**Nova Hayes POV** Everyone in New York knew I was head over heels for Ronnie Thorne. He was my brother’s best friend, six years my senior. Eight years ago, when I was just sixteen, trapped by some thugs, he appeared and shielded me. That’s when I fell for him. Hard. I followed him around, too scared to let him know how I felt, until my eighteenth birthday when I finally mustered the courage to confess. He leaned against the hallway wall, a cigarette glowing between his fingers. He stubbed it out, a lazy smirk on his face. “Little one, what do you know about love?” I got a bit anxious. “I’ll grow up!” He chuckled, then casually said, “Alright, fine. When you turn twenty-four, if you still like me, I’ll give you an answer.” For that answer, I chased him for eight years. My entire youth was written with his name. Today, I finally turned twenty-four. I baked a cake with my own hands, ready to go to him and claim the answer that was eight years overdue. But as I reached the private room on the third floor of the club, I heard a baby crying inside. I froze. The laughing voices of men inside drifted out clearly. “Ronnie, that’s a seriously messed up move.” One man laughed. “Fake marriage, even get a kid involved? Nova’s gonna go insane!” Ronnie’s voice chimed in, with his usual lazy tone and a hint of impatience. “If I don’t go all out, will she ever let go? In these eight years, have you ever seen her give up?” Another voice echoed. “True, that woman sticks to you like glue, can’t shake her off. But wow, you really went to great lengths to get Iris Miller.” Ronnie let out a soft laugh, his voice laced with the arrogant confidence of someone who always gets what they want. “Iris is kind; she always feels sorry for Nova. I need her to see clearly that unless we cut ties completely, we can’t start anything.” “So you paid Iris to act out this whole charade with you? Even ‘borrowed’ a baby, all just to give Nova a surprise on her birthday today?” “Solving two problems at once.” Ronnie’s voice was cold as ice. “It’ll make Nova give up completely, and it’ll show Iris my determination. I’ve already sent her the invitation; today’s just a heads-up.” “Haha, that’s hardcore, Ronnie! If Nova actually shows up and makes a scene on the wedding day, it’ll be a show!” “She wouldn’t dare.” Ronnie’s two words hit me hard. So, the answer I’d waited for with all my heart was a meticulously planned humiliation. So, for another woman, he could be this cruel to me. The cake box in my hand slipped and crashed to the floor. I watched as cream and fruit splattered everywhere, a complete mess. The voices from inside the private room abruptly stopped. The door was yanked open. Ronnie stood there, his eyes showing no surprise when he saw me. His friends peered out from behind him, their faces eager for a show. I stared at him, the man I had loved for eight years. “You heard everything?” His tone was flat. I didn’t speak, just kept looking at him. “Good that you heard it. Saves me the trouble of explaining.” Ronnie pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket and lit one. “That’s how it is. Iris and I are getting married. Nova, stop bothering me from now on.” I turned and ran into the pouring rain. I didn’t cry. I didn’t even look back. The icy rain drenched me, and my mind felt clearer than ever before. All my eight years of devotion, in his eyes, were just an annoyance. My eight years of waiting, in his eyes, were just a nuisance. I felt like such a clown. I stopped, wiped a hand across my face. I pulled out my phone and called my brother, Ben Hayes. On the other end, Ben’s voice was full of concern. “Nova? Where are you? Why are you breathing so heavily?” I took a deep breath. “Ben, I’ve figured it out.” “…What?” “What you said before, about me going to Paris to study design? I agree.” There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then Ben’s excited voice rang out. “Really? That’s great! You finally came to your senses!” “And,” I looked at the blurry neon lights in the distance. “That friend you mentioned introducing me to last time? Arrange it. I want to meet new people.” “No problem! Nova, whatever you do, I’ll support you!” After hanging up, I let out a long breath. I gave him eight years; that was enough. I returned to my empty apartment, peeled off my soaked clothes, and stepped into the shower. Hot water cascaded over my head, washing over my body. My phone pinged. It was a message from Ronnie. It was a photo: a cute baby nestled in a blanket, beside a gold-embossed wedding invitation. [Next month, on the eighteenth. Don’t forget to come.] I stared at that photo for a long time. Then, I typed two words and sent them. [Okay.] Only after doing all that did I stand up and drag a heavy box from under my bed. It contained all of Ronnie’s things I had collected over the past eight years. The jersey he wore playing basketball, I secretly picked up and washed clean. The pen he’d carelessly used, I’d treasured until now. Our only photo together was from graduation; I stood in a corner of the crowd, while he was center stage. I took out each item, one by one, and tossed them into the giant black trash bag beside me. Finally, I picked up the graduation photo frame. The boy in the photo was dashing and brilliant, full of youthful vigor. I once naively believed that if I tried hard enough, I could get closer to that light. Now I understood. Some people are just meant to live in the shadows. I let go, and the frame dropped into the trash bag with a muffled thud. I knew then: my eight years of secret love ended here.
