Chapter 1

At the pre-wedding singles' party, Michael Henson announced in front of everyone,

"After we're married, I won't take a position at the Vaughn Group. I won't be anyone's money-making tool."

Michael's cronies immediately clapped and cheered.

"Michael's a big man. Somebody's sweet little dream just fell through."

"Exactly. How could Michael bow his head for a paycheck? He'd only bow his head for Myrtle."

I stared at Michael in astonishment. Just because his little sweetheart didn't get her sweet and sour fish yesterday, he was threatening me like this?

Seeing me stay silent, Michael assumed I was scared again, and he said shamelessly,

"Renata, if you want me to come help at the Vaughn Group, fine—you have to give me twenty percent of the shares, and make Myrtle the CFO."

Michael's friends beside him roared with laughter.

"Renata, hurry up and agree, or your Michael here will get angry and won't even show up to the wedding tomorrow."

"Right. And by the time you come crying and apologizing, it won't be twenty percent anymore."

Through all the noise, Michael lifted his chin and looked at me with contempt.

"Renata, if you want me to marry a good-for-nothing like you, then go into the kitchen yourself and cook Myrtle a fish to apologize. Otherwise you can go marry yourself tomorrow."

Under the sneering, mocking eyes of the crowd, I walked out of the private room and made a phone call.

"Scott Gilbert, if you dare come to the wedding tomorrow, I'll marry you."

Section 1

Another burst of laughter erupted from the private room behind me.

"Michael, you're the man! You tell Renata to go east and she wouldn't dare go west. Now she's off to cook a fish for our little Myrtle like a good girl."

"Of course. Do they even know who Michael is? Graduated from an elite university, won first prize in a national competition at eighteen, the number one expert at the research institute. He's the dream man of countless young heiresses in Rivercrest."

"Renata's just desperate to get married. She's waited sixteen years for Michael, after all. If he didn't marry her, she'd cry herself to death."

The driver watched me get into the car and spoke up, indignant.

"Ms. Vaughn, the young master is going too far. He's getting married tomorrow, and he's still taking Miss Donaldson's side at every turn?"

"Before the master left to recuperate, he asked him to support you, and this is how he treats you."

I let out a scoff.

"Russ, someone's grown his wings and decided the Vaughn family isn't worthy of his outstanding talent."

Then, without hesitation, I made another call.

"Dennis, I'm planning to replace the person heading the special research funding project."

Dennis's startled voice came from the other end at once.

"Ms. Vaughn, haven't you always thrown your full support behind Dr. Henson's research? And he really has produced results these past three years—why the sudden change?"

I narrowed my eyes and looked into the pitch-black night ahead.

"Dr. Henson is exceptionally talented and gifted. He's above the Vaughn family's grubby money now."

"Hand the research over to Scott Gilbert's team, and I'll add another hundred million to the funding."

A delighted exclamation came from the other end.

"Understood, Ms. Vaughn. I'll assemble a professional team for Scott Gilbert right now."

"Don't worry. The research patents will follow the old arrangement—the Vaughn Group takes seventy percent, the research institute thirty."