Chapter 1

A blurry photo was leaked on the company's anonymous Blind app. It showed a silhouette of our CEO, Nicholas Vance, kissing a woman under dim lighting. Nicholas’s profile was clear as day, but the woman’s face was completely hidden in the shadows.

The only thing clear and blinding was the pair of blue diamond earrings on her earlobes—rumored to be worth ten million dollars.

That very night, Bianca Sterling, a senior marketing manager, was spotted in the break room wearing an identical pair of earrings.

The company's WhatsApp group chat exploded. Everyone was privately congratulating Bianca on finally bagging the billionaire CEO and securing her ticket into high society.

Only I knew she was posing as me.

I was just an ordinary administrative assistant at the headquarters, working here for two years doing basic support tasks.

This wasn't because I lacked ability or ambition.

I hid my identity and started from the bottom purely to understand the company's operations inside out.

It was just a warm-up phase before I took over my own family’s conglomerate.

So, after two years, I was still an invisible nobody in the office.

My manager assigned me to help coordinate some of this year's Annual Gala, and even had me participate in some of the stage games to pad my resume.

Today, one of the interactive games required me to share the stage with Bianca Sterling, the high-flying marketing manager.

And Bianca was the "future boss's wife" who wore the identical earrings.

The gala was highly interactive.

The host stood on stage with a mic: "Next, we're going to play a little game! Everyone can draw a card to get their challenge task."

Since it was a corporate event, all the segments were loosely scripted. Bianca went first and drew the pre-arranged card:

[Mix a drink on stage and invite a colleague or friend to taste it with you.]

As soon as the task appeared, the employees below started whispering:

"This was made for Bianca! She’s definitely going to invite the CEO!"

"The gala is going to break the internet! If the CEO comes up, we'll be the top trending topic tomorrow!"

"Omg, I want to see Bianca and Mr. Vance show some PDA so bad!"

The "Mr. Vance" they were talking about was Nicholas Vance. With his jaw-dropping good looks, ruthless business instincts, and mind-boggling wealth, he was a legend in our social circle.

His "rumored romance" with Bianca started about a year ago when she "accidentally" posted a picture of herself using the same limited-edition fountain pen as Nicholas on Instagram.

Over the past year, Bianca had "coincidentally" posted several other items identical to Nicholas's personal belongings. Recently, she even secured a major project that the CEO had personally overseen.

Naturally, rumors began to spread that this beautiful corporate elite had successfully captured the ultimate billionaire bachelor.

The climax happened three days ago.

Someone posted a blurry silhouette of a kiss on the company's Blind forum. Nicholas’s sharp jawline was unmistakable, and the blue diamond earrings on the woman's ears sparkled brilliantly.

That same night, Bianca "carelessly" showed off her identical earrings in front of her colleagues.

The office went wild. Many assumed it was the CEO's silent way of making things official, and some had already started congratulating her in advance.

But I knew it was a lie.

Because the woman in that photo was me...

Those earrings were mine...

And that photo was taken by him on our anniversary when I leaned in to kiss him...

In the original photo, my face was buried in his shoulder, smiling so hard my teeth showed. It was saved on my phone. Nicholas had cropped out the top half, leaving only our touching lips and that sparkling earlobe.

I had no idea how Bianca got her hands on a replica pair of those earrings, but looking at her behavior now, it was definitely no coincidence.

Holding the task card, the host asked Bianca, "Bianca, who are you planning to invite on stage? Will it be *that* special someone everyone is waiting for?"

Bianca glanced at the whispering crowd, putting on a hesitant look before speaking. "Well... Nicholas is usually extremely busy. But whenever I call him, he usually makes time for me."

Her cheeks flushed with a soft pink, looking incredibly shy. "Let me give him a call."

The host, eager to stir up the crowd, played along. "Can we see what his contact name is on your phone?"

Bianca showed her screen to the audience. The contact name was just one word: [Nick]

A wave of giggles and excited murmurs rippled through the crowd, everyone teasing her for being so bold.

Bianca smirked and dialed the number.