Chapter 4

That evening after work, I spotted Adrian waiting outside the office building. He’d clearly been there a while.

From a distance, he already looked a shadow of his former self. His complexion was pale, his energy depleted. Rachel had clearly begun her next move.

I let out a mocking chuckle. "What, you have time to come to the office now? Aren’t you afraid your princess will be mad you’re not with her?"

Adrian didn’t answer. His eyes were bloodshot, locked onto mine with a desperate intensity.

"Summer," he demanded, "did you know all along that Rachel only ever wanted a sweet, obedient toy boy?"

I tilted my head, regarding him coolly. "Everyone knew. Didn’t you? And besides, isn’t that what you signed up for?"

Adrian’s face flushed with anger. "So you also knew that signing that project meant becoming the chairman’s son-in-law, didn’t you?

"Why didn’t you tell me? What I wanted was power and status. But now I’m nothing but a kept man, jumping when Rachel calls, crawling when she snaps her fingers. What’s the difference between me and a lapdog?"

I noticed someone exiting the company’s main doors behind us. Instantly, I put on a new face.

"Adrian," I said sweetly, "how can you say that? What’s so bad about being the princess’s kept man? Earning her affection should be your honor."

Adrian cracked. He shouted, nearly unhinged, "No, it’s not! I don’t even have a job anymore. Without an income, I’m completely at her mercy—a puppet. What do people think of me now? That I used my body to climb up the ladder? That I’m just a man living off a woman?

"If I’d known it would end like this, I never would’ve signed that damn contract. I never would’ve agreed to marry into the Carter family."

Inside, I was laughing.

'Can’t handle this? Wait until they rip your heart out. Then, you’ll know what real despair feels like.'

Behind him, Rachel’s face darkened.

"What did you just say? You don’t want to marry me?" Her voice was sharp, wounded. "So all those sweet words you whispered to me were lies? You said you’d love me forever, that you’d never let me down. You told me marrying me was the greatest blessing of your life. Was all of it just a ploy to get promoted?"

She turned on her heel and stormed off.

Adrian stood frozen, terrified. Then, he snapped out of it, bolting after her and throwing his arms around her. "Baby, I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I messed up!"

Rachel’s eyes filled with crocodile tears as she shoved him away. "I’m telling my dad. I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this city. Every major company here belongs to the Carter Group. Let’s see who dares hire you then."

Adrian paled, trembling, stammering with panic. He glanced around desperately, and then his eyes landed on me like I was his lifeline.

"It was Summer! It was all her fault! She said she liked me! She begged me to marry her! She wouldn’t let go!" He pointed at me like a drowning man clinging to driftwood. "She looked so pitiful that I couldn’t bear to hurt her. I swear, I never betrayed you!"

A chill ran down my spine.

This bastard. In our last life, he locked me in a basement and tortured me to death, and now he was dragging me down with him in this one?

Rachel’s expression shifted, her gaze toward me clouded with suspicion. "Summer, is that true? And here I thought we were best friends. I never expected you to stab me in the back, too."

I raised my hands in protest, stepping away. "Adrian, be careful what you say. When have I ever said I liked you? Stop making things up. You’re just the son of our family’s housekeeper. My family was kind enough to let your mom work for us while taking care of you. That’s how we met. When did I ever say I liked you?"

Adrian grabbed my wrist tightly.

"Summer, I know you like me! We made a childhood promise to get married, remember? You said it yourself in your backyard, that you’d marry me when we grew up!"

This shameless jerk. He was actually trying to twist a childhood game into some kind of engagement.

I saw the look in Rachel’s eyes turning darker by the second. I suddenly realized that she was not someone to mess with. My company was part of the Carter Group. If she got even a little upset, she could destroy my family overnight.

I yanked my hand away and forced myself to stay calm.

"I’m getting married soon," I said flatly. "I hope you won’t bother me again."

Everyone around us froze in shock.

Rachel gasped, covering her mouth. "You’re getting married? Why didn’t I know?"

Adrian didn’t buy it for a second. "Where’s your proof? Who'd believe that? You probably just made something up to distract Rachel and save yourself."

I broke out in a cold sweat. My mind raced, trying to figure out how to cover the lie I’d just blurted.

All of a sudden, a man’s voice rang out from behind me, "My fiancee and I are in love. What more proof do you need?"