James Kane's latest mistress was a real firecracker. She showed up pregnant and screaming at the office. Everyone’s head snapped toward me. Someone whispered to her, trying to de-escalate. “You should get out of here. Mrs. Kane will beat you until you miscarry. She lost her mind a long time ago.” James, rushing to the scene, pulled the mistress behind him, his eyes wary as he faced me. “If you’re going to hit someone, hit me. Don’t you dare touch her.” The entire office fell deathly silent, everyone waiting for my reaction. Waiting for me to erupt into hysterics, to shatter everything in sight, just like I used to. But instead, I turned to leave. As I walked, I admired my fresh manicure. A simple, dusty rose. Perfect for my date tonight. I’d gone to so much trouble to look this beautiful today. I wasn’t about to let it get ruined. 1 I had just stepped out of the conference room when a woman’s voice called out from behind me. “Excuse me, do you know where I can find Summer Sterling?” Someone answered in a hushed tone. “You need an appointment to see Mrs. Kane.” The woman’s voice immediately rose, laced with a certain brash confidence. “I’m Mr. Kane’s partner. I need to have a little chat with her.” It was strange. Her voice wasn’t that loud, but the words hung in the air, and the entire lobby fell silent. The air felt thick, every eye turning silently toward me. The crowd parted automatically, creating a path. The woman understood immediately. She walked straight toward me. Her footsteps stopped right behind me, carrying a cloud of cloying perfume. “You’re Summer Sterling?” I turned and calmly looked her over. She was thin, her body wrapped in a tight white dress that made her look even more fragile. Except for her belly, which swelled conspicuously, like a grotesquely oversized fruit on a delicate stem. She tilted her chin up at me, her expression defiant. “I’m here to tell you that James is mine now. It’s been over between you two for a long time. He told me himself—the sight of you makes him sick! If you have any shame left, you’ll get lost and stop clinging to him!” I almost laughed. “I’m clinging to him?” “Still playing dumb!” She ignited like a match, her voice turning shrill. “Last night, he was supposed to be with me for my prenatal check-up, but you called and he went running right back! What else can you do besides trap him with that ‘Mrs. Kane’ title? Do you have any idea how much he despises you?!” So that was it. No wonder James was so late for our fifth wedding anniversary last night. He was busy escorting his little mistress to a doctor’s appointment. I raised a hand, intending to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. But she flinched back violently, her hands flying to shield her stomach as she shrieked, “What do you think you’re doing?! Are you going to hit a pregnant woman in front of all these people?!” I watched her, a small smirk playing on my lips. “Well, since you’ve already accused me, I might as well do something to earn the reputation, right?” Her face went white, and she stumbled back toward the edge of the crowd. Someone whispered to her, “You need to leave. Mrs. Kane… she’s made several of his mistresses miscarry before. She’s unhinged. You can’t win. Go, before she really does something!” The girl hesitated for a few seconds, then seemed to gather her courage, taking another step forward to glare at me. “You’ll pay for all the terrible things you’ve done! You’ll get what’s coming to you!” She paused, a bright smile spreading across her face. “In fact, you already are. You love James so much, but he doesn’t love you back! That’s your punishment!” 2 A collective gasp went through the room. I just watched her, my expression unreadable. This girl was different from the others James had picked. Most of them were the weeping, damsel-in-distress type. But she was like a wild rose, all thorns. Spitfire. Direct. Full of aggression. She tried to wound me with the fact that James didn’t love me, but it was such an amateur move. I’d heard those same words repeated by a parade of women over the years. My heart had long since grown a thick callus. The words didn’t hurt anymore. But she really shouldn’t have bothered me today. I had been in such a good mood—new nails, fresh makeup, an important date planned. And now, thanks to her little scene, that good mood had vanished like smoke in the wind. I sighed internally. These women were all the same. They’d find me, then they’d harass me. Either to flaunt how much James adored them, or to earnestly plead with me to let him go. But they never listened when I told them the truth: I didn’t love James anymore. They just kept coming, one after another, shattering my peace. At first, it was a headache. Then I discovered a simple solution: one slap. They would whimper and run into James’s arms, get the attention and pity they craved, and finally, finally leave me alone. My gaze settled on her face. A delicate, palm-sized face with pale skin. The perfect shape for slapping. It wouldn't take much effort. So, without any hesitation, I raised my hand and swung, clean and sharp, right at that face. She squeezed her eyes shut, her body curling into a ball. But the expected crack of a slap never came. My wrist was caught mid-air, held in a powerful grip that sent a jolt of pain through my bones. “Summer!” It was James. 3 James shielded the girl completely, his eyes fixed on me, full of suspicion. “Summer, if you’re going to hit someone, hit me. Don’t you dare touch her.” Before he even finished, the girl started to sob. Her voice was thick with tears, but her words were crystal clear. “Why should she hit you?! James, she’s the one clinging to you, refusing to sign the divorce papers! You two haven’t been a real couple in years, you don’t even want to touch her! You’ve wanted out for so long, and she’s the one holding you back!” James immediately let go of my wrist and turned to wipe the tears from the girl’s—Aria’s—face with the pad of his thumb. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s not good for the baby. I’ll get the divorce. I promise, I’ll find a way.” Aria’s shoulders trembled as she cried, and she leaned into his embrace, her voice muffled against his chest. “I just feel so bad for you… for all the pain you’ve had to endure in that marriage.” James let out a low chuckle. “It’s nothing. As long as you and the baby are safe and healthy, none of it matters.” The girl’s sobs turned into a small, contented laugh. The entire lobby was so quiet you could hear the hum of the air conditioning. Everyone looked from them, to me, and back again. Their expressions were a mix of curiosity, pity, and the sheer thrill of watching a good show. I could even catch a few heavily suppressed whispers. “Why isn’t Mrs. Kane doing anything this time?” “She’s probably waiting to pull out the big guns. I bet that baby’s not making it to term…” I shook my head wearily. I’d put so much effort into looking beautiful today. I couldn’t let it get messed up. I turned to leave. A clear, steady male voice sounded from behind me. “Having a bit of fun, Mr. Kane?” The crowd parted again, and a tall, imposing figure, flanked by several executives, walked toward us. The man’s eyes landed on me first, his expression dark and unreadable. After a few seconds, his gaze shifted to James. A flicker of awkwardness crossed James’s face. He stepped forward and extended a hand toward the newcomer, his tone overly formal. “Mr. Davenport. Please excuse the mess.” Rhys Davenport glanced coolly at the outstretched hand but made no move to shake it. “Always surrounded by beautiful women, Mr. Kane. Is there any time left for business?” James’s hand froze in mid-air, and his face instantly soured. The shareholders standing nearby quickly jumped in, laughing nervously. “Just joking, Mr. Davenport! Our Mr. Kane is just too charming for his own good. It’s a testament to his abilities, haha…” I had no interest in watching the rest of this farce. I turned to go. “Summer!” James called out after me. “Where are you going? Mr. Davenport was your classmate in college. You should at least stay and entertain an old friend.” I didn’t stop, just threw a cool reply over my shoulder. “I’m busy.” Then, Rhys’s voice cut in from behind me. “I’ll be skipping the welcome dinner tonight. I have a date with my girlfriend. I’ll be leaving now.” James quickly responded, “Congratulations, Mr. Davenport! Then perhaps another time. Bring your girlfriend along, we’ll all have a meal together.” Rhys let out a soft, ambiguous laugh but didn’t answer. His eyes lingered on my back for a brief moment before he turned and headed for the same exit I was walking toward. 4 The moment I opened my car door, a shadow fell over me. An all-consuming kiss descended, powerful and demanding, stealing the air from my lungs. Just before I thought I would pass out from lack of oxygen, he finally released me. In the dim light of the parking garage, his eyes churned with a dark tide I couldn’t decipher. His large hand stroked my back, helping me calm my ragged breathing. I leaned against his chest, quietly steadying myself. Once my breathing had evened out, I spoke, my voice lazy. “Alright, you can go on your date now. I’m heading home.” From above me came his deep voice, laced with something between amusement and exasperation. “And who do you think my girlfriend is?” I looked up, meeting his gaze in the gloom, my tone flat. “Rhys, I’m already letting you be my lover. Now you want a title? You can’t have everything.” He didn’t get angry. Instead, he let out a low chuckle, his arms tightening around me. “James cycles through women like they’re disposable. Are you really going to waste your whole life on him like this? Is it worth it?” “No.” My answer was instant, without a shred of hesitation. “But I’m not divorcing him.” The only sound in the car was our breathing. After a long moment, he spoke again. “My looks, my family, my wealth… even how I feel about you. In what way am I inferior to him? Summer, I don’t understand.” I smiled softly, my fingers toying with the buttons on his suit jacket. “I want the company. And I want the money. For those two things, I can tolerate being married to James Kane.” It was the first time I had ever voiced my true motivations to anyone. It wasn't about love or attachment. It was about cold, hard reality. I wanted the money. I had been there with James from the beginning, when he had nothing. I practically built that company with my own two hands. When I stepped back and let him take full control, it wasn’t because I was incapable. It was because I trusted him. We were both orphans. We only had each other in the world. But reality taught me that my trust had been misplaced. After the love was gone and I was exhausted, there were times when I was pushed to the brink, times I considered walking away with nothing just for a moment of peace. But I couldn’t stomach it. Why should the empire I built be split in half, at best, just so he could share it with his whores? I would rather rot in this swamp with him than watch what was mine be given to those two. Rhys raised an eyebrow. Then, a low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “You little gold-digger,” he murmured, lowering his head until our foreheads touched, his voice a deep whisper. “I’ll help you.” 计费点 This time, I was the one who kissed him first. The car started smoothly, pulling out of the underground garage. As we passed the exit, the headlights swept across James and his mistress, who was clinging to him by the side of the road. James glanced instinctively toward the car. Through the tinted window, he saw me locked in a passionate, all-consuming kiss with Rhys Davenport. 5 I pushed open the door to my house. Rhys had insisted that last night was the 100-day anniversary of our relationship and had pressed a Harry Winston diamond ring into my hand. The box felt heavy in my purse. I needed to put it away safely. The entryway lights were off, and the living room was dim. As I took off my shoes, I noticed a figure sitting on the sofa. Before I could make out who it was, a voice, hoarse from a sleepless night, spoke. “Where were you last night?” It was James. I frowned slightly, wondering why he was even asking. It dawned on me then that he must have been waiting up all night. We had long since settled into a routine of silent warfare, so I didn't answer, simply walked toward the bedroom. “Sign it.” His voice came from behind me. I turned back. On the coffee table was a document, black ink on white paper. Divorce papers. “No,” I said, my voice flat. He let out a sharp, humorless laugh and stood up. “Summer, what’s the point of clinging on like this? She’s pregnant. She needs a proper family. Even if you won’t think about us, can’t you think about an innocent child?” “A child?” I repeated the word softly, looking up at him. “At the rate you’re going, will there be another woman, another child who needs a family in two months? Are you planning to marry every single one of them, give every child your name?” His brow furrowed, but his tone softened slightly. “She’s different. Aria’s an orphan. She only has me.” “An orphan?” I echoed the word, a sense of absurdity rising in my chest. And what was I? Who was it that stood under the old locust tree at the orphanage, his eyes red-rimmed, and said to me, “Summer, we’re both orphans. We only have each other in this world. Don’t leave me.” For those words, I gave up the chance to be adopted, choosing to stay at the orphanage with him. Seeing that I was unmoved, James sighed and explained further. “She has Long QT syndrome.” I froze. A congenital heart condition. Emotional distress or overexertion could trigger sudden death. The orphanage never had healthy baby boys. It was because of this condition that James had been abandoned. In the early days of our business, how many nights had I spent working alone at the office, all because he couldn’t risk overworking himself? A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Pregnancy with that condition is extremely high-risk. She could die on the delivery table. When you were enjoying yourself without a condom, did it ever occur to you that she might die on an operating table?” “I chose to!” A figure rushed out from a corner of the room. The girl, her belly prominent, her chin held high. “You couldn’t have a child all these years. This is James’s only child. Since you know I’m risking my life, you should sign the papers and give me some peace of mind. It would be better for me and the baby. Just sign it!” I looked at her calmly. “Aria Vance.” That was her name. Her expression shifted. “You investigated me?” I ignored her question. “When you were a little girl, you said you wanted to be a scientist. Did you ever achieve that dream?” She was stunned into silence. I smiled faintly. “I remember you.” She was one of the children James and I had sponsored. I remembered a little girl hiding behind the orphanage director, her eyes shining as I gave her a set of encyclopedias, whispering shyly, “Thank you, sister Summer. I’m going to be a scientist when I grow up.” It was also her who had once innocently taken our hands and said, “I wish sister Summer and brother James will be together forever.” The clear, bright eyes from my memory were now clouded with raw desire. “Scientist…” Aria scoffed. “All I want now is to be with James. You promised you would always support me. Well, giving me James is the best support you can offer.” I smiled sweetly. “No.” “If you don’t give my child a legitimate name, I’ll die right here in front of you!” “Be my guest.” My tone was placid. “You have a heart condition anyway. You won’t live long.” As I turned to leave, Aria lunged forward and grabbed my arm. In the struggle, the Harry Winston ring slipped from my fingers, clattering to the floor. My cashmere coat was pulled from my shoulders, revealing the torn white silk shirt underneath. And then, everyone froze. The marks from Rhys’s kisses last night were laid bare in the morning light.
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