Chapter 1

Three months later, I hosted a dinner party in my honor to formally announce my engagement to Seabrook's most beautiful woman. Those present were all prominent figures, many of whom were childhood friends of mine.

I had been so caught up with work throughout the years that I rarely showed up to gatherings like this. So, I had drifted apart from many old friends. I took this opportunity to catch up with the people I hadn't seen in a long time.

They all showed sympathy over my past relationship with Vivian Saddler.

I smiled with ease. "It's all in the past. If she has found happiness, then I'm happy for her."

My friends called me a fool and advised me to be less accommodating.

But I knew that my father was about to cut off all financial support to Saddler Group. All I needed to do now was appear generous.

Suddenly, the doors to the banquet hall swung open. A familiar figure appeared in the glare of the light. I took a closer look and confirmed that the people at the door were my ex-fiancee and her current boyfriend.

The atmosphere around us suddenly grew awkward. Everyone scrambled to comfort me by making small talk.

Whispers quickly spread.

"What is she doing here?"

"She's got some nerve!"

"The one next to her must be that gold digger. He's nothing compared to Mr. Griffith!"

I waved a hand to signal to my friends that I was fine.

Then, I walked up to Vivian with a smile and politely extended my hand. "Welcome, Ms. Saddler. I apologize for not arranging for someone to receive you."

Vivian seemed taken aback for a moment before she shook my hand.

I graciously introduced her to the crowd, saying, "This is Ms. Saddler of Saddler Group. I believe everyone here knows her. The one next to her is her boyfriend, Wyatt Jefferson, a student she once sponsored…"

For a moment, Vivian couldn't tell whether I was being genuine in disregarding the past or intentionally making her look bad.

After a few quick greetings, she and Wyatt found seats in a corner. I walked over with some friends in tow. "You seem ill at ease today, Ms. Saddler. We're all friends here. How about a few drinks?"

It was clear that Vivian wanted to decline. But my friends didn't give her a chance to do so. Instead, they egged her on. "Surely, you wouldn't leave Mr. Griffith hanging, Ms. Saddler?"

The only reason Vivian had shown up to the dinner party was because Griffith Corporation had rapidly developed in the two years since I took over. It had become the most dominant conglomerate in Seabrook. Meanwhile, Saddler Group was still on shaky ground.

If my father hadn't been helping them all these years out of respect for the engagement between our families, Saddler Group would've gone under long ago.

Early last year, Saddler Group's cash flow collapsed. If it weren't for my father stepping in with one billion dollars to bail them out, Saddler Group wouldn't even be around today.

What the Saddler family was most worried about right now was whether or not my father would pull the funding now that Vivian and I had called off our engagement.

Three months had passed. While my father had yet to take any action, Saddler Group was already in a state of panic.

Many longtime employees of Saddler Group had already jumped ship to Griffith Corporation.

Vivian was here today to gauge where I stood and to try to smooth things over with Griffith Corporation. She had no choice but to drink. She downed one glass after another. Beside her, Wyatt's expression darkened.