Chapter 1

"Vivian, as a woman, you're going to get married one day. This cafe is part of our family's assets, so just step aside."

Ian carefully glanced up at me, waiting for my reaction.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.

My dad, Edmund Kingston, had originally said that the cafe business would be split—half for me and half for Ian.

But ever since Ian graduated, he had done nothing but slack off. He hadn't lifted a finger for the business and just took his share of the profits while I worked tirelessly to build it up. I had played every role just to keep things running and save costs, leaving me completely drained.

Then, out of nowhere, Ian, who had done next to nothing, decided he wanted to take my half because his girlfriend, Louisa Nott, wanted to turn it into a "couple's business". The audacity!

I was livid. The anger hit me like a tidal wave.

"For three years, I've busted my ass while you just sat back. Now that the business is making money, your girlfriend wants to kick me out? Have you even thought about how I feel?"

Ian frowned. "What do you mean? I've been thinking about you! Louisa has experience, and together, we can make even more money. She said that if you want, you can come help us at the cafe too, and we'll pay you well."

"Help? Why should I help her? I built this place from the ground up! I've worked so hard, and now she wants to turn me into an employee for her business? This is insane!"

My whole body was shaking with rage.

Ian sighed, clearly annoyed. "You're being ungrateful. Louisa is offering you a chance. If you work with us, who knows? We might even make more money."

"In your dreams."

Just then, we heard our mom, Caroline Myers, call out from outside, "What's going on with you two? Keep it down. It's late."

I forced myself to calm down and asked Ian, "Do Mom and Dad know about this?"

Ian avoided my gaze. "Not yet. You know how Dad and Mom feel about Louisa asking for a 600-thousand-dollar wedding gift. But Louisa's already backed down. She said 300 thousand would be fine, as long as she gets a stake in the cafe."

He added, "Look, Vivian, why don't you just tell Mom and Dad that you want to step away from the business and give half of the cafe to Louisa? C-consider it a wedding gift for Louisa and me."

His whole plan was aimed directly at me.

He didn't want to pay the full amount for the wedding gift, didn't want to upset his girlfriend, and didn't want to deal with our parents' disapproval. So he came up with this ridiculous idea and wanted me to take the fall.

Did he think I was a pushover?

I sneered. Without saying another word, I stormed into the living room, opened the study door, and shouted, "Mom, Dad, Ian wants to partner with his girlfriend Louisa and kick me out of the cafe!"