Chapter 4

"You've made too many promises, Lindsay. I don't trust a single word out of your mouth anymore," I said.

Her eyes flickered with a sudden flash of guilt, and she couldn't bring herself to meet my gaze.

Back when I first noticed her crossing boundaries with Elijah, I had confronted her and given her a choice. With tears in her eyes, she had sworn she would keep her distance and never cross the line again. Yet here they were, expecting a child together.

I was too drained to keep arguing with her; all I wanted was to have someone throw her out.

Before I could call anyone, the door was flung open. Elijah rushed in and fell straight to his knees.

"Please, have mercy, Mr. Ashwood! If you're angry, take it out on me. Please don't hurt Lindsay. I won't ask you for anything. All I want is to be with her," he sobbed, gasping dramatically for air.

The sight broke Lindsay's heart. Turning on me, she yelled, "You've completely disappointed me, Samuel! Are you satisfied now? How could you be so petty as to target Elijah? A man like you doesn't deserve to be loved!"

A suffocating tightness gripped my chest.

When Elijah was nearly fired for sheer incompetence, Lindsay accused me of being bitter and threatened by a subordinate who was younger and more capable than me.

When Elijah botched a project that cost the company tens of millions, and I enforced standard company policy for compensation, she still blamed me for being unreasonable.

We had been together for seven years. Even if the love was gone, she should have known my character after all this time.

I had zero expectations left for her.

Blinking back the sting in my eyes, I said coldly, "That's right. I'm petty. I refuse to tolerate a cheating fiancée who flaunts her lover right in my face. Satisfied? Now get the hell out, both of you!"

Seeing my emotional breakdown, Lindsay instinctively took a step toward me, but Elijah didn't give her the chance. He slammed his forehead against the floor, bowing repeatedly with loud, heavy thuds. "I'm sorry! It's all my fault. Please don't blame Lindsay, Mr. Ashwood. I'm sorry! I'll leave right now!"

Lindsay snapped back to reality. The brief hesitation in her eyes vanished, replaced entirely by protective devotion for Elijah. She rushed over to pull him up, comforting him in a soft, gentle voice.

When she looked back at me, her eyes were filled with unadulterated venom. "You'd better not regret this, Samuel! Let's go, Elijah. We don't need this company anyway."

The door slammed shut, plunging the room into silence. My heart was dead quiet.

"Still pining over that brainless fake sister of mine?"

An aloof female voice drifted in from the doorway.

It was Stephanie Iverson—the real Iverson heiress who had been recovered from the countryside.

She sauntered in, a knowing smirk playing on her crimson lips. "Perhaps we should collaborate. After all, I'd make a far superior partner than a clueless impostor like Lindsay."

Suppressing my emotions, I fixed her with a sharp look. "What do you want?"

Her grin widened, revealing a ruthless ambition. "I want the title of Mrs. Ashwood. To be honest, I've always envied that fool Lindsay—though it seems you don't care for her anymore either."

She continued, "My family is prepared to offer a ten percent equity stake in our core business as a wedding gift to you. What do you say, Mr. Ashwood? Do we have a deal?"

The corner of my mouth curled into a slight smile.

Lindsay seemed to have forgotten that her entire standing within the Iverson family relied solely on her status as the future daughter-in-law of the Ashwood family.

Seven years of unconditional indulgence had inflated her ego, convincing her she could abuse my love without repercussions.

Since she had forgotten her place, it was time to send her back to where she truly belonged—starting today.