Chapter 4

The tiny spark of affection I once had for Grace had been completely incinerated in that plane crash.

In this new life, we had both silently agreed to ignore each other’s existence, living like parallel lines that would never intersect. Even running into her now, I had zero desire to have anything to do with her.

I calmly picked up the emerald necklace and tossed it back into her lap.

"Miss Fletcher, if you want to make a charitable donation, the orphanage is down the street. I’m not your trash can."

Grace’s face flushed with anger. "Edward! You know exactly what I’m trying to do. Why do you have to twist my words like this?"

"Miss Fletcher," I replied, my voice cold and flat. "You are a taken woman. Please mind your boundaries."

"I don't need to understand your intentions, nor do I care. I make enough money to support myself, and I’m perfectly content."

With that, I turned my back on her.

Furious, Grace slammed the emerald necklace onto the floor, the heavy gems making a sharp clattering sound.

Isaac's expression darkened instantly.

He picked up the necklace, dusting it off, and looked at me with a condescending, patronizing smile.

"Edward, we’re both men here. I get it, you’re trying to save face."

"But Grace is my fiancée, and since she sincerely wants to help you, I’ll make sure it happens."

"Since you're too proud to accept a valuable piece of jewelry, how about a comfortable, easy job?"

"Grace and I just got a golden retriever, and we need a live-in dog nanny. The pay is five thousand dollars a month, room and board included."

"Drop the useless pride, Edward. Come report to our mansion tomorrow morning."

The fans immediately began to murmur in awe.

"Oh my god! Grace and Isaac are literally saints!"

"They’re basically offering to feed him and pay for his retirement."

"Playing with a puppy pays way better than being a janitor!"

"If he rejects this, he’s just being greedy and probably wants to blackmail Grace for more!"

"Seriously, does he not look in the mirror? He’s not even a fraction of the man Isaac is!"

My brows furrowed. "No interest," I said coldly.

Grace lost her patience and snapped, "Fine! If you love being a lowly setup guy so much, keep doing it. Go ahead and rot at the bottom of society!"

Seeing Grace turn hostile toward me, her rabid fans immediately jumped at the chance to please her.

The fan who had been called out earlier for spreading rumors stepped right in front of me, a nasty, mocking sneer on her face.

"Hey, Edward, aren't you just holding out for more money?"

"Tell you what. If you crawl through my legs ten times and call me 'gorgeous' each time, I’ll gladly pay for your rent and meals. What do you say?"

The girls next to her, eager to show off in front of Grace, surged forward and aggressively shoved me.

Losing my balance, I tripped and fell hard right at her feet, my forehead hitting the floor as if I were bowing to her.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?!" Grace’s face turned furious. She rushed over and violently shoved the fans away.

"Is this the kind of garbage behavior my fan club represents? Who gave you the right to do this?"

"If anyone ever pulls a disgusting, low-class stunt like this in front of me again, get the hell out of my sight! You’re making me sick!"

The fans who had been pushed to the ground were completely stunned.

Realizing they had crossed a line, they burst into tears, begging Grace for forgiveness.

But Grace showed no mercy, coldly kicking their hands away.

Isaac quickly grabbed her arm, whispering urgently, "Grace, calm down. People are watching. Don't let anyone record this and twist it!"

"You just won Best Actress! You need to protect your public image!"

Grace glared at the crying fans, her chest heaving with anger. "Then they shouldn't be acting like trash under my name!"

I slowly sat up, feeling incredibly perplexed.

Did Grace just turn on her own fans... to defend me?

Isaac quickly tried to change the subject, pointing to the massive LED screen in the club lobby.

"Grace, do you know why I booked your fan meetup at this specific private club?"

"The owner of this place is a legendary billionaire tycoon. She owns over fifty major media, entertainment, and production companies."

"Almost all the award-winning blockbusters recently were produced by her companies. Everyone in the industry is desperate to get a meeting with her."

"Today, she’s bringing her family here for a routine inspection."

"If we can get on her good side, our careers will skyrocket!"

The fans who had been crying a moment ago immediately forgot their tears and crowded around the entrance, craneing their necks to look outside.

A moment later, a sleek, custom stretch Lincoln pulled up at the entrance.

A crowd of elite bodyguards and private nannies walked in, surrounding a beautiful little girl.

A fan squealed in excitement, "Oh my god, the billionaire's family is here!"

I tried to step through the crowd to see the little girl.

But a fan violently shoved her elbow into my chest.

"Get out of the way, loser! Only Grace’s VIP fans get to stand here. Who do you think you are?"

"You insulted Grace and refused to be my boy toy. You don't even deserve to breathe the same air as us!"

Isaac smirked slightly, giving the fan an encouraging look, and another girl pushed me hard.

The little girl in the center of the crowd suddenly gasped, her face turning pale.

She broke away from her nannies, running past the security guards straight toward me.

"Daddy! Are you okay?"