I Play Hard to Get, Trap Billionaire

Chapter 5

Pretending I hadn't seen the scene, I pressed my lips tightly together, wiped my tears, and resolutely turned around as if I had never been there at all. Another round of cheering erupted behind me, swallowing Julian's voice until it vanished entirely from my ears.

I wanted to stop a passing bartender and order a glass of vodka, to willingly sink into a drunken stupor, but my voice came out hoarse the moment I opened my mouth.

I walked out of the bar, letting the cold wind hit me on the street. By the time I got home, I felt completely drained and lightheaded. I wished I could just fall into a deep sleep and pretend I had never met Julian.

But I loved his face. I had loved that face since high school, even though I knew he wasn't the one I truly longed for.

I grabbed a can of beer he had bought and left in my fridge. Popping it open, the carbonation fizzed up. Just as I was about to drown my sorrows, my phone rang. It was him.

"I miss you, Nina," he said.

On the other end of the line, the wind was rustling through the leaves loudly. His voice, mixed with the wind, felt like ice particles hitting my ears.

"I miss you too," I replied. My throat was dry, and I forced a fake smile, though it made my face feel stiff. The dried tear tracks clung to the corners of my eyes, making me look utterly miserable.

For the sake of that face, I decided to endure it a little longer. After all, he looked just like my first love from high school who had passed away.

Despite what people were saying outside—that I was the one throwing myself at him—I never expected him to actually propose to me later on.

He knelt on one knee, dressed in an impeccably tailored, expensive suit. The moment he opened the ring box, he nervously licked his dry lips and asked, "Nina, will you marry me?"

I lowered my eyes, glancing first at the ring in his hand and then sweeping my gaze over the crowd that had gathered. The affection in my eyes was freezing cold as I watched his face overlap with the one in my memory.

"No."