Chapter 1

For six years, I was the secret wife of Logan, the coldest billionaire in New York.

He never acknowledged me in public, and he treated our five-year-old daughter, Mia, like she was invisible.

I thought he was just carrying old wounds.

Until his first love, Serena, came back to New York with her son.

Suddenly Logan had all the time and love in the world. But only for Serena and her son.

When Mia called him "Daddy," he watched her coldly.

He left Mia alone in a freezing snowstorm, then turned around and took someone else's child to see fireworks.

On Mia's birthday, he stood her up to throw a huge party for someone else's son.

That night, Mia handed me her favorite teddy bear, her little heart in ashes, and said, "Mommy, let's go."

So I took my daughter far away, and we vanished without a trace.

A year later, we met again in New York.

The man who'd always stood so far above us set aside all his pride. With red eyes, he blocked my way and begged for another chance.

I looked at him quietly, and felt like I was looking at a stranger who had nothing to do with me.

————

After six years of secret marriage, tonight was the first time Logan ever picked up our daughter, Mia.

Five-year-old Mia was overjoyed. She shouted to me, "Mommy, look! Logan's holding me!"

I looked at her, and all I felt was endless sorrow.

Logan was blind drunk tonight. He had no idea what he was doing.

He didn't love Mia, and he didn't love me.

The only reason he was so happy tonight was that Serena was back.

Years ago, Logan and Serena were wildly in love. Then Serena suddenly disappeared for a French film director.

On his way to the airport to chase after her, Logan crashed his car. Both of his legs were shattered, and the doctors said he might never walk again.

Back then, I was his chief assistant.

I stayed at the hospital day and night. I endured his rages and his depression and got him through the hell of rehab.

The night he finally stood up again, he got completely drunk...

After that night, I was pregnant.

We got married.

But I soon learned that this marriage was just a joke.

He'd married me only because he saw Serena post a big announcement on Instagram about her new boyfriend.

The day Mia was born, he flew out of town on business. When Mia was learning to talk, he coldly corrected her and wouldn't let her call him Daddy. When Mia fell off her bike and scraped her knee, he stood there and watched coldly, just because she'd called out, "Daddy."

...

But right now, drunk Logan was sitting on the sofa looking at Mia, and there was a rare softness in his eyes.

"I'm going to be a good dad," he murmured, stroking her hair.

"Yeah! I believe you!" Mia nodded happily.

Logan obviously didn't hear what she said. His smile deepened. As he turned to go upstairs, he murmured a name to himself: "Leo."

Leo was Serena's son.

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head.

He was going to be a good dad to Leo.

But Mia had only heard the first part. She ran over to me, her eyes shining. "Mommy, Logan really does like me, right? He held me, and he said he's going to be a good dad!"

The longing in her eyes stabbed at me.

I crouched down, pulled her into my arms, and forced back my tears.

I couldn't tell Mia the truth.

"Mia, would you be willing to leave here with Mommy?" I asked hoarsely.

Mia froze, and her eyes instantly filled with tears. "Mommy, why? We're a family. I want to be with him."

I wiped her tears. "Because the person he really cares about has come back. It's time for us to go."

"But..." Mia bit her lip, her voice getting smaller and smaller. She understood more than she let on.

"Mommy, can we wait until after my birthday?" Mia clutched the hem of my shirt and begged. "Let's give him three more chances. If he wants to spend time with us, we won't leave, okay?"

"Okay. You decide the chances." I nodded, crying.

After I got Mia to sleep, I went back to my own room.

This marriage, which existed in name only, couldn't even keep up appearances anymore.

The next morning, Logan came downstairs sober. Mia was eating cereal. When she saw him, she happily put down her spoon and ran to him. "Daddy! You're up!"

Logan's face darkened instantly. He stared at her coldly. "What did you call me?"

Mia's open arms froze in midair. She was so scared she took a step back.

"Logan..." Mia corrected herself, lowering her head, hurt. "Sorry."

I swallowed the ache in my throat and lifted Mia back into her chair. "Eat up. The school bus is coming."

I knew perfectly well that last night's tenderness was only because Serena coming back had put him in such a good mood.

Logan went to the bar counter, took a sip of black coffee, and walked out without even saying goodbye.

"Bye, Logan," Mia called to his back. There was no answer.

On the way to school, Mia kept her head down.

When we were almost there, she looked up at me. "Mommy, that counts as one chance. We have two left."