Chapter 4

But the moment Andrew called me Alicia's sugar baby, it completely shattered everyone's assumptions.

Just when things were getting awkward, Alicia appeared.

She grabbed my hand, the matching diamond ring on her ring finger glittering under the lights. That one gesture was enough to make it crystal clear whose side Alicia was on.

Andrew's face went white. And just as everyone was about to start digging into my background, Alicia, the woman who barely ever spoke, said, "He… is my fiance."

She stumbled over her words a little, but her tone was firm.

One by one, the guests shot Andrew contemptuous looks.

"I know him. He's just some low-level manager who dated a few women but could never make it work. Sounds to me like he's the one trying to become Ms. Ellison's sugar baby."

"Heh! He's calling the guy who has been by Ms. Ellison's side for the past ten years and is also her fiance, her sugar baby? The nerve of him."

Andrew tried to argue back, but his face had turned bright red. Alicia took me home.

To reward her, I cooked an entire tableful of dishes myself. Yet Alicia didn't touch her food.

She just kept staring at her phone. While I was nagging her to eat, she quickly showed me some urgent company paperwork, then left.

What she didn't know was that her laptop was still on. On the screen, it showed she'd just accepted Andrew's friend request on a messaging app.

Alicia didn't come home all day after she left.

Normally, I wouldn't bother keeping tabs on her at all. However, as today was our engagement anniversary, I called her. She didn't answer.

Just as the clock neared midnight, a friend sent me a video.

In the video, Andrew was clearly drunk. His eyes were red as he tried to jump into the raging river.

Alicia was clinging to him with everything she had. Even though it was raining and the wind was strong, she didn't stop talking for a second.

This was the first time in ten years I'd ever heard her speak so fluently. I turned the volume all the way up and managed to make out some of what she was saying.

"What do you mean I abandoned you? You're the one who dumped me back then! Andrew, I'm begging you! Don't jump! If you need money, I'll give you money, and if you need connections, I'll give you connections! You don't have to throw your life away!"

Not once did she pause or stumble over her words. She was back to the way she used to be—the woman who could argue circles around anyone.

Nora called me right then. "Felix, business in Marokia is just about wrapped up. It's time for you to come home and develop your career."

I didn't refuse, as Nora's meaning couldn't have been clearer. The only reason she'd signed off on Alicia's engagement to me was that I was the only person who could get Alicia to speak.

Now that there was a man who could seemingly bring Alicia back to normal, I was no longer useful. That high-paying job back home was her way of compensating me.

My friend then sent me the location of a hotel. It was clear he wanted me to go there and stop those two immediately.

I thought about it for a moment, then grabbed the half-empty box of condoms on my way out.

When I knocked on the hotel door, Alicia hadn't even changed clothes yet.

Her rain-soaked shirt clung to her body, outlining her curves. Water was still dripping from the ends of her hair.

Andrew, on the other hand, was already lounging on the couch in silk pajamas, his hair half-dried with a towel.

And Alicia was still holding the towel she'd used to dry his hair.

"What are you doing here?" Alicia asked me, every word coming out smoothly.

I held out the half-pack of condoms. "This hotel doesn't sell these. I just happened to be passing by."

Andrew turned his head toward me, his expression darkening. "Who do you take me for? You think I'm like you, ready to sell my body the second someone waves money at me?"