Chapter 3

Over the years, we upgraded our jewelry several times, and that first pair of cheap rings was tucked away.

I had torn our penthouse apart looking for them, but found nothing.

Then I remembered the last time I wore mine—back in that tiny starter apartment.

Tyler had bought the unit outright purely for sentimental reasons.

He always said it was the sacred ground where our love story began.

And now, my hand shook so hard around the velvet box that I could barely keep my grip. Fighting back the tremor in my voice, I looked at the neighbor.

"I haven't been here in over a year."

The man's face shifted instantly. After a long pause, he muttered:

"Damn. I'm sorry."

I took several deep, ragged breaths, trying to stop shaking. I fumbled for my phone, entering the passcode wrong twice before unlocking it.

"Can we connect on SnapChat?"

He added me, giving me a long, piercing look. "I'm Julian. Reach out if you need anything."

I didn't have the energy to decipher the strange look in his eyes. In a daze, I somehow made it back home.

It wasn't until I collapsed onto the bed, still clutching the ring box, that reality crashed in.

I tapped open the new contact and sent my first message:

[If that man comes back, could you let me know?]

His reply came almost immediately:

[They just walked in.]