**Ronnie Thorne POV** I was drinking with my friends in the private room when I received her reply. I stared at the two short words on my phone screen—”Okay”—and couldn’t help but frown. She was too calm. Too calm to be the Nova Hayes who would wait five hours in a snowstorm just to see me. “Ronnie, what are you looking at?” My friend next to me leaned over, glanced at my phone, and scoffed. “Oh, Nova replied? What’s her game now? Giving up?” Another friend analyzed. “No way. She definitely heard everything outside earlier. That woman is cunning. She probably knows that a frontal assault won’t work, so she’s planning new tricks.” “Good point! She’s probably trying to act like she doesn’t care, to make us drop our guard, then pull a big stunt at the wedding!” Everyone chimed in, and soon, a “reasonable” explanation for Nova’s behavior was found. I stubbed out my cigarette and smirked. Exactly. I knew Nova wouldn’t give up that easily. Fine, I’ll play along. I’d like to see what kind of games she can come up with. I tossed my phone onto the table and told everyone, “Alright, stick to the plan. The show must go on.” Everyone chuckled, understanding. Just then, the private room door was pushed open, and Ben Hayes walked in, radiating cold fury. “Ronnie, step outside. We need to talk.” Ben’s voice was thick with suppressed anger. I slowly poured myself another drink, not looking at him. “Talk about what? Your sister?” “You know I’m not kidding!” “Neither am I.” I swirled my glass. “Ben, control your sister. Don’t let her bother me anymore.” Ben’s fists instantly clenched, veins popping on his hands. But I couldn’t be bothered to even glance at him. I grabbed my jacket and stood up. “I have plans with Iris. No time to waste talking to you.” I walked directly past Ben, shoulder-checking him hard. Leaving Ben standing there, trembling with rage.
**Ben Hayes POV** Today was my birthday party. As the host, I was worried, constantly glancing towards the entrance. Nova had promised to come, but she still hadn’t shown up. The banquet hall buzzed with cheerful guests. Suddenly, a stir at the entrance. Ronnie had arrived. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, Iris Miller clinging to his arm in a flowing white gown. Iris gently held his arm, while Ronnie carried a baby in a blanket. The picture of a happy family of three captured everyone’s attention. **Ronnie Thorne POV** I ignored everyone’s stares and walked directly towards a figure in the corner. Nova had arrived sometime earlier. She wore simple jeans and a white T-shirt, bare-faced, holding a glass of juice, as quiet as an outsider. She had lost weight; her chin was so sharp it hurt to look at. A flicker of an unfamiliar emotion crossed my mind, but it was quickly replaced by annoyance. She was playing these disgusting games again. I walked up to her, deliberately shifting the baby in my arms closer to Iris. Iris spoke softly. “Nova, long time no see. I know you’re hurting, but you can’t force feelings. Ronnie is a family man now; you should let go.” **Nova Hayes POV** Ronnie’s friends immediately surrounded me, chanting in unison. “Exactly, Nova, you’ve chased him for eight years, haven’t you faced reality yet?” “It was one thing when he was single, but now he has a kid. If you keep clinging to him, you’ll just be making a fool of yourself.” “You should know your place. Don’t make things awkward for everyone.” Each mocking word, each sneering laugh, felt like countless needles piercing me. And Ronnie, he just stood there, watching coldly. I knew he was waiting. He was waiting for me to break down, to cry and make a scene, just like I had countless times before. But I just lifted my eyes and looked at them. I looked at the smiling Iris, then at the baby in Ronnie’s arms. Finally, I looked at Ronnie’s cold face. I smiled. “Is that so?” “Then I wish you both,” I raised my glass of juice towards them. “May you grow old together.” With that, I drained the juice in my glass, then turned and walked towards another group of people. Ronnie’s