When Her Love Ended, His Obsession Began

Hannah Mitchell was bent over a wedding gown that was only half finished, carefully adjusting the waistline with flawless precision when her phone screen suddenly lit up.

The headline that appeared before her eyes struck like a knife to the heart.

"Harrison Group CEO Colton Harrison Officially Announces His Engagement to Valerie Clarke. Wedding Scheduled for the 15th of Next Month."

The photo beneath the headline was a candid shot. Colton stood in a perfectly tailored suit inside a hotel corridor while Valerie held his arm, wearing a graceful smile.

Startled, Hannah's hand jerked unexpectedly, and the needle sank deep into the tip of her finger.

A drop of blood quickly surfaced and spread across the spotless white fabric of the wedding gown.

She instinctively lifted her finger to her lips. The metallic taste of blood slowly spread across her tongue.

The sting in her finger was nothing compared to the pain weighing on her heart.

Only last night, she and Colton had been together inside this very studio.

He had held her against the floortoceiling window with one arm around her waist. As his lips brushed near her ear, he had whispered in a low, captivating voice, "You're mine, Hannah. Forever."

Now those words sounded nothing more than a cruel lie.

Colton had gotten engaged to another woman without telling her.

Three years ago, her family's business had collapsed. While her parents were on their way to ask for help, their car lost control and crashed off the highway. Both of them died at the scene.

Her younger brother had been with them in the car. Although he survived the accident, he fell into a coma. The overwhelming cost of keeping him in the intensive care unit quickly consumed every last bit of the family's savings, and the medical bills continued to grow each day.

Then Colton entered her life.

He paid every hospital bill that had been crushing her. He quietly took care of her parents' funeral arrangements. Throughout the darkest days of her life, he stayed by her side.

She appreciated everything he had done for her. She gradually came to depend on him, and before she realized it, becoming his woman had seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

Only later did she learn the real reason he had chosen her. She looked remarkably similar to his first love, the one who had left both him and the country years ago.

Colton had been born into privilege. As the CEO of Harrison Group, he possessed the finest resources and the strongest connections in the industry.

The way he cared for her had been thoughtful in every possible way. His attention had surrounded her so completely that she had almost forgotten there was a distance between their worlds that could never truly be crossed.

Even if he treated her with all the care in the world, the woman who would eventually become his wife could only be a socialite from a family that stood on equal footing with his own.

A knock at the door abruptly pulled Hannah back to reality.

Lucy Bailey, the manager of her studio, leaned through the doorway. "Hannah, your appointment is here. She specifically requested that you design her wedding gown yourself."

"Please bring her in," Hannah replied, regaining her composure almost immediately.

She raised her eyes toward the entrance, and her breathing stopped for a moment.

The woman standing there was Valerie. Colton's fiancee.

"Ms. Mitchell," Valerie called out as she walked into the studio, her eyes quietly taking in every corner of the room. "I've heard so many wonderful things about your work. My fiance always praises your designs. He says every gown you create has a soul of its own. He insisted that I come here so you could make my wedding dress."

Hannah dug her nails deeply into her palms. Had Colton arranged this on purpose?

The studio always followed the same strict policy. Every client had to sign a contract and pay a nonrefundable deposit before the consultation could begin. Without a valid reason, she couldn't refuse someone who had already become a client.

Now she had to design a wedding gown for the woman who was about to marry the man she loved. The thought was even more painful than death itself.

Outside, the sharp screech of tires suddenly shattered the silence.

Colton stepped out of his car with a cold expression. The anger on his face was barely under control.

He had been attending an important board meeting when his assistant quietly handed him a note. The moment he read that Valerie was at Hannah's studio, he walked out without saying a single word. On the way there, he ran three red lights and ignored every speed limit just to reach her as fast as possible.

He pushed the studio door open and saw the two women standing across from each other. His dark eyes settled on Valerie.

"Ms. Mitchell, I'll head out first." Valerie put on her sunglasses. A graceful smile spread across her face, although it was clearly just for show. "I'll come back tomorrow to look at the wedding dress designs. In the meantime, you can discuss the overall wedding style with my fiance. Take all the time you need."

With those words, she turned around and walked away. The door quietly closed behind her, and the air inside the studio instantly grew heavy.

Hannah and Colton silently looked at each other.

"Hannah, about Valerie and me..."

"Let's end this, Colton."

Their voices overlapped in the quiet room.

Colton's expression hardened. When he spoke again, his voice was cold enough to send a chill through the air. "What did you just say? Say it again. I dare you."

Hannah looked straight into his eyes without the slightest hesitation. Her voice remained calm and steady. "The man I've loved since I was young is coming back. We're going to get married. It's time for us to end this."

In a single stride, Colton closed the distance between them. His tall frame carried an overwhelming sense of pressure.

He lifted a hand and held her face. It was something he had done countless times over the past three years. This time, however, his fingers were stiff, and his grip was so tight it nearly hurt. "There's another man you love? Then what were these past three years supposed to mean?"

