Chapter 1

Everyone in Lonmire knew that Wynona Savill was born lucky. Her looks, figure, and family background were all undoubtedly of the highest caliber.

Even when her family declined and her older brother went to prison, her childhood sweetheart, Isaac Zeigler, still loved her deeply. In the three years that they were engaged, he cherished and protected her, ensuring that she never suffered a single hardship.

This winter marked the third anniversary since they'd gotten engaged.

People from all walks of life in Lonmire couldn't help but speculate among themselves about when the two would finally get married.

…

Late at night, Wynona exited the underground garage and went upstairs, avoiding the reporters at the southern gate. The only lights on in the entire building were on the top floor, where the CEO's office was located. That was why the reporters persisted in waiting.

If it hadn't been for Isaac leaving a critical document behind in the study, Wynona wouldn't have risked being harassed by reporters just to come here to deliver it to him.

The front desk receptionist on night duty was dozing off. Upon seeing Wynona, she immediately straightened up and greeted her respectfully.

"Good evening, Ms. Savill."

Wynona smiled at her and headed straight to the top floor. Soon, she reached the CEO's office. She was just about to knock when she suddenly heard a familiar female voice coming from inside.

"Isaac, when are you going to come clean with Wynona?"

Wynona's hand froze midair.

It was her best friend, Yolanda Johnston. But why was she here so late at night?

Through the blinds, she could vaguely see Yolanda and Isaac sitting across from each other, chatting over coffee.

Yolanda laughed softly. "You really are something. Back then, you orchestrated the Savills' bankruptcy, took their core business, and even put on a whole 'saving the damsel in distress' act to win Wynona. No one else could've pulled that off."

She spoke animatedly and without inhibition, unaware that someone was standing right outside.

As Wynona stood by the window, her mind went blank. Her cheeks, which had been reddened by the cold, instantly paled from the shock of hearing what Yolanda said.

Those words rattled her to the core.

She couldn't believe that her family's bankruptcy had been planned entirely by Isaac, her supposedly loving fiance.

Back then, the debt collectors had tried to disfigure her. Isaac jumped in and got injured protecting her. She wondered if that had all been staged.

What made it worse for Wynona was that Yolanda knew. Yolanda, her best friend of ten years, had known all along!

Wynona trembled all over uncontrollably.

Inside the office, Yolanda covered her mouth and sniggered. "Well then, your true love is coming back from abroad soon. And now that Wynona has helped you build up the jewelry department, she's lost her value. We might as well kick her to the curb, right?"

Isaac had his back to the window so Wynona couldn't see his expression.

Just two hours earlier, he had said good night to her so gently. Now, he leaned lazily on the couch, holding a glass of water in one hand. The way he was gripping it made Wynona feel as if he might as well be gripping her throat.

His tone was indifferent and callous as he said, "There's no hurry. She's still somewhat useful. When Mare left without saying a single word, I was heartbroken for three years. I'll just use Wynn to get back at Mare."

Three years. Wynona had been engaged to Isaac for exactly three years…

So all this time, Isaac had never stopped thinking about his ex-girlfriend, Marilyn Stone.

Wynona's body shook even more violently, and she was nearly unable to stay on her feet.

Isaac leaned forward to set down the glass and continued in a low voice, "Besides, the lawyer on her brother's case is still trying to get his sentence reduced. I have to do something about it."

Yolanda burst into peals of laughter. "Pfft! Thinking about that idiotic Shawn Savill makes me want to laugh my head off!"

She even started slapping on the couch armrests like she'd heard the most hilarious thing in the world. "You arranged for someone to harass Wynona, and he rushed over to beat that guy up. For that, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. He totally deserved it!"

Gradually, her laughter died down.

Then, she brought up something else hesitantly. "By the way, should we… uh… tell Wynona that her dad is seriously ill?"

Wynona's breath hitched. She didn't know that her father, Lester Savill, was ill!

"Not yet. Two months from now, I'll tell her everything myself and end her for good," Isaac replied.

Then, his voice took on a serious tone as he reminded Yolanda about their plans. "The jewelry department is about to launch a limited-edition product. Everyone has high expectations for her. You'll need her help in your designs, too, so let's not distract her for now. That old man won't die anytime soon anyway…"

The voices in the office gradually faded.

Wynona felt cold all over, as if the frigid winds of Lonmire were cutting into her flesh.

The fiance she trusted and the best friend she confided in turned out to be wolves in sheep's clothing. They got to where they were by trampling on her and her poor family!

