The day the Davies family faced bankruptcy, Finn Davies agreed to an engagement with me, all for a hundred million dollars. But on Valentine's Day, he stood me up at the amusement park, leaving me to wait alone. It wasn't until late that night that I happened to scroll past a social media post from his private account—an ultrasound scan, clearly bearing the name of his "first love," Lily Green. Immediately after, Finn's message popped up: "I've given you the engagement. I can't choose my wife, but who my mistress is, is none of your business. Lily is pregnant. In public, I'll be your fiancé. In private, I will only be the father of her child. You must make four days available each week for me to care for Lily and her child, otherwise, don't even think about having the wedding!" Reading the words on the screen, I let out a furious laugh. Did he really think I had begged for this engagement? He had no idea, men lining up to marry into the Lane family stretched from London to Paris! At the engagement party, ninety-nine elite gentlemen from the city's wealthiest families stood in a neat row, awaiting my choice. I waved my hand, and announced, "Let's play rock-paper-scissors. Whoever wins gets the spot." 1 On Valentine's Day, a torrential downpour, the likes of which hadn't been seen in a century, lashed down. I stood outside the amusement park entrance for a full ten hours, drenched to the bone and shivering, until my father's driver finally picked me up. On the way home, I kept refreshing my chat screen, filled with unread video calls I'd made to Finn. He hadn't even replied to a single message. As the car pulled into the driveway, my father, his face grim, helped me out. "What's so special about that Davies boy? Worth standing in the rain for ten hours? The contract's signed, the hundred million is in the account. Why can't you see him for who he is..." My father's words trailed off. I trembled, reaching out to pat his hand. "You're right, Dad. I don't want Finn Davies anymore. Someone so ungrateful isn't worth my sadness." My father's comforting expression froze. He looked as if he doubted his own ears. "What did you say?" "I said I don't want Finn Davies anymore. He humiliates me before we're even engaged; what will he do after? You can bring out those ninety-nine blind dates you arranged. Let them play rock-paper-scissors. Whoever wins, I'll marry. The Lane family doesn't need a son-in-law with bad luck." With that final word, my vision blurred, and I fainted. When I woke, I was in my bedroom. Finn sat by the bed, his face cold. Seeing me open my eyes, his expression darkened further. "Is this interesting to you? Just because I missed one date, you have to run and tell your family? Do you know Lily was suffering from severe morning sickness today, almost collapsing? In your eyes, is a human life less important than a single date?" He didn't give me a chance to speak, rattling on like a machine gun. "I've already agreed to marry you. Lily is just someone I'm supporting outside. Can't you tolerate even that? What else do you want? So possessive! Why don't you just put a leash on my neck?!" When he finished his tirade, I looked at him calmly. "In your heart, is that truly how you see me?" My indifferent attitude completely infuriated him. He shot up, grabbing his hair in frustration. When he looked at me again, his voice was surprisingly softer. "That's not what I meant. It's just that Lily has no one to look after her, and I'm worried. Her child is just an illegitimate one; it won't threaten your position. Why do you have to target her? As long as you agree to give me four days a week to spend with Lily, the wedding will proceed as planned." His features, once handsome in my eyes, were now utterly repulsive. I closed my eyes, turning my head away. "No need. I won't marry you. You can spend all your time with her. Congratulations, you're free." "Easy to say! If you're so brave, don't use money to threaten me! What a hypocrite!" Finn flung those words, then left without a backward glance. Silent tears streamed down my face, soaking the pillow. My eight-year long unrequited love finally came to an end that night. 2 I didn't sleep a wink, and by dawn, my fever had spiked to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. The housekeeper came with breakfast, touched my forehead, and screamed. My father rushed me to the hospital for an IV drip. The fever didn't break for another two hours. As I was paying the bill alone, I unexpectedly saw Finn with Lily Green, who was there for a prenatal check-up. Lily leaned weakly into his embrace, her hands gently caressing her not-yet-prominent baby bump, a charming smile on her face. "Baby's so good today, he didn't give me any trouble. Do you think he heard what you said yesterday?" Finn's face held a tenderness I had never seen directed at me. He dotingly pinched her nose. "My silly girl, the baby hasn't even fully formed yet. How could he hear anything?" "I don't care, I don't care! He definitely can hear! You're not allowed to say anything bad about my baby. My baby is definitely the smartest in the world." Finn's composure instantly vanished, and he agreed profusely. "Yes, yes, yes, Lily is always right. The child will take after you, smart and beautiful." His peripheral vision caught my figure. Lily deliberately stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. I quickly hid behind the corner. My heart ached so much I could barely breathe. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to let go of my feelings for him. But my eyes still welled up, involuntarily. As I paid, Lily walked alone towards me, flashing the dazzling wedding ring on her finger. "Miss Lane, hello. I assume you already know who I am from yesterday. From now on, we'll both be serving Finn, so I hope you'll guide me." The suppressed hurt I felt moments before erupted into anger. My face hardened. "You're dirty yourself. Don't assume everyone else is like you. 'Serving a man?' How can you even utter such base words? Finn may be a treasure in your eyes, but in mine, he's less than human!" After paying, I turned to leave. But Lily suddenly grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards the ground. After a struggle, Lily screamed and fell to the floor, sobbing as she pleaded, "I'm sorry, Miss Lane, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have fought you for Finn. Please, please, don't hurt my baby. The baby is innocent!" "I met Finn first. I can give him to you. I don't want anything, I just want my baby to be born safely. Can't even that be allowed?" Her cries attracted the attention of passersby. The patients' families present pointed and whispered about me. "Stealing someone else's man and acting righteous about it? Are mistresses this shameless now?" "I hate home-wreckers most in this life!" "Do you think money makes you invincible? What kind of strength is it to bully a pregnant woman? Apologize!" The torrent of insults drowned me. Before I could explain, Finn had rushed to my side. He pulled Lily into his embrace, then turned, glaring at me with a vicious look. "Alice Lane, were you following me? I already told you, Lily won't threaten your position. Why can't you leave her alone?" I looked up at him, my face a mask of disbelief. "I was following you? Finn Davies, are you insane? This is a hospital! I—" My words were cut short by his cold voice. "Enough! Alice Lane, do you know what I hate most about you? I hate how you look down on people just because you're rich. There are so many people here. Is everyone blind?!" A cold, disdainful sneer curled his lips. "Money can buy an engagement, but it can't buy true feelings! Alice Lane, someone like you will never find true love!" Watching Finn defend Lily, the crowd erupted in cheers. Finn straightened his back, his voice cold. "That riverside villa of yours, give it up. The air there is good, perfect for Lily to rest and recover during her pregnancy. Then this matter will be over." 3 Fury devoured my reason, and my eyes instantly burned red. "Are you kidding me? That villa is my mother's legacy! You want your mistress to live there? On what grounds?!" Lily sobbed hysterically, her voice choked with feigned injustice. "Finn, actually, Miss Lane isn't—" "You don't need to plead for her! I know exactly what kind of person she is! If she hadn't interfered, we would have been married long ago!" With those words, he glared at me viciously, his eyes radiating endless disgust. "Just because you spent a hundred million, you think you can marry me." My body swayed uncontrollably, and I almost collapsed. This was the man I had secretly loved for eight years. I could only blame myself for being so blind. I wanted to tell him I had already canceled the engagement and had no intention of targeting his Lily. But Finn didn't give me a chance to speak. He simply ordered his bodyguards to drag me into the car. The Maybach sped towards the riverside. In the car, Finn held Lily tightly, glaring at me. "The key card? Hand it over." "Dream on!" Finn's face was so dark it could drip ink. He glanced at a bodyguard, who immediately understood and began to frisk me. "If you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for not giving you a chance!" My scream almost ripped through the car roof. Finn covered Lily's eyes with his hand, not sparing me a single glance. Just recovering from a serious illness, I had little strength left. Now, my coat was completely torn by the bodyguard. The gauze dress underneath barely covered my body. My last shred of dignity was brutally trampled into the dirt. Tears of despair streamed from my eyes. It wasn't until the bodyguard found my