Chapter 1 We were right on the cusp of college graduation when my boyfriend, Julian Thorne, suddenly dumped me. He handed me the keys to a Malibu beach house, a brand-new Bentley, and a cashier's check for three million dollars. He called it a "thank you" for my companionship over the last four years. I was stunned. I just wanted to know why. His expression was cold, detached. "Vivian, in a family like mine, love and marriage are two different business transactions. I’m going back to handle a merger—a marriage merger. Do you understand?" My boyfriend was engaged. And the fiancée wasn't me. When I rushed to the engagement venue, I saw Julian on the stage. He was wearing a bespoke tuxedo, onyx cufflinks glinting under the lights, looking every bit the handsome aristocrat. Standing opposite him was a woman who barely reached his chest. She was heavy-set, and her skin was slick with oil, covered in angry, ready-to-burst acne. My boyfriend was going to marry her? I thought back to last night. It felt like a different lifetime. Yesterday, I came back to the villa from my internship, and Julian had pressed me onto the bed. He leaned down, his voice raspy and desperate. "Babe, forget who we are tonight. Just let me love you." It was intense. He loved me like it was the end of the world. But when I woke up, he was gone. His number was disconnected. His Instagram, his LinkedIn—all deleted. He had vanished from my world without a trace. Then, his lawyer showed up. The lawyer arrived exactly at noon. He said Julian had specifically instructed him not to come earlier, so as not to disturb my sleep. He handed me a file. It was a deed of gift. Julian had voluntarily transferred the house, the car, and the money to me as a parting gift for our four years together. So, he dumped me out of the blue, treated me like a kept woman, and tried to pay me off? The irony was, I didn't need his money. When Julian and I first got together, I told him I was loaded. But he just smiled confidently and said, "No matter how rich you are, you'll never have as much money as I do." I didn't bother arguing. I loved him. But why break up? Last night, he was so passionate, whispering that he loved me all night long. I forced myself to calm down. Using my family’s private channels, I found out everything in ten minutes. Then, I crashed the engagement party. I could tell Julian wasn't happy. Was he being forced? "Kiss her!" someone from the crowd shouted. I watched the woman lunge for Julian’s hand. He instinctively recoiled, stepping back. The woman looked displeased. Her thick lips flapped as she spat, "Did you already forget what you promised me?" Julian’s face went pale, but he forced himself to take a step forward. He was definitely being threatened. I pushed through the crowd and screamed, "Julian! If you’re in trouble, tell me! Don't do this to yourself!" Every eye in the ballroom turned to me. When Julian saw me, a flash of joy hit his cold eyes, instantly replaced by terrified frost. "Who is this bitch?" the woman on stage growled. She glared at me. "You call my fiancé 'Julian' pretty intimately, don't you?" I was about to reveal my identity when Julian cut me off. He furrowed his brows, looking disgusted. "She’s just a simp. A gold digger I used to know. Kick her out, don't bother with her." A simp? A gold digger? I could feel the contempt in the room shifting toward me. Chapter 2 Yeah, nobody respects a gold digger. But I wasn't one. Julian and I met at a club fair freshman year. I had just finished Muay Thai practice and was starving, so I stole some snacks from my roommate. My roommate roasted me and jokingly told me to call her "Mommy" as punishment. We were just messing around, so I actually did it. Julian stepped in to defend me. He lectured her, saying she shouldn't bully people just because they were poor, and then lectured me about stealing food. He was always like that—a gentleman, obsessed with fairness. So, I played the part. I pretended to be poor and pitiful, clinging to him until we started dating. The whole school thought he was my "Sugar Daddy." People called me a gold digger. I was afraid he’d lose face, so I told him my family was actually wealthy. He didn't seem to care either way. We didn't have a dramatic love story, just four years of honey-sweet stability. We barely ever fought. That’s why I couldn't accept this sudden breakup. I walked toward the stage. Before I could speak, the woman blocked my path. She was so short I had to look down to make eye contact. "You have the nerve to come up here?" She jumped up, trying to slap me. I dodged easily, frowning. I looked at Julian. "You broke up with me to marry this?" "Shut your mouth!" Julian rushed forward and slapped me across the face. I dodged the woman, but I didn't dodge Julian. He had been sick recently; I was afraid if I moved, he’d lose his balance and fall. He was marrying someone else, and I was still worrying about him. I was pathetic. I touched my stinging cheek, looking at him with pure sorrow. "You're Julian's college fling?" The woman walked over, sneering. "A money-grubbing slut daring to act tough in front of me? Do you know who I am? I'm Tiffany Gore. The Gore family owns this city!" I ignored Tiffany and kept my eyes on Julian. "Leaving without a word? That’s not fair to me." "Fair?" Julian scoffed. "I gave you the villa, the Bentley, the cash. What more do you want?" "Stop making a scene, Vivian. We’re done." He frowned deep. "You know people from families like mine... marriage is business. Thank you for the four years, but my wife can only be Tiffany Gore. Do you understand?" "I just want to know one thing. Do you love me?" I asked. I knew about arranged marriages. My parents had one, but they were lucky—childhood sweethearts who actually fell in love. As for me... I was supposed to have an arranged marriage, too. But my family’s status in the Capital was so high we didn't actually need to merge with anyone to