The night I found out I was dumped, I stood outside the Vance estate for half the night. Preston Vance walked past me with his arm wrapped around his new flame, scoffing coldly, "What? Here to ask for a breakup fee?" He took off the ring I gave him and threw it on the ground. As I bent down to pick it up, Sienna Hayes ground her stiletto into the back of my hand. Preston acted like he didn't see a thing. Later, I moved into the Sterling estate next door as its rightful mistress. During the day, I tended to the flowers and fed the cats in the garden. At night, I kissed Roman Sterling passionately on his balcony. Preston looked up and saw us. He crushed a thorny rose in his palm, his cold eyes looking as if they were dyed in blood. 01 I stood at the gates of the Vance estate, waiting for Preston. Late into the night, a Rolls-Royce drove past the gates and pulled into the garage. A moment later, Preston walked past me, his arm wrapped around the hottest new starlet in Hollywood, Sienna Hayes. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and sneered, "What? Are you here to ask for a breakup fee?" Before this, Preston had never once mentioned breaking up with me. Three hours ago, paparazzi had leaked photos of Sienna and Preston leaving a high-end French restaurant. As the rumors spread, Sienna responded on Twitter: [It's just a normal relationship. Everyone can calm down now.] Preston had 'liked' her tweet. That was how I found out I had been dumped. Just last night, the person lying in his arms was me. He had made me look into the bathroom mirror, caressing my face from behind, murmuring, "Eden, do you have any idea how beautiful you look right now?" My cheeks had flushed. "Hmm? How beautiful?" His hot breath tickled the back of my ear: "More vibrant than the roses on the balcony. It makes me want to be completely ruthless with you." Last night he couldn't keep his hands off me, and in the blink of an eye, he had a new girl? I didn't believe it, so I came to ask him myself. "Preston, I came to ask you... since when have you and Sienna been together?" Preston replied coldly, "We got together today. Is there a problem?" My eyes fell on the ring on his finger. We had given each other promise rings. If he had a new girlfriend, what did it mean that he was still wearing the ring I gave him? Preston pulled the ring off his finger and handed it to me: "Take it. And don't ever come bothering me again." Before I could even reach out to take it, he dropped the ring onto the ground. It was the ring I had bought him with my very first paycheck after graduating college. It wasn't expensive, but it held deep meaning. I remember when Preston received that ring, he couldn't stop smiling. That night, he used hundreds of drones to confess his love to me in the sky, wanting to announce to the whole world that I was his woman. Now, that same ring was thrown on the ground like garbage. Pushing down my emotions, I bent over to pick up the ring. Preston turned and walked toward the mansion with Sienna. As Sienna walked past me, she deliberately stepped her foot down, her heel grinding into the back of my hand. "Hiss—" I cried out in pain. Sienna was wearing impossibly high, sharp stilettos. I knew she was doing this on purpose to humiliate me. She moved her foot and chuckled lightly: "Oops, sorry. It's too dark, I didn't do it on purpose." Before, if I got even a tiny scratch, he would be sick with worry. But right now, Preston acted like he didn't see a thing. I shoved Sienna, and she conveniently fell right into Preston's arms. "Eden, that's enough," Preston said. He wrapped his arm around Sienna's waist and stepped through the grand front doors of the mansion. 02 I turned and walked away. I hadn't gone far when it started to rain. I ran to take shelter under the eaves of the neighboring mansion. Looking up, I could see Preston's bedroom. It was on the second floor, and the lights were now on. Sienna walked out onto the balcony, surveying the area around the front gate, as if checking to make sure I had actually left. A moment later, Preston walked up behind Sienna, holding his suit jacket. He wrapped the jacket around her and hugged her from behind. Sienna turned her head and rested her cheek against his chest. This scene was entirely too familiar. The Vance estate had practically been my second home. The roses on that balcony had been planted by my own two hands. He and I used to kiss passionately on that very balcony. I looked away, not daring to watch anymore. I was afraid of seeing something that would shatter my heart completely. Preston was my first love. I had taken our relationship incredibly seriously. I had even fantasized about our wedding day and our happy life afterward. Being dumped so suddenly, apart from being caught completely off guard, left me feeling like a massive chunk of my heart was missing. The cold wind of the rainy night blew into the gaping hole in my chest. When I looked up again, Preston had already pulled Sienna back into the bedroom. The motorized curtains slowly drew shut, hiding everything that left so much to the imagination. 03 Not only did the rain not stop, it started pouring harder. My phone was completely dead. Preston's mansion was in an exclusive, gated community in the suburbs. In the middle of the night, it was impossible to get an Uber out here. Preston had changed. Before, he would never treat me like this. Even if we were fighting, he would still make sure I got home safe. I debated internally over and over: should I go ring his doorbell and swallow my pride to beg him to let me stay for one night? To be honest, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't know how much time passed, but suddenly, a blinding light cut through the dark. A sleek Ferrari pulled into the garage of the mansion where I was taking shelter. I followed the car into the garage, hoping to borrow his phone to call an Uber. The man who stepped out of the car looked to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven. He was incredibly handsome. I had actually seen him a few times before. He was Preston's neighbor, Roman Sterling. Sometimes, when I stayed the night at Preston's, I could see Roman's garden and balcony from ours. In the mornings, he would water the plants in his garden and then sit on his balcony drinking coffee. My impression of him was that he was noble and highly disciplined. Roman saw me standing there, completely soaked, and paused in surprise. "Why aren't you going to your boyfriend's house to get out of the rain?" "He changed the passcode on the lock," I said dejectedly. "We broke up." Roman looked up at the balcony of Preston's bedroom and blurted out, "But weren't you two just last night..." He seemed to realize something and quickly stopped himself. My face flushed bright red. He was right. Just last night, Preston and I were making out on that balcony. In the heat of the moment, he had even said to me, "Should we try it out here on the balcony?" I blushed. "No, the neighbors might see..." "Mhm, then let's go inside." Preston had carried me into the house. Had Roman seen us? This was incredibly awkward. I said bitterly, "He has a new girlfriend." "That fast?" Roman looked thoughtful. "Do you want to come inside my house first? You can dry your clothes, and I'll drive you back in the morning." I hesitated for a moment. It was the middle of the night, and I lived forty minutes away. Having him drive me back in this weather was asking too much. Besides, even if I borrowed his phone to call a cab, it wouldn't be safe. I nodded. "Okay, thank you." 04 I took a shower at Roman's house. Wearing a plush bathrobe, I put my soaking wet clothes into his high-end washer-dryer combo. I slept in his guest room for the night. Early the next morning, his housekeeper was making breakfast in the kitchen. He insisted I stay for breakfast, saying he would drop me off at work since he was heading to his office anyway. As we walked out the front door, we ran straight into Preston and Sienna. Roman went to the adjacent garage to pull his car out. When Preston saw me walking out of Roman's house, his face instantly darkened. Sienna looked me up and down and let out a scoffing laugh. She turned to Preston and said, "Preston, you were so worried about her being unsafe going home alone last night, but she didn't even go home. She moves on pretty fast, doesn't she?" Preston's face grew even darker. He marched over, grabbed my arm, and pulled me aside, furious and humiliated. "Eden, did you sleep with him last night?" "I'm not as easy as you are. I was just taking shelter from the rain at his house." As soon as I explained, I realized we were already broken up. I had no obligation to explain anything to him. Hearing my explanation, Preston's expression softened slightly. I quickly added, "But, I kind of want to see what it's like to move on instantly. It's probably pretty nice, right?" Preston gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare!" "Preston, I know you think you're God's gift to women. Well, newsflash: I don't think you are either. If I meet someone who's a good fit, I'll absolutely go for it." With that, I shook off his hand and got into Roman's Ferrari. In the rearview mirror, Preston's eyes were glued to me. Until the car drove out of his line of sight. I knew he couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand the fact that I had hooked up with another man so quickly. 05 When I got back to the office, everyone already knew the news of my breakup with Preston. Walking past the breakroom, I overheard colleagues gossiping about Preston and Sienna's new romance. I pretended not to hear. My colleague and best friend, Kendall, came to comfort me. "It's just a breakup, it's not the end of the world. Tonight, I'm taking you out to the club. We're going to drink, dance, and order some hot VIP hosts for bottle service." When night fell, Kendall and I changed into club-ready outfits and headed out. We happened to walk in just as the club was hosting a challenge. It was a promotion aimed at single women: if you could finish a dozen cocktails within a time limit, you won a free night with a VIP host—drinking and partying. If you hit it off, you could even take him home. When I was with Preston, he never let me drink. Now that we were broken up, I had no one tying me down. It was time to let loose. Both Kendall and I signed up for the challenge. Kendall's alcohol tolerance was way better than mine. She quickly finished her dozen cocktails. She picked out a stunningly handsome VIP host. I rarely drank before, so I had no idea what my tolerance was. By the time I finished my dozen cocktails, the room was spinning. The world was tilting and swaying. The event manager lined up the VIP hosts for me to choose from. I raised my hand, waving it unsteadily, and pointed at the guy who looked the most handsome and pleasing to the eye. Then, I collapsed onto the table, passed out. In my hazy state, I heard Kendall's voice in my ear: "LMAO, Eden, the guy you pointed at isn't a host, he's a customer." She leaned in closer and whispered, "But I gotta say, his body and face are way better than any of the hosts here." "Ahem, he's walking over to you." Just as Kendall finished speaking, the man I pointed at walked over. "Eden, why did you drink so much?" His voice sounded familiar, but I was so drunk I couldn't remember who he was. Or maybe, for a split second, Roman Sterling's face flashed through my mind, but I quickly forgot it. The man was indeed Roman. Kendall chatted with Roman for a bit. He said he was my friend, and since I was drunk, he would take me home. Kendall asked me, "Eden, do you know a guy named Roman Sterling?" I mumbled groggily, "Yeah, I know him. I... stayed the night at his house." Kendall's eyes lit up. She leaned in and whispered, "He's way hotter than Preston. Since you guys are so close, I'll let him take you home, okay?" The alcohol had completely taken over. I didn't hear a word Kendall said. I just instinctively mumbled, "Mhm." Roman wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me out of the club. He put me into his car, buckled my seatbelt, and asked, "Where do you live?" "You're my prize, I won you fair and square! Why are we going home?" I grabbed his tie, looking at him with blurry eyes. "To a hotel. We're getting a presidential suite. We're going to keep... keep drinking." 06 Once we got to the presidential suite, I clung to Roman, demanding he open more wine. He humored me and opened a bottle of red wine. I swirled the wine in my glass, looking through the glass at him sitting on the leather sofa. He was calm, composed, and incredibly attractive. I leaned forward and held the glass to his lips. "You're not being proactive enough. Your customer service skills... are failing." Roman pushed the glass away, looking at me seriously. "Do you know who I am?" "Of course I do. You're a host. The hottest host in the whole club." I said, trying to force him to drink. "Tonight you belong to me. Come on, drink." "I am Roman Sterling." He turned his face away. The wine spilled down his collar, staining his crisp white shirt a deep red. "Roman who? Don't know him. I don't care who you are, as long as you make me happy." I pressed half my body weight onto him and kissed him. Our lips met, and it felt like an electric shock. Just like the alcohol, it went straight to my head. Roman's voice was hoarse. "Eden, I am not a host. If you mess with me, you have to take responsibility." "Fine, I'll take responsibility. I'm going to keep kissing you." I said, diving back in. When it came to kissing, he seemed to lack experience. At first, I was taking the lead. Once he gradually got used to it, he turned from passive to active. Later, when I was practically gasping for air, he carried me to the bed and tucked me in. I heard the water running in the bathroom. He was taking a cold shower. Roman was just as intoxicated as I was. He turned the shower all the way to cold, shaking his head as if trying to suppress the heat I had ignited in him. By the time he came out of the bathroom wearing a robe, I was already sound asleep. He didn't wake me. Instead, he sat on the leather sofa, poured himself a glass of red wine, and drank it slowly. 07 When I woke up the next morning, my head was throbbing and heavy. I was the only one in the presidential suite. I had blacked out last night. My memories were fragmented. I only remembered the VIP host driving me to the hotel. I remembered making out with him on the sofa. What happened after that, I couldn't recall. I threw off the covers and checked. Thank God, nothing had happened. That host had excellent professional boundaries and self-control. To be able to resist me when I was acting like that... impressive. I felt a pang of guilt. I shouldn't have drank so much last night. If something had actually happened, I would have regretted it forever. I took a shower and went down to the hotel's buffet for breakfast. It really is a small world. Preston and Sienna were also eating breakfast in the restaurant. It looked like they had stayed at this hotel last night too. When I woke up earlier, I was actually regretting going to the club and letting loose. But seeing Preston and Sienna parading their new relationship, an inexplicable wave of bitterness and vindictive pleasure washed over me. Next time I go to the club, I'm going to request that exact same host again. Preston froze when he saw me. He noticed there was no other man with me and subtly breathed a sigh of relief. Sienna smiled and greeted me. "Eden, what a coincidence! You stayed here last night too? All by yourself?" I smiled back. "Not by myself. I was with my boyfriend, but he already left for work." Preston casually sipped his coffee, but his eyes betrayed him. When he heard me say the word "boyfriend," his eyes darkened. "Ha, is it that Roman Sterling guy from last time?" Sienna smiled meaningfully. "It's great that you were able to move on from your last relationship so quickly." "Right? Preston." Sienna turned to ask Preston. Preston slammed his half-finished coffee down on the table, stood up, and coldly threw out: "I'm full. I'm going outside for a smoke." Sienna called after him, "Okay, I'll come find you when I'm done." Sienna moved her half-eaten breakfast to my table and lowered her voice to whisper to me. "Eden, I really have to thank you. You trained Preston so well. I'm really enjoying it." I frowned. "What do you mean?" Sienna smirked. "He's very much a gentleman, and he's extremely generous with me." She flashed the diamond watch on her wrist, showing it off to me. "A diamond watch worth millions, and he bought it for me without a second thought. Was he this generous with you before?" My eyes swept over the diamond watch on her wrist. I remembered seeing this exact watch in an in-flight magazine when Preston and I flew to Scandinavia for a vacation. I had looked at it a couple of times, and Preston had asked, "Do you like it? If you like it, I'll buy it for you." I shook my head. "No need. It's too expensive." I never expected he would actually buy it and give it to Sienna. Saying I wasn't jealous would be a lie, but I no longer had the right to be jealous. Seeing me stay silent, Sienna lifted her hand to tuck a strand of long hair behind her ear, revealing a hickey on her neck. She said with a smirk, "He's also very satisfying in that department." Sienna's words forced my brain to picture her and Preston in bed together. I used to think his preference for me was unique. It turns out, any other woman will do just fine. My heart felt bitter. I stood up and dropped a single sentence: "I'm full." I walked out of the buffet restaurant. As I passed the corner of the hallway, I saw Preston standing in the shadows. Tall and striking, his tailored suit accentuating his noble elegance. The CEO of the Vance Group. Young, wealthy. How many starlets like Sienna in their circle wanted to climb that branch? Once, his every move captivated me. Now, this man no longer belonged to me. I looked away, unwilling to spare him a second glance. I walked quickly away. Who knew that as I passed him, he grabbed my arm and yanked me into the stairwell. I said angrily, "Let me go!" Preston pinned me against the wall, his deep eyes unreadable. "Did you get a room with Roman last night? Did you two sleep together?" I fired back, "We're two consenting adults in a hotel room. Whatever happens, happens. What, did you think I was going to save myself for you?" Preston's eyes blazed with anger. He grabbed my waist, dripping with jealousy. "Eden, I know you're not that kind of girl. You're doing this to force me to come back to you, aren't you?" 08 Before I could answer, he rationalized it to himself. "Fine, you win. I admit I haven't gotten over you." I was stunned. "So what?" "I'll break up with Sienna. From now on, you stay the hell away from Roman Sterling." He finished speaking, leaned down, and quickly pecked me on the lips, declaring his territory: "You're mine." I snapped back to reality and slapped him hard across the face, furious. "Preston, do you think I'm a dog you can whistle for and shoo away whenever you please?" "Whether you break up with Sienna or not, it is completely impossible for us to ever get back together." I pushed him away and walked out of the stairwell. Sienna was standing at the entrance to the buffet, staring at me in shock. She didn't say a word, but her eyes told me she had heard everything. When I left, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a look of pure hatred bloom on her face. I went to the front desk to check out. The receptionist told me that the room had been paid for last night. I thought to myself, That VIP host must be experiencing life outside the club. A presidential suite is two thousand dollars a night, and he actually paid for it himself? I walked out of the hotel lobby and saw a familiar Ferrari pulling up in the distance. Roman rolled down the window and said to me, "Get in. I'll drop you off at work." I got into his car, feeling a bit guilty, not daring to look at him. Last night I clearly went back to the hotel with a male host. Why is it that when I woke up today and tried to recall making out on the sofa, the face that popped into my head was Roman's? Could it be that I subconsciously have inappropriate thoughts about him? Or is he just too handsome, and my brain automatically substituted his face? Roman drove and asked me, "Are you still dizzy? Do you need to take a sick day?" Huh? How did he know I drank too much last night? I answered casually, "I'm fine. One more day until Saturday. I won't take a sick day." Roman added, "Don't drink so much next time." I finally couldn't hold it in anymore and laid my cards on the table. "Wait, how do you know I drank too much last night?" We hit a red light. Roman stopped the car, turned, and looked at me. "With the way you were acting, you wouldn't call that drunk?" The way I was acting? "How was I acting?" I was even more confused. Roman smirked, his tone meaningful. "I thought you were a good girl. I didn't expect you to be so wild." Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a hickey on his neck. That image perfectly overlapped with the memory of me forcing a kiss on the male host last night. My face turned beet red. It turns out the man who took me back to the hotel last night wasn't a male host; it was Roman. It was a bit mortifying, but at the same time, I felt a little thrill of joy. It was better him than some stranger. When I got back to the office, Kendall hadn't arrived yet. I went to make a cup of coffee. When I came back, I saw her walking in right behind our CEO. I pulled her into the breakroom and asked, "Are you okay from last night? Did you get drunk?" Kendall's face was flushed. "I got drunk. After you left last night, I ran into Mr. Cole at the club. He carried me back to his place..." The Mr. Cole Kendall was referring to was our CEO, Harrison Cole. This was a completely unexpected turn of events. I turned on my gossip radar. "So, did anything happen between you two?" "I stayed at his place last night..." Kendall covered her face, looking both embarrassed and annoyed. "Ugh, if my brother finds out, I'm dead." Kendall was a wealthy heiress who had just returned from studying abroad. Her brother was in the process of taking over the family business. He had sent her to work at our rival company as a corporate spy to gather intel. I didn't expect her to end up having an unspeakable romance with our CEO. Interesting. 09 After that day, I heard Preston and Sienna broke up. Paparazzi caught Sienna drowning her sorrows at a bar, calling it the fastest breakup in history. She and Preston had only been together for two days. Preston started pursuing me again. He sent people to deliver flowers to my office every day. He tried calling and texting me, but I had already blocked him. He even came to my office and my apartment building to find me a few times, but I always took a detour when I saw him, refusing to give him a chance to explain. After I had been dating Roman for a while, he took me back to his family's estate to meet his parents. His parents were prominent local entrepreneurs. The Sterling Group and the Vance Group were both leaders in their respective industries, equally matched in power and influence. Roman was an only child. He had started working in the family business two years ago and was poised to take over as the new head of the Sterling Group once he gained enough experience. When Mrs. Sterling saw the jade bracelet on my wrist, she smiled warmly. "This jade bracelet is an heirloom I've kept for my future daughter-in-law. It seems Roman is very serious about you." So the jade bracelet wasn't just bought at a store; it carried a much deeper meaning. Mr. Sterling asked about my college major and then invited me to work at the Sterling Group. I politely declined, stating that I still had ongoing projects to finish and would consider it later. It was clear that Mr. and Mrs. Sterling were quite pleased with me. When they found out Roman and I were together, they had someone look into my family background and education. While my family wasn't as wealthy as the Sterlings or the Vances, we were still well-off. My family just lived in a different city. This was also why Preston had once said I was the perfect fit to be Mrs. Vance. Apart from my personality and looks, my family background and education were impeccable. I also took Roman to meet my parents. When Preston found out, he lost it. Because we had dated for two years before I took him to meet my parents, and now I had only been dating Roman for six months and we had already met each other's families. He had always been incredibly competitive. When Roman and I returned from visiting my parents, I moved into his mansion, and we started living together.
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