Chapter 1

I sat on the couch, the glow from my phone screen reflecting on my face, my heart beating faster than usual.

My photo album held at least twenty pictures of Tyler and me, from last weekend's beach shots to last night's coffee shop selfies. I scrolled through them one by one, like selecting armor for battle.

'Finally going to do it.'

I stopped at one photo—Tyler's arm around my shoulder, both of us laughing happily with a sunset beach backdrop. This one looked the most natural and said everything it needed to say.

Deep breath.

I typed in the text box: "Finally found my person ❤️"

My finger hovered over the post button for a few seconds. Nine years. For nine years, this was my first time officially announcing a relationship on social media, and so... directly at that.

'Ryan will see this.'

That thought made my heart race even faster. Well, maybe that was the whole point. Maybe I wanted him to see it, wanted him to know that Emma Mitchell was no longer that twelve-year-old girl who moved into the Walsh house with her dad.

I hit post.

My phone immediately started buzzing like crazy. Notifications popped up one after another, the like count jumping like a slot machine. My college friends began celebrating in the comments.

"Oh my God, Emma! Finally!"

"You two are perfect together!"

"Tyler's such a lucky guy!"

"When's the wedding? I want to be a bridesmaid!"

I grinned like a sixteen-year-old getting her first love letter. But what really made my heart race was waiting for another person's reaction.

Sophie's profile picture appeared.

"Bold move, did you block my brother? 😏"

I quickly typed: "Who the hell is he? Why would I block him? What's it to him who I date?"

Send.

'It's not like I'm having an affair. Why should I have to block anyone?' I defended myself mentally, but honestly, Sophie's question hit something I didn't want to admit. I really was thinking about Ryan's reaction, really was waiting for his... what? Blessing? Opposition? Or something else?

Whatever. I was twenty-four years old, for fuck's sake. I had the right to love whoever I wanted to love.

---

Meanwhile, at the Walsh Architecture firm downtown, Sophie sat bored in her brother's office waiting for him to get off work. The office was quiet except for keyboard clicking and the hum of air conditioning.

Ryan stared intently at architectural blueprints on his computer screen, brow slightly furrowed. At thirty-three, he still maintained perfect physique, his neatly trimmed beard making him look mature and steady, but Sophie knew he'd been under a lot of work stress lately.

Sophie's phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen, her eyes immediately widening.

"Holy shit!" she blurted out.

Ryan didn't look up: "Language, Sophie."

"Ryan, you need to see this." Sophie held her phone up to him.

Ryan finally raised his head and saw the Instagram interface showing Emma with some Asian guy in their photo. His expression instantly turned ice-cold.

"Who is this?" His voice was dangerously low.

"Tyler Chen, Emma's college friend. Looks like they're together." Sophie carefully observed her brother's reaction.

Ryan's jaw muscles tightened, but he said nothing, just continued staring at that photo.

Just then, Sophie's phone buzzed again. She saw Emma's reply and couldn't help gasping.

Ryan noticed her expression change: "What now?"

"Uh..." Sophie hesitated, "Emma replied to me."

"Read it out loud."

"Ryan, maybe—"

"Read it out loud." His voice was like ice cubes hitting glass.

Sophie cleared her throat, her voice as small as a mosquito's: "'Who the hell is he? Why would I block him? What's it to him who I date?'"

The office temperature seemed to plummet ten degrees. Ryan's face turned ashen, Sophie could even see the vein pulsing at his temple.

Then something happened that left Sophie completely stunned.

Ryan took out his own phone and without hesitation, liked Emma's post.

"Ryan!" Sophie nearly jumped out of her chair, "This is the first time in nine years you've liked anything on Emma's Instagram!"

Ryan remained expressionless, looking back at his computer screen: "I know what I'm doing."

But Sophie could see his hands were trembling slightly.

---

I was in the kitchen pouring myself water, trying to calm down, when my phone suddenly chimed.

Like notification.

I nearly dropped my glass.

Ryan Walsh liked your post.

I blinked once, then twice. The words on the screen didn't disappear.

'Holy shit, Ryan actually liked my post?'

Nine years. For nine whole years, Ryan had never liked any of my posts. Not that he didn't see them—I knew he did, because sometimes Sophie would tell me "Ryan saw your photo yesterday" or "Ryan said you should drink less."

But he never liked anything, never commented, as if I were invisible in his social media world.

And now, less than half an hour after I announced my relationship, he liked it.

I looked at that photo again—Tyler and I embracing and smiling, looking happy and sweet.

'Could it be...'

A crazy thought popped into my head. I'd seen too many romance novels and K-dramas. I knew this plot: the second male lead suddenly realizes his feelings after the female lead finds a new boyfriend, then begins his desperate chase to win her back.

'Damn it, Emma, you're overthinking this.'

But... but why now? Why this particular post?

I looked at Instagram again, that little red heart still there, like a signal flare.