Chapter 3

His irritated tone now was a stark contrast to how he had coddled her this morning.

"If she finds out and cuts off the Vance family's money, how am I supposed to finish my research? Break up with her? If I do that, are we both going to starve on the streets?"

With a sharp click, Julian hung up the phone.

I smiled, thoroughly satisfied, and walked away.

See?

There is no such thing as true love between hypocrites.

Throw them a bone, and they'll rip each other apart.

The next morning, I received great news from Ethan Cross.

“Ms. Vance, the experimental data perfectly aligns with our theories. We estimate the breakthrough will be officially ready by next week.”

I checked the timestamp on my Snapchat—4:30 AM. I immediately approved another ten million dollars for his lab.

Hard work deserved to be rewarded.

Meanwhile, Julian was losing his mind. For five years, he had slacked off, fabricating data and delaying his projects just to avoid marriage.

Now that he actually had to work, his brain was too rusty to function.

Listening to my assistant’s report on Julian's miserable state, I thought: Karma is a bitch.

Suddenly, my eyes caught a familiar figure sitting on a bench in the hospital lobby.

Her shoulders were shaking as she wept quietly.

"I found her. I'm hanging up," I told my assistant and walked over.

Stopping right in front of her, I handed her a tissue.

"Is he really too busy to even accompany you to this kind of procedure?"

Chloe froze.

She stood up abruptly, her already pale face turning paper-white. Her lips trembled.

"You... you..."

She couldn't even form a coherent sentence.

I calmly sat down in the empty seat next to her and gestured for her to sit.

"Sit. You just had surgery, your body is weak."

"I know everything you and Julian did. Don't worry. If I wanted to ruin you, we wouldn't be meeting in a hospital. It would be in a courtroom."

"Embezzlement of corporate funds, especially in such massive amounts, carries a sentence of over seven years to life in prison."

Chloe clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white.

She whispered nervously, "Then why are you here today... to make me leave Julian?"

I turned my gaze away, not answering her directly.

Instead, I stared into the distance and spoke casually, as if talking about the weather.

"You and Julian both came from that impoverished mountain town, right?"

"A place that deeply favors boys over girls. It couldn't have been easy for you to make it out."

"I understand your ambition to climb higher. But I will never condone the methods you used."

Chloe sobbed harder, trembling as she apologized.

"Ms. Vance, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have..."

I raised a hand, cutting off her meaningless apology.

A man who could be stolen was never worth keeping anyway.

"I'm giving you two options. First, I have my lawyers sue both you and Julian immediately."

"Second, you compile a detailed ledger of where Julian spent every single cent of my investment money over the years. If you do, I'll consider it cooperation and leave your name out of the lawsuit."

"Choose."

Fourth Chapter