She was about to step forward and push open the door in the heat of the moment, but she bit her tongue until she tasted blood to force herself to stop.

With bloodshot eyes, Wynona shot downstairs and handed the document to the receptionist while hastily instructing, "Don't tell anyone I was here tonight!"

She ran out of the company building, and the cold wind instantly drifted into her thin coat.

Wynona wandered into the parking garage in a daze. Isaac's and Yolanda's words were still echoing in her ears.

Sitting in the car, she began to recall everything that had happened three years ago.

The Savills had once thrived, but three years ago, they were found to be involved in illegal projects. Lester and his employees were all arrested. To compensate the victims, her parents gave away all the wealth they had accumulated.

Their competitors came in droves to kick them while they were down.

Wynona went begging around on her parents' behalf, only to be harassed by a vice president from a rival company. Shawn arrived just in time to save her, but he accidentally injured the man and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

It turned out that none of it had been an accident because Isaac had planned it all!

What was Isaac doing just before the Savills fell to ruin?

Wynona thought for a moment and remembered.

That year, Isaac beat out his cousins and gained the favor of his grandfather, Henry Zeigler. Soon after, he became the official heir to Ark Group.

At that time, he needed to prove himself and convince the shareholders to side with him. So, he chose the Savills as his target. He pretended to be devoted to Wynona and seemed willing to help her at any cost.

Deploying his men to clean up the aftermath enabled him to destroy all the evidence. His act of recruiting the Savills' out-of-work engineers and integrating what little remained of their business into Ark Group was to strengthen his company by taking over the Savills' resources.

He hired lawyers to handle Shawn's case and managed to reduce the sentence from 12 to eight years. However, this was likely to keep Shawn locked away, so he wouldn't be able to investigate.

Then, Isaac placed her grief-stricken and aging parents in a rural nursing home. He won her over with a glamorous proposal and had her focus entirely on the jewelry department of Ark Group, allowing him to manipulate her better.

Wynona's eyes burned with hatred. She clenched her fists and slammed them against the steering wheel. Her knuckles bled, but she didn't feel a thing.

After all the misfortune that befell the Savills, she had been immensely grateful and more than ready to give her life to Isaac. She willingly gave up making a name for herself as an expert designer because Isaac had asked her to work behind the scenes and manage the jewelry department.

For three years, she had handed her designs to Yolanda and single-handedly crafted her image, turning her into the genius jewelry designer she was that day. She had poured her heart and soul into generating profit and building up Ark Group's name.

But in the end, fate had played the cruelest joke on her.

The man and woman whom she thought she could rely on were actually scoundrels who had plotted against her family since the very beginning. They even planned to squeeze her dry and discard her when they were done.

She hated their ruthless betrayal, but she hated herself even more. She couldn't believe how blind she had been to mistake her foes for friends. Above it all, she had even planned to marry Isaac and have his children!

Wynona went through everything in her mind. Her heart hurt so much that she couldn't breathe.

She cried soundlessly in the car. Soon, her tears started running dry, and her head felt like it was splitting into two. The searing, tearing pain she felt deep inside could almost tear her apart.

When the morning light hit the Ark Group building, Isaac appeared before the reporters, impeccably dressed and full of confidence. They rushed up and raised their microphones to interview him.

"Mr. Zeigler, is the much-anticipated new release personally designed by your fiancee, Ms. Savill?"

"Ms. Johnston's designs were a big hit, and she publicly thanked Wynona for her support. Will they be collaborating again this time? Everyone's really looking forward to it!"

Isaac raised his brows slightly.

To his side, his assistant, Bruce Dodson, gestured for everyone to quiet down. "Mr. Zeigler has a few words for you."

Isaac smiled and announced, "Ark Group increased this winter's limited-edition promotion budget by 20 million dollars compared to last year. This is Wynn's labor of love. Naturally, I'll give it my full support. Ms. Johnston will also remain in the design work."

Someone asked, "So when will you and Ms. Savill tie the knot? We can't wait to congratulate you!"

Isaac's smile faltered for a second, then his tone turned tender as he said, "Well… that mainly depends on when Wynn is willing to marry me."

"I'm not willing."

A hoarse voice rang out. It was laced with a faint hint of hatred that was barely detectable.

Isaac turned his head and was stunned to see who had said that. "Wynn?"

Wynona had touched up her makeup, and her dark brown black hair was casually pushed back. Oversized sunglasses concealed her eyes, making her look cold and distant.

She took a microphone from a reporter and declared, "Thank you for your concern and attention, but I have no plans to marry Isaac."