As we continued to bicker amongst ourselves, the doors of the main conference room swung open and Sloane stepped out with a radiant smile lighting up her face as she clutched a leather portfolio to her chest.Lysander Croft walked out right behind her, but the moment his eyes landed on us, his smirk returned. He stepped forward, blocking the corridor. "Well, well. Look who it is. Still loitering in the executive wing, Riven?"I didn't answer, keeping my eyes flat.Lysander let out a loud, mocking laugh, looking me up and down. "You really are completely useless, aren't you? Yesterday you were playing rich to impress high society, and today you're using those same pathetic lies to fool young girls in broad daylight."As he spoke, Lysander’s gaze shifted, his eyes locking onto Lyra. His expression turned instantly lecherous, his eyes scanning her face. Lyra had a perfect baby face, the absolute image of a sweet, innocent girl-next-door clearly a classic campus beauty from a man's wil

Lyra led me down the bustling street to a trendy restaurant just a few blocks from the office. The place was filled with the lively chatter of the lunchtime crowd, a clear attempt on her part to get me out of my head and cheer me up after the hallway confrontation.Once we sat down and placed our orders, Lyra leaned across the table, her eyes filled with real concern. "Are you really okay, Riven? What she said back there... it was horrible.""I'm fine, honestly," I said, offering her a reassuring smile as I adjusted my plate. "I have long gotten used to Sloane's behavior. Her favoritism toward Lysander isn't anything new to me anymore."Seeing her tilt her head in sympathy, I found myself opening up, sharing the full story of my three years of marriage the endless compromises, the constant belittling from her mother, and the complete emptiness of living as a ghost in my own home. Lyra listened closely, placing her hand gently over mine. "You didn't deserve any of that, Riven. You ga

Back inside the main executive offices of Veridian Global, Sloane slammed her portfolio onto the reception desk, her face burning with humiliation. Her contract application lay stamped with a bold, red rejection notice."This is ridiculous!" Sloane shouted, glaring directly at Linnea as the director walked out of the conference room. "You are completely abusing your power, Director Linnea! You're deliberately taking revenge on my company just because I offended your little delivery-boy boyfriend downstairs!"Lysander stepped up right beside Sloane, crossing his arms with a smug sneer. "She's right. Everyone knows you brought that street rat Riven up to your private suite earlier, Director. To tank a massive supply contract over a vagrant's bruised ego? Talk about pathetic leadership."Linnea’s eyes flashed with absolute fury. She tightened her grip on her tablet, looking at them both with cold contempt. "Watch your mouth, Mr. Croft. Veridian Global makes decisions based on strict co

After finishing his lunch with Lyra, Riven stepped out onto the sidewalk. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw Vanessa's name on the screen."Hey, Riven," Vanessa said, her voice sounding relieved. "I finally managed to get away from my family's constant control for a bit. I haven't even had a chance to go shopping yet.""Good for you," Riven said with a light chuckle. "So what's the plan?""Well, I need you to play along as my boyfriend today," she said playfully. "You need to carry my shopping bags and help me pick out some nice gifts for my parents. Are you up for it?""Sure, I promised I'd help you out," Riven replied. "Where should I meet you?"After hanging up, Riven walked to the curb, hailed a taxi, and headed straight to the grand entrance of the central plaza. It was the largest luxury shopping mall in the area. The entire property was the most profitable asset under the control of the global bank, and it had even become a popular local tourist attractio

He looked down at his simple sneakers. "And honestly, I don't know what you really want from me, Vanessa. I am just a poor man. That black VIP card from the tenth floor the other day? I just borrowed that from a wealthy friend to get us through the door. I don't actually own anything."Vanessa looked at his stressed expression and felt a pang of sympathy. She squeezed his arm to comfort him, but her sharp female intuition immediately caught onto a specific detