His family would never allow an actress , a " performer , " to marry their heir . So Teddy simply walked away , ready to build his own empire rather than compromise . Compared to Max , who wanted to have his cake and eat it too , I genuinely admired Teddy's unwavering devotion . The night I moved in , Max did something he never did : he called me . " I'm worried Ava will get upset if she sees the things you left behind , " he said , his tone still dripping with that condescending generosity . " Whe re are you now ? I'll have them sent over . " I didn't stop folding my clothes , just cradled the phone between my shoulder and ear . " Just toss them , " I said nonchalantly . " It's all stuff I don't need anymore . " Silence on the other end , punctuated only by the sound of his heavy breathing . A moment later , his voice was tight with anger . " Cara ! What the hell is your problem ? " " The engagement is only postponed . Once Ava is stable ... " I cut him off , unable to listen anymore . " Sorry , Mr. Cole , I'm really busy right now . " I hung up and blocked his number . Stepping out onto the balcony , I let the night breeze wash over me , gazing at the glittering city lights . Leaving Max was easier than I ever imagined . A soft , rhythmic sound from below broke the quiet . I instinctively leaned over the railing to look . The balcony below was lush with plants . Through the leaves , I could just make out a pair of pale hands gripping the railing , and the top of a bobbing head . Well now . That was Teddy's apartment , where he lived with the actress . Those two certainly knew how to have fun . Not wanting to pry , I went back inside to finish unpacking . Suddenly , there was a knock on my door . When I opened it and saw who was standing there , my brain short - circuited for a second . If Teddy was here ... Then who was that downstairs ?! 4 A flicker of surprise crossed Teddy's eyes as well . " Sorry , wrong door , " he said , turning to leave . " I just moved in today , " I called after him . " Want to come in for a drink ? " I don't know why I said it . Maybe I felt a bit sorry for him . A fellow member of the recently - cheated - on club . Teddy turned back , an eyebrow arched . " Oh ? So we don't have to keep our distance anymore ? " Max hated Teddy , which meant he hated me having any contact with him . Even though Teddy was the primary investor in my chain of flower shops , we barely ever met , save for a brief meeting at the end of the year to go over profits . 09:53 Chapter 1 09:54 0 Come to think of it , it was through Max's family connections that I was able to reconnect with Teddy and secure his investment in the first place . The shops were now turning a healthy profit , which gave me the courage to walk away from Max . So , I guess my seven years with Max weren't a complete waste . I shrugged . " We broke up . " " Again ? " A smirk played on Teddy's lips , a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes . He strolled in, draping himself over my sofa and propping his long legs up on my coffee table . He had none of the cool , aristocratic air I remembered from our first few meetings , he was all casual , roguish charm . I picked out a fine bottle of red from my wine cabinet . " This time , the engagement's off . " I handed him a glass , my expression neutral . He swirled the wine , a laugh bubbling up . " Whoa , expensive stuff . " " Looks like you got hit hard this time . Need me to help you drink your sorrows away ? " If he hadn't knocked on the wrong door , he'd be the one getting hit much , much harder . I nodded . " It is expensive . It was a gift from you , last year at the annual party , after you got drunk . " It was a collector's vintage . I hadn't wanted to take it back to Max's place , so I'd stored it here . Now , it was finding its way back to its original owner . Teddy's eyes widened slightly before he tipped his head back and downed the glass in one go . " Well , let's just call it a celebration of your escape from hell . " I raised my glass . " And here's to you ... " " ... finding your own true