Elizabeth was sitting in the audience at Ethan's university graduation ceremony when the realization struck her like lightning.

She was in love with him.

Every time one of his classmates approached him with affectionate words, a sharp pang of jealousy shot through her heart.

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That evening, as the wind howled through the darkness, she stood waiting at the grand entrance of Levine Manor.

Ethan was out having dinner with Nathan and their other friends.

The moment his tall silhouette emerged from the car, Elizabeth threw caution to the wind.

She rushed forward and leaped straight into his arms.

He smelled strongly of alcohol—nothing else. Ethan never wore cologne or deodorant.

Yet even when he was drenched in sweat after playing basketball, she found his natural scent refreshing from head to toe.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you had a nightmare. You're a grown woman now—" Ethan's soft question was abruptly cut off.

Even Elizabeth couldn't explain where she found such boldness.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her toes, and pressed her lips firmly against his.

There was tongue involved—the taste of alcohol on his tongue was intense, making her head spin.

Despite the dizziness, she knew exactly what she was doing and why she was doing it.

The moment their lips met, she understood the depth of her feelings for him.

This love had been growing for so long, she couldn't even pinpoint when it began.

He wasn't the most successful man she'd ever known, but loving him made her lose all sense of reason.

The kiss lasted an eternity, yet she was inexperienced—this was her first real kiss.

It was more instinct than skill.

When she finally pulled away, his lips were swollen from her passion.

An awkward silence fell between them.

Elizabeth's heart hammered violently against her chest as she tried to form the words to confess her love.

She couldn't wait any longer, or Ethan might become someone else's.

With his film degree, he would be surrounded by actresses... and the entertainment industry was notoriously messy.

"I—" Elizabeth began, but Ethan leaned in and captured her lips with his.

There was tongue again, but his kiss was much more tender than hers had been.

So tender it made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

Her knees turned to jelly beneath his skillful kiss.

Any confession of love died on her lips.

She was far too embarrassed to speak now anyway.

Besides, they had both made their moves—words seemed unnecessary now.

In the end, Ethan had to carry her back to her room, her legs too weak to support her.

That night, she was certain their relationship was now confirmed.

She shared every sweet detail with her best friend, Samantha.

But however blissful that night had been, the following evening brought crushing devastation.

Once again, she waited by the entrance for Ethan to return home.

After graduating, Ethan had immediately started an internship at Windmill Studios, which was affiliated with Levine Holdings.

Interns always worked late, so she had to wait quite a while before his car finally appeared.

She hid in the shadows, planning to surprise him... only to see another woman in the passenger seat of his car.

The woman looked familiar—Elizabeth recognized her as an actress, though not a famous one.

While Elizabeth stood frozen in confusion, she watched Ethan push the woman against the car seat and kiss her fiercely.

The dim yellow streetlights made it difficult to see exactly how entangled they were, but Elizabeth could hear the sound of her own heart shattering.

She couldn't tell how much time had passed when Ethan finally released the actress, who then drove away in his car.

He strode through the front door and found Elizabeth there, sobbing uncontrollably.