Aiden always believed love was worth any sacrifice.
That was why, on the night of his engagement party, he stood in the center of the grand ballroom with a soft smile on his face, ignoring the tight ache in his chest as guests whispered around him.
Crystal chandeliers glowed overhead. The upper class of the city had gathered—business tycoons, politicians, old-money families—all here to witness the union between the Aiden family and an up-and-coming star.
Sebastian Hale.
Aiden's fiancé.
The man he loved more than his own life.
Sebastian stood a few steps away, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, handsome and radiant under the lights. He looked every bit the ideal partner—gentle smile, warm eyes, humble posture. The guests adored him.
They always did.
Aiden tightened his grip around the champagne glass in his hand. He told himself the unease curling in his stomach was just nerves. Engagements were supposed to feel overwhelming. This was normal.
After all, he had given Sebastian everything.
Connections. Money. Status. Protection.
Love.
The host tapped the microphone, calling for attention.
"It's time for the engagement speech," someone announced.
Sebastian stepped forward first.
He took the microphone with practiced ease, his gaze sweeping the room before finally settling on Aiden. His smile softened, intimate enough to make Aiden's heart flutter despite everything.
"My journey to this point," Sebastian said warmly, "would not have been possible without someone very special."
Aiden's fingers trembled.
Sebastian continued, "Someone who believed in me when I had nothing."
The room hummed with approval.
But then—
"I owe everything," Sebastian said slowly, "to the Hale Group and its chairman."
The Hale Group?
Aiden froze.
That was… Sebastian's company. The one Aiden had helped build from nothing. The one funded quietly through Aiden's private accounts.
Sebastian turned slightly, gesturing toward a group seated near the front.
"And to Ms. Clara Lin, whose support and companionship have meant more to me than words can express."
The name hit Aiden like a slap.
Clara Lin.
The woman seated beside Sebastian's parents stood up gracefully, her hand resting possessively on her stomach. She wore a faint smile—one that wasn't shy, but victorious.
Whispers exploded across the ballroom.
"Isn't she—" "She's pregnant, right?" "But isn't Sebastian engaged?"
Aiden's world tilted.
Pregnant?
Sebastian finally turned to look at Aiden again—but this time, there was no warmth in his eyes. Only distance. Calculation.
"I apologize," Sebastian said into the microphone, his tone calm, almost regretful, "but I believe honesty is the greatest respect I can give everyone here."
Aiden's heart pounded violently.
"Our engagement," Sebastian continued, "was never meant to be permanent."
The glass slipped from Aiden's hand and shattered against the marble floor.
The sound echoed like a gunshot.
Sebastian went on, merciless.
"I needed the Aiden family's support to reach this level. Now that my company is stable and my future secured, it would be unfair to continue a relationship built on misunderstanding."
Misunderstanding?
Aiden stared at him, lips parted, unable to breathe.
"So," Sebastian concluded, placing a hand over Clara's, "I am officially announcing the cancellation of this engagement."
The room erupted.
Shock. Gossip. Judgment.
Aiden couldn't hear any of it.
All he could see was Sebastian—standing tall, unashamed—while the life Aiden had carefully built shattered in front of him.
"Sebastian…" Aiden whispered.
Sebastian's gaze flickered briefly. Not with guilt—but annoyance.
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," he said quietly, stepping closer. "You're smart, Aiden. You should understand."
Understand?
Understand that the man he loved had used him?
That his devotion had been a ladder?
Security rushed forward, guided by subtle signals from Sebastian. Someone grabbed Aiden's arm.
"Mr. Aiden, please—"
"I gave you everything," Aiden said hoarsely, shaking free. "You said you loved me."
Sebastian leaned in, his voice cold enough to cut.
"I loved what you could give me."
Those words finished him.
Laughter rippled somewhere behind him. Pity elsewhere.
Aiden turned and walked out.
He didn't remember leaving the ballroom. He didn't remember getting into his car. Only the rain—cold and relentless—soaking through his clothes as he stood alone on the bridge overlooking the river.
His phone buzzed endlessly.
Messages from friends. Family. Headlines already spreading.
Aiden Heir Dumped at Engagement Party
Business Romance Exposed as Transaction
He laughed weakly.
"So this is how it ends," he murmured.
A sharp pain tore through his chest.
Aiden staggered, clutching at his heart as his vision blurred. His body felt unbearably heavy, as if the world itself was pressing him down.
In his final moments, one thought surfaced clearly.
If I could do it again…
The rain swallowed his last breath.
Darkness closed in.
And somewhere beyond it, fate quietly turned back time.