Five years ago, I helped the Shaws get back on their feet. I was the woman working tirelessly behind the scenes for Ethan Shaw. He used to say, "Scarlett, you're the only one I'll ever need." Five years later, he wants to call off our engagement for another woman. I agreed. Then I turned around and started making arrangements for his imminent downfall. 1 Ethan spent five years overseas expanding into the international market. "Mr. Shaw got back yesterday afternoon," my assistant reported. "He had a girl with him. They went back to the Shaw family home together." After saying this, my assistant sensed my displeasure and lowered her head, falling silent. I waved a dismissive hand. "Get some gifts together. We're going over to the Shaws' tonight," I said coldly. Five years apart, and it seemed my fiancé had developed some new ideas. When I arrived at the Shaw residence that evening, it was dinner time. A girl sat next to Ethan. When she saw me, she stood up along with him to greet me. My eyes swept over his face. His features were sharper, more defined than when he was younger. Dressed in a black custom suit, he looked tall, imposing, coolly sophisticated. I clicked across the floor in my heels and sat down opposite Ethan. I glanced around at the standing figures, a perfectly innocent smile playing on my lips. I raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" Ethan frowned slightly, discreetly taking the hand of the girl beside him. "This is Miss Reed. And this is—" Before he could finish, the girl interrupted, eagerly introducing herself with a face full of excitement. "My name is Sophie Bell. I'm Ethan's girlfriend." I glanced down at her for a split second, not bothering to respond directly. I turned my head to look at the expressionless Ethan and let out a soft scoff. "Well, isn't that convenient. You're his girlfriend, and I'm his fiancée." Sophie didn't raise her voice or question me. Instead, she calmly withdrew her hand and smiled. "I know. He told me everything." I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, radiating confidence. "So you knew, and you still dare to call yourself his girlfriend." Sophie linked her arm through Ethan's, putting on an innocent face. "But Ethan already told you he wanted to break off the engagement, didn't he?" Ah, right. I did get a text from him yesterday. Something about calling things off. However. "He says break it off, we break it off? That depends on whether I agree." I shifted my gaze to Ethan's father, waiting for him to weigh in. Five years ago, when the Shaw family business hit rock bottom, it was my family, the Reeds, who bailed them out. That huge overseas market? Without the Reed family's backing, Ethan never could have handled it. Seeing the tension, Mr. Shaw quickly tried to smooth things over. "Scarlett, have you eaten? Why don't you join us?" "Sure," I replied sweetly. I pushed the plate of shrimp in front of me across the table. "Miss Bell, would you mind peeling these shrimp for me?" Ethan immediately pushed the plate back towards me, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "Sophie isn't a servant. If you want shrimp, peel them yourself." I propped my elbows on the table, resting my chin in my hand, a half-smile playing on my lips. "She won't do it? Then how about you?" Mr. Shaw frantically signaled Ethan with his eyes. Ethan clenched his jaw, then visibly forced himself to relax his fist and began peeling the shrimp with grim determination. Soon, a plate of perfectly peeled shrimp sat before me, arranged neatly in a circle. I picked up the plate and walked over to Ethan's side. I lifted it high above his head, then tilted my hand. The entire plateful of shrimp slid down over his hair and onto the floor. Sophie shrieked, immediately grabbing napkins to wipe the grease from his face. I leaned down close to his ear and whispered a warning, "I don't care how big you think you've gotten. If you make me unhappy, I can break your wings just like that." I looked up and met Sophie's furious glare, her teeth gritted as she stared at me. "Keep looking, and I'll gouge your eyes out." I held up two fingers, mimicking the action. Ethan instinctively grabbed my wrist. "Scarlett, don't go too far," he growled. I yanked my arm back, freeing myself from his grip. I picked up Ethan's soup bowl, took a delicate sip, and savored it. "You touched what's mine. Now you face the consequences." Standing tall, I gave one last look at each member of the Shaw family, nodded politely in farewell, and left. On the drive back, my assistant gave me a detailed report on Ethan's overseas business development. I fiddled with my watch, gazing out at the passing scenery. "Five years," I mused aloud, "is long enough to change a person's heart." Sophie Bell was a student the Shaws had sponsored. She studied abroad, working part-time to support herself. During his years overseas, Ethan had kept in touch with her. Apparently, he was moved by her "sincerity" and "resilience," and naturally, they hooked up. A pure, innocent little flower? I tossed the file aside, scoffing at how blind and foolish Ethan was. The attitude of the Shaws tonight was even more chilling. I'd let things slide for too long. It was time for a little reminder. 2 I instructed my assistant to inform the Reed family's overseas team: Take down the Shaw's market share, piece by piece, no matter the cost. When it came to financial power, Ethan Shaw was still leagues behind. If I hadn't had some lingering feelings for him back then, the Shaws would have been begging on street corners long ago. A few days later, I received an invitation to a celebration party hosted by the Shaws. My parents wanted to use the opportunity to defend my honor, but I stopped them. "Not yet," I said. "Slow burn. I'm going to boil this frog slowly." Dylan Troy was Ethan's biggest rival. We'd gotten closer over the past few years. He was always talking about chasing after me, usually while trying to get some business advantage out of me. In a private room at the club, Dylan lounged in a flashy deep purple suit. With his long, elegant fingers, he pushed a limited-edition designer bag across the table towards me. He sighed dramatically. "You know, you promised me the South Hills development project. Now that Ethan's back, you're not really going to back out, are you?" I swirled the drink in my glass, truly looking at Dylan for the first time. Unlike Ethan's ruggedness, Dylan had a certain refined, almost feline grace. When his almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, he looked like a cunning fox. Yet, somehow, he seemed to possess a surprisingly genuine core. In all the time he'd spent by my side, he'd never crossed any lines. After all, the infamous Scarlett Reed, known for her arrogance, didn't have many friends. Dylan was perhaps the only one. Just then, the door pushed open, and a Little Miss Innocent type appeared in the doorway. Dylan's first reaction was, "Who the hell are you?" The colorful club lights flashed across the girl's face. Sophie? Recognizing her, I put down my drink and settled into a more comfortable position. "That's Sophie Bell. Ethan's little sweetheart." Hearing this, Dylan immediately wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Ew." He looked her up and down with those foxy eyes and delivered his verdict: "Doesn't hold a candle to even one of Scarlett Reed's fingers. Is Ethan blind or something?" Sophie seemed to summon all her courage before finally lifting her head to meet my gaze, trembling slightly. "Miss Reed, when are you going to break off the engagement with Ethan? He doesn't love you anymore. Can't you please just stop clinging to him?" I watched her, amused, tapping my finger idly against my watch face. Dylan saw the gesture and knew my patience was wearing thin. He gestured to the bodyguards standing behind Sophie, signaling them to remove her. The burly guards surrounded Sophie, frightening her so much she dropped to her knees with a thump. She started crying, tears streaming down her face, making it look like we'd actually done something horrible to her. I rose and strolled over to her. Bending down, I tilted her chin up with my finger, my voice lazy and distant. "If you want the engagement called off, you should have Ethan come talk to me. You don't have the standing to make demands here." Footsteps hurried closer, and suddenly, Ethan appeared. He must have run, as his hair and shirt were slightly disheveled. He rushed forward, helped Sophie to her feet, his eyes, usually like calm pools, now dangerously cold, his brow furrowed. "Scarlett, do whatever you want to me, but you can't use your dirty tricks on an innocent person." Ha! That was rich. "Innocent?" I advanced on him, my voice sharp. "She knew you had a fiancée and still hooked up with you. You dare call her innocent?" "What position is she in to come here demanding I break off our engagement? You dare call her innocent?" "We haven't even officially broken up yet, and she's already crawling into your bed. You dare call her innocent?" Behind me, Dylan chuckled. "Sounds like a classic snake in the grass to me. Didn't realize Mr. Shaw had such low standards." At that, Ethan's pupils contracted, his annoyance written all over his face. "Dylan, you're nothing but Scarlett Reed's lapdog. Who are you to judge anyone?" Did Ethan really just say that? I was stunned.
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