Rogue Tide, Clean Heart novel Chapter 1

"Gwyneth really loves your wedding dress. I'm going to let her borrow it for a while."

Soft, lyrical music played in the background of the cafe. This artisanal coffee shop used to be Yanet Sloan's favorite spot, but today, her drink tasted bitter. The problem wasn't the coffee; it was the man sitting across from her.

"You don't need that dress right now anyway. Don't be so petty," Harlan Dixon stated, staring at her as if he had every right in the world.

Yanet raised her eyes. It was a chilly day, so she wore a simple cashmere coat over her dance studio clothes. Her slender back was perfectly straight, her long hair pinned up neatly in a bun. With her luminous skin and clear eyes, she looked like an elegant swan, every movement radiating the natural grace of a professional dancer.

"Is your company going bankrupt?" Yanet's voice was soft, but crystal clear.

Harlan frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means the heir to the Dixon Group can't even afford to buy his girlfriend the wedding dress she wants, so he has to come steal mine?"

Gwyneth looked embarrassed. "You're misunderstanding, Yanet. I just fell in love with that dress the moment I saw it. I never expected Harlan to actually ask you for it. It just shows how much he cares about me."

Her tone was laced with thinly veiled bragging. It grated on Yanet's ears. She refused to believe Harlan couldn't hear the subtext; he was simply choosing to ignore it.

"Taking what's mine just gives you a sick sense of accomplishment," Yanet said, cutting straight to the truth. Whether it was 'love at first sight' or 'borrowing,' it was still stealing.

Gwyneth's face turned pale. She looked as though she might burst into tears, her fingers gripping Harlan's hand so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Sorry to disappoint," Yanet continued smoothly. "But a wedding gown is like underwear. You don't let someone else wear it and then put it back on yourself. That dress belongs to me and only me."

Harlan's face darkened. Yanet glanced at the time; she had no intention of wasting another minute on these two. After all, she had already wasted nearly seven years of her life on Harlan.

The Sloans and the Dixons had been neighbors, and she and Harlan had grown up together. During their best years, when she was competing abroad, Harlan had snuck out of his house and flown across the world just to make sure he didn't miss a single one of her performances.

They had spent their summers fishing and having barbecues at his family's vacation home, watched the sunrise together in the fall, skied through the winter, and hiked in the spring. Amidst the crushing weight of their studies, Harlan's presence had been as essential and constant as the air she breathed.

Perhaps every girl, in her youth, had loved a bright, sunny boy like him. At eighteen, they had promised to go to college together and stay together forever.

Seeing how effortlessly she seemed to lie to his face, Harlan stood up abruptly. "Fine. Have a great life."

He stormed off. Gwyneth quickly grabbed her purse and hurried after him, but not before shooting Yanet a triumphant smirk.

Yanet finished the last sip of her coffee, paid the bill, and left.

After work, she returned to her apartment, only to find that most of her belongings were already gone. It dawned on her that her things had likely been moved to her new home.

She hadn't been lying to Harlan. She really had signed a marriage license that morning. It was a purely strategic union arranged by her family, and she hadn't even memorized her new husband's name yet. Pulling up her text messages, she found the address of the new house and drove over.

Royal Crest Estate was a newly developed, ultra-exclusive gated community. Known for its impeccable privacy and stunning landscaping, it was rumored to house top politicians and elites. With only a handful of estates on the property, money alone couldn't buy a house here; living in this neighborhood was the ultimate status symbol.

Yanet parked her car by the entrance and glanced at the massive house. There were no lights on inside. It seemed her new husband had no intention of coming home on their wedding night.