The beautiful, petite woman in black left the audience's jaw hanging when she made her entrance.

With an air of confidence, she gracefully made her way to her seat.

"It's a great honor to be in the presence of the person behind the award-winning novel 'I'll Stop Loving You', Ms. Cassandra Lin."

The host filled with enthusiasm extended his right hand to accommodate her however, the esteemed guest only gave him a small smile.

Silence hanged in the air until he reluctantly offered her to seat.

"We don't have much time left and I have a lot of questions for you so let's get down to business."

"By all means."

"Ms. Lin, ever since your debut you never had any public appearance. In the past you refused many interviews and even turned down a lot of events, so why now?"

"I wanted to separate my personal and professional life. I think of Cassandra Lin and Lisa as two different people." She answered "The truth is I only accepted this interview because..."

"Because?" He repeated

"Because it's the exact time, place and moment I needed to start the time-loop."

It didn't take a minute before he understood what her words meant.

He thought she was kidding by using a line from the novel. He remembered it from chapter one wherein Sunny, the main character, was asked the same question during an interview.

He chuckled "Now that I think about it, this setting is very similar to how the story started. Say, Ms. Lin, are you perhaps in a loop?"

With a playful smile she shrugged "Who knows."

"All jokes aside, let's talk about how you wrote this masterpiece. A year after its publication you achieved novel stardom and 'I'll Stop Loving You' ranked one. There are many speculations and assumptions but we would like to hear from you what inspired you to write Sunny's story. Could it be an unrequited love?"

She leaned back in her seat.

"Originally, I wrote this story to direct my depression and to ease my regretful conscience but one thing lead to another and it's now where it is. 'I'll Stop Loving You' became the embodiment of my regrets."

He paused to take in her answer before he jumped to another question.

"Sunny's anguish because she couldn't be with her lover was given emphasis at the end of the novel. Sunny pose the question 'If you were given the chance to turn back time, would you try to change the future?' We're wondering if you were ask the same question, how would you answer?"

She parted her lips but before she could voice out her answer a familiar melody danced in the air.

"Sunny."

A wave of nostalgia swept over her when she heard the faint voice calling from a distance.

She blinked.

"Sunny."

And when her eyes fluttered open light ocean blue eyes and long flowing black hair came into view.

A cute little girl in a fancy pink dress stared at her.

She looks strangely familiar.

Something isn't right.

"Sunny."

That same sweet voice called her attention. She turned her head to where the voice is coming from.

She noticed how the little girl moved with her at the same time.

She tilted her head to the side and her eyes widened in realization.

The girl in front of her isn't someone else but the reflection of her eight year old self.

Cassandra is in the loop for the longest time and until now she hasn't figured out how and why it started. At first she thought of it as a gift from God but later she realized that it's a curse than a blessing.

It was an advantageous opportunity because whenever something goes wrong she can be sure that it won't happen again. However, she got too comfortable with the situation that getting out of it never crossed her mind and If it weren't for that accident, nothing would've prompt change.

It's been eleven years since she became eight and everything is different from what she's used to. Without that person in her life, everyday is a breath of fresh air.

Needless to say, she knows she'll soon cross paths with him. He is her fiancé after all.

She frowned.

"Fix that face before we arrive."

She begged and pleaded, but he wouldn't budge on the issue. Her last resort was to pretend sick and it doesn't seem to work.

Her father can be cruel sometimes.

"Darling, shouldn't our daughter's health come first?"

If it's her mother, Cassandra thought that her stubborn father would give in but even that didn't change his mind.

He gave her a stern look "In this family, marriage is a business deal and unless she finds a greater bargain she'll comply."

The tone of his voice brooks no argument.

Not knowing how to retort, Cassandra gazed out the window at the scenery the car passes and her mind wandered to the past.

Looking back, she realized how much time she wasted on him.

Every time she foolishly handed him her heart, it was given back to her in pieces.

Whenever things seem to work out in any case there's something that gets in the way and it's always a misunderstanding, a difficult circumstance, or simply falling out of love.

She doesn't want to go through that again and for this reason she became a good liar.

Still and all, she's doomed to live the same miserable life.

"Sunny, we're here." Mrs Lin called

When she hopped out of the car a flash of light blinded her, then another one and again. In an instant, a swarm of paparazzi surrounded them. Fortunately, the bodyguards were quick to act. They fought their way through the crowd and somehow get in the venue safely.

She often forget however, this reminds her that she's a daughter of the prominent family who owns the biggest conglomerate in the country.

But what's going on?

This party isn't supposed to be a big event to catch the media's attention. From what her father told her, this is just a simple gathering among business partners. Nevertheless, wherever you look it appears all the corporate big shots are here.

A feeling of uneasiness crept up from the pit of her stomach and when she saw the look on her father's face all suspicions were confirmed.

"It's about time we make your engagement official and the announcement of our business merging."

"What?" She looked at her mother and she's just as confused as she is "I haven't heard anything about this."

"Darling, this isn't what we agreed on."

"I'm sorry for deceiving you but you wouldn't have agreed if you knew—there you are," he looked at the opposite direction and smiled "Leon."

She felt a chill run down her spine.

A tall young man walked toward them and conversed with her father but she didn't bother listening. Her mind went blank. What should she do?

Hide in the comfort room until the party is over, feign faintness or make a scene?

