The hallway outside the meeting room was silent except for the soft sound of heels against marble floors.Kate walked beside Sophia with her head lowered slightly, her face still burning from humiliation.The luxurious lights above only made her embarrassment feel worse.Moments ago, she had arrogantly called Luca trash.A stalker. A pathetic loser clinging to rich people. And now?Lorenzo himself had publicly scolded her like an idiot in front of everyone. Kate clenched her jaw tightly. Sophia glanced at her calmly.“You really offended him that badly?” Kate looked uncomfortable immediately.“It was a misunderstanding,” she muttered.Sophia stopped walking.“A misunderstanding?” she repeated.Her cold eyes studied Kate carefully.“You don’t look like someone who simply misunderstood a situation.”Kate’s expression stiffened. Sophia crossed her arms lightly.“You insulted him first, didn’t you?”Kate avoided eye contact.The silence itself answered the question. Sophia exhaled softly.

The convention hall overlooking the ocean buzzed with conversation as wealthy investors, celebrities, and executives gathered beneath crystal chandeliers.Soft classical music filled the air.Waiters moved elegantly between tables carrying expensive wine and champagne.But despite the luxurious atmosphere, attention slowly began shifting toward one person.Luca. More specifically—Toward the fact that Lorenzo kept him close the entire time.People noticed everything. The way Lorenzo spoke to him naturally. The way security respectfully greeted him.The way several investors cautiously observed him without daring to offend him. Curiosity spread rapidly.Meanwhile, Isabella stood near the center of the hall with Alessandro beside her, her expression calm but cold.Her eyes kept drifting toward Luca unwillingly. Every time she looked—He seemed more distant.More untouchable. That irritated her deeply.Alessandro noticed immediately. “You’re staring again.”Isabella frowned slightly. “I’m

The luxurious convention hall remained lively, but the atmosphere around Isabella and Alessandro had already changed completely.Earlier, people surrounded them eagerly.Now? Many guests merely offered polite smiles before walking away.Some avoided them altogether. Others whispered quietly while glancing in Luca’s direction.The shift was subtle. But humiliating. Alessandro noticed it immediately. His face remained stiff as another businessman casually brushed past him without stopping to greet him.“That bastard…” Alessandro muttered internally.Across the hall, Luca stood calmly beside Lorenzo while several influential investors spoke with him respectfully.Everywhere he went, attention naturally followed. And that attention irritated Alessandro more and more.Meanwhile, Isabella stood silently beside a tall window overlooking the ocean. Her wine remained untouched.Her cold eyes occasionally drifted toward Luca unwillingly. Each time—She felt increasingly unsettled.Because Luca l

Silence lingered heavily after Luca’s words.“I just stopped wasting my life on people who never valued it.”The sentence echoed through the nearby crowd like a slap.Several businessmen exchanged looks quietly.Even the ocean breeze drifting through the balcony doors seemed colder now.Isabella stood motionless.For the first time in years, she couldn’t immediately respond to Luca.Because deep down—Part of her knew he wasn’t lying.Meanwhile, Alessandro’s face looked uglier than ever.His pride had already been crushed repeatedly tonight.And now Luca humiliating him publicly again in front of Isabella made his chest burn violently with jealousy.He forced out a mocking laugh.“What dramatic nonsense.”His voice sounded strained. “You act like some abandoned victim.”Luca looked at him indifferently. “I don’t need to act.”That calm answer only made Alessandro angrier.“You’re still trash no matter how much you pretend otherwise,” he snapped harshly. “A broke loser who got lucky st

The atmosphere on the island gradually settled again.Music played softly through the luxurious resort hall while waves crashed quietly below the cliffs.But despite the elegant surroundings—An invisible tension still lingered between Luca and Isabella.Especially after everything that happened tonight.Meanwhile, Alessandro’s mood worsened with every passing minute.Because no matter where he looked—People were whispering. And most of those whispers were about him.“That’s the guy who kept provoking Luca.”“He embarrassed himself badly.”“He acted like a clown all night.”Each sentence stabbed directly into his pride.His face remained stiff as he poured another drink aggressively. Isabella noticed immediately.“Stop drinking.”Her voice was calm but cold. Alessandro laughed bitterly.“You’re worried about appearances again?”“I’m tired of your behavior.”That sentence instantly made his expression uglier.“My behavior?”His voice rose slightly.“What about him?”He pointed toward Lu