Chapter 2

Landon and I meeting was a complete accident.

I had just broken up with Jaxon not long before. Although I'd known this day would come, I'm a very emotional person, and I was still feeling low. So, I went traveling to Wyoming, and that's where I ran into Landon.

Landon was a lawyer. I had actually met him once before.

When the man I knew as my father passed away, everyone was called back to divide the estate. Even though I was an illegitimate daughter, the law still protected my rights as a legitimate heir. Landon was the lawyer handling the case then.

I ended up with three million and an apartment. For a family as wealthy as the Carmichaels, it was barely a drop in the ocean. I knew without a doubt that my half-brother and half-sister had deliberately 'taken care' of me; the other illegitimate children of the Carmichael family received more. I also knew why they hated me so much, but it didn't matter. That money was enough for me to live a simple life.

Back then, Landon, in his professional manner, asked if I needed him to provide legal assistance.

I said no.

After that, we never saw each other again.

I never expected that we would meet again in picturesque Wyoming.

Landon said his wallet and ID had been stolen, and I was the only person he knew there. He asked if I'd let him tag along.

I figured I was already out enjoying myself, and besides, as a lone woman, it wasn't really safe. So, I agreed.

Landon usually seemed like a cold, reserved person, but he was surprisingly good at taking care of others. He knew a lot about everything; no matter what I talked about, he could always chime in. Traveling with him was genuinely delightful.

He taught me how to ride a horse. On the vast prairies of Wyoming, he took me galloping, with the world seemingly at our feet. In that moment, I truly felt I could let go of the misfortune and pain of my past twenty-something years.

I'm a graphic novelist. I turned my experiences in Wyoming into a graphic novel, and overnight, it became a massive hit online. My career success helped me forget my romantic setbacks.

After returning to New York City, Landon and I grew closer.

We'd talk about everything under the sun, from local gossip to global affairs. Sometimes I'd marvel at how much Landon and I resonated intellectually; we had a connection as if we'd known each other for ages.

Landon and I would often plan trips together.

One evening in New Orleans, after we'd had a few drinks, the moon hung bright in the sky.

I smiled and asked Landon, "Do you... like me?"

Landon smiled faintly too. "Did you notice?"

"I wasn't entirely sure, but I had a feeling you did."

"No need to be unsure. I like you. I've liked you for a very long time."

Landon's eyes shone brightly, like stars. After he said that, he just kept looking at me.

Landon later told me he was so nervous then, afraid I would reject him.

I suddenly burst out laughing.

"I like you too."

Landon and I got together so naturally, it felt like we were destined.

After we started dating, Landon took me to do many things I'd never dared to try before. He took me to Antarctica to see penguins, to Australia to witness a volcanic eruption. On a stormy cruise ship, we kissed passionately, lost in the moment.

"Willow, life is meant to be lived intensely. I hope you always shine brightly."

Meeting Landon filled so much of my emptiness and loneliness.

So when he proposed, I didn't hesitate for a second to say yes.