However, before she could even decide what to do, her father held her shoulders firmly and brought her forward.

"This is my daughter, Cassandra."

"I've heard a lot about you and it's good to finally put a face to the name." The young man chuckled "I'm Leon Lim."

She kept her head low. Even without looking at the person, she can make out that cheery voice.

He noticed how she avoided his gaze, so like a curious kid he tilted his head to take a peek at her face and out of the corner of her eyes she saw his long, light-brown hair falling on the side.

She began to feel nauseous. She never thought that even a glimpse of him would disgust her to this extent.

"Are you not feeling well?"

She placed a hand on her chest to calm her erratic heartbeat. Suddenly it's hard to breath. A cold wave embalmed her as the hairs rose on the back of her neck and her mouth ran dry.

Like a scared little puppy she took two small steps backward.

"Ah."

Then she bumped into someone and lost her balance. Luckily, a pair of strong arms caught her in time.

"Dolt." He glared down at her and turned away to Leon "I'm late and it's not on puropose. The new manager messed up my schedule."

She looked up at the man.

There's something familiar about the air around him. She carefully examined his face, searching for something that will identify him; short black ruffled hair, blue-grey eyes and if you look closely he also has two black piercings on his left ear.

When his eyes found their way back to her he noticed her intense stare and he grumbled "How long are you going to cling to me, woman?"

He complained but he didn't let her go until she's steady on her feet. A small smile grace on Cassandra's lips as she recognized him.

"You're always like that." Leon sighed "Anyways, please be gentle with Ms. Lin."

He scowled at her "Ah, then this must be the fiancée."

Initially, Cassandra was supposed to meet them on her eighth birthday.

That night, she had a tantrum because she didn't like the pink dress her mother picked for her. So when she got the chance to retaliate, she ran away from the reception and hid somewhere in the garden.

There, she had a memorable encounter that changed her life for good and twisted for worst.

Her guards were very persistent that she had to run all over the place just to get out of their radar. Her father might have hired them for that reason.

Exhausted from playing around, Cassandra sat on the fountain's edge when a shaky voice from the other side shooed her away.

"I found this spot first, get lost."

The light illuminating the party didn't reach them so she had to squint her eyes to see in the dark. However, her best efforts did not avail.

Cassandra raised a brow and placed a hand on her hip. The little girl was about to retort but she heard heavy footsteps nearing.

"I found the young lady's bow. I'll look around the area while you go inform the master."

The color quickly drained from her face. Her father would be furious if he sees what she did to her dress.

Stealthily, she crouched down and crawled across the ground toward the other side. She scooted closer to the boy, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"What are you doing?"

She immediately shushed him "If I get caught you'll be in trouble."

They sat there for what looked like hours before the guard decided to give up and leave.

She sighed in relief and looked at the boy next to her.

To quench her curiosity, she interrogated him about what's his name, which family he belongs and why he's alone. Cassandra's eyes sparkled with interest.

"That's none of your business." The boy coldly responded, much to her dismay.

"Fine." Cassandra stood up and dusted the dirt off her crumpled dress "I don't care about a baby like you anyways."

With that remark, a petty argument started.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not."

"You are."

He stood up for his reputation but it appears she's still an inch or two taller than him "I'M NOT."

"YOU ARE."

Their debate ended in a stalemate. Either refused to loose.

On the other side, their loud squabble caught someone's attention "So here you are, Zack." They heard a voice said as the owner made himself known to the both of them.

A boy with brown, shoulder length hair poked his head out of the window in the first floor.

His face gave off an ethereal glow under the moonlight. She pales in comparison to his beautiful face and for the first time Cassandra felt ashamed to call herself a girl.

Who's this pretty boy?

"If you stare too much, I might melt." He jumped off the window and gave her a sheepish grin

At that moment, her heart started to beat only for him. He became her world and nothing else mattered except Leon Lim.

But not this time.

On her eight birthday she put on an act and made her parents believe she's sick. Cassandra stayed in bed the whole night and she didn't meet him. After that, she avoided any social gatherings where she could possibly bump into him. High school, college, and all the holidays she spent with him never happened.

This change altered the course of her life and she has no idea how much it affected him. He may became a different version of himself or he might have stayed the same and she's afraid of that uncertainty — of what will happen from now on.

"Your don't look well, are you really not feeling well?" Her father asked, his voice laced with concern.

This is her chance.

Cassandra held her head "I'm dizzy."

"See, what did I told you?" Her mother hurried to her side "You shouldn't have forced her to come."

"I've been fooled by her good acting, how do you expect me to believe her this time?" He argued "She cries wolf."

"It can't be helped, why don't we postpone the announcement?" Leon suggested "We can do it on her twentieth birthday instead."

"Or better cancel it." She heard Isaac mumble

Cassandra's eyebrows were knitted together as she stared at him in confusion. Why would he say that?

Then it all made sense.

Isaac, for some reason, has always been against her engagement with Leon. Maybe he's gay for him?

If that's the case, then he would be helpful.

Her eyes lit up as an idea came to her.

"No, it would be rude to the guests. But before we proceed, I need to speak with you alone, father..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced at her mother and linked arms with Isaac "You're coming too."

Mr. Lin noticed the sudden change in her tone so he silently agreed and came out to the balcony with them.