I Didn't Just Want the Billionaire; I Wanted His Billions

Everyone in our circle knew that I had been obsessed with Preston Sterling since we were kids. He went to prep school, I went to prep school. He learned five languages, I learned five languages. He studied finance, I studied finance. Either way, the Sterling and Vance families were bound to intermarry. Our business empires were so deeply intertwined that neither could survive without the other. I never expected that on the day of our wedding, Preston would make a detour on his way to the venue and fly overseas to rescue his "one that got away" from some crisis. Our childhood romance became the biggest joke in town. I wore my custom multi-million-dollar gown and completed the grand wedding ceremony all by myself. In the overwhelming wave of press releases that day, my name appeared before his for the first time. Idiot. There are plenty of two-legged men running around the streets. But a fully formed business empire? There is only one. I didn't just want his body. I wanted his money. 1 Preston's plane had already taken off. I locked myself in the bridal suite and let a single tear fall. My hot-tempered dad was cursing up a storm outside the door. Mr. Sterling, Preston's father, angrily dialed number after number, demanding someone catch Preston the moment he landed. I had two messages on my phone. Preston: [Autumn, wait for me. I'll give you a proper explanation when I get back.] The other message was a photo of Preston. He was walking toward the boarding gate, looking down at his phone. He was wearing the custom tuxedo I had spent countless hours finalizing with the designer. The tie I carefully selected hung loosely around his neck. His expression was gentle, his eyes full of absolute adoration, as if he was softly coaxing the person on the other end of the line. Anyone looking at him would sigh and think how incredibly lucky the girl he was comforting must be. I zoomed in on the photo and stared at it for a long time. I really couldn't bear to let it go. However, I had given him a chance, and he made his choice. You have to live with the moves you make on the chessboard. I touched up my makeup, dragged the long train of my wedding dress, opened the suite door, and smiled at the elders who were standing there with varying expressions of panic and fury. "The wedding will proceed as planned." 2 It was three days later when Preston returned to the US. For seventy-two hours, I was the undisputed queen of trending topics. Every major news outlet and gossip blog was talking about how the Vance family heiress, Samantha Vance, was abandoned at the altar but still insisted on walking down the aisle and completing the complex wedding reception alone. Some lamented the coldness of high society, some defended my honor, and naturally, some gloated over my misery. Regardless, in the avalanche of press coverage, my name eclipsed Preston's for the very first time. To express his apologies to the Vance family, my new father-in-law, Richard Sterling, hosted a private dinner to make amends. As the wine flowed and the atmosphere settled, Richard raised his glass to me. "Autumn, Dad toasts to you. "You truly are Robert's daughter. Thank you for making a decisive choice, seeing the big picture, and saving both our families' reputations. "The Sterlings wronged you. Don't worry, I will make sure you get a proper explanation for this." I lowered my eyes submissively and raised my glass. Just as I was about to speak, the banquet room doors swung open, and Preston walked in, looking exhausted from his travels. My dad's face darkened immediately, and he slammed his half-raised wine glass onto the table. The massive dining room fell dead silent. Richard Sterling glanced at my dad, gritted his teeth, and barked at Preston, "On your knees!" Preston walked step by step over to my dad and bowed slightly. "Dad, what I did this time was wrong." My dad let out a cold snort and didn't acknowledge him. Preston straightened up and placed a folder on the table. "I've come to make amends. "During my trip to Europe, I acted as the son-in-law of the Vance family and officially signed the partnership agreement with Apex Corporation for Vance Enterprises." 3 Vance Enterprises had been fighting for the Apex partnership for six months. All the details had been finalized, but Apex kept dragging their feet on signing. We tried every angle but couldn't find a breakthrough. My dad's hair had practically turned white stressing over this deal. I have to admit, Preston knew exactly how to strike where it mattered most. Bringing out this contract was a monumental achievement for the Vance family. My dad choked on his anger. Faced with Preston, he couldn't keep scowling, but he couldn't exactly smile and welcome him either. Preston stood before my dad, hands at his sides, eyes lowered. The corners of his lips were slightly turned up, his face the picture of calm and confidence. Richard Sterling breathed a sigh of relief and led the applause. "Robert, see? My son isn't entirely useless. "He single-handedly secured the Apex deal for you. We should be rewarding him, not punishing him." With Richard leading, the people at the table gradually joined the applause after the initial awkwardness. The atmosphere started to warm up. But Preston, you humiliated the Vance family in front of the whole world. What makes you think you can turn the page so easily? I frowned, my eyes turning red, and walked up to him, looking him up and down. "Preston, why are you still wearing your wedding tuxedo? "Were you taking care of Clara so tirelessly that you didn't even have time to change your clothes?" The banquet room instantly went quiet again. Preston's smile froze on his face. I forced a brave smile and gently pushed him toward the door. "You should go home, take a shower, change, and get some rest. "Don't worry, I'll handle things here." A heavy slam on the table echoed behind me. I didn't even have to look to know it was my dad. Richard Sterling's voice roared, "Stop! You aren't going anywhere!" During the standoff, a fragile figure stumbled in through the door and pushed her way between Preston and me. "Please don't make things hard for Preston. "It's my fault. It's all my fault." 4 The newcomer was the culprit who made Preston abandon me—his childhood sweetheart, Clara Hayes. It was late autumn, but Clara was wearing a thin, pure white cotton dress, her frail body shivering in the cold. In front of everyone, without a second thought, Preston took off his jacket and wrapped it tightly around her. "Didn't I tell you to wait in the car? Why did you come up here? "Are you cold?" Clara's face was deathly pale. With red, tearful eyes, she leaned into Preston's chest. "Preston, don't fight with your dad over me. It's not worth it. "I don't have much time left to live. I can't leave you with a mess to clean up." Before she could say another word, Clara broke into a violent coughing fit. Preston's brow furrowed tightly. Without hesitation, he scooped her up into his arms. "Don't be afraid, Clara. I'm taking you to the hospital." Without sparing a single glance at anyone in the room, Preston kept his head down, softly comforting Clara as he walked toward the door. "Preston Sterling! Stop right there!" Richard was furious. He roared, "If you walk out that door, you will be cut off from the Sterling family completely!" Preston stopped. He turned around and stared coldly at his father. "My biggest regret in life was letting you send Clara away years ago. "Do you really think you can still control me like you used to?" Richard's face turned livid, but he couldn't utter a single word. My dad shook his head. "Richard, it seems you're no longer the master of the Sterling house." Preston looked at my dad and smirked. "Dad, the first thing I did when I got back to the States wasn't admitting Clara to the hospital. It was bringing the Apex contract straight to you. "That is my ultimate show of good faith for the future partnership between the Sterling and Vance families. "Some things are better left unsaid, and some grievances are better swallowed." He turned to me, his eyes ice-cold. "Samantha, I promised to marry you, and I did. "I've given you the title of Mrs. Sterling. I guarantee you'll live a life of absolute luxury. "But as for love—I advise you not to ask for things you can't have." With that, he carried Clara away, not looking back once. Nestled in his arms, Clara looked back over his shoulder, staring straight at me, and gave a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk. 5 In front of everyone, I let my tears fall. Preston and I were childhood friends. We grew up side by side, thick as thieves. I was always his shadow. I followed him, learning foreign languages, studying business, taking equestrian lessons, attending wine tastings. I didn't have my own hobbies. Whatever Preston liked, Samantha liked. The businesses of the Sterling and Vance families had been deeply integrated since our parents' generation. We were inseparable. So, it was essentially an unspoken agreement among all the elders that Preston and I would get married. The only surprise came during our junior year of high school, when Clara Hayes received a scholarship and transferred into our class as a low-income student. She was like a delicate white flower blooming in the ruins—fragile yet resilient. She easily awakened Preston's protective instincts. But his teenage romance was snuffed out by Mr. Sterling before it even had a chance to bloom. Despite Preston's fierce protests, Mr. Sterling shipped Clara off to Europe. Preston completely lost contact with her. From then on, he became quiet and withdrawn. In that silence, he grew up rapidly, eventually taking the helm of the Sterling Group. When he proposed to me, I asked him what he would choose if Clara ever came back. At the time, his eyes shone like stars, looking at me with deep, unwavering devotion. "Autumn, she was just an insignificant bump in the road. "My wife will only ever be you. It can only be you." The warmth of the kiss he pressed against my eyelid that day still felt real, yet in the blink of an eye, everything had completely changed. 6 Growing up, I could count on one hand the number of times I had cried in public. Watching me cry in front of a crowd probably hurt my dad more than if someone had stabbed him. Throwing pleasantries out the window, my dad blew up at Mr. Sterling. Then, he and my mom each took one of my hands and brought me back to my childhood home. I didn't forget to take the Apex contract with me. Preston didn't try to contact me. The updates about him and Clara only reached my ears through my best friend and personal gossip hub, Chloe. Clara was supposedly diagnosed with terminal cancer and didn't have much time left. Yet she refused to be hospitalized, stubbornly insisting on moving into the penthouse that was supposed to be my marital home with Preston. And Preston actually agreed to this absurd demand. Chloe practically clawed at the air in front of me, furious. "Samantha Vance! Do you have a pulse?! How are you not losing your mind over this?!" Was I angry? I paused my work, placed my hand over my heart, closed my eyes, and felt it for a moment. I was a little sad, but not much. Seeing Chloe turn red with rage, ready to pass out, I laughed and poked her forehead. "The Apex contract just hit its first payment milestone. I need to keep a close eye on it. "Money is a hundred times more reliable than men, my dear sister." Chloe aggressively "pfft'd" at me. "Give me a break, Samantha! You are the last person on earth who needs money! "Your family and the Sterlings could stomp your feet and cause an earthquake on Wall Street!" Seeing she was about to hyperventilate from anger, I finally threw her a bone to calm her down. "Don't worry, this isn't over. "Clara should be coming to see me very soon." 7 Just as I expected, seeing that her provocations got zero reaction out of me, Clara lost her patience and sought me out. Sitting in a café on the ground floor of the Vance Enterprises building, I looked her up and down carefully and smiled. "You look great, Clara. It seems Preston is taking excellent care of you." Clara reached her hand out and placed it right in front of me. "Mrs. Sterling, look familiar? "An heirloom bracelet from the Sterling family. If I recall correctly, Preston gave this to you the day he proposed. "It was hilarious watching you wrap it in three layers of velvet and lock it in a safe. "Something you treated like a sacred treasure, I only had to glance at twice before Preston gave it to me. "You're just riding on your family's coattails, occupying the title of Mrs. Sterling. "Other than that, you have absolutely nothing. "While I, besides the title of Mrs. Sterling, have everything you don't." Watching Clara act so arrogantly, I honestly found it kind of funny. "Clara, congratulations on your dreams coming true. "There's just one detail you might not have noticed, but I feel obligated to remind you. "Mr. Sterling sent you to Europe. For years, you tried every possible way to contact Preston but failed. "Take a guess—who was it that specifically leaked the news of our wedding to you right before the ceremony? "And why is it that Preston's phone number, which you couldn't reach for a decade, suddenly went through?" Clara froze. She stared at me with wide, disbelieving eyes. "It couldn't have been you, right? Are you crazy?" I leaned back in my chair, watching her with a smile, but said nothing. Clara stared at me for a long time, her eyes darting nervously. She was panicking. "Samantha, what exactly is your endgame?" I looked at her like I had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "Clara, you just called me Mrs. Sterling. Do you really need to ask? "Obviously, I want to defend my home and keep my husband. "I spent over twenty years preparing to marry into the Sterling family. Why would I just hand him over to you?" Clara was furious. She grabbed her coffee cup, ready to throw it at me. I pulled a document out of my bag and slid it across the table to her. When she read the words on the file, the healthy pink color drained from Clara's face, leaving her ghost-white. "You... you! "How do you have this?!" I smiled, picked up my purse, and stood up. "Clara, I won't let go. May the best woman win."

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