wallet that the nightmare finally ended. The key card was handed to Lily by Finn. The black card was given to his bodyguard. "Go to the nearby mall. Bring back everything in the baby store. Nothing under a thousand dollars. Don't want to hurt the baby or Lily." With that, he disgustedly wiped his hands with a tissue, as if my wallet were something filthy. The bodyguard was dropped off halfway. My fever relapsed, and I once again fell into a coma. Finn's disgusted voice occasionally drifted into my ears. My body was kicked twice. "Stop pretending to be pathetic! Get up! Alice Lane, can't you hear me? Don't make me throw you out of the car! You'll stop at nothing to gain sympathy. What, Lily's pregnant and weak, are you pregnant too? Good. If you're pregnant, I won't have to honor the engagement. If you don't get up now, do you believe I'll call the Lane family?" Finn's patience ran out, his face cold as ice. He picked up a cup, about to splash boiling hot tea on me. Lily quickly stopped him, her voice aggrieved. "Finn, Miss Lane doesn't look like she's faking it. Could something really have happened?" "Anyway, we haven't driven far. Why don't we take her back to the hospital?" Finn's lips curled into a cold sneer, and he held Lily even tighter. "You're too kind, that's why she always walks all over you. People like Alice Lane will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. You don't know her." Lily pouted, tears welling in her eyes. "I thought you agreed to the engagement because you had some affection for Miss Lane. She just wanted to help you, you know?" Finn wiped away her tears, and kissed her forehead tenderly. "Affection? Disgust is more like it. If the Lane family wasn't useful to me, why would I ever agree to marry someone like her? Once this crisis is over, I'll divorce her immediately. I can't stand Alice Lane's temper for a single day! Then I'll give you the grandest wedding in the world. We'll take the baby and travel to Paris, okay? Seeing the Northern Lights sounds nice too." Lily blushed, hiding in his embrace. Finn gently stroked her long hair, his gaze tender, then looked at the scars on her wrist. "Lily, thank you. Thank you for protecting me at school all those years ago. And thank you for giving me a child." Lily's expression stiffened, a flicker of panic in her eyes. "You still remember..." Eight years ago, Finn was just an illegitimate son of the Davies family. He endured endless humiliation and scorn from outsiders. The most serious incident was when he was kidnapped and knocked unconscious. The true heir of the Davies family had hired people to kill him. In his unconscious state, he heard a man's scream. "Crazy! You're absolutely insane!" When he woke, only Lily was by his side, her wrist still bleeding profusely. From then on, Lily became the most special person in his life. In an unnoticed corner, my body slid down the car seat. Beneath my torn outer garment, the ugly scars on my wrist were exposed. 4 Even after the car pulled into the villa, I remained unconscious. My cheeks were flushed with an unnatural redness. It was then that Finn finally noticed something was wrong. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a guest room. Through the open door, in the hallway, I saw Finn meticulously arranging Lily's clothes with his own hands. His movements were incredibly gentle, as if he were handling not mere garments, but the most precious treasures in the world. I remembered the last time I went with my father to a Davies family banquet to discuss a business deal. I had playfully asked Finn to fasten my necklace for me. His face had been cold, and he had simply replied, "Don't you have hands? I don't touch women's things." I had thought that was just his personality. But today, I realized that mask was merely his disguise for how much he despised me. With Lily, he had no inhibitions. Noticing my gaze, Finn looked at me. Our eyes met, and his tenderness dissolved into ice. He quickly walked to my side, his voice cold. "To frame Lily, you'd even harm yourself?" I froze for a moment. His face darkened further. "What are you playing at? If you got sick here, would the Lane family let Lily off the hook?" I suddenly laughed, and as I laughed, tears streamed down my face. "Fine, then I'll leave." I threw off the covers and rose to go. His hand abruptly pushed me back down. "Stay put until you're well. If you go back now, the Lane family will think I bullied you." With that, Finn turned and left. Soon, laughter drifted up from downstairs. Finn was gently asking Lily what she wanted to eat. Lily was playfully nagging him, paying him no mind. My wavering heart suddenly died at that moment. He had his happiness; I would find my own love. He wanted freedom, so I would grant it to him. I quickly changed into a different set of clothes. I called for a taxi on my phone, preparing to leave the villa. But Lily suddenly knocked on the door. Stripping away her facade, her expression was triumphant and challenging. "Miss Lane, you don't really think money is everything, do you? You might be rich enough, but Finn doesn't even want to look at you. Marrying you was just a temporary solution. Guess what? Once the Davies family gets through this crisis, you might just find yourself kicked out." I didn't back down, staring straight at her. "Yes, money isn't everything. But not having money is definitely a problem. Guess what? If my family withdraws its investment, will Finn protect you, or will he choose that hundred million?" Lily's triumphant expression froze. I pressed closer. "Remember this: Finn wasn't stolen by you. I, Alice Lane, gave him to you." "A man whose heart isn't with me? I don't care to have him." "And, about what happened at school all those years ago—" Before I could finish, Lily's face suddenly turned cold. "Shut up!" "I don't need you to 'give' him to me! Your stubbornness is useless. We're all women, do you think I can't see through you? Your heart must be shattered, right? I don't mind helping you out again!" She turned and forcefully slammed into a nearby wardrobe. A scream erupted. Finn kicked open the door, then slapped me across the face. "What did you do?" Lily collapsed into his arms, pleading repeatedly, "Miss Lane, I already apologized to you! Why are you doing this to me? Finn, I don't want to be a hidden mistress anymore! Let me go, please! I just want to live..." Finn's veins throbbed on his forehead, his anger reaching its peak. "Alice Lane, get out! Get out!" There was no emotional pain, just a sense of mockery. "Finn Davies, this is my house! You're the ones who should get out!" As if he hadn't expected me to say that, intense hatred blazed in his eyes. "Fine. I owe you the engagement. I have no right to argue with you. But remember this: I can marry you, but in this life, you won't get a single kind look from me!" With that, he picked up Lily and left. For a whole week, he never appeared again, completely cutting all contact. Until the engagement party, where a hundred elite gentlemen, including Finn, awaited my choice. From the moment he entered the Lane family mansion, he was like a puppet, showing no emotion. Guests assumed he was my designated fiancé and came forward to congratulate him. Finn didn't give them a glance, treating them coldly. Just as the selection process was about to begin, his phone suddenly chimed. After checking the message, his face instantly went ashen. He rushed towards me, ignoring everyone, and slapped me in front of the crowd. "Alice Lane, why did you hire someone to hit Lily with a car?!" "I came as promised today! What else do you want from me?!" "Every second I spend near you, even the air makes me utterly sick!" With that, he left furiously, ignoring his bodyguard's attempts to stop him. My father's eyes burned red with rage. He slammed his hand on the table. "That beast! He dares to defy my Lane family for a harlot?!" "Cut all collaborations with Davies Industries! Announce publicly that anyone who dares to help the Davies family is an enemy of the Lane family!" Guests exchanged glances, whispering amongst themselves. They wondered who I would choose now that Finn had left. I smiled, stepped forward, and linked my arm with my father's. "My apologies for the scene, everyone. However, Finn Davies and I have no connection. His departure simply means the engagement party continues. Gentlemen, please begin your game of rock-paper-scissors. The winner will become my fiancé, maximizing our family's resources and benefits. But those with bad luck will be eliminated by me!" Three rounds of the game quickly concluded. The final winner was a young man who had just graduated college. He stood on the stage, his expression shy, his ears flushed crimson, unable to look at me. I handed the microphone to my father, then stepped forward and threw myself into his embrace. The hall erupted in applause, and guests offered their congratulations. ... At the hospital, Finn's father called him repeatedly. After Finn hung up on him, his father stormed directly into the hospital room. He slapped Finn across the face, roaring uncontrollably. "You missed the engagement party! Are you insane?! Do you know the Lane family—" Before he could finish, Finn cut him off coldly. "Does it matter if I went? Alice Lane would marry me no matter what. What's the point of this formality?" His face was etched with exhaustion, his eyes hollow as he gazed in Lily's direction. His father suddenly let out a bitter laugh, then raised his hand and slapped him again. "Marry you no matter what? Alice Lane is engaged to the Sutton family! Who do you think you are?!"
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