Chapter Two

Eliza's POV

My dad stared at my reflection in the mirror and sighed.

"If this is how it was gonna end up, why'd you ever make yourself look like that in the first place?"

I didn't answer. I just kept looking at the mirror.

The woman in it had bright eyes and a clean, sharp jawline. She looked just like Mom in her old photos.

Mom had married into the Ashford family to seal a business deal. She stuck it out for over ten years with a husband who didn't love her, and in the end she wasted away in a hospital bed.

Before she died, she held my hand and told me only one thing.

"Eliza, don't ever bet your life on someone else."

So when I heard I was supposed to marry the notoriously picky Carrington heir, I sent them that ugly photo on purpose.

I didn't want an arranged marriage, and I definitely didn't want to end up like her.

But Owen spent three years being so good to me that I thought I'd finally found the exception.

But in the end, he was no different from anyone else.

If loving someone with everything I had couldn't get me the same in return, I might as well trade for something I could actually hold on to.

I turned around to face my dad, who looked completely stunned.

"Dad, call the Carringtons back."

"I'll marry him."

Less than an hour after the message went out, Damian's mother, Eleanor, sent a car to pick me up. She said she had to meet me in person, no matter what.

That night, I went to the Carrington family home on the Upper East Side.

The second I walked into the living room, Eleanor's face lit up.

The old me would've ducked my head and looked away.

This time, I met her eyes and smiled.

"Oh my God, look at you! You're prettier than any cover model. My son really lucked out."

She took off her sapphire necklace and put it around my neck.

"My mother-in-law gave me this necklace. In this family, it only goes to the next Mrs. Carrington. As of today, you're one of us."

Once we'd worked out the details of the wedding, I got up to leave. Eleanor pulled me aside and lowered her voice.

"Until the wedding, keep that face of yours under wraps."

"My son's the possessive type. If he finds out early that he's marrying someone this gorgeous, he won't be able to wait for the wedding."

I touched the cool sapphire at my neck and thought about the man I'd only ever heard rumors about.

Damian Carrington, the only heir to the Carrington family.

I'd put on that ugly makeup just to get away from him, and somehow I'd ended up meeting Owen instead.

He and I had never met, but I agreed to Eleanor's request anyway.

Early the next morning, I was packing up, getting ready to move out of the penthouse I'd spent three years decorating myself.

Then I heard the lock turn.

Owen walked in carrying a bakery box.

"Still mad? Look what I got you."

Inside was a whole row of peanut butter cookies.

The day we started dating, I'd told him I was allergic to peanuts.

I didn't say anything. I just dropped the box in the trash.

Owen stared at me. "I waited in line over an hour for those. What's your problem..."

Halfway through, it hit him. He rubbed his forehead, annoyed with himself.

"Sorry. I forgot you can't have peanuts."

"Don't bother apologizing. It's not your problem anymore."

I pushed a box over to his feet. I'd packed it last night. It had all his stuff in it, and right on top was the ring we never got to exchange.

Owen's face slowly went pale.

He picked up the ring, and his voice shook.

"Eliza, don't do this... I messed up, okay? We'll redo the wedding. Please?"

"There's no point," I said, cutting him off. "Take your stuff and go. The engagement's off."

His eyes went red. "Why?"

He looked like he was about to cry, and all I could think was how ridiculous this was.

"Because I'm getting married. And my fiancé isn't gonna want me hanging around my ex."

"Married?"

Owen looked like he hadn't heard me right. Panic was written all over his face.

"Married to who? Eliza, are you still mad about what my buddies said yesterday?"

"Don't flatter yourself. You're not important enough for me to be mad at."

The room went quiet for a long time.

Long enough that Owen finally gritted his teeth and spoke.

"Fine. You say you're getting married? Then tell me. Who's the guy?"

"I don't believe for a second that anyone besides me would..."

He didn't finish, but his eyes had already landed on my face.