Chapter 2

"Are you still mad? What I said this afternoon wasn't sincere."

I looked at Nicholas, numb, and replied flatly, "You're engaged to Tiffany. So, why are you still dating me?"

His expression remained indifferent. "I don't like her. Our marriage is a family arrangement. Love is love. Marriage is marriage. That's how wealthy families work. I thought you knew that."

I suddenly felt like laughing. "I didn't. If I knew, I never would've been with you."

I never would've given my heart to a man like this. I never would've wasted ten of the best years of my life.

Clearly annoyed, Nicholas lit a cigarette. "Ariana Hudson, you've always been a smart woman. Cinderella marrying the prince only happens in fairy tales. We're from different worlds. Dating is fine, but marriage was never possible."

He flicked the cigarette ash, unconcerned. "But that doesn't affect our relationship. My marriage to Tiffany is just for show. I'm still yours."

Looking at the man in front of me, the one treating my feelings like a joke, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. It took me a long time before I spoke. "I don't want this kind of ambiguous relationship. I'm almost 30 years old. My family wants me to have a normal marriage."

Nicholas clicked his tongue impatiently. The smoke couldn't hide the frown on his face. "If your family's rushing you, I can introduce you to someone. You can fake a marriage to deal with them. Privately, you'll still be with me."

He said it so casually. It made me so angry that I couldn't even speak. He watched me in silence.

My silence, to him, was agreement. He smiled. "Ariana, for now, we need to stay apart for a while." He stubbed the cigarette in the ashtray, then continued, "I don't want Tiffany to find out about us. I don't have feelings for her, but it matters how things look on the surface."

His gaze darkened. "I need the Leary family's resources. Ariana, be good. Don't cling to me, and don't cause me trouble. Don't ruin my plans."

I wanted to ask him, "Your plans are so important, but ten years of my life is nothing?"

Ten years. How many decades would I even get in a lifetime? The best years of my life had withered in his hands.

When I first met Nicholas, he was 24 years old, and I was 18.

That day, he had drunk too much and passed out outside a bar. I was working there just to earn two thousand dollars a month for living expenses.

Seeing him completely out of it, I helped him into the lounge and poured him a glass of warm water. "Drink this. It'll help."

He looked up at me. A flicker of admiration crossed his hazy gaze. "Are you that short on money that you need to work at a bar?"

I nodded. After handing him the glass, I turned to leave.

Just as I reached the door, he called out to me. "I need an assistant. You'd be a good fit."

Later, I found out that he was the son of a real estate tycoon in Astor City. That night, he had been drinking over a business deal.

He offered me a salary of 50 thousand dollars, with no experience required.

50 thousand dollars. That was enough to pay all four years of my college tuition. Enough to fix the leaking roof back home. Enough to keep me from going hungry.

So, I said yes.

I had classes every day, so I wasn't at the office often. Nicholas didn't mind. Sometimes, he'd even ask if I was tired or whether work was affecting my studies. If my classes ran late, he'd drive through heavy rain just to pick me up.

He didn't feel like a boss, more like someone pursuing me.

On my 19th birthday, Nicholas bought me a cake and gave me a necklace. The necklace was expensive, with our names engraved on it.

Even someone as slow as me understood what he meant.

Back then, I told him I was a traditional woman. I didn't like relationships that went nowhere. "Nicholas, I don't have money or a background. Don't take advantage of me."

He pinned me against the floor-to-ceiling window and kissed me. "I won't. I would never do that."

His voice was hoarse as his kisses trailed from my eyes to my neck. "I've liked you from the moment I laid my eyes on you."