Chapter 2

I raised my glass and gave it a slight tilt toward Wyatt. Vivian quickly grabbed his arm. "Wyatt, Saddler Group is where it is today thanks to the support of Mr. Griffith's family. Have a drink with him."

Wyatt came from a humble background. Of course, he wouldn't know how things worked in business dealings. Right now, all he cared about were his emotions. He shook off Vivian's hand and left.

Vivian apologized repeatedly, "Mr. Griffith, Wyatt has been feeling under the weather recently. Please forgive him."

One of my friends spoke up in my defense. "Who does Wyatt think he is? He turned down a toast from Mr. Griffith?"

I waved my hand dismissively and smiled. "Forget it. He's just a kid who doesn't know any better. Given Griffith Corporation's reputation, it'd be beneath me to make a fuss over something so trivial."

Vivian repeatedly thanked me, her gaze apologetic. Then, she hurried out after Wyatt.

I had never been a fan of these types of occasions. So, after checking in with a few friends, I stepped out into the garden to get some fresh air. That was where I happened to catch Vivian trying to calm Wyatt down.

She pleaded helplessly, "Wyatt, we can't afford to offend Griffith Corporation. Please try to understand where I'm coming from."

Wyatt, who had climbed his way into high society, replied arrogantly, "Why would Saddler Group be afraid of Griffith Corporation? Saddler Group would be better off without them!"

I lowered my head and chuckled. His arrogance and ignorance amused me. It was true that Saddler Group's legacy went back further than Griffith Corporation's own. In terms of years, Saddler Group was three times as old as Griffith Corporation.

Griffith Corporation was a business that my father built from scratch. Perhaps it was luck that allowed Griffith Corporation's reach to expand to its current level.

On the other hand, ever since Vivian's father took over Saddler Group, its reputation was all that remained. The company had been in decline due to poor management and an obsolete corporate structure. In truth, it had become an empty shell.

Vivian's father had originally planned to hand Saddler Group over to me once our families were tied in marriage. But that seemed unlikely to happen now.

At this point, they were just barely hanging on and surviving one day at a time.

If my father pulled his investment, Saddler Group would never be able to recover. They could even end up drowning in massive debt.

Vivian seemed flustered when she noticed me approaching. "Please don't take it the wrong way, Mr. Griffith. Wyatt didn't mean anything by it."

Hearing my ex-fiancee constantly referring to me as "Mr. Griffith" while making excuses for another man felt a bit strange. Still, I no longer cared. Instead, I comforted her. "Wyatt is just getting started with business matters. Give him some time. He'll adjust."

Vivian seemed surprised.

Wyatt screamed at me, his expression resentful, "Quit pretending to be the nice guy, Lucian Griffith! I know you're still hung up on Vivian. But her heart belongs to me now!"

Without giving me a chance to respond, Wyatt stormed off.

I gave Vivian a helpless smile. "Kids really are more interesting than business types like me. How cute."

Vivian relaxed a little and joked, "You're no ordinary businessman, Mr. Griffith. You're the textbook definition of an intimidating CEO."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you seem to think quite highly of me, Ms. Saddler!"

Vivian gave a bitter smile. "I was the one who didn't know how to cherish what I had… How have you been lately?"

I smiled at her as gently as I used to. "Me? I'd say I'm doing slightly better than you."