His 7-Year Test, I Chose the Royal Heir

In everyone's eyes, I was nothing more than James Palmer's pathetic lovesick fool. I'd chased after him relentlessly for seven years. No matter how many times he rejected me to my face, introduced me to other men just to humiliate me, or let everyone around us mock me, I never once gave up. "Daisy Edwards, don't you have any self-respect? How can you be so pathetic?!" James had shouted those words at me in front of everyone, completely exasperated. When I showed no reaction, he clicked his tongue and immediately changed his tone. "Seriously, stop chasing me already. I've got a buddy who's ridiculously handsome. He's good-looking and loaded. How about I introduce you to him?" Holding back my tears, I shook my head. All I got in return was James' mocking laugh. I thought I'd keep chasing James forever. Until today... I accidentally discovered his secret. Earlier, I'd mistakenly opened the laptop James had left behind. To my surprise, the password was my birthday. His desktop wallpaper was a picture of me. There was even a folder named after me. Inside were countless candid photos of me he'd secretly taken ever since the day we first met. Every shot had been taken from an awkward angle, yet every single one silently confessed the photographer's love. Only then did I realize that James, the man who had always kept me at arm's length and treated me with icy indifference, had fallen hopelessly in love with me the very first time we met. For seven years, it had never been a one-sided crush. It had been my fiery pursuit... and James's silent, hidden love. Shocked, confused, and furious, I rushed over to confront him. But the moment I reached the private room where he was drinking with his friends, I got my answer. James was inside, raising a glass with the others. His deep, magnetic voice drifted through the door. "If I didn't make her chase me for seven years, how else could I test whether her feelings were genuine? Who knows if she really loves me? "Introducing her to other guys is the most important part of the test. What if she meets someone better than me and runs off? "Give up? Ha! Not a chance. I know Daisy better than anyone. She's so in love with me, she'd die without me. There's no way she'd ever stop loving me." Every word was like a razor-sharp blade, stabbing over and over into a heart that was already riddled with wounds. Only then did I understand. James had known everything all along. It wasn't that he didn't love me. He simply didn't trust me. So he trampled every ounce of my dignity beneath his feet. I couldn't feel any warmth in my body. Everything was cold. Even my tears felt cold. Every word I wanted to say lodged itself in my throat. The moment I learned the truth, it felt as though my heart had already died. These seven long years... The countless sleepless nights. The endless days when I'd wiped away my tears and forced myself to keep moving forward. To James, it had all been nothing more than a game. Taking a deep breath, I called my mom. "Daisy, have you made up your mind? Are you really coming home for the arranged marriage? The one with Nathan?" My mother's voice was filled with excitement. "Yes, Mom. I've made my decision. I'll finish handing over my work here and come home in a month." "What about James? Haven't you always wanted to be with him? Why are you giving up all of a sudden?" My grip on the phone tightened instinctively. At that moment, I heard one of James' friends ask, "How much longer are you going to keep testing Daisy?" James answered casually, "Just one last time. The next time she confesses to me, I'll introduce her to Nathan Blackwood, the heir to the Capital's most powerful family. If she still turns him down, then I'll agree to date her. "Besides, I've tested her enough already. I believe she really loves me. One more test won't hurt, right?" Suppressing the pain in my chest, I wiped away my tears and spoke quietly into the phone. "I'm done chasing him. I don't want him anymore. I'm looking forward to meeting Nathan." 'James... there would never be one last chance. From this day forward, my life will no longer have a place for you. And I will never look back at you again.' My eyes reddened as I stared at the door that separated us. As though gathering every ounce of my resolve, I whispered softly, "Goodbye, James. "If you enjoy introducing me to other men so much... then I'll grant your wish."