Chapter 1

Before the age of twenty-four, Nina Sinclair did not know the meaning of the word "unobtainable."

As the only daughter of the Sinclair family and the premier socialite in New York City, the line of her suitors stretched from Manhattan to the Financial District. She never had to ask for anything; it was always brought to her on a silver platter.

That was until she met Julian Hayes.

It was during a magic show. She sat in the front row of the VIP section, and he stood on stage, the spotlight beaming down from above. His fingers were slender, and as his hands danced, snow began to fall from the ceiling. The entire theater held its breath, but Nina had eyes only for his gaze.

When the show ended, she went backstage.

"You're Julian, right?" she said, handing him her business card. "I'm Nina. I’ve taken a fancy to you."

Julian didn't take it. "Who are you?"

The next day, the largest LED screen in Asia displayed six words on a loop all day: Julian, my name is Nina.

Traffic during the evening rush hour in Manhattan backed up for three miles. Social media feeds were flooded, and the topic trended in the top ten. Reporters swarmed the entrance of the magic theater, cameras and microphones aimed at Julian.

The tickets for Julian’s show that night sold out within three minutes.

On the third day, she drove for two hours to wait for him to finish work, but he left through the back exit.

On the fourth day, she bought a magic prop he had wanted for a long time and had someone deliver it to him.

He returned it, attached with a note: "Ms. Sinclair, please don't do this."

Nina tucked the note into her drawer, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Three months later, Julian’s mother fell critically ill, and he couldn't afford the medical bills. Nina went and paid the three hundred thousand dollars.

Julian found her, standing outside the Sinclair estate, drenched in the rain.

"Why?"

"Because I like you."

He remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Nina, I’m not good enough for you."

Nina didn't understand what he meant; she only knew that he had agreed.

On the day of their wedding, Julian designed a special magic trick just for her.

She stood in the center, and with a snap of his fingers, her wedding dress shifted from pure white to crimson, then to gold. The crowd gasped in awe. She looked down at the flowers blooming across her hem, then looked up, only to find him kneeling on one knee before her, holding a ring.

She had mentioned in passing that she wanted to eat the pan-fried dumplings from that one spot next to the old townhouse from her childhood. The next morning at six, a box of them appeared on the breakfast table. Julian had ridden his electric scooter for an hour and a half—three hours round trip—just to buy that one box.

When she worked overtime until 2:00 AM, he would be waiting at the door. It was December in New York, two degrees below freezing. He arrived on that beat-up scooter, taking off his own winter coat to wrap around her while he wore only a thin sweater, shivering violently.

For their anniversaries, the gifts he gave her were never bought. For their first, he made a music box. When opened, it revealed miniature versions of the two of them—he performing magic, and she laughing beside him. For their second, he built a lamp. When switched on, it projected the night sky onto the ceiling, mapped exactly to the stars on her birthday.

Yet, he refused to accompany her to any public events.

The Sinclair banquets? He wouldn't go. She would try to pull him along, and he would say, "Your people look at me like I'm a monkey in a cage."

Friends' gatherings? He wouldn't go. She would tell him they were all young people, and he would reply, "The cars your friends drive cost more than I'll earn in a lifetime."

She wanted to take a photo together to post on social media, but he pulled his hand away. "Stop. You’re a high-society heiress married to a street magician. It’s embarrassing."

Nina froze. Before she could speak, he had already turned and walked into the kitchen.

Later, Clara arrived. Clara was his childhood friend who had come to the city to find work and had nowhere to stay. Julian let her move into the guest room.

"It’s just for a few days."

Nina didn't stop him. It was just a guest room; she wasn't that petty.

Later, Clara mentioned she missed the porridge from her hometown, so Julian rode his scooter for an hour to that shop on the outskirts of town—two hours round trip—and brought it to her bedside while it was still hot.

Clara said she was homesick, so Julian went to the station the next day to pick up her parents, rented a place nearby, and paid six months' rent in advance.

When Clara caught a cold, Julian canceled three shows to stay with her in the hospital for two days and nights.

That night, Nina sat in the living room waiting for Julian to return. At 1:00 AM, the door opened.

"Julian," Nina said, looking at him. "Either she leaves, or you both get out. You choose."

The day Clara left, her eyes were red as she stood at the doorway looking at Julian. Julian didn't look up.

Nina thought everything was back on track, but until today—their second wedding anniversary—she had gone to the theater to surprise him.

She pushed open the door to find the backstage area buzzing with activity. Julian was putting on makeup, with Clara standing right beside him.

She was wearing an assistant's uniform, handing him props, the two of them leaning close, laughing and talking.

Julian caught her reflection in the mirror but said nothing.

The show began. Nina sat in the audience, watching Clara hand him items on stage, watching him smile at her during his magic tricks, and watching them perform with seamless synchronization.

The final act: the water tank escape.

Clara was locked into the tank. Water rose above her head. Julian began the countdown.

The ropes wouldn't come loose, and Clara started struggling inside the tank. A gasp went through the audience. Julian lunged toward the tank, smashing the glass like a madman. His fist hit the tank, the glass shattered, and blood mixed with the water pouring out. He dragged Clara out, held her in his arms, and rushed toward the backstage.

"Call an ambulance!" he roared.

Nina sat in the audience, watching his back disappear into the wings.

Nina suddenly remembered that two years ago, she had been in this same theater, sitting in the front row, watching him conjure a snowfall on stage.

Back then, she had pursued him so passionately, so relentlessly.

Back then, she felt that as long as she tried hard enough, there was nothing she couldn't obtain.

She sat there for a long time, until the theater was empty and the lights were extinguished.

Then, she took out her phone. "Attorney Chen, draft a divorce agreement and send it to my house."

Chapter 2

Julian didn't come home for a week.

On the fifth day, the theater owner called: "Ms. Sinclair, I’m calling to ask—for Julian's show tomorrow, do you still want us to hire those regulars?"

Nina held the phone, stunned for a moment.

Regulars.

For the past two years, every time Julian had a performance, she had paid people to go. She filled the seats to make it look lively. The theater owner had told her that every time Julian saw a full house, his eyes would crinkle with joy.

She had spent so much money, hired so many people, just to make him smile. When he was happy, she was happy.

"Ms. Sinclair?" the owner urged cautiously.

Nina opened her mouth, then remembered the past few days. Julian wasn't answering her calls or replying to her messages. She knew where he was.

The hospital, keeping Clara company.

"No need," she said.

Hanging up, she sat on the sofa, staring at the divorce agreement on the coffee table. She had already signed it, but hadn't sent it out.

Her phone rang again. It was a message from her secretary: Ms. Sinclair, Mr. Hayes's visa for his overseas study program has been approved.

Nina stared at the message for a long time.

That magician abroad—Julian had mentioned him many times. Every time he spoke of him, he was full of envy, saying he was someone he could never reach in this lifetime. She had pulled strings through three different connections and owed a mountain of favors just to get him that spot. She had always wanted to give it to him as a surprise.

Nina stood up, grabbed her bag, and drove to the hospital.