smile froze. Iris’s expression was also a little bewildered. The friends around them exchanged glances, no one speaking another word. 3. **Ronnie Thorne POV** A surge of indescribable irritation swelled within me. I hated this feeling of losing control. Nova shouldn’t have reacted like that. She should have cried, she should have screamed, she should have demanded to know why I was doing this to her. Then I could have thrown all my harsh words at her face, making her disappear from my world forever. But she didn’t. She just calmly wished us well, then walked away. “Ronnie, this…” The person next to me was at a loss. Iris gently tugged my sleeve. “Ronnie, did I say something wrong? Nova looks really upset.” I suppressed that flicker of unease and scoffed. “Upset? She’s faking it.” Even as I said that, I couldn’t help but watch her. Nova walked to the other end of the banquet hall. Ben immediately went to her, murmuring something to her with a worried expression. Nova shook her head, even offering a reassuring smile. That smile infuriated me. Ben suddenly looked up, glaring at me furiously. He shielded Nova behind him and stormed over. “Ronnie!” Ben’s voice was laced with towering rage. “It’s my birthday today. What’s with you bringing people here to put on a show?” I held the baby. “I came to wish you a happy birthday. What’s the problem?” “Don’t you dare pretend with me!” Ben was so angry he spoke without thinking. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did to Nova! What kind of person are you?” “What did I do?” I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “I just let my fiancée and baby meet everyone in advance, so some people don’t cling to unwarranted fantasies. I’m helping your sister, making her face reality sooner.” “You—” Ben raised his hand, ready to throw a punch. “Ben!” **Nova Hayes POV** I quickly walked over and grabbed his arm. Looking at my brother, I gently shook my head. Seeing this, Iris quickly stepped forward, clinging to Ronnie’s arm, and softly said to Ben, “Ben, don’t be angry, it’s all a misunderstanding. Ronnie didn’t mean any harm.” As she spoke, she seemed to stumble, her body swaying. The red wine glass in her hand accidentally slipped, spilling the entire contents perfectly onto my white dress. “Ah!” Iris cried out in surprise, quickly pulling out tissues to wipe the wine stain from my chest. “I’m so sorry, Nova, I didn’t mean to. Please don’t blame me.” I felt her hand, seemingly wiping, but actually tugging hard at my clothes. The more she “wiped,” the dirtier my dress became. I slapped Iris’s hand away. “Don’t touch me.” Iris was pushed back a step, her eyes instantly reddening. She looked at Ronnie, wronged. “Ronnie, I…” Ronnie’s anger flared. He handed the baby to someone nearby, shielded Iris behind him, and sharply barked at me, “Nova, what the hell is wrong with you? Iris apologized, what more do you want?” I looked at him, feeling only absurdity. I said nothing, turning to leave this place. The moment I turned, a sound came from above. Everyone instinctively looked up. The giant crystal chandelier in the center of the banquet hall was plummeting from the ceiling! Right below it were Iris and I! I saw the terrified screams and scattering figures of the people around me. I saw my brother, Ben, rushing towards me in a panic. I saw Ronnie. I saw him move. His movements were decisive, he rushed towards Iris without hesitation. He pulled her tightly into his arms, turning his back to the danger, shielding her perfectly. In that moment, in my world, there was only Ronnie’s resolute back. Turns out, in such a moment, I didn’t even deserve a glance from him. “Nova—!” Ben’s heartbreaking cry was drowned out by a colossal crash. A sharp pain struck me from above. The second before my consciousness was swallowed by darkness, the last thing I saw was Ronnie, looking down, anxiously and gently comforting a startled Iris in his arms. My vision went black, and I completely lost consciousness.
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