Hannah didn't look away. "You said that if you ever got married, I had to leave. I was never supposed to hold on to you."

A cold laugh escaped his lips without the slightest trace of amusement. "Fine, Hannah. Remember what you just said." Every bit of warmth had disappeared from his face. "We'll see how long you can keep acting this strong."

He let go of her face, turned around without another word, and walked out of the studio with a cold, determined expression.

The door closed with a quiet click.

The moment Colton was gone, Hannah sank onto the cold floor as every bit of strength seemed to leave her body.

From the very beginning, she had understood that there was never going to be a future for her and Colton.

He was the CEO of Harrison Group, a man who had been born into a life of wealth and influence that most people could only imagine.

As for her, she had never been anything more than a replacement, someone who happened to resemble his first love.

It was time for her to stop living in that illusion.

The best thing she could do was leave with her pride, quietly step out of his life, and sincerely wish him happiness.

But why did her heart still hurt this much?

The following day, Hannah gathered herself and got ready to meet Valerie.

"Ms. Mitchell, I expect you to personally handle every detail of my wedding and my gown. The most influential people in the city will be attending. There can't be a single mistake," Valerie said with a polished smile. The enormous diamond on her finger sparkled under the light.

Hannah pressed her nails into her palms as bitterness filled her mouth. "Of course," she replied calmly. "That's my responsibility."

"Colton already told me not to worry about the budget. He wants everything to be the very best," Valerie continued with an unmistakably triumphant smile. "A man like him deserves nothing less. Naturally, our wedding will be the biggest event of the year."

At that moment, Lucy walked over and placed Hannah's portfolio of design sketches in front of Valerie.

Valerie casually flipped through the sketches Hannah had created after countless sleepless nights. She treated them as though they were worth nothing.

She threw the sketches onto the floor one after the other. "This one's tacky. This one doesn't stand out at all. And this one... it's awful."

Hannah silently watched the drawings she had refined night after night. Every design reflected her passion for her work, yet they were tossed aside as if they were worthless. Her hands slowly tightened into fists.

She realized Valerie had never come here to choose a wedding dress, but to humiliate her.

Without warning, Valerie stopped turning the pages. Her eyes settled on the last sketch at the bottom of the stack.

In the lower right corner was a bold, unmistakable signature—Colton Harrison.

That sketch was the one Hannah treasured more than any other.

She still remembered the day she had drawn that gown. Colton had walked up behind her, slipped his arms around her waist, and gently guided her hand as they added a few delicate roses to the back of the design together. He had told her that roses suited her and that she looked the most beautiful among them.

"I want this one," Valerie declared, and a calculating smile appeared in her eyes.

"Not that one," Hannah said firmly, her voice strained. "You can't have that design. A friend made it for me, and it means a great deal to me."

"It means a great deal?" Valerie let out a mocking laugh. "But that's the only design I want. I'm not interested in any of the others. If you refuse, you'll be the reason the wedding gets delayed. Are you prepared to take responsibility for that?"

Hannah's fingers began to shake. Her eyes settled on the sketch that carried Colton's signature, and everything about it suddenly felt painfully ironic. Colton was about to marry someone else. There was no reason for her to keep holding on to it anymore.

"Alright." Hannah pressed her lips together before turning to Lucy. "Please take Ms. Clarke's measurements."

After Hannah escorted Valerie outside, a familiar black car quietly pulled up along the curb.

Hannah recognized it immediately. It was Colton's car. Her heart tightened, and she quickly turned her face away. She couldn't bring herself to look at him.

As the car slowly drove away, it felt as though it had taken the last of her strength with it.

Late that night, Colton returned to the villa and opened the front door.

Instead of being greeted by the warm lights and Hannah's familiar presence, complete silence filled the house.

Out of habit, he glanced toward the entryway. Her shoes were gone.

He walked into the bedroom and pushed the door open. Half of the closet stood empty. Her clothes were gone. Her belongings had disappeared. Even her scent that once lingered in the room had faded away. It was as if she had never lived there at all.

A heavy frustration he had never experienced before gripped his chest. He took out his phone and dialed the number he had memorized long ago.

However, she had blocked his number.

A cold laugh escaped him without the slightest trace of amusement as Hannah's words from the previous day echoed in his mind. Every night she spent with him, she had been thinking about another man.

Hannah really had a lot of nerve.

The quiet hum of a car faded outside the villa. Soon after, the crisp sound of high heels echoed across the marble floor. A moment later, Colton's mother, Edith Harrison, walked inside.

She looked around the now empty villa, and a pleased smile appeared on her face. "Looks like she's taken everything with her. At least that little schemer knew when to leave. Colton, we'll renovate this place. After the wedding, you and Valerie can live here."

Colton reached up and loosened his tie. His jaw remained tense. "Not this villa. Find another place."

