The day I broke up with Vance Sterling. He accepted the fact of my departure very calmly. When people asked him if he would ever regret it, he scoffed lightly: "I never regret anything." He truly didn't regret it. He even wired me a massive, multi-million dollar breakup fee. I took it without hesitation. I thought our history was wiped clean. But later, when I was at the movies with my new boyfriend... A figure of pure, arrogant elegance sat down next to us. He was dressed in head-to-toe bespoke couture, looking completely out of place in a noisy, sticky-floored theater. It was Vance Sterling. 1 It had been six months. I never expected to see Vance again. Especially not in a crowded, noisy movie theater. The man in front of me wore a custom-tailored suit worth more than a luxury car. He sat bolt upright, as if he weren't in a standard fifteen-dollar-a-ticket cinema, but in the spacious, sunlit boardroom of a Wall Street skyscraper. I blinked, thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me. But I looked closer. It was really him. Just as my mind was reeling, a crisp, clear voice came from beside me: "Maya, what are you looking at?" I snapped back to reality, withdrawing my shocked gaze, and looked at Liam beside me. Liam Hayes was three years younger than me. Young, energetic, and full of life. His dark eyes were remarkably bright, even in the pitch-black theater. I shook my head. "Nothing." "Oh." He was so sweet and trusting. Without a shred of suspicion, he went back to happily watching the screen. But right at that moment, the man who hadn't turned his head this whole time suddenly looked over, catching my gaze. His eyes were endlessly deep. The light from the movie screen reflected in his pupils, casting shifting shadows over my reflection in them. A dark, dangerous undercurrent seemed to flow there. My gaze faltered, and I quickly looked away. 2 Back then, I was the one who chased Vance. There was no complex reason. He was just too handsome. Plus, when I was being mocked by the wealthy kids for applying for a financial aid grant, he stepped in and helped me. The boy in his sharp prep-school blazer snatched my application form back from the kids mocking me and placed that thin piece of paper gently into my palm. "There's nothing shameful about this. Go turn it in." His voice was flat, just stating a calm fact. But I froze. My fragile, sensitive heart felt like it had been plucked like a guitar string, blooming with an unexpected warmth. That was the first time my heart fluttered for him. From then on, I chased him like I was chasing the sun, even following him to the same Ivy League university. I chased him for four full years before I finally managed to pull this untouchable elite down from his pedestal. When I confessed to him, my face burning red, the violent pounding in my chest was something I can still feel to this day. But he didn't actually like me. Being with me seemed to just be a matter of indifference to him—something he could take or leave. Still, I was secretly thrilled for a long time. I thought that someone as outstanding as him was finally mine. But for the three years we were together, he treated me with nothing but cold indifference. I still remember my birthday. One of his trust-fund frat brothers had his eye on me and smiled at him. "Vance, where'd you find this little girlfriend? She's pretty gorgeous." Saying that, he reached out to touch my face. I instinctively dodged. Vance frowned and stopped him. "Show some respect." Seeing this, the guy backed off awkwardly, keeping his hands to himself. But before I could even breathe a sigh of relief, Vance's phone rang. I didn't know what was said on the other end, but he suddenly stood up. Confused, I tried to grab his sleeve. "Where are you going?" But I missed. The fabric slipped right through my fingertips. His tone took on a blaming edge. "There's an emergency at the company. I have to go." With that, he left without looking back. Leaving me completely alone in the VIP lounge. The guy who had bad intentions toward me let out a cold laugh. "You actually thought Vance cared about you? He's just playing around. Otherwise, how could he leave you here so easily? Why don't you ditch him and get with me?" I broke out in a cold sweat. My immediate instinct was to leave, but he grabbed my arm. Thankfully, there were a few rational people still in the room, and in the ensuing scuffle, I managed to flee the lounge as if running for my life. 3 That birthday was a complete disaster. But that guy's words kept echoing in my head, like needles piercing me over and over again. At the same time, countless other memories flooded my mind. Like the time I was rear-ended, and the other driver, seeing I was just a young woman, twisted the truth and became incredibly aggressive. I called Vance in a panic, but he just told me to call the insurance company or the cops. He was in a meeting and couldn't come. Afterwards, seeing I was upset, he bought me an entire set of the latest Tom Ford lipsticks. Or the time I blushed, put on sexy Victoria's Secret lingerie, and tried to spice things up. Vance's expression remained ice-cold. He just gripped my waist hard, his voice deep and detached: "I'll buy you that Birkin bag you liked tomorrow." I didn't understand him back then. It wasn't until much later that I finally woke up. Vance came from old money. From the very first moment we met, it was destined that we were not from the same world. ...He had never truly respected me. In his eyes, my passionate, burning love was nothing more than a scheme to get his money. I realized it too late. Without any hesitation, I broke up with him. Vance's expression was incredibly indifferent. He just said, "Okay." He sat on the couch, quietly watching me pack my things and leave. He didn't stop me. From the moment I started packing until I walked out the door, he didn't say a single word. Later, I heard from mutual acquaintances that a friend asked him: After so many years together, just cutting ties like that, would he regret it? How did he answer? Maintaining that same aloof, aristocratic demeanor, he said: "I never regret anything." My memories stopped there. Although I didn't quite understand why Vance was here, I didn't care to figure it out. Maybe he just had a sudden whim to see a movie. Who cares. Whatever the reason, it had nothing to do with me. But what I didn't expect was that the hand I had resting on the armrest was suddenly covered by a large, warm hand. At first, I thought it was Liam, so I didn't pull away. But I quickly realized something was wrong. The hand holding mine was coming from my right side! A jolt went through my body, and I snapped my head to the side. The man's expression was as indifferent as ever. But tracing down from his sharp jawline and prominent Adam's apple, my eyes landed on those long, elegant fingers. His hand was resting firmly on top of mine. What kind of psycho trip was he on? I tried to pull my hand back, but he exerted force, and for a moment, I actually couldn't break free. I started to get angry. Was he doing this on purpose? And right at that exact moment, Liam turned his head toward me— 4 My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Luckily, at the crucial moment, Vance let go of my hand. I wanted to snatch my hand back immediately, but I felt like a sudden, jerky movement would only draw Liam's attention. So, I forced myself to stay still. Liam's sweet voice sounded near my ear. "Maya, I'm going to run to the restroom real quick. Be right back." "Okay." The movie wasn't over yet, and the theater was pitch black. As soon as Liam walked away... I stopped holding back. I ripped my hand away, instinctively stood up, and followed him out. —I absolutely did not want to sit next to Vance a second longer. But in my peripheral vision, I saw Vance stand up too. I walked faster and faster, but he still managed to grab my arm as I turned a corner in the hallway. "What are you doing?" I coldly shook off his hand. Caught off guard, he was easily shaken off. A flash of hurt crossed his deep eyes, but he quickly concealed it. His voice was still flat: "Is that your new boyfriend?" I gave a perfunctory nod, thinking to myself: What does it have to do with you? He was the one who said he'd never regret it. What was the point of harassing me now? I was just trying to get away, but he refused to step aside. "How did you meet?" I lost my patience. "None of your business." Saying that, I turned to walk away. Right then, Liam walked out of the men's room and spotted me immediately. He walked toward me happily, tossing his paper towel into the trash. He came over and grabbed my hand, his dark eyes sparkling. "Maya, did you come out just to wait for me?" Our fingers had just intertwined when his gaze fell on the man behind me. He let out a surprised gasp: "Vance?" Hearing this, I froze and asked him, "You know him?" Liam didn't think much of it and nodded naturally. "Yeah, we grew up together. He's a few years older than me, our families run in the same circles." I went completely silent. In a flash of lightning, a thought crossed my mind. No wonder Vance suddenly asked how Liam and I met. Was he afraid I was trying to swindle another rich kid for his money? I found it laughable, but I didn't show it on my face. Liam's gaze shifted back and forth between us, and finally, he asked curiously: "Why are you two standing together..." It was just the two of us over here. It really was hard to explain. I wanted to say Vance was my ex-boyfriend, but the words got stuck in my throat. What were those three years, really? To me, it was a relationship. But to Vance, maybe it was just a transaction? A sugar baby arrangement? When I brought up the breakup, he didn't say a word, but the moment I left, he wired me a massive "breakup fee". Ha. Maybe it wasn't a breakup fee at all. It was just a severance package to thoroughly end our three years together. My mood suddenly plummeted, and my attitude grew sour. "We went to high school together. Just bumped into each other." "We're very close." The two voices dropped at almost the exact same time. Liam's expression shifted slightly. 5 Wait, what? I furrowed my brows deeply, looking at the completely composed man across from me. I had no idea what kind of play he was putting on. Just as I was trying to figure out what to say, Liam suddenly leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheek. He said brightly, "So you're just high school classmates! I knew it. You like younger guys; you definitely wouldn't be into Vance's type." Saying that, he cast a sideways glance at Vance, whose expression had darkened considerably. As if completely oblivious to the older man's icy glare, Liam offered enthusiastically, "Vance, we're going to grab dinner after the movie. Want to tag along?" Then he turned to me with a beaming smile. "Maya, what are you craving? I'll make the reservation." "Whatever you want." Liam was incredibly handsome and sweet. When his dark eyes locked onto you, he looked like an eager golden retriever wagging its tail. When he turned on the charm, it was impossible to say no. Being interrupted by him, the gloomy mood that had settled over me instantly cleared, and a smile broke across my face. Off to the side, Vance stared at us laughing happily. His eyes grew incredibly dark, and his tone was like cracked ice. "No. I have business at the firm. You two go." Knowing him as well as I did, this attitude meant he was genuinely angry. When we were together, he rarely got angry. Most of the time, he was just apathetic. But back then, because I loved him so much, I would unconsciously monitor his every mood, tracking his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. But now? What did his emotions have to do with me? Since he said he was busy, Liam bought it completely. "Alright, we're heading out then." I let him lead me away by the hand. I didn't even notice that the man behind us stood rooted to the spot, lingering for a very long time before finally leaving.
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