That night, my brother had come all the way from Emperor Bay—sent by our parents to talk some sense into me. He showed up just in time to drag me away from a pack of men who saw an easy target. Who would’ve guessed someone would snap a photo of him taking me to a hotel to rest and twist it into something ugly? No wonder Nicholas had been acting so strange since then—distant, yet forcing himself to play the part of the caring partner.
Turns out, he’d been sitting on this the whole time. Waiting. Letting me secure his biggest clients. Quietly using my family’s connections to push his company toward its IPO. And tonight, he finally decided to let it all out.
I was disappointed—not just in him, but in the fact that he never trusted me enough to ask.
And yet… he was the first man I’d ever really loved. I didn’t want some stupid misunderstanding to ruin that.
More than anything, I didn’t want my parents finding out that my grand rebellion—running from their arranged marriage to chase real love—had crashed and burned before it even began. I’d wanted to choose my own path, to stand beside someone as an equal, not as some bargaining chip in a corporate merger. But I’d never told Nicholas that.
I’d been afraid that if he knew I was the so-called Queen Bee of the Elite Circles, he’d feel small. Crushed under the weight of my name. My whole life, men had only wanted me for my status—their sweet words laced with hidden agendas. But Nicholas? When he looked at me, his eyes held actual stars.
The memory of how good it used to be made me laugh—sharp and sudden.
“What’s so funny?” Nicholas frowned, voice dripping with disgust. “You really think this is a joke?”
I lifted my chin, meeting his glare head-on. “Do you honestly believe I’d sleep my way to the top?”
“Then what did you do?” He let out a cold scoff. “What’s left for me to respect?”
It felt like an invisible fist had seized my heart, squeezing until even breathing hurt.
I forced my voice steady. “That man in the photo? He’s my brother.”
“Your brother?” Gwendoline burst into laughter. “Oh, please. What’s next—calling every guy you screw your ‘sworn brother’? Gotta say, that’s a spicy little kink!”
The room erupted in jeers, someone even whistling.
Nicholas’s gaze turned glacial. “Enough. You’re embarrassing yourself. Take your termination letter and get out. We’re done.”
I clenched the paper in my fist, numb. Five years. Five years of hiding who I was, grinding as a nobody to build his empire. And now, the second he didn’t need me anymore? Tossed aside like yesterday’s trash.
Fine. If he wanted to play the fool, I’d let him. But he’d regret this.
“Nicholas,” I said softly, “you’ll regret this.”
He barked out a laugh like I’d told the world’s dumbest joke. “Regret? The only thing I regret is wasting time on a faithless whore like you!”
Then—like the final twist of a knife—he reached for Gwendoline’s hand. Their fingers locked, and as they strode toward the center of the banquet hall, I finally noticed: his suit and her slinky gown were a matching set.
He raised their joined hands high, grinning like a king. “Tomorrow, we make history—our IPO! None of this would’ve been possible without this team. Let’s keep climbing!”
The room exploded in applause.
And I? I was already gone.
