LOGINLorelei was shaking like a leaf. At this point, Charlie understood everything.He went mad. He rushed over, grabbing her by the collar, and roared, "Say something! Tell her and everyone that the woman in the car that night was her! Say it!"Lorelei's face turned red from being choked, tears and snot running down her face. Under the stern gaze of the police—and Madeline's devastating stare—her last bit of resolve collapsed."Mr. Langford, I'm sorry, but… I had no other choice…" she sobbed. "Ms. Spencer is always so guarded. Her schedule is filled to the brim. How could I ever get you close to her? You insisted on forcing that 100 thousand on me…"She slapped her own face as she cried out, "I was blinded by greed. I didn't want to return the money, so that night, while it was raining and dark, I put on the spare jacket Ms. Spencer kept in the car and…"I thought as long as you believed you'd succeeded, you could cling to her afterward, and no one would find out…"The moment she fin
Before I could figure it out, Charlie spoke again. "Of course, we can settle this the third way. You give me ten million dollars in emotional damages, and I'll take the secret with me when I leave. It's a win-win situation. We go our separate ways."He stared straight at Madeline. The fear in his eyes was gone, replaced by greed. I opened my mouth to curse him, but Madeline stopped me with a look."Are you sure?""I'm sure. Ten million dollars. Not a penny less.""Fine. I'll have my assistant transfer it to you right now.""What? No!" I blurted out. "Maddie, don't trust him! His so-called evidence isn't even—"I didn't get to finish before I met Madeline's steady gaze. "Maverick, let me handle this. Just stay out of it, okay?"She had always carried a maturity far beyond her age. All the younger members of the family were a little afraid of her, including me.The words recoiled to the back of my mouth. It felt awful to swallow them. Still, since she had made it clear, I found m
Charlie froze completely, his body trembling. In front of him stood the real CEO of Spencer Group, the woman who had weathered the cutthroat storms of the business world, the one who knew every trick and betrayal.Although Madeline had only just recovered from a serious injury, she still radiated an intimidating presence. Since her appearance, the entire ballroom had gone completely silent."Answer me," she said calmly, yet somehow, it sent a chill down everyone's spine.Charlie panicked, tugging desperately at Zachary's sleeve. This time, even the usually sharp-tongued tech guy could only shrink back, fear written all over him.One had to know that Madeline had long been known in the company as the demon boss—feared by everyone, respected by all.I had only been mimicking her for two months. The carefully constructed presence I put out had been enough to make people cautious, but not nearly as overwhelming as the real deal. That was why they dared push me around.Seeing no one a
"How did Ms. Spencer become a man?" the male notary blurted out.The moment he spoke, everyone craned their necks in disbelief, desperate to see what was going on. He snapped out of his shock and immediately grabbed my ID, checking the photo and name repeatedly."Maverick Spencer… That's you?" he questioned me. "What about Madeline Spencer? Why were you pretending to be her?"Charlie was naturally stunned, confusion written all over his face. "Y-You're Maverick, the younger son of the Spencer family, who's always abroad? What about your sister? Where did the real Madeline go?"I remained calm under their questioning. Slowly but deliberately, I pulled back my ID and even removed the delicate, long wig I had been wearing, revealing my naturally short hair."Who I am isn't important. What's important is that I was the one who gave you a ride home two weeks ago. Now that you know I'm a man, tell me…"I dragged out my line, letting my words hang in the air. "Did the storm that night s
The moment I spoke, the noisy ballroom folded into silence. Even the fury on Charlie's face froze. A hint of shock displaced the indignation in his eyes.Marrying a female CEO worth hundreds of millions would, after all, bring far more than five million dollars."M-Maddie, do you mean it? Will you actually marry me?" he asked nervously, cautiously meeting my gaze like the devoted, wronged man he believed he was.Honestly, what an impressive performance. It was a shame he didn't pursue an acting career.Before I could say anything, Zachary jumped in again. He grabbed Charlie and pointed at me, shouting, "Charlie, don't be fooled by her! She's only saying that to keep the situation under control. Who knows what she might do to you after the heat dies down?"She could turn on you, ruin your reputation, and blacklist you from this industry entirely. By then, you'd have no one to turn to!"The words immediately made the crowd wary again.Charlie's face shifted into fear. His lips pre
A thunderous realization hit me like a lightning strike. Why did Lorelei lie, too? Her words basically confirmed the accusation that I had taken advantage of my male subordinate."Trash!""You're rich but a scum! How could you abuse your power like that?""How can someone like this be CEO? Get out of Spencer Group!"The crowd of onlookers and guests erupted. I didn't even notice who started it, but a plate with a half-eaten slice of cake flew at me, smashing against my body. Then came napkins, fruit peels, and even wine glasses, raining down on me like bullets.My trusted aide, Alex Holland, threw himself in front of me, shielding me with his body as we staggered toward the corner of the ballroom. Even so, a wine glass caught me at the temple.Warm liquid ran down my cheek. I couldn't tell if it was blood or red wine. I wiped my face, and the cold fire in my eyes felt tangible."Enough!" I shouted, silencing the noisy crowd. "If you all think I'm guilty, feel free to call the po







