Huh? I looked at the girl in front of me, confused, a strange sense of unease bubbling up inside. Seriously—why was I feeling threatened? It’s not like I wanted to marry Aiden. So why did this woman make me feel like something was slipping through my fingers? The moment she called him brother-in-law, Aiden’s entire demeanor shifted. “I’m not your brother-in-law. Don’t call me that.” The girl—Sophia—arched an eyebrow. “Fine. Judging by your tone, seems you’ve already erased my sister from your memory. I won’t waste any more time here.” Aiden didn’t reply, but I could feel the change in his energy—tense, conflicted. “I’m leaving. I’ll tell my sister to forget you too.” She stood and turned to leave, but Aiden’s voice stopped her cold. “Sophia. There’s nothing between me and your sister anymore. If you have no other business, we’re strangers now.” Sophia paused and turned back with a sharp sneer. “Strangers? My sister must’ve been blind.” Then she spun around and walked away without another word. I let out a quiet breath. Even without knowing the full story, I could piece it together. This Sophia—she had to be the younger sister of Aiden’s ex. And from the way he reacted, it was clear: Aiden had truly loved her. Probably something unavoidable tore them apart. And yet... neither of them had really let go. Watching Aiden—the ever-cold, ever-composed Aiden—completely lose his calm shook something in me. This man, who’d always been so steady, couldn’t even control his emotions in front of her. “Aiden…” I called softly. He blinked, snapping out of his daze and turning toward me. That sorrow in his dark eyes hadn’t faded yet.“You okay?” I asked, frowning. He glanced away and his voice returned to its usual detached tone. “Cancel the rest of the interviews. Let’s go back.” “Alright.” I nodded slowly. A simple interview session had ended in an emotional storm because of one woman. My own thoughts were swirling too—unspoken, unnamed emotions seeping through the cracks. The rest of the day felt off. I left work early and headed back to the Eclipse Pack estate. The house was quiet, and surprisingly, only Andrix was home. “You’re here?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you still be in the hospital?” He chuckled. “Day off. I get one day to rest.” I nodded and turned to head to my room—but hesitated, my steps slowing. I looked back at him, feeling conflicted. “Andrix… I want to ask you something.” “Go ahead,” he said, sipping his tea. “Did Aiden… have a girlfriend before?” There was a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “Why? How’d you find out?” I debated, then decided it wasn’t a big deal to share. “At the interview today, a girl named Sophia called him her brother-in-law. His reaction was… pretty intense.” Andrix was quiet for two seconds before he raised his brows and smiled. “Yeah, he had a girlfriend. Geraldine. Sophia’s her little sister.” I knew it. “And… why did they break up?” He glanced around, then lowered his voice. “Geraldine had her own dreams—she didn’t want to be tied down here. Aiden didn’t want her leaving the country, but she was determined. She broke things off. Aiden hasn’t dated anyone since.” So that’s how it was. The air inside me seemed to leak out, leaving a hollow emptiness in its place.“So he must’ve really loved her, huh?” Andrix shrugged with a smile. “Of course. If he didn’t, why else would he stay single all these years? Back then, he wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy—but he used to smile. A lot.” I blinked. Aiden—smiling? Hard to imagine. Andrix watched me for a beat, then got up and gave my shoulder a gentle pat. “Look, I get it. Maybe you’ve caught feelings for him. But you never know how these things play out. Don’t let the past shake you too much. Aiden treats you differently, you know. Maybe you’re the one…” “Okay. That’s enough,” I cut in. If he really loved Geraldine that deeply, there couldn’t be room left for anyone else. And besides—who says I like Aiden? Absolutely not. No way. I turned on my heel and went upstairs to my room. But even alone, that tight feeling in my chest wouldn’t go away. Frustrated, I opened my laptop. As a top-tier hacker, digging into someone’s past was easy. In no time, I pulled up everything there was on Aiden and Geraldine. They met in college. Each other’s first love. They spent all four years together, inseparable. After graduation, Geraldine wanted to go abroad. She chose to chase her future, and left him behind. I found a photo of her. Warm and delicate. Beautiful in a way that didn’t lose to Sophia at all. Then there were the pictures—hand-in-hand, sharing meals, riding bikes. Moments of their shared past that painted a complete picture of Aiden’s first love. I closed the window and leaned back.A long, deep sigh escaped my lips.