Hearing His Heart, I Disappeared First

I have a secret.

I can hear the thoughts of those who don't love me.

That evening, we were trying on our wedding attire at the Roscente family estate.

Then a voice abruptly pierced my ears:

—If she really tries to stop the wedding tomorrow, these dress shoes won’t be great for running.

I froze.

He withdrew his hand, his smile unchanged. "Get some rest, then. Tomorrow’s our big day."

—Tomorrow? Tomorrow, I’m free.

I boarded the flight abroad decisively the next day.

Later, the wedding became a joke in the whole city - the bride and groom both ran away.

---

I've always had a secret.

I can hear the thoughts of those who don't love me.

This ability keeps me sharp.

The fake smiles of fair-weather friends, the sweet nothings from crushes—nothing escapes my ears.

Even when buying durian, I can pick the ripest one just by listening to the vendor's thoughts.

So I avoid strangers' gazes.

The world is too loud.

Until I met Luke Roscente.

It was a sunny afternoon when he stood by the café entrance, smiling at me.

"Hello, mind if I introduce myself?"

Our eyes met.

Silence.

No inner thoughts.

None at all.

I froze.

For the first time in two years, my mind was completely quiet.

"Hello."

My voice trembled slightly.

What followed felt inevitable.

Love. Dating. Engagement.

For over seven hundred days, I never heard a single stray thought from Luke.

I believed he loved me.

Wholeheartedly.

Until one week before our wedding.

It was the day of our final fitting.

Luke had been swamped lately.

Freshly taking over his family's finance firm, he battled corporate politics while handling external threats.

Most wedding prep fell on me, but I didn't mind.

Thinking of him, I smiled unconsciously.

When I pushed open the boutique's glass door, he was bending over to try shoes.

His tailored suit accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs, his profile sharp under the lights.

He looked up, warmth in his eyes.

Then his phone rang.

Glancing at the screen, his expression shifted.

"Don't worry, I'm coming," he murmured, stepping outside.

That soothing tone—I knew it too well.

I stood frozen, watching his retreating back.

Then I heard it.

Crystal clear and jarring.

Luke's voice, but not from his lips—

"Ava says she'll wear sneakers on the wedding day. Easier to run."

Ava?

Run?

My blood turned to ice.

On that sweltering afternoon, cold dread crawled up my spine.

I could hear his thoughts now.

And I knew exactly what that meant.

He'd fallen out of love.

Seven days before our vows.

In my periphery, a staff member discreetly tucked white sneakers into the garment box.