Chapter 2

Soon, the elevator lobby was packed with coworkers eager to watch the drama unfold.

Romantic scandals always made for juicy gossip, especially when they involved the classic story of the official partner confronting the homewrecker.

"He used to act so high and mighty with Ms. Russell backing him. Now he's keeping his mouth shut and playing the victim."

"I heard his dad lived off women too. Guess being scum really does run in the family."

The barrage of ridicule made my stomach churn.

The day my father died, people said the same things about him.

"He's just like his old man, living off women because he's good-looking. Guys like him never end well."

I stared at Eloise for several seconds before taking a deep breath.

Instead of giving the crowd the dramatic confrontation they were hoping for, I did the last thing anyone expected.

I bowed to Aiden and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jenner. This was all my fault."

No matter what I had supposedly done wrong, admitting fault first had always been the safest option.

Aiden sneered and took Eloise's hand.

"Your taste in men keeps getting worse. You're dragging my standards down with him."

No one dared speak to Eloise that way, but Aiden was the exception.

Eloise smiled and nestled closer to him, her voice turning especially soft and coquettish.

"Didn't you ask me to go horseback riding with you?"

Aiden's expression softened. He cupped her face gently.

"Your pretty boy's been wronged. Aren't you going to comfort him?"

"He's just a little amusement I paid for. He's not as important as you think."

Those words hurt more than the punch Aiden had thrown. Even so, a professional gold digger knew how to smile and send his sugar mommy off, even under the most humiliating circumstances.

Ten minutes later, a transfer notification from Eloise appeared on my phone.

I accepted it without a trace of guilt.

One punch for three hundred thousand dollars.

What a bargain.

That evening, I returned to Eloise's place to pack my belongings and leave.

Voices drifted from the foyer. Eloise and Aiden had just arrived.

Aiden held the back of her head and kissed her with growing intensity. He did not even notice someone else was in the house.

Under the dim lighting, the entire room seemed wrapped in intimacy.

Eloise let Aiden vent his frustrations on her. Even when he bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, she only smiled softly and asked whether he was still angry.

For a brief moment, I stood there in a daze.

A long time ago, Eloise used to indulge me the same way.

Over the past five years, we had shared countless moments that felt like those of a real couple. Sometimes, I even convinced myself there was something genuine between us.

Once they finally separated, Eloise noticed me immediately.

"Sorry to interrupt. I'll get going. You two carry on."

I picked up my luggage and prepared to leave, but Eloise stopped me.

"Aiden's had an exhausting day of horseback riding. Why don't you give him a massage? You're quite good at it, aren't you?"

My hands slowly curled into fists.

Years ago, when Eloise was confined to bed because of an injury, she constantly complained about aches and pains. I secretly learned massage therapy just to help her. Even the instructor praised how quickly I learned and how skilled my technique was.

Whenever her friends jokingly asked me for a massage, she always replied casually, "No one in this world is worth his effort except me."

Now, she treated me like a servant and ordered me to massage Aiden instead.

A self-mocking laugh escaped me.

"Sure."

After entering the bedroom, I began preparing the oils and lotions I would need.

Before I realized it, Aiden had already taken a seat directly in front of me.

"Luke, are you trying to seduce Eloise just to disgust me? You're just as shameless as your father. Acting as someone's kept man, only to get kicked to the curb in the end. I even caught your father on camera when he came to our house begging my mother to leave with him. He looked absolutely pathetic. Want to see it?"

I pretended not to hear him and gestured for him to lie down on the bed.

When he saw that I remained calm, Aiden's expression darkened. He grabbed my wrist impatiently.

A sneer twisted across his face.

"The tattoo on your hand is pretty. Too bad it's an eyesore to me."

Without warning, he seized my hand and slammed it hard against his own face.

Footsteps sounded outside the room.

Eloise walked in with a frown.

What greeted her was half of Aiden's face, already swollen and red.

"Luke, have you lost your mind?"