Chapter 1
Summer Reeves had been with Wilder Hunt for ten years before he finally said, “Marry me.”
But on the day of the wedding, he left her–turning away to rescue the secretary–Grace Caldwell who had been secretly in love with him for years.
Worried for his safety, Summer didn’t even have time to feel hurt. She ran after him.
By the time she arrived, she saw the secretary being thrown off a building by Wilder’s enemies- she’d been trying to protect confidential files for him. She survived, but barely. The fall left her in a
coma.
Overcome with guilt, Wilder arranged for her to be treated at the best hospital.
At his request, Summer spent the next two years taking care of the secretary’s mentally ill mother, enduring her violent outbursts and cruel insults every time she relapsed.
Until one day, during another psychotic episode, the woman tore through Summer’s belongings- cutting everything to shreds, including their marriage certificate.
Exhausted, Summer dragged herself to City Hall to get a new one, only to be stopped by the clerk.
“Miss Reeves, this marriage certificate is fake. According to our records, your marital status is
single.”
Her mind went blank. It felt like she’d been struck by lightning.
Summer had no idea how she made it out of City Hall.
All she remembered were the looks people gave her–pitying, curious, some even scornful.
“Did you hear that? Her husband married someone else and gave her a fake certificate. Who’s the mistress now–her or the other woman?”
“Come on, use your brain. The one without a license is obviously the mistress. That’s the law. No
certificate, no marriage–just an affair.”
She stumbled onto a cab, shaking uncontrollably.
Her ears kept replaying the words from City Hall.
“This has to be a mistake. We’ve been married for two years. Can you check again?”
The clerk sighed and turned the computer screen toward her.
“No mistake, Miss Reeves. You’re not married. But your so–called husband–he is. According to the
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record, he’s married to a woman named Grace Caldwell. Do you know her?”
Summer sat in the car, laughing one moment, crying the next.
How could she not know Grace Caldwell?
The very same secretary lying in a hospital bed.
The woman who had loved Wilder for years without ever letting go–even after all his rejections.
Summer’s head pounded as she slammed her foot on the gas and sped home.
The front door hadn’t been shut properly, so when she entered, no one inside noticed.
From the study came bursts of laughter and the clinking of glasses.
“Damn, Wilder, you’ve got it made–two gorgeous women, one on each arm. We’re all jealous as
hell!”
Wilder chuckled and kicked the guy lightly. “Watch it. Say that kind of crap in here if you want, but outside, don’t let Summer hear it. Got it?“.
“What are you so afraid of, Wilder? You’re keeping it from her that Grace already woke up. Not to
mention, the moment she asked you to marry her, you said yes without blinking. Don’t tell us
there’s nothing going on there–we’d never believe you.”
Wilder didn’t respond right away.
He leaned back on the leather sofa, eyes half–closed, wearing an unreadable expression.
“Summer’s been with me for twelve years. She’s like a firecracker–one spark and she explodes.
Sometimes, she’s so fierce it doesn’t even feel like I’m with a woman.”
“Twelve years,” he muttered, “touching her feels like touching myself. It’s lost all meaning. But
that doesn’t mean I don’t love her. Truth is, I can’t live without her.”
“But Grace… Grace is different.”
His eyes lit up, a hint of tenderness flashing across his face.
“She’s soft, delicate. Just one touch and her skin turns red. I gave the spotlight and my name to
Summer, while Grace stayed in the shadows. She almost died saving me. Giving her security… it’s
the least I could do. It’s all I can do.”
Outside the study, Summer leaned against the wall, trying to steady her shaking body.
“But what if Summer finds out?” one of the men said. “You made her take care of Grace’s mentally
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ill mother for two years–if she ever learns the truth, she’s going to hate you.”
Wilder narrowed his eyes, as if something had just occurred to him.
He sat up straighter, fingers interlaced.
“She won’t find out. I’ll make sure of it.”
A sharp pain stabbed through Summer’s chest, as if someone had slammed a hammer straight into
her heart.
Her breath caught in her throat. Tears streamed down her face like broken pearls.
Twelve years.
She had chased after his shadow for twelve years.
No wonder there was no wedding.
No wonder he was always on business trips.
No wonder he stayed up late and never came to bed…
She was a complete joke.
Laughter still echoed from the study.
Summer wiped her tears and walked away.
Then she pulled out her phone and made a call.
“I’ll come back. I’ll agree to the engagement…”
IFFE
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10
INHEL
