01

Lena POV

Easter weekend was supposed to be perfect. A dreamy proposal, a romantic getaway in the Maldives, and a future sealed with love. That was the plan. My plan.

But instead of champagne and rose petals, I found myself standing frozen outside my boyfriend’s office, staring through the slightly ajar door at a scene that shattered everything.

Alicia, his assistant was sprawled across his desk, her perfectly manicured nails digging into his shoulders, her head thrown back in a dramatic gasp. And Ethan, my boyfriend of three years, was between her legs, his shirt unbuttoned, his belt undone, and his hands gripping her thighs as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

The same hands that had held mine just last night, promising a future.

My heart didn’t just break. It combusted.

I must have made a sound because Ethan’s head snapped up, his blue eyes widening in horror. "Lena—"

I didn’t wait to hear the rest. My vision turned red, my legs carried me out of there before my brain could process what I was doing. The velvet box in my hand felt like a cruel joke. I had spent months planning this, choosing the perfect ring, imagining the perfect moment.

Now, all I could think about was hurling it into the nearest trash can.

I stormed out of the office building, my heels clicking aggressively against the marble floor, my mind a swirling tornado of rage and betrayal. The city bustled around me—people chatting, cars honking, a flower vendor shouting about Easter specials. But I felt disconnected from it all, like I was walking through a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.

And then it happened.

I stumbled. Maybe it was my heels, maybe it was the universe mocking me, but I crashed into someone hard.

Strong hands gripped my arms, steadying me before I could faceplant into the pavement. "Are you okay?"

I looked up, blinking away angry tears. And my breath hitched.

The man in front of me was… gorgeous. The kind of man who looked like he belonged on a Forbes magazine cover, oozing wealth and power. Sharp jawline, piercing dark eyes, an expensive three-piece suit that fit him like sin.

And then, without thinking—without even realizing what I was doing, I shoved the engagement ring onto his finger.

It fit perfectly.

The world seemed to pause. The stranger looked down at the ring on his hand, one dark brow arching in silent question. The people around us slowed, some even stopping to watch the spectacle unfold.

And then, in a voice rich with amusement, he said, "I do."

I blinked. "What?"

"I accept," he said smoothly, flexing his fingers as if testing the weight of the ring. His lips curled into something dangerously close to a smirk.

Oh. My. God!

What had I just done?

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some random woman even clapped, mistaking this for some grand, romantic gesture.

Panic shot through me. "No! No, no, no! That was a mistake. I wasn’t—"

"Lena?"

My stomach twisted into knots at the sound of my name. I turned, and there stood Ethan. Still disheveled. Still with lipstick smudges on his collar.

His blue eyes flickered between me and the man wearing my engagement ring. His confusion quickly morphed into something sharper, something closer to horror.

"Boss?"

Silence. Dead, suffocating silence.

I felt my soul leave my body.

I turned my gaze back to the stranger, who was now looking at Ethan with a neutral expression, as if this was just another ordinary day for him.

"Boss?" I echoed, my voice barely a whisper.

The stranger—my accidental fiancé—slipped his hands into his pockets, tilting his head slightly. "Ethan," he acknowledged coolly.

And that was when it hit me.

I had just forcefully proposed to my ex-boyfriend’s boss.

The man whom Ethan said practically owned half the city.

The CEO of the very company Ethan worked for.

Kill. Me. Now.

Ethan’s face paled. "Sir, I—"

"Is there a problem, Ethan?" the man—my unintentional fiancé—asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Ethan swallowed hard. "No, sir. I just… Lena, can we talk?"

I folded my arms. "Oh? Now you want to talk?"

Ethan flinched. "Please, I can explain—"

"I think we’re past explanations, don’t you?" My voice was steady, even as my insides burned.

The stranger beside me shifted slightly, exuding an air of quiet authority. "Lena, do you want to talk to him?"

I hesitated, the weight of everything crashing down on me. I wanted to scream, to cry, to hurl insults at Ethan until my voice gave out but then I looked at his boss, at the unreadable expression on his face, at the ring still gleaming on his hand.

A wicked thought bloomed in my mind.

"No," I said, my voice firmer. "I don’t want to talk to him."

Ethan’s eyes widened. "Lena—"

I turned to the stranger. "In fact, I’d rather spend my Easter holiday with my new fiancé."

His lips twitched. "Fiancé?"

I lifted my chin. "Yes. Since you already said 'I do' and everything."

For a moment, I thought he might call my bluff. But then, with an almost imperceptible nod, he extended his arm to me.

"Then let’s not keep our holiday waiting, sweetheart."

I slid my arm through his before my brain could catch up with my actions. Ethan sputtered behind us, but neither of us looked back as we walked away, my heart pounded. I had no idea who this man was, no clue what game I was playing.

But one thing was certain, Easter just got a whole lot more interesting.