Chapter 3

Just like that, Matteo officially joined Maven Group. He was going to head back to his rented apartment, but Abigail called out to him at the entrance.

He was surprised and asked in a low voice, "Ms. Pearce, I thought you didn't want anyone knowing about our relationship."

She blinked. "When did I ever say that? All I said was that I'd treat you fairly, like everyone else. Also, you didn't move into the place I gave you?"

Her tone sharpened as she asked him that, her eyes showing her displeasure.

Matteo cleared his throat as the air between them turned a little awkward. How was he supposed to tell her that he wasn't the kind of man who lived off a woman?

As they stood there in silence, an assistant jogged over and leaned in to whisper something in Abigail's ear. She immediately followed him back into the building.

Matteo sighed in relief. He was just about to check his phone when he saw countless notifications on the screen. Only then did he remember he'd put his phone on silent mode during the interview.

Natasha: "Matteo, where did you go? Are you trying to force me to apologize first? I'm only messing around with Cameron. You're the one I really like."

Natasha: "Yes, Cameron has a good family background and can boost my company, but it's not like I've betrayed you in any way. As long as you come back, we can still get married."

Natasha: "Matteo, don't be childish. I asked Cameron about you. You're not really considered part of his family. Aside from me, no one cares about you."

Natasha: "Matteo…"

The rest of the messages were all more of the same. Natasha never dropped her queen-bee attitude with him, even over text.

Matteo stared at the screen, feeling strangely calm. His face remained blank as he typed out a short reply. "I'm married now."

Natasha didn't reply for a long time. Half an hour passed, and Matteo assumed she'd decided to ignore him forever. But the next second, another message popped up.

Natasha: "Matteo, you don't have to use some lame lie like that on me. If you wanna get married, I'll marry you. Just be good and stop this tantrum already."

She talked to him like she was soothing a pet, using this patronizing tone that cut straight to the bone. In her mind, he would never marry anyone but her.

He was genuinely surprised by her message, though. Hadn't Cameron told her that he and Abigail were already married?

He sighed and decided not to explain further. Either way, from here on out, he and Natasha were done for good.

…

The following day, Matteo reported to Maven Group's CG department and realized that, including him, there were only four people in total.

He was in charge of character modeling. Environment and background design was handled by a young woman about his age named Quinn Lincoln. Then there was Jerry Ford, who did data testing, and Oscar Wheeler, who handled game design and planning.

The three of them warmly introduced themselves before dragging Matteo into a simple welcome ritual.

The whole thing made him remember the whiplash he'd felt working at the coffee shop. Over there, the staff were ice-cold, acting like nothing around them mattered. But the second a rich customer walked in, everyone scrambled to suck up to them, terrified of missing their big chance.

Because of that, when Matteo won Natasha's heart and they secretly started dating, his coworkers at the coffee shop treated him like a thorn in their side. They made things difficult for him every step of the way, ultimately forcing him to quit.

But at Maven Group, his team even prepared small welcome gifts and walked him through every detail of how the company worked.

Over the next few days, Matteo settled in well with the team, and his work gradually settled into a steady rhythm. The company had just picked up a small project—a romance-themed mobile game where players could pair up, complete relationship quests to level up, and unlock special rewards once they reached certain milestones.

During the kickoff meeting, he carefully jotted down every requirement before diving into the character models, determined not to cut any corners. Even on the night before the weekend, he stayed late, working overtime until 10:00 pm before finally heading home.

He'd barely stepped out of the building when a luxury car slid to a stop right in front of the entrance, blocking his way.

"So you got a job at Maven, Matteo. If you'd told me you wanted to switch jobs, I could've brought you into my company instead."

Natasha stepped out of the car, a bright smile curving her lips. She walked right up to him and held out a small cake box. "I thought you might be hungry, so I bought this just for you."

Matteo stared at the cake but didn't take it.

Natasha's brows drew together, her mood instantly souring. She said huffily, "I know you're mad about Cameron and me, but don't you remember what I told you? I was in a car accident years ago, but I never found the person who saved my life. I only realized it was Cameron when he showed up.

"He's a simple, easygoing young man, Matteo. He has no idea you and I ever dated, and I don't want him to get hurt. I'm only with him because I want to thank him for what he did, but my feelings for you were never fake."

On paper, everything she said sounded reasonable, but to Matteo, every word was like a slap. He narrowed his eyes slightly; his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice came out edged with anger.

"So… you want me to be the other man in your relationship?"

He stared straight into her eyes, and the memories of their time together came rushing back.

They'd made Christmas wishes together and kissed under shooting stars, shouting promises into the night about loving each other forever.

All those years of loving Natasha now felt like a circus act with him cast as the clown. While he was busy dreaming about their future, she'd been busy figuring out how to make things up to Cameron—and how to end up with him in a way that looked perfectly justified.

Matteo took a deep breath and held Natasha's gaze. He said firmly, "Natasha, I'm married now."

"Enough!" Natasha snapped impatiently, a hint of ice flashing in her eyes. "I know you're hung up on the whole Cameron thing, but you should know that even if I were to marry anyone, it'd be with a guy who's in my league.

"What I like about you is how sensible you are, Matteo. You're always there for me and always saying the right, comforting things. Even if I do marry Cameron, I'll still treat you the same way I always have. Stop this drama and just come home with me, okay?"

She softened her tone toward the end, convinced she was throwing him a bone that he had to take.

But Matteo was tired of this. No way would he share a woman with Cameron, nor was he the kind of man who could generously forgive her after she'd already betrayed him.

He just wasn't capable of that.

"Natasha, we're over."

With that, Matteo turned on his heel and strode away.

Natasha gritted her teeth, then shouted after him, "I already bought that crappy little apartment you're renting. If you don't come back with me, you'll be out on the streets! Think about that!"

She figured that with how far she'd taken things, Matteo would come running back to apologize and swear he wouldn't try to move out of their home again.

But he didn't turn back. Instead, he quickened his pace and disappeared into the night.

Natasha's expression hardened as rage burned in her chest. At last, she lashed out and kicked the car door, then glared in the direction Matteo had vanished.

She muttered under her breath, "You'll come crawling back to me sooner or later!"