maintain power. "Love?" Julian laughed darkly. "Grow up, Vivian. I knew since I was a kid I’d be sold off in a marriage merger. I don't believe in love." "I dated you because you were pretty, poor, and easy to control." He sneered. "Okay, you got your answer. Now get out." So, everything I thought was love was just a delusion? Chapter 3 In Julian's eyes, was I just a presentable, obedient canary? It was laughable. I nodded. If that was the case, fine. My heart hurt, but I knew when to fold. I came to salvage this. If it couldn't be salvaged, I would let go. I looked at Julian and smiled bitterly. "Fine. I wish you happiness." I turned to leave the stage. Julian clenched his fist and looked away, refusing to meet my eyes. But Tiffany blocked me again, grinning maliciously. "Since you're here, stay and watch. Otherwise, you're disrespecting me, disrespecting the Gore family, and disrespecting the whole city!" "That bold, huh?" I laughed. I’d heard talk like this before. The country is big, and not everyone knows my face. Occasionally, someone tries to flex on me. Usually, once I handle a few of them, the rest shut up. Tiffany didn't catch the disdain in my voice. She clapped her hands. A dozen men in black suits emerged from the shadows, surrounding the stage. "Bitch, if I'm not happy today, you don't walk out of this room," Tiffany spat. Julian stepped forward, glaring at me. "Just get out of here! I don't want to see you!" "Did I say you could speak?" Tiffany snapped at him. "Do you think I'm stupid? I see you trying to protect this slut." Protecting me? I looked deeply at Julian. Beneath the cold exterior, his eyes were full of panic. Maybe what he said earlier was a lie. Julian shook his head. "I just don't want ties to my past. Plus, having my ex here at our engagement? It makes us look bad. Think about your reputation, Tiffany." His voice softened. "I'm thinking of you." Tiffany’s face relaxed slightly, but she sneered, "I don't care about reputation. In this town, I am the law." She pointed at me. "Go sit down and watch!" I nodded, shot Julian a knowing half-smile, and walked off the stage. Immediately, four security guards surrounded me, escorting me to a corner table. They were terrified I’d bolt. From the stage, Tiffany yelled, "You watch closely. If I don't say you can leave, you stay put." "If you don't let me leave now," I said calmly, "when you want me to leave later, I might not go." "Shut up!" Julian yelled. I smiled and stayed silent. If they wanted to play, we could play. Tiffany continued, "I heard you're from the Capital? That's cute. Later on, some real heavy hitters from the Capital are coming—real elite circle guys. I'll introduce you. Help you see what the real world looks like." "I'll thank you in advance, then," I chuckled. A group of young people walked over to my table. They looked arrogant, loud, and tacky. Definitely Tiffany's entourage. "Little gold digger, do you have a death wish?" "You think Julian can protect you?" "Let's be real, even if you didn't crash this, Tiffany wouldn't have let you go. She’d never let a woman who slept with her fiancé for four years live." "I have a phone, want me to call the cops for you?" Chapter 4 They mocked me recklessly. I just looked down at my phone, ignoring them. But one thing was certain now: Julian was definitely protecting me. The ceremony ended quickly. Next came the reception—networking and drinking. Tiffany dragged Julian from table to table, toasting guests. Everyone fawned over her. I had done a quick background check on the Gore family. They were the richest in the city, sure, but they were "new money"—no class, no history. They gained power by leveraging a connection in the Capital to secure big contracts. But they had never broken into the true "Old Money" circle of the city. That meant everyone here was either a Gore family parasite or one of Julian’s family friends. Julian’s family, the Thornes, were Old Money, but they were in decline. This marriage was a transaction. The Gores wanted a ticket into high society—marrying a Thorne gave them that pedigree. The Thornes wanted cash to resurrect their business empire. I’d seen this dynamic a thousand times growing up. Mergers and acquisitions, using people as currency. Suddenly, a girl who looked about sixteen sat next to me. She was sweet, with a little baby fat on her cheeks, looking adorable. Her eyes looked just like Julian’s. "I'm Chloe Thorne. Your ex-man’s little sister." "Don't talk. Follow me. Now." She looked cute, but her voice was icy. She grabbed my hand. I didn't move. "Did your brother send you?" "What do you think?" Chloe frowned. "Hurry up, or you're stuck here!" Several men in black suits stepped closer. Chloe sighed, let go of my hand, and slumped back into the chair. She knew it was too late. "You shouldn't have come," she whispered. "If it weren't for you, my brother wouldn't have been forced to marry that pig, Tiffany Gore!" Because of me? Before I could ask, a commotion erupted at the entrance. Tiffany and Julian rushed to the door, signaling everyone to stand. Seven or eight people walked in. Young men and women, dressed impeccably, carrying an air of effortless power. Especially the leader—a guy in his early twenties who walked like he owned the building. "Sebastian! You finally made it. The party felt dead without you," Tiffany gushed, reaching out to shake his hand. Sebastian Vance didn't shake her hand. He didn't even look at her. He stared intently at Julian. "You're Julian Thorne?" Julian paused, then nodded. Sebastian’s attitude softened slightly. He smiled. "She hid you too well. Otherwise, we would have met a long time ago." Tiffany thought the "she" referred to her. She turned to the room. "Everyone, this is Sebastian Vance, the Prince of the Capital! The Vance family is the Gore family’s biggest backer!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "386376", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel