Chapter 3

When Ethan returned, I confronted him about the bracelet.

Only then did he even remember the incident, and yet his face showed not a speck of remorse.

“It’s just a cheap braided string, isn’t it? Vivian said it looked cute, so I gave it to her.

“Are you seriously throwing a fit with me over something this trivial?

“She even asked me where you got it, saying she wanted to buy you back one to apologize.

“Now everyone at the office is spreading rumors about her and me. Is that your doing? Did you run your mouth?

“Listen, if you keep making scenes out of nothing, we’re through!”

I couldn’t find the energy to offer a single word of rebuttal.

And so, the cold war began.

In an attempt to punish me for not backing down, he invited me to this team-building trip, only to fling those hurting words in my face in front of everyone.

On the yacht, the party grew increasingly boisterous.

A colleague wandered over holding a glass of wine, teasingly chiming in:

“Look how protective of Vivian you are. Aren’t you afraid your girlfriend might break up with you?”

Ethan scoffed, his face written over with unshakeable confidence.

“I’ll indulge her whim then!

“She was the one who pursued me, clinging to me day and night.”

His surrounding colleagues immediately burst into a roar of laughter.

“Makes sense! First one to fall, last one to make demands!”

A sudden, searing heat surged into my eyes, my heart squeezed as though clamped by a massive, ruthless hand.

I lowered my head, desperate to hide my vulnerability from the mocking eyes.

I told myself to breathe, reminding myself we were in public, that I needed to save his face.

We could fight all we want behind closed doors at home, but not here.

But Vivian had no intention of letting me off the hook. Tugging at Ethan’s arm, her voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried clearly across half the deck:

“I heard Chloe was the campus belle of our university back in the day!

“Stunning as she is, why hasn’t she made a move at your uncle? He’s still single, isn’t he?

“You wouldn’t be jealous, would you?”

The moment those words left her mouth, I snapped my head up.

Everyone knew that Ethan’s uncle, Sebastian Hayes, was an unreachable legend in the elite circles.

Private, enigmatic, and ruthless when needed, he commanded a massive business empire despite his young age.

Rumor had it that his recent return to the country was to expand his footprint in the domestic market.

Even Ethan’s position as general manager was a gift handed down by his uncle.

But what this mysterious man was most known for was his absolute distance from women. Not a female soul was allowed near him, prompting whispers that he preferred men.

Once, an A-list actress tried to leverage his name for publicity, bribing media outlets to claim she was his secret lover. By the very next day, her entire team had been scrubbed clean from the industry.

Vivian’s ploy was meant to spell out my absolute ruin.

Several male colleagues eager to curry favor with Ethan immediately joined the chorus:

“Brilliant idea! I heard Mr. Hayes is here today, right up in the top-floor VIP suite.”

“What a show! Let’s see if your stunner of a girlfriend can take down the prized bachelor!”

“My God, that’s Sebastian Hayes. If the girl fails, how is she supposed to survive in Ashford?”

“Forget Ashford, she won’t survive anywhere!”

Vivian smiled with utmost innocence.

“Oh, don’t worry! Chloe’s a head turner. Even if Mr. Hayes doesn’t accept, he won’t do anything drastic, for Ethan’s sake.”

A female colleague who couldn’t stand the sight whispered softly:

“Isn’t this taking it too far? Aren’t they dating?”

“Yeah, they’ve been together since sophomore year. This joke is way out of line!”

Vivian immediately cast a glance at Ethan, covering her mouth in exaggerated realization:

“Oh dear, I totally forgot! Never mind, forget I said anything.”