Chapter 2

This time, I didn’t ask about the money.

For several days in a row, Jackson didn’t come to see me either.

Based on how things were before, he probably thought I already knew and was secretly trying to find a way to gather the money.

He might even think that I would take the initiative to ask him how much is still missing. I’ll figure something out.

He was too confident to realize that I had already changed.

Soon, Lily’s birthday arrived.

I heard that this time, she invited half of high society and stole all the attention at the banquet.

That night, Lily wore a new set of jewelry. It was said to be a limited edition, with only three sets in the world.

Its value just happened to be ten million.

Jackson got drunk and sent me a message asking me to pick him up.

When I didn’t agree, dozens of accusatory messages were sent to my phone not long after.

[Anna, what are you doing? I’m drunk and told you to come pick me up, yet you won’t even come. Are you still my fiancée? If you keep acting like this, I will reconsider our wedding.]

I glanced at it and replied with one sentence.

[Then reconsider.]

After that, I blocked his number and continued looking at my computer.

There were many spreadsheets on the screen. The Sanchez family’s financial chain had been broken for a long time. Since I took over, almost every plus sign represented one of my contributions.

It might have been selling jewelry or saving money through frugality.

Now, as I looked at these numbers again, I felt unusually calm.

To me, they were now just numbers that needed to be calculated.

In the early morning, Jackson came back, carrying the smell of alcohol. When he saw me, he said coldly, “I told you to come pick me up. Why didn’t you?”

I raised my eyes to look at him, then lowered my head and continued typing. “I’m calculating the losses for the new quarter.”

He seemed satisfied with this answer and walked over, wanting to touch my head.

I tilted slightly and avoided him.

His hand hung in midair, and he looked displeased.

“What’s wrong?”

“Jackson.”

I spoke. “Where is that money?”

His expression stiffened for a moment, then quickly returned to normal.

“What money?”

“The ten million I saved. This time’s weapons deposit.”

He was silent for a few seconds, then sighed.

“Anna, let me explain. Something happened on Lily’s side, and she urgently needed money to cover it. She’s the eldest daughter of the Wilson family. She has a reputation to uphold. I promise you, once I have money on hand, I’ll make it up to you immediately.”

“What happened to her?”

“That’s… her private matter. It’s not for me to say.”

“Private matter?”

When I heard those two words, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Limited edition. Only three sets in the world. Exactly ten million.”

His expression changed.

“You investigated me?”

I found Jackson’s words childish and ridiculous.

“Do I need to investigate?”

“Everyone in the circle was talking about it. The new don of the Sanchez family spent a fortune just to please Miss Wilson.”

Jackson fell silent.

A moment later, he raised his head, as if it were only natural. “So what if I gave her the money?”

“That was my money,” I said word by word.

Jackson let out a disdainful laugh. “Your money?

“Anna, wasn’t everything you’ve eaten and used these past three years mine? The money you saved, to put it plainly, was also saved from my territory. If I use my own money to help a friend, do I need to report it to you?”

I had loved Jackson for many years, but at this moment, he felt incredibly unfamiliar.

After all these years, it felt like I was seeing him clearly for the first time.

So this was how he saw my past three years?

I let out a soft laugh, but my gaze grew colder.

Jackson noticed something was off and eased his tone. “Alright. I’ll handle this money. Stop focusing on money all day and being so calculative.”

I asked him, “How are you going to handle it?”

Jackson fell silent for a moment, then took out a cigarette and lit it before glancing at me.

“Didn’t your parents give you a few sets of jewelry for your birthday? Sell them first and pay the deposit. Once we get past my father and finish the wedding smoothly, I’ll compensate you.”

I froze for a moment. I didn’t expect Jackson’s solution to be this.

I looked at him and gave a bitter smile. “Those were birthday gifts from my parents. Why should I sell them to fill your family’s accounts?”

Jackson frowned. “Isn’t what’s yours is mine? We’re getting married. From now on, these are our shared assets. What’s wrong with using them first?

“Anna, after you marry me, you’ll take my last name. You should be considering my family.”

I didn’t say anything more. I just stood up, took out a suitcase, and started packing.

Jackson grabbed me. “Anna, what are you doing now?”

I turned around and looked at him calmly. “Jackson, let’s break up. I don’t want to marry you anymore.”

Jackson froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“Anna, are you trying to threaten me with a breakup? Isn’t that childish?

“For ten million, you’re actually using this to threaten me?”

I said calmly, “It’s not a threat. I’m serious.”

Jackson’s face darkened. “Our relationship for so many years is only worth ten million in your eyes?”

After hearing that, I smiled. “It’s not that our relationship is worth ten million. It’s that in your heart, no matter what I do, I will never be as important as Lily.

“I’m tired. I don’t want to keep playing along with you.”

With that, I continued packing my suitcase. Jackson gritted his teeth and said “fine” several times before slamming the door and leaving.

That same night, I left the estate.

Although Jackson knew I had left, he didn’t come after me, nor had I expected him to come after me either.

In the past, every time we argued, he never comforted me.

I was always the one who found an excuse to give him a way out.

Jackson was too proud, the kind that made him incapable of lowering his head.

As expected, in the following days, he didn’t contact me.

I knew he was waiting for me to give in. However, this time was different.

My heart was truly cold.