Chapter 3 From Love to Ruin

After he stayed, Finn always seemed uneasy, a trace of fear hidden in his eyes. I smiled and reassured him, telling him this was his home too. He gripped my hand, visibly moved. "Thank you, Ian. You treat me better than my parents ever did. I'll work hard and repay you one day."

I laughed and lightly punched his shoulder, then took the initiative to teach him the ropes of the company. I helped him dress better, guided him into high society, and even stepped in to solve problems for him whenever he ran into trouble.

I thought that with one more person around, my wife would have it easier. I genuinely wanted him to do well.

And he did. He gradually became more articulate and confident. When I took him out, I often introduced him as my brother from another mother.

Sadie began to change too. The gifts she bought slowly became two sets instead of one. She started talking to him more, even acting spoiled with him occasionally.

Finn would hover around her, smiling as he picked up her words, sometimes saying with a hint of grievance that he admired people like her. Without hesitation, Sadie brought him into the company and personally taught him, step by step.

A woman who had always valued efficiency above all else suddenly became unusually patient. Patient to the point of excess.

I could not help reminding her, but she only said, "It's good that he's motivated. We can't hold him back. He's one of us anyway, so it doesn't hurt to guide him more. In the future, I'll have more time to spend with you. Don't worry. This is just work. I promise you're the only one I love."

But the two of them began spending more and more time at the company.

Sadie had always worked hard, so I asked Finn to take good care of her. I even took it upon myself to handle their meals.

Finn said Sadie was lucky to have me.

Sadie said she wished she never had to work again, that she only wanted to cling to me for the rest of her life.

Then the video surfaced online—on the office windowsill, Sadie was pinned beneath Finn.

I ran to the company like a madman, bursting into the office with a spatula still in my hand. I grabbed her chin, my grip trembling with rage. "Sadie, how could you do this to me? How could you betray me?"

The veins on my forehead bulged as I shouted, spittle flying. And yet, she was still trying to bite Finn's ear, not even sparing me a glance.

"You possessive lunatic," she sneered. "Where's the man you used to be? Finn's mortified. If you keep making a scene, how's he supposed to stand his ground in the company? You have no shame, but he still needs his!"

The day before, I was still the love of her life. Now, she was nothing more than trash she wanted to get rid of.

I slammed her against the wall. "Do you two have no shame at all? The scandal and those intimate photos are everywhere!"

To my dismay, she clicked her tongue impatiently and shoved me away.

Hot liquid spilled onto me, and pain shot through the side of my face. For a moment, I could barely hear properly.

"Do you not understand plain words?" she snapped. "What are you doing, causing trouble here instead of clearing Finn's name? What else can you do besides bully him?"

Finn let out a soft sigh and pulled her into his arms, soothing her. "It's okay… It doesn't matter if Ian hates me. I just hope that you still care about me, Sadie. And Ian… If hitting me will make you feel better, go ahead. I won't fight back."

My fists clenched, trembling.

But Sadie had people drag me out in front of everyone.

I made a scene, determined to let everyone know they were backstabbers. I even spent a fortune hiring people online to expose every ugly thing about them.

But in less than a day, the scandal disappeared.

Everything returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

Sadie held a press conference and calmly declared that I was insane. "My partner has been mentally unstable. He often shows hostility toward Finn and has repeatedly cursed him in private. But considering the Corbett family's past kindness to me, I won't abandon him."

Corbett Co. became Knight Co.

She fabricated evidence, accused me of framing Finn, and even used my account to apologize to him. Finn magnanimously said he did not mind, that the truth would speak for itself.

But when we returned home, she stepped on my stomach with her heels and smashed my fingers with a hammer, warning me never to touch him again. She forced my head down, making me kneel and apologize to Finn, admitting that I had tarnished his reputation.

She had even arranged a place to send me—a psychiatric hospital.

But then she found out she was pregnant with my child. I begged her to keep it. I even promised I would never cause trouble again.

Under the dim light, she stayed silent for a long time, as if weighing something. Then, she finally relented and gently wrapped her arms around me. "Ian… let's stop fighting. Let's just make a life of it."