Chapter 1

Nicholas Hunt strode into the waiting lounge with confidence, Yvonne Myers on his arm. As he passed the side hall, his eyes immediately landed on me in the corner, holding my son, Eli Smith.

Today was supposed to be one of those rare days I'd cleared from my busy schedule to spend with Eli. However, my father had asked me to accompany him to the Fortune List Summit instead.

I had no choice but to bring Eli along. My plan was simple—wait in the side hall, show my face once the meeting started, and then leave.

Because I was carrying Eli, I wasn't wearing any jewelry. To Nicholas, I looked plain and bare-faced—like someone's nanny.

He marched over, his expression full of disdain. "If it isn't Elizabeth Storm. Is this how far you've fallen? Working as a nanny? Clearly, you're nothing without me. It's a shame you didn't pass my test back then. Otherwise, you'd be the woman standing beside me now."

He tightened his grip on Yvonne's hand and continued, "But thanks to you, I was able to find someone who truly loves me."

Yvonne smiled at him sweetly. "She must deeply regret it now. She only has herself to blame for being so blind. It serves her right to end up like this. Though being a nanny suits her pretty well."

She turned to a passing staff member and said, "Everyone attending today is a major figure. How can you just let anyone walk in? If something happens, will you take responsibility? Hurry up and throw this nanny out."

While I wasn't wearing accessories, my clothes were all custom-made by a top designer from Ivania. Over the past two years, I had taken over my father's entire company and had been so busy that I rarely appeared in public. The staff didn't recognize me, and because of Yvonne's flashy appearance, they chose to believe her.

The staff member said coldly, "Sorry, ma'am. Unauthorized personnel need to leave."

I didn't budge. I calmly explained, "I'm here to attend the summit as well. I have every right to be here."

The staff hesitated. They had encountered low-profile elites before and weren't sure if they should force me out.

But Nicholas laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "You—someone who had to rely on scholarships to pay for university—on the Fortune List? What a joke. Since you claim you're here for the summit, is your name on the guest list?"

My name wasn't on the list yet. The Storm family entry was still under my father's name. It wouldn't be changed to mine until he fully retired later this year.

Seeing my hesitation, Nicholas turned back to the staff. "Let me tell you something. This woman missed the chance to become my wife because she failed my test. Poor people will always be poor—greedy and short-sighted. Even when a massive opportunity falls into their hands, they still can't hold on to it."

Since I had arrived early, none of the true power players had shown up yet. Most of the people present were ranked near the bottom of the Fortune List. Some who recognized Nicholas began to laugh along.

"She really missed out. To lose a man as rich and handsome as Mr. Hunt… she must be kicking herself."

"I heard she dated Mr. Hunt for four years in university and still couldn't hold onto a blessing like that."

Nicholas seemed to recall something, and his expression suddenly soured.

Back in university, he had pursued me passionately. At the time, we had both hidden our family wealth, dating like an ordinary couple for four years.

I had endured 98 tests he set for me—working menial jobs, donating blood, cutting off friends, getting injured, and even giving up my research grant.

I eventually discovered he had been pretending to be poor all along, and every hardship I faced had been a deliberate setup. Meanwhile, he had been extremely generous with the campus belle, Yvonne, buying her cars and houses.

My heart had turned to stone. I refused his 99th test, broke up with him, and moved abroad.

The crowd didn't notice the shift in Nicholas' expression and continued to mock me.

Suddenly, he spoke in a frigid tone. "That's enough. Throw her out. I don't want to see her face."