Chapter 2

Three years ago, Ethan took me to a high-end charity gala for the first time.

I couldn't drink, and after just a few sips of champagne, I was completely out of it.

He personally drove me back to my apartment. I didn't know if it was the alcohol stripping away my sanity or giving me reckless courage, but I clung to him and seduced him all night.

The next morning, when we woke up, he left a black card on the nightstand.

He silently got dressed, then politely asked, "Can I come back here again?"

As if possessed, I nodded.

And just like that, he kept coming back for three years.

I leaned closer to his warm chest, listening to the steady, rhythmic *thump-thump* of his heart. It filled me with an unspeakable sense of peace.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, a soft murmur drifted from above.

"Anna, don't leave me."

...

"I'm heading to the office first. You can come in a bit later."

Half-awake, I heard Ethan’s deep, gravelly voice.

I blinked open my eyes and saw him already fully dressed.

"Let me make you some oatmeal first," I offered weakly.

Ethan quickly adjusted his tie. "No need. Anna is waiting for me at the office. We're having breakfast together."

With that, he walked out and shut the door behind him.

I sat frozen in bed, staring blankly at the door until my phone buzzed with a call from my assistant. Only then did I snap back to reality.

When I arrived at the office, the atmosphere was visibly tense.

My coworkers, who usually greeted me warmly, were giving me strange, sidelong glances.

As I stepped out of the elevator, I could hear whispering behind my back.

"Lily."

Just as I reached out to push open the door to the CEO's office, my assistant stopped me.

"What is it?"

"Um... Mr. Vance is in his office having breakfast with another lady."

Her eyes darted around, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

I forced a light smile, trying to act unfazed. "Well, it's none of my business when Mr. Vance decides to have breakfast."

"Wait, Lily... aren't you and Mr. Vance..."

I handed her a thick stack of folders. "Focus on your work. Stop gossiping."

The whispers in the hallway died down, but through the slight crack in the office door, a sweet voice drifted out.

"The guy who picked me up yesterday was just a friend. I had no idea he'd show up... Ethan, don't be mad at me anymore, okay?"

"I'm so hungry. Feed me this one."

The girl’s voice was soft, sugary, and laced with childish poutiness.

Ethan, who was usually a man of few words, actually chuckled. "Once we're married, you have to stay by my side and behave."

The sickeningly sweet exchange sparked another wave of murmurs among the nearby desks.

"Does Mr. Vance have a new girl?"

"What's going to happen to Lily?"

"New girl? I heard Lily was just the side chick all along."

"Oh my god, really? She's so shameless."

...

The next second, the office door swung open.

Ethan frowned, his gaze cold. "If anyone has anything else to say, come in and say it to my face."

A petite girl peeked out from behind him. She had porcelain skin and a sweet, delicate doll-like face—completely different from my style.

She looked at me, her eyes curving into a bright, innocent smile.

"Ethan, is this Lily, your secretary?"

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