Chapter 1

In the three years they had been dating, this was the third time Claire Monroe had received such a form.

The onlookers did not seem very much appalled by it. If anything, they fixed their attention on her because they were in it for the drama.

Claire went through the evaluation form, which was, quite frankly, an absurd list.

She had to keep her weight under ninety pounds throughout the duration of their relationship. Failure to do so would result in a point deduction.

Any failure to reply to a text message within three seconds also resulted in a point deduction.

She had to regulate her emotions. Losing her temper was equivalent to throwing a tantrum, hence leading to a point deduction.

Furthermore, she had to be enrolled in the top university. She had to make sure the food she cooked was up to standard, be available to answer calls in an instant, and was forbidden from interacting with any other men...

The list amounted to more than a hundred items. It was simply not feasible for anyone to live up to such expectations.

Reading it had exhausted her as it was. She turned to Bonnie Spencer, the one who designed the form, and asked, “Ms. Spencer, if it were you, do you think you could meet these requirements?”

Bonnie cocked her head and looked at Claire before answering dismissively, “I’m not Ady’s girlfriend. I’m only his secretary. I don’t have to abide by those rules.”

Ady. What an intimate nickname for Adonis Kent. Anyone who was none the wiser would assume Bonnie had some kind of relationship with him.

It was quite ironic that Claire, as Adonis’s girlfriend, had to adhere to such a strict regimen, while Bonnie, who was merely his secretary, could have her way with him.

Adonis frowned upon hearing Claire’s questioning tone. “Bonnie is my secretary. She majored in statistics and data analysis overseas, so the list she compiled is not to be questioned. If you can’t do it, it says something about your competence.”

The onlookers cast sympathetic glances at Claire.

Everyone knew Bonnie was not only Adonis’s secretary, but also the foster daughter of the Kents. She spent a lot of time with Adonis growing up, and shared a very close bond with him.

Though many women had been involved with Adonis in the past, Bonnie was the only one who was there from the beginning.

Though she held the title of a mere secretary, anyone with common sense could tell she held a special status in Adonis’s life.

No matter what happened, Adonis was always inclined to defend Bonnie. What was happening now was a clear example of that tendency.

Adonis casually wrapped his arms around Bonnie while remarking in a nonchalant tone, “You should know the rules at this point. We will not interfere with each other during our breakup. If you can score at least ninety points, I might consider getting back together with you.

“Until then, I want you to apologize for offending Bonnie.”

Claire chuckled self-deprecatingly, then stayed silent.

There was no denying that Bonnie was more important than she was.

Bonnie was Adonis’s personal assistant and practically shadowed him every second of the day other than the moments he was sleeping. Whenever Claire went on dates with Adonis, Bonnie would be present as well.

If Bonnie ever made a negative remark about Claire’s cooking, Adonis would toss out the food she spent three hours on in favor of the takeout Bonnie bought for him.

When Bonnie made an offhand remark about how she thought the watch Claire bought for him was old-fashioned, he took it off without dropping a beat. Then, he put on a simple knotted bracelet Bonnie got for him as a replacement.

When Bonnie mentioned how Adonis looked good in black, he had his entire wardrobe fitted with black clothes.

And now, just because Claire had the audacity to question Bonnie, Adonis decided to humiliate her in public and make her apologize.

Claire lowered her eyes to conceal the disappointment in them. She spoke in a dejected voice, “Forget it.”

With that, she walked out of the private room without turning back.

While leaving, she could hear Adonis’s friends whispering to him, “Adonis, your girlfriend looks upset. Aren't you going to go talk to her?”

Adonis shot the friend a sideways glance. “Why bother? She’ll get over it on her own soon enough.

“Besides, she isn't my girlfriend anymore, so stop saying that.”

His friends exchanged awkward glances.

“Aren't you afraid she might actually leave for good?”

Adonis scoffed, then declared haughtily, “She won’t have the heart to do it.

“She was the one who spent so long trying to be with me and would do anything I tell her to. Why would she ever break up with me?

“Mark my words. It’s only a matter of time before she comes crawling back to me, asking for us to get back together.”

Claire stood stiffly in front of the door for ages.

Adonis was right. When she was trying to date him, she would do whatever he told her to.

One of the most dramatic episodes between them was when Adonis threw a watch into the sea and told her he would date her if she could find it.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Claire plunged into the sea.

When Adonis eventually rescued her from the depths, he was infuriated and told her off for her madness.

Everyone had the impression Claire was madly in love with Adonis. Even Adonis himself was confident that Claire would come running back to him the same way she did in the past.

Meanwhile, Claire was the only one who understood that there was no longer a need for that.

The truth was, her relationship with Adonis had been transactional from the start. It was all business.

With that, she reached for her phone and called Gerald Kent, an elder in the family. “I have completed the mission. When are you going to settle the final payment?"