"Can't let go of her yet?" Edith's expression became much more serious. "The Clarke family is our strongest ally right now. Your father is already planning to bring that illegitimate son of his into the company. If you refuse this marriage, your father will hand your shares over to him. Are you really willing to throw away your future for a woman?"

Colton remained standing in the shadows without saying a word. After a long silence, a quiet, bitter laugh escaped him.

He remembered Hannah softly calling his name in the darkness. He remembered the look of complete concentration on her face whenever she sat down to draw. Those familiar memories stirred something restless deep inside him.

Even so, they meant nothing compared to everything that was at stake.

"You're overthinking this, Mother." Colton turned around, and his voice returned to its usual calm indifference. "Hannah was only a distraction. Nothing more. I never intended to be serious with her. The wedding will go on as planned. Just make sure you're there."

Several days went by. Hannah buried herself in her work at the design studio, pushing herself until she was completely exhausted. It was the only way she could keep the pain in her heart from overwhelming her.

The entire studio had been working overtime because of Valerie's wedding, and as the owner, Hannah worked harder than anyone else.

Around noon, Lucy pushed the office door open with a worried expression. "Hannah, Ms. Clarke is asking for the bridal shoe fitting. I still have to oversee the floral arrangements, and I can't handle both at the same time. Could you...?"

Hannah stopped cutting a loose thread with her scissors but never lifted her head. "Send me the address. I'll go."

She gathered several pairs of bridal shoe samples before driving to the location Valerie had given her.

When the navigation announced that she had arrived at Harrison Group headquarters, Hannah's grip on the steering wheel slowly tightened.

She had been with Colton for three years, yet she had never once entered this building.

He had always kept his work and personal life completely separate. She used to believe he was protecting her. Only now did she understand the truth—she had never truly belonged in his world.

Her destination was the CEO's office on the thirtythird floor.

The weight of the shoe boxes made Hannah's arms ache. As soon as she stepped into the office, she froze.

Standing beside the floortoceiling window, Colton leaned slightly toward Valerie. His fingers carefully moved behind her neck as he fastened a necklace for her with familiar gentleness.

Something sharp pierced Hannah's heart the instant she saw it.

Without thinking, she reached for the necklace hidden beneath her shirt.

Colton had personally fastened that diamond necklace around her neck on the night she graduated from college.

It was the same gentle gesture. It was the same tenderness. Now it only brought pain.

Hannah suddenly felt like an intruder. She wanted to leave immediately, but her feet refused to move, and her thoughts went completely blank.

"Colton, Ms. Mitchell is here," Valerie said as she turned around. A bright smile spread across her face, but there was something sharp beneath it.

Colton raised his eyes and looked at Hannah. The warmth that had remained in his expression disappeared the moment he saw her pale face, and only coldness remained.

"Ms. Mitchell, thank you for everything you've done for the wedding." His voice carried no emotion.

After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the office.

Hannah quietly forced herself to stay calm while placing the shoe boxes on the floor. "Ms. Clarke, once you've picked the pair you like, just send me a picture. I'll be leaving now."

"So eager to leave?" Valerie grabbed Hannah's arm. Her grip was unexpectedly firm, giving Hannah no chance to pull away. "You're the professional. Please help me choose."

Several pairs of custommade luxury bridal heels had already been arranged across the floor, their polished surfaces reflecting the office lights.

Valerie casually pointed at one pair before lightly tapping it with the tip of her heel. A gentle smile rested on her lips. "Ms. Mitchell, would you mind helping me try these on?"

The room instantly fell silent.

Hannah straightened her back, and her nails dug deeply into her palms. "Sorry; that's not part of my job."

"But the design is so complicated. I really can't figure it out." Valerie's voice sounded innocent, yet the look in her eyes was openly provoking. "Please... you need to help me."

"Fine. I'll help you." Hannah clenched her jaw and slowly crouched down.

Just as her fingers reached toward the shoe, Valerie suddenly brought her sharp stiletto heel down onto the back of her hand.

A cry of pain slipped from Hannah's lips. She immediately pulled her hand back and held it tightly against her chest.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Valerie lifted an eyebrow as she looked down at Hannah. Her voice was filled with fake concern. "I didn't notice your hand was there."

Anger flashed across Hannah's face. She was about to answer when Valerie suddenly frowned. Then she impatiently kicked the shoe aside. "What's wrong with these? They're too small. I told you I wear a size seven, didn't I?"

Hannah slowly rose to her feet, her voice calm but icy. "Ms. Clarke, we already confirmed your measurements. Mr. Harrison personally requested a size six."

Size six was Hannah's size.

She remembered all the nights when Colton had held her foot in his hand, smiling as he teased her about how small it was.

Valerie's face darkened. Her eyes slowly shifted to Hannah's feet, and jealousy mixed with resentment filled her gaze.

Just then, Colton walked back into the office. His narrowed eyes swept across the room before settling on the two women. A cold look appeared in his eyes. "There's no need to keep trying them on. We'll go with this pair."