Chapter 2

I sat by the bedroom window. The evening breeze brushed past the lavender glass wind chime, its crisp ringing failing to drown out the bitter tightness in my chest.

The pain hit me in slow, suffocating waves. I wouldn’t have been this upset if it were just a simple betrayal between friends. I could have handled that. But Duke was the one who crossed the line first.

Last week, the day we finalized our plan to transfer to Maple Creek, he dragged me to a downtown bar to celebrate our "fresh start." Under the warm, dim lights, the atmosphere blurred into something deeper. He leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. My heart went into overdrive. I didn’t push him away.

When he finally pulled back, my eyes were red. "Duke… what are we now?" I had whispered.

He just ruffled my hair, his tone a mix of affection and ambiguity. "What do you think, silly?"

I actually thought he was confirming his feelings for me. Now the joke was on me. That kiss wasn't a promise. It was just a calculated move to keep me on the hook, to make sure I’d gladly throw away my future for him.

A tear dropped onto the Maple Creek transfer form on my desk, blurring the black ink.

I snapped out of it.

I am Delphine Windsor. I was raised to inherit a private equity empire. And Duke? He was just the unacknowledged bastard of the Sawyer family. He didn't even have the right to use his father's last name. We were never from the same world.

It didn't matter. If this form was ruined, I’d just get a clean one.

The Windsors never lacked backup options.

I wiped my face dry, opened my bottom desk drawer, and pulled out the admission packet from Institut Le Rosey. The pristine folder had been gathering dust. I picked up my phone and dialed.

"Dad," I kept my voice steady and firm. "I’ll take the Le Rosey offer. I’m leaving next week."

A pause on the other end, then my father's surprised voice asking about Duke.

"No," I cut him off. "I’m going alone."

I hung up before he could ask anything else. My eyes drifted back to the lavender wind chime. Suddenly, a memory from a summer party at the Sawyer estate when I was sixteen flashed through my mind.

I remembered a boy standing in the garden. He shared a faint resemblance to Duke, but his posture was straighter, his presence commanding. He had looked right at me, his voice absolute.

"Delphine Windsor, you’ll walk away from Duke Brooks someday. And when you do, I’ll be there."

Back then, I brushed it off as an arrogant joke from a stranger. But right now, his words rang with terrifying clarity.

I whispered, "You’re right. I’m done with him."

A sudden knock on my front door downstairs broke the silence.

"Delphine?" It was Duke. His voice was perfectly pitched with that familiar, gentle concern. "You haven’t answered my texts all day. I was worried about you."

I walked downstairs and pulled the door open.

Duke stood on my porch. But he wasn't alone. Jennifer was shrinking behind him like a frightened animal. The second we made eye contact, she dropped her gaze, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Sensing her movement, Duke immediately shifted his weight, shielding her behind his back. His brows pulled together in instant annoyance. "Delphine, you’re scaring her."

"I don’t like people coming over unannounced."

Duke’s jaw tightened. "Jen’s not a stranger. She came to check on you."

Right on cue, Jennifer’s eyes welled up with tears. "I’m sorry, Delphine. I know you probably hate me… I promise I won’t make a mess of your house. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay about the transfer."

Duke’s face darkened completely. "Delphine, Jen comes from a small town, she’s not used to all this. You don’t have to be so cold to her. You’re really disappointing me right now."

Jennifer reached out and tugged lightly at the hem of his shirt. "It’s okay, Duke. Don’t fight with her on my account… I know I’ll never be as important as you two, since you’re childhood sweethearts and everything."

"Nonsense." Duke turned to her, gently cuping her face. "You’re the one who matters."

Then he looked back at me, his eyes turning to ice. "Jen’s upset, I’ll take her home. You think about how you acted. And don’t forget to get your transfer form stamped tomorrow."

He didn't wait for a response. He just guided her down the steps.

I stood there and watched them walk to his car. The second they pulled out of the driveway, I shut the door, walked straight to the security panel, and wiped his fingerprints from the system. I changed the passcode on the spot.

Whatever lingering attachment I had left for him vanished right then and there.

The next morning, I walked into the Havenwood High administration office.

I didn't hand them the Maple Creek transfer form. I handed them my formal withdrawal papers for Switzerland. The heavy red stamp hit the document with a loud thud. My chest hollowed out for a split second, only to be instantly flooded with absolute relief.

I stepped out of the office and almost ran straight into Duke.

He blocked my path, his brow deeply furrowed. "Delphine, why did you change the door code? I went over last night after dropping Jen off, and I couldn’t get in."

He reached out, trying to grab my hand with that same practiced, natural ease he always used. "What’s the new code? I can stop by and check on you before we leave."

I stepped to the side. "No need," I said evenly. "I won’t be living here much longer anyway."

Duke glanced at the folder in my hand, totally missing the point. "Oh right, the transfer. I’ll get mine stamped tomorrow, I promise. Then we can drive up to Maple Creek together."

I didn't correct him. We started walking down the main hallway side by side. Sunlight poured through the massive glass windows, hitting the familiar lockers. I pushed down the last bit of bitterness in my throat and stopped walking.

I turned to look him dead in the eye. "After all these years, do you really think I’d buy the ‘worried about me’ act?"

Duke froze. He stared at me for a long time, the silence stretching between us until he finally seemed to make a decision.

He looked down at me, his voice tight. "Delphine, actually I…"