Waiting for Love to Die

"Still barking empty threats at Melissa? Even now?" Nicolas Gibson's eyes gleamed with mockery as he taunted, "Rumors about your impotence are everywhere. If I were you, I'd be begging Melissa to keep the wedding. Who else would marry you now?"

Melissa Young—my fiancee and the same woman who orchestrated the scandal that wrecked my reputation—was straightening Nicolas' tie with cool indifference.

She scoffed. "A man with a reputation as filthy as his? Even if he begged, I'd never stoop so low as to marry him."

My nails dug into my palms, her words piercing my heart like needles.

It struck me how foolish of me it was to spend the whole night waiting for her explanation. All that waiting earned me nothing but betrayal and slander from the woman I loved most.

I rasped, "Melissa, are you really going to throw away the marriage alliance with the Zucker family for him? Do you have any idea what this will cost both our companies? He's just a chauffeur's son, and I'm your fiance."

Melissa's hands paused mid-adjustment on Nicolas' suit as she shot me an icy look.

"Don't talk down to Nicky. The only thing he's ever lacked is a real chance. With my support, he'll go far."

She added, "You should be more worried about your own company. With all those rumors spreading online, I bet things are a mess over there."

As if on cue, my assistant, Victor Hill, called just as she finished speaking.

"Mr. Zucker, the company's stock is crashing from the negative press. The shareholders are scrambling to pull out."

I pulled up the news feed. The headline read, "Spurned, Leonel Zucker Resorts to Investment Threat!"

The comments were a flood of bile.

"How did a guy like that become a CEO? Who knows what dirty tricks he pulled to get there?"

"Hope his shady company crashes and burns. Let's boycott Zucker Group!"

My fingers trembled as I looked at Melissa. "Was this your doing?" I asked, my voice cracking.

Her expression stayed cold. She didn't even blink before admitting it. "Yes. A little lesson for you."

"Leonel, Nicky is under my protection now," she warned. "I won't let anyone look down on him."

I clenched my fists, and a scream tore out of me. "Get out! Get the hell out of my house!"

She knew exactly how hard I'd fought to build the company after I took over. In those early days, I spent an entire month bouncing from city to city, pulling all-nighters just to land a single project. I pushed myself until my body finally gave out, and I ended up in the hospital.