Chapter 1

"Mom, Dad, I've made up my mind. I will go back and take over the family business."

When Jaycie Stanton's parents heard that she had finally agreed, they were overjoyed on the other end of the phone.

However, thoughts of her hidden identity and the boyfriend she had kept in the dark led them to ask, "Is your boyfriend coming back with you? Have you told him the truth about who you are?"

"I haven't. I'm going to break up with him," Jaycie replied, her voice softening at the mention of Cole Benson. "I'll take care of everything here in a week."

After a brief exchange, Jaycie ended the call and put her phone away before returning to the private room.

The room was filled with people, and the chatter was loud. The moment she stepped inside, the conversation paused for a second, but Jaycie acted as if she didn't notice and walked straight to Cole, sitting beside him.

He briefly turned his attention away from the conversation and looked at the quiet figure next to him. His voice was lazy and casual. "Babe, why was that phone call so long?"

Before she could respond, another voice interrupted.

There were no Frutunians in the room, but someone still asked in Frutunian, "Cole, when are you and Eileen getting married?"

When Jaycie heard that, her grip on her glass tightened, her fingers turning pale from the pressure. Cole, however, remained indifferent, casting a glance at her before answering the question in Frutunian, "It's a date set by my family. Two weeks from now."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room turned their attention to Jaycie.

One of the men raised an eyebrow, curiously asking, "If you're marrying Eileen, what about Jaycie? Are you breaking up with her?"

"No." Cole shook his head, gently swirling his glass of wine. After a small sip, he continued, "The marriage is just to appease the family. The only one I love is Jaycie."

As soon as he spoke, the room erupted into laughter, the teasing and joking filling the air.

"Cole, are you serious? You're all about true love now? You two have such a huge difference in status. Are you really into her?"

He turned to Jaycie, his eyes soft with affection, so intense that it almost felt like his gaze could melt everything around them. He didn't speak, but the look in his eyes was a clear answer to their teasing.

Someone else, watching the exchange, couldn't help but comment, "Looks like he really does love her, huh? But wait—does she really not understand Frutunian?"

The person had only asked casually, but the room burst into laughter. "Jaycie's family is struggling; there's no way she could afford to learn a minority language. Don't worry. She definitely doesn't understand."

The mocking laughter echoed around Jaycie, but no one noticed the rapid rise and fall of her breath or the way her fingers had turned white around her glass.

What they didn't know was that Jaycie actually understood Frutunian.

The truth was, she wasn't from a struggling family. She was the only daughter of the richest family in Housleton.

Jaycie and Cole had been together for five years, with Cole spoiling her like no one else, but there was one thing he had never done—introduce her to his parents. In the beginning, she thought it was because of the difference in their statuses. The Bensons were a prestigious family in Rochernia, after all.

So, she had planned to reveal her true identity to him. She was the heiress to a fortune, but she didn't want to live under her parents' protection forever. That was why she had decided to hide who she was and go out into the world to experience life.

But fate had other plans. Three days ago, she had found a wedding invitation in Cole's study.

The bride was Eileen Wise.

And the groom was Cole.

It turned out that while he had been whispering sweet things in her ear, he had already agreed to a marriage arranged by his family.

While he was calling her "Babe", he was also preparing to marry someone who was his equal in social status and approved by his family.

At that moment, Jaycie realized there was no need to say anything more.

He would marry, and she would go back to inherit her family's business. Both of them would have bright futures ahead.

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone was having a good time, and the night was drawing to a close. They all started to leave, and Jaycie followed them out of the room. She had barely taken a few steps when she heard a stranger's voice behind her.

"Ms. Stanton! Can I pitch my business idea to you again?"