Chapter 1

Ian's POV

My fiancée, Vivian Leston, tossed her bag onto the couch and looked at me, arms crossed. "Ian, what's with your attitude this time? I spent the entire evening kissing up to Justin just to land him as a client. I'm exhausted. Can you stop making things difficult for me?"

"A client, you say?" I frowned. All I could think about was how she had walked up to Justin Sullivan and let his hands wander all over her waist.

The sight was infuriating. What kind of business meeting needed someone to offer herself up just to win over a client?

I rubbed my temples, feeling a throbbing pain. "You know perfectly well how Justin feels about you, but you still resort to something like—"

"That's exactly why I need to keep him on good terms!" she interrupted without hesitation. "Our company needs funding to expand. Do you even know what Justin's father does for a living? We just need to keep him happy, and we'll have tens of millions in investments coming our way.

"I'm making this sacrifice for our future!"

I was so exasperated by what I had heard. "So, your idea of a sacrifice is walking up to another man in front of your fiancé and letting him put his arms around you?"

My question made her stiffen for a moment. Then, her embarrassment turned into anger.

"Ian! Do you really have to make it sound so awful? It was just a game! Everyone was egging us on. If I hadn't played along, I would've ruined everyone's fun and offended Justin! Don't put your petty possessiveness above the company's interests!"

"The company's interests, you say?" I muttered. "Vivian, we don't need his investment. I was already close to finalizing a deal with Ms. Sutton from Evandale Capital last week. The three-million-dollar funding should be secured soon. I was planning to discuss the remaining details with you tomorrow…"

I thought she would be pleasantly surprised by the news, or at least feel relieved.

But Vivian just pursed her lips, looking completely indifferent.

"That's all?" She scoffed dismissively. "If Justin's family is willing to invest, they would offer at least twice that amount. Is it really worth offending an even bigger investor over such a small sum?"

There was no way our argument could continue. I snapped, "You're impossible!"

Judging by my reaction, Vivian probably assumed I was just being unreasonable. Irritably, she grabbed the bag she had just tossed aside. "I can't be bothered to argue with you anymore! Do whatever you want!"

With that, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. The loud bang was so forceful that it seemed to shake the entire house.

I stood there for a few minutes in shock until I heard the sound of an engine starting downstairs. I walked over to the balcony and pulled back the curtains.

A familiar red Ferrari was parked below. Justin was leaning against the door. The moment he saw Vivian come out, he immediately opened the passenger-side door for her. She got into the car without even looking back.

The sports car remained there for a few more minutes before its engine roared to life and it sped off into the night.

I quietly watched its taillights fade into the distance, my heart feeling utterly hollow. Five years ago, I had had a falling out with my family and decided to leave home to make a name for myself. That was when I met Vivian, who had no one to turn to.

Even when we suffered setback after setback in our business ventures, she always stood by me and supported me. Perhaps that was what love was all about. It was about standing together through both good times and bad.

So, when our company finally went public and began to establish itself, I gave her the CEO position. She also showed just how ambitious she could be. And I chose to remain behind the scenes, supporting her every step of the way.

Just like that, five years had passed. Perhaps I had grown so accustomed to struggling that I had almost forgotten who I really was.

I picked up my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in years.

Dad's stern voice sounded both familiar and strangely foreign. "Well, look who it is! My loyal son who ran away from home has finally decided to contact a lonely old man like me!"

I chuckled bitterly and swallowed. I said, "Dad, after all these years, I've finally realized how foolish I've been. I gave up my position as the heir and stubbornly refused to turn back until I had hit a dead end. I've made up my mind. I'm ready to come home and take over the family business."