All Chapters of Fiancée Wipes Childhood Friend’s Mouth at Gathering: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Claire wiped Ryan’s mouth right in front of me.Ryan looked me up and down with a hint of provocation in his eyes.At the family dinner table, the atmosphere tightened into a brief, uneasy stillness.I kept peeling the shrimp in my hand, as though none of it concerned me.Ryan spoke first.“Sorry, everyone. Please do not mind us. Clairy had always been this thoughtful.”Who asked him. I almost laughed.Ever since Claire and I got engaged, was I not the one doing all the accommodating. Thoughtful. That word did not suit her at all.I finally understood when I looked at Ryan’s vaguely familiar features.Claire tended to him gently, while he leaned in closer on purpose, lifting his gaze to me with open provocation.I only found it childish and turned to Claire with a faint smile.“Since she was so thoughtful, I could not fall short on courtesy either.”I placed the shrimp I had just peeled onto Chloe’s plate, wiped my hands clean, then draped my jacket over her shoulders.“Do

Chapter 2

“I wanted to surprise you,” I said with a smile, lying smoothly.In reality, I had only learned about it last week.At that time, Claire had gone to Hangzhou under the excuse of accompanying her mother to see a doctor.Later, I saw Ryan’s social‑media post. His location was pinned at West Lake in Hangzhou, and the timestamps matched perfectly.Ryan gave me a meaningful look. “Mr. Carter, you really were young and accomplished. No wonder Clairy chose you.”Clairy.That familiar, intimate name felt like a thorn sinking into my chest.Claire once told me that only the people closest to her were allowed to call her that.During our first year together, she would blush and gently correct me every time I used it.“Things like fate were hard to say.”I picked up a piece of fish, removed the bones, and placed it onto Chloe’s plate.“Just like Chloe and I. We clicked right away.”Claire’s eyes narrowed slightly. That was her silent warning whenever she was displeased.“That is enou

Chapter 3

When I returned to the restaurant to say I would be taking Chloe home, Claire’s expression stiffened for a split second, while Ryan gave a knowing smile.“Do you need me to come with you?” Claire asked, though she did not move from her seat.“No, you can keep Mr. Zane company.”I deliberately emphasized the word Mr. Zane. “He does not often come back to the country.”Ryan rose to his feet and extended his hand. “Mr. Carter, nice to meet you. Hope we get a chance to talk alone sometime.”I shook his hand, feeling the pressure in his grip. “Anytime.”On the way to take Chloe home, she leaned against my shoulder the entire time, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns across my chest.“Adrian,” Chloe said suddenly, “if my sister does not want you anymore, would you consider me.”I slammed on the brakes. The tires screeched sharply against the road.“You are drunk.”My voice was cold. At the same time, her phone screen lit up. It was a message from Claire:[Don’t push it too

Chapter 4

The next evening, at a quarter to eight, I stood downstairs at Chloe’s apartment building.In my hand was a bottle of Bordeaux from two thousand fifteen. It was the vintage Claire loved most, and the same year we first met.Ironically, it had originally been meant for our wedding anniversary.As the elevator rose, I kept replaying what happened after I got home last night.Claire, wearing the silk nightgown I had given her, sat on the sofa flipping through bridal magazines.She looked up and smiled at me so naturally it felt as if that hotel photo had never existed.“You’re back? How is Chloe?” Claire set the magazine aside and walked barefoot to take my coat.I studied her refined face, searching for even a trace of guilt. “She drank too much. Said some nonsense.”Claire’s fingers paused on my tie. “What nonsense.”“Nothing important,” I brushed it off lightly, then noticed her engagement ring was gone. “Where’s your ring.”“Oh.” She glanced at her bare finger. “I took it of

Chapter 5

“These…” My voice caught in my throat.“They’re real.” Chloe sat down beside me. The same fragrance as Claire lingered on her. “Claire and Ryan were never truly broken up. They just… paused things for a while.”My fingers tightened unconsciously, nearly crumpling the photos. “Why are you telling me this now.”Chloe’s eyes shimmered with an unsettling glint in the candlelight. “I cannot stand seeing you being deceived.”Her hand rested on my knee. “And… I have liked you for a long time. Since the first time we met.”The confession came abruptly, yet somehow it was not entirely unexpected.I recalled all those moments over the past two years, her accidental touches, lingering gazes, and the calls she always made when Claire was not around.“Do you even know what you are saying.” I moved her hand away.Chloe suddenly rose to her feet and walked toward the bedroom. “There is more you should see.”After a brief hesitation, I followed her.The bedroom walls were covered in photos.

Chapter 6

After gathering the photos and the diary, I left the apartment. I decided to stop by the hospital first to check on Chloe. Then it would be time to confront Claire face to face.The hospital corridor was lit with a harsh, sterile glare.Chloe was diagnosed with mixed alcohol and drug intoxication and needed to be kept under observation.The doctor said she was not in immediate danger, but she needed rest.I stood by her bedside for a while, looking at her pale face.She looked so young, so fragile—nothing like the girl who had revealed all those dark truths in her apartment.A nurse walked in. “Sir, visiting hours are over. You are…?”“Her brother‑in‑law.” The words slipped out before I could stop them, and only then did I realize how ironic they sounded.As I left the hospital, my phone rang again.This time it was Ryan. “Mr. Carter, I hear you have been working on a Series A round lately. I have some contacts who might be interested. Want to talk.”The timing was too perfec

Chapter 7

That reaction was basically an admission in itself. “That does not matter,” I said for the third time, a wave of exhaustion washing over me, deeper than anything I had ever felt. “What matters is that our relationship is over.”“No!” Claire rushed forward and grabbed my hand. “Adrian, I love you, I really do. That was all in the past, I…”I pulled my hand away. “Chloe is in the hospital, poisoned by a mix of drugs and alcohol. She mentioned you before she passed out.”Claire’s expression shifted instantly, from pleading, to shock, then anger. “That bitch showed you all this? She has been trying to break us up from day one!”“Enough.” I turned and walked toward the bedroom, already pulling out a suitcase. “I will have my lawyer handle the engagement termination. As for the company shares… do not even think about it.”Claire followed me in. Her voice suddenly turned cold. “You think it ends that easily? Ryan has something you do not know about.”I stopped. “What do you mean.”Sh

Chapter 8

I had barely left the hospital when the sky had begun to pale into dawn.I sat in the car, scrolling through my unread messages. There were over a dozen from Claire. The last one came just ten minutes ago:[We need to talk. Ryan has leverage on you. Not just the company’s finances. I’m waiting at home.]I deleted it and dialed another number.It rang for a long time before a groggy voice picked up.“Mr. Zach, sorry for calling so early. I need you to look into a few things…”When the sun rose, I had already made my decision. It was time to change the rules of the game.Mr. Zach’s office sat on the top floor of an old building on Financial Street, overlooking the entire CBD through the window.I sat on the leather sofa as he loaded the audio file onto his computer. His expression grew increasingly grave.“This recording is enough to prove intent to commit fraud.” Mr. Zach adjusted his glasses.“But the financial gap… Mr. Carter, if what they said is true, that the Zane family

Chapter 9

A cup of hot tea was placed in front of Chloe, but her trembling hands could barely hold it.“He found out about the recording,” Chloe’s voice was hoarse. “He said I betrayed him… he hit me…” She looked up, fear flickering in her tear‑filled eyes. “Then he answered a call and said, ‘prepare Plan B’… I heard him mention the data breach… and your car.”“My car.” I shot up from my seat.Chloe grabbed my wrist. “He might have tampered with it. Just like… just like what happened to my father back then.”The words hit like a thunderclap.Chloe’s father, the founder of the Lawson Group, had died five years ago in a suspicious car accident. The official report blamed brake failure.Mr. Zach immediately picked up the phone. “Security, check Mr. Carter’s vehicle right away. Focus on the braking system.”Chloe pulled an envelope from her bag. “I took this from Ryan’s safe last night. It has complete evidence of your company’s data breach… and the parts he forged.”I skimmed the documents.

Chapter 10

Claire instinctively hid behind me like a startled rabbit.Ryan did not react at all. He walked straight to the table and sat down with calm ease. “Mr. Carter, looks like you have already made the smart choice.”I pressed play on the recorder. His voice, and Claire’s, filled the conference room, clear and undeniable.Ryan’s expression did not change. “Interesting. But can your little trick beat this?”He tossed a stack of photos onto the table. It was me meeting a hacker last year during the data‑breach incident.“Or this?” He followed with a document. “Your company’s current financial situation. If that so‑called ‘mysterious funding’ suddenly gets recalled…”I waited until he finished. Then I asked, “What do you want.”“Simple.” Ryan smiled. “Fifty‑one percent of the shares. You step down from the board. In exchange, these photos and debts disappear.”Claire suddenly screamed, “You’re lying! You told me once he signed the share‑transfer agreement…”“Shut your mouth,” Ryan sna

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