Prologue: A lie spoken in impulse begins to twist hearts into love, pain, and dangerous obsession.
Lara sat in her room, her mind racing endlessly about the drama Zaden had pulled—dragging her into something she was never prepared for. He had announced her as his fiancée without even informing her, and now they were planning to meet her parents. But that wasn't even the scariest part. Zaden wasn't just any man—he was a public figure, the heir to a powerful and successful company. This lie would attract attention, media, gossip… everything she feared. What if her parents found out? What if Brian found out? Were there media people watching yesterday? The thoughts suffocated her, leaving her restless, unable to sleep the entire night.
The next day at the office, Lara waited for Zaden, her mind still unsettled. The moment he appeared, their eyes locked. She looked at him sarcastically, silently questioning what new drama he was about to create—but Zaden's expression was different.
His eyes held pain, something deep and unreadable, and it caught her off guard. Unable to ignore it, she walked up to him and said, "We need to talk." Without a word, he placed his bag down, grabbed her hand, and pulled her upstairs.
Everyone witnessed it, including the manager, who immediately called Mr. James, reporting that Zaden had grabbed Lara's hand and taken her upstairs, recalling how Mr. James had been suspicious the other day. But Mr. James wasn't surprised at all—he calmly replied that Zaden had already declared her as his life partner in front of everyone. The manager was left shocked.
Upstairs, Lara looked straight into Zaden's eyes, her voice soft yet trembling, "I can't do this… I'm scared." Zaden frowned slightly, asking what she meant. "This drama," she said, her voice shaking, "I have a very critical family… and I love somebody else. If they find out about what we did yesterday, I'll be ruined."
Those words hit Zaden like a storm. The moment she said she loved someone else, something inside him shattered—a sharp, unbearable pain spread through his chest and stomach. He stood frozen, staring at her with disbelief and hurt, his eyes filled with something he couldn't even process.
"Hey!" Lara snapped her fingers, breaking his trance. Gathering himself, Zaden replied in a controlled tone, "If they find out, I'll handle it. But tell me immediately if anyone questions you."
His calm, responsible response reassured her, and she nodded, finally feeling a bit at ease. She turned to leave, but suddenly, Zaden pulled her back again—this time gripping her wrist and pulling her against his body, his hand sliding to her waist. Lara's breath hitched, her heart racing as she looked up at him in confusion. For a moment, his gaze dropped to her lips, temptation flickering in his eyes—but then he shut his eyes tightly, forcing himself to control his emotions. The next second, he let go abruptly and walked away, leaving behind a storm within him. He couldn't accept it… the fact that Lara loved someone else.
Lara stood there, frozen, confused, nervous… and slightly shy, glancing around to make sure no one had seen them. Just then, her phone rang—it was Brian. Instantly, her face lit up. "Hi, Lars," he greeted casually. She replied shyly, her voice soft. When he asked if she would come today, she eagerly agreed. "I'll pick you up from your office," he said, and she thanked him instinctively, only for him to tease, "Why are you thanking me, honey?" She froze for a moment, flustered, mumbling before he chuckled and ended the call. Her cheeks flushed, a smile spreading uncontrollably across her face as she practically skipped down the stairs, glowing with excitement.
Back in her cabin, she couldn't stop smiling like a child. Zaden, watching through the CCTV, unconsciously muttered, "Cute…" before immediately realizing what he had said and shutting himself up, his expression darkening.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Jeylin sat on her bed, her leg shaking violently, her mind spiraling into madness. Her parents knocked repeatedly, but she ignored them, lost in her obsessive thoughts. "I will never let them be together," she muttered. "A no one like her? Took my man? Zaden is mine… I will never give up on him!" she kept repeating, her voice trembling with rage.
When her mother finally confronted her, telling her that Zaden didn't deserve her and reminding her how he publicly humiliated her, Jeylin snapped. She flung the door open, her eyes blazing. "What? When did he ever care about my feelings? You all knew it all along! And now you talk about his care?" she shouted. Her voice grew darker, more unhinged. "I don't care if he loves me or not—but I will never lose him. I want that bitch Lara to die… I'm going to kill her!"
Her father stepped in, trying to calm her, warning her not to destroy herself over someone like Zaden. He revealed what everyone had already seen, Zaden was truly in love with Lara. He suggested sending her abroad so she could move on.
But Jeylin's reaction was terrifying. She stared at him with deadly intensity and hissed, "Are you telling me to run? From who? That bitch?" Her father tried to reason with her, saying he only wanted her happiness, but she laughed bitterly. "I can only be happy with Zaden. I will get him back. I will make him hate Lara… I'm sure of it. He is mine… he is mine…" she repeated like a maniac before collapsing onto her bed, crying uncontrollably, her legs still twitching with restless obsession.
Outside, her parents stood helpless, their hearts breaking as they watched their daughter lose herself completely.