Trapped in the Don's Vow novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I laughed.

They couldn’t possibly think I’d throw champagne at the baby, right?

How amusing.

I casually picked a seat at an empty table nearby and raised my glass toward Summer and Julian from a

distance.

“The baby’s adorable. I wish him a healthy, happy life.”

Ironically, most of that toast was genuine.

After all, Summer wasn’t just Julian’s childhood sweetheart.

She had once been my only friend in this city.

I’d always kept to myself, even as a child, and after graduation, I came here alone to make a living.

The first time I rented an apartment, I was scammed out of all my savings.

I was squatting on the sidewalk, suitcase beside me, crying my eyes out when Summer handed me a tissue.

“My apartment has a spare bedroom,” she said gently. “I’ll rent it to you cheap. Interested?”

She smiled warmly.

Later, I learned that the room had never lacked tenants.

She’d only taken pity on me.

We cooked together, binged shows together, and complained about work and our bosses together.

She often told me, “Nina, you’re too quiet. You should smile more.”

Julian was the one she introduced me to.

“My childhood friend,” she said. “Firefighter. Super reliable. You’re alone here, so if anything happens, you

can go to him.”

She winked playfully.

“But don’t get any ideas. He’s already reserved.”

I really hadn’t gotten any ideas back then. But Julian pursued me relentlessly.

Chapter 2

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He brought me breakfast every morning, waited for me after work, and if I worked overtime, he stayed downstairs until midnight.

He told me, “I always saw Summer as a little sister. You’re the one I chose at first sight. It’s different.”

I trusted him.

The day I agreed to be with him, Summer stayed silent for a long time, then hugged me and cried.

“You have to be happy,” she said. “Otherwise, I’ll never forgive myself.”

At the time, I thought it was a blessing. Now, I see it as a warning.

I drained the champagne in my glass in one go.

The cheap alcohol burned my throat, leaving my eyes stinging red as I coughed.

“That’s enough! Nina, if you have a problem, take it up with me. Don’t make a scene here!”

That familiar voice rang out, sharp with anger.

Julian shoved aside the people blocking him and strode over, his brows knotted tight.

“It’s been five years. Are you still like this, creating a scene in public?”

He thought I was here to wreck the celebration.

The disgust in his eyes nearly spilled over.

I didn’t know how to explain that I had genuinely walked into the wrong room.

I was here for my company’s year-end dinner in the adjacent hall.

All I could do was helplessly gesture at my business suit.

“I’m in a meeting next door. I made a mistake.”

Julian didn’t believe me at all.

He grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight my bones ached.

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“Stop pretending. What happened back then… I owe you. After the banquet ends, I’ll take you home.”

Summer’s face went pale as she stood up with the baby in her arms.

“Julian…”

Julian turned back to her, his tone softening.

“Summer, I just don’t want her emotions to affect the baby. Don’t worry.”

Yet his hand never loosened its hold on me.

I wrenched myself free and stepped back, forcing an ugly smile.

“That wouldn’t be appropriate. Mr. Hayes, your wife and child are watching.”

He acted as if he hadn’t heard and reached for me again.

It felt absurd.

Five years apart, and he had changed this much.

He used to be the one who cared most about boundaries.

When we were dating, a female colleague from his unit often tried to find excuses to contact him.

Once, on a rainy day, she asked to ride in his car, and he arranged a car for her and went out of his way to

take me home.

The next day, he made it clear to everyone at the station, “I have a girlfriend. Don’t contact me about personal matters. Work goes through official channels.”

He offended his superiors for it, but he didn’t care.

He always cut off any hint of ambiguity before it could take root.

Except when it came to Summer.

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