Chapter 2

I shot Luke a brief, indifferent glance and continued feeling around in the fountain.

As my current identity was special, it had to be kept a secret. So, it was no surprise that he found nothing on me. But I couldn't be bothered to explain.

"I don't need your charity," I said instead.

Luke stared at his phone, and his expression grew darker.

"Elisa, do you know what it means to have no records? Without a background or connections, anyone in this world can crush you!"

Cindy stepped forward. She seemed to be pitying me, but she couldn't hide the disdain and mockery in her expression.

"Elisa, I know it's hard for you to handle this fall from grace. You once dated Luke, but you ended up a poor loser.

"You have no status, and that's a fact you need to wrap your head around. Take my advice. Accept Luke's kindness and the job he's offering. Stop trying to put up a front here."

The business elites who were watching began whispering. I could hear their laughter and felt their scornful stares on me.

"A woman from the slums thinks she can win the love of a CEO of a publicly listed company?"

"Look at how pitiful she is. In a few years, she'll probably be begging for small change on the streets."

"A lowlife will forever stay a lowlife. People like her are only good enough to work for us."

Right then, I touched a smooth, cold stone. It was Anderson's blue diamond! I carefully picked it up from the water and wiped it dry.

"Found it." I breathed a sigh of relief, then started to stand.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my wrist roughly.

Luke's grip was tight, and he forced me to my feet.

"Elisa," he said quietly, "you turned down being my mistress back then. Now, you can't find another man like me, no matter where you look, right?

"This is the price of rejecting me!"

He tightened his fingers on my wrist, sending a sharp pain through my arm.

But I worried more that he might crush the blue diamond in my hand.

"Let go of me!" I snarled.

"Let go?" Luke sneered. "Do you know how many ordinary people with no backing end up ruined after crossing the rich and powerful?

"I'm giving you one last chance. Grovel and beg me. I might consider giving you a cleaning job at one of my branches in the country."

I looked at Luke.

Arrogance and contempt were written all over his face. There was not a single trace of the man who once treated me gently.

I said, "I told you. I don't need your charity."

"Why?" he suddenly roared, his anger flaring. "You must have committed a crime to have your personal records erased. Other than me, who else would want you? Who would dare to take you in?"

His presence was so strong that everyone around us instinctively lowered their heads out of fear.

But to me, his behavior was nothing but a joke.

"Luke," I said, raising my head to meet his eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't need your charity. That's because I'm here as Gideon York's wife."

Luke released his grip on me.

His expression shifted from shock to rage, then to complete disbelief.

"You? How could you possibly be the richest man's wife?"