as they drove the price up to a staggering 200 million. Bled dry by my own parasitic family, I was helpless, forced to see my last connection to my mother fall into their hands—

Until a calm, commanding voice cut through the room: “300 million.” The entire hall fell silent. Mack Ben, the notoriously private and influential head of the Ben family, had made the bid. “A gift,” he declared, his gaze finding mine, “for Miss Colby.”

After I retrieved the bracelet, I promised to repay him. “Mr. Ben, I’ll find a way to pay back the 300 million.” He simply studied my face, a slight frown creasing his brow. “Freya Colby,” he asked softly, “have you forgotten me?” Me: ?

My hands moved helplessly through the air as I struggled to voice the question burning in my mind.


I wanted to ask him why, if he had been keeping track of me all these years, I had never once spotted him until now.


Mack caught the meaning behind my gestures and met my gaze directly. "I only lived in Granshire for three years. After that, my grandfather's assignment changed, and our whole family relocated. To be honest, I never imagined we would cross paths again."


My curiosity peaked. "So when exactly did we meet again?"


"What?" The revelation hit me like a bolt of lightning. After processing this information, I pressed further. "I went to Whitman University. Did you go there too?"


My jaw dropped. We were actually alumni!


Chapter 55 - Chapter 55 College Years Unveiled