Chapter 2: Denied

“Maybe he's just messing with me,” I murmur under my breath, the words barely leaving my cracked voice.

Even as I say it, I can tell how ridiculous it sounds. But the idea lingers in my mind—what if this is all just some kind of prank? What if he’s hiding somewhere, laughing at how worked up he’s got me?

I try calling him, my hands unsteady as I press the phone to my ear. No response. I dial again. Silence. My stomach churns. I leave a message, my voice trembling with emotion. “Callum, please, where are you? Please just pick up. This isn’t funny anymore.”

I end the call, struggling to catch my breath. My hands are clammy, and my mind is racing, filled with questions. If this is some twisted joke, why hasn’t he just texted me? Why hasn’t he called to let me know it’s all a prank, to calm me down? But there’s nothing. Just silence from the person who once meant everything to me.

I can't just sit around and wait. I can't. I need answers.

Without thinking, I grab my purse and storm out the door. My heart is pounding, but it doesn’t matter. I need to know what’s really happening.

I don’t stop to second-guess myself. I hail a cab, giving the driver the address of his company—the place where he works with his family. Callum Winter Stone. The name that once brought warmth to my heart now fills me with a deep, gnawing fear.

The cab ride seems endless, each minute stretching on forever as the city blurs outside the window. My fingers grip the door handle, digging into the leather, while my mind races with a thousand thoughts. He has to be there. He has to be, right? Maybe he’s just busy. Maybe he went to work and hasn’t checked his phone yet.

But with every mile, my doubt grows. My stomach drops with each passing second.

Finally, the cab stops in front of a sleek glass building—the headquarters of his family’s company. A place I never imagined would become the scene of my heartbreak. I pay the driver, my hands trembling as I step out of the car.

The glass doors slide open, and I walk inside, the sound of my heels clicking against the marble floor echoing in the stillness. My pulse is racing, my thoughts in disarray. I’m not sure what I’m going to say when I get to him, but I need to see him. I need to hear his voice. I need to understand what’s happening.

The receptionist, a woman with dark hair and a polite demeanor, looks up from her computer as I approach.

“Can I help you?” she asks, her voice neutral. But something in her eyes shifts when she sees my flushed face and the tears that still linger in my eyes.

“Hi,” I say, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I’m here to see Callum Winter Stone”

She raises an eyebrow, giving me a long look before offering a tight, polite smile. “I’m sorry, Miss, but Mr. Stone is in a meeting. I can’t allow visitors without an appointment.”

My chest tightens. “But... he’s my fiance. It’s really important. I need to see him.”

I can’t stop the desperation creeping into my voice, and for a moment, the receptionist’s expression falters, almost as if she’s considering something. But then, her professionalism returns.

“I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” she says, her tone softening with a hint of pity. “Mr. Stone is engaged to someone else. He’s getting married soon.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I blink, my mind struggling to catch up with what I just heard. “What? What do you mean, engaged?”

She speaks with a cold formality, as if repeating something she’s said many times before. “Callum Winter Stone is engaged to Miss Emelia Rhodes, the daughter of the Billionaire CEO, David Rhodes. They’re getting married soon.”

My vision blurs. I try to make sense of it, but the world feels like it’s tilting under my feet. “No... that can’t be right. He... he asked me to marry him,” I say, the words barely coming out. “Last night. He proposed. He gave me a ring.”

I search her face for any sign that she’s mistaken, but there’s nothing. Just cold professionalism. “I’m sorry, Miss. I think you’re crazy,”

The words repeat in my head like a broken record. Engaged? To her? How could he lie to me like this?

I stagger back, my legs giving way beneath me. My vision sways, and I grab the counter to steady myself, struggling to keep it together. This has to be a mistake. I need to see him. I need to understand.

I glance toward the elevator, and for a moment, I wonder if I’m imagining things. But then I see him.

There he is.

Callum.

My pulse skips, and my breath catches in my throat. He steps out of the elevator, a woman beside him—tall, beautiful, with dark hair flowing perfectly over her shoulders. She’s immaculate, the picture of elegance. Is he Emilia Rhodes?

I want to ask him.

But everything stops the moment Callum sees me. His eyes meet mine. Time seems to freeze. There’s no recognition, no apology, just... nothing. Cold indifference.

For a moment, everything around me blurs. All I can see is him. And her.

I can’t breathe.

The anger and humiliation build inside me. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I know I can’t just stand here. I can’t do nothing. My blood boils as I force my way past the receptionist, the words burning in my throat.

“Callum!” I shout, desperate, my voice shaking. “Callum, wait!”

Callum stops, but only for a moment, his gaze cold and detached. His eyes flicker briefly over me, but there’s no recognition, no emotion behind them.

Woman’s gaze shifts to me, her expression unreadable, before she steps forward.

“Who is she?” she asks, her tone cool, almost like she’s sizing me up, as if trying to place me in some puzzle she can’t quite figure out.

I open my mouth, but no words come out at first. I want to scream, to ask him why he’s doing this to me, but the words are stuck. My mind races—how can he do this? After everything, how can he stand there like this, pretending I mean nothing?

Before I can respond, Callum speaks, his voice low and almost... empty.

“I don’t know her,” he says flatly, his eyes not meeting mine. He doesn’t even flinch. “I don’t know who she is.”

The air feels like it’s been sucked out of the room. My breath catches in my throat, and for a second, it feels like everything around me is spinning uncontrollably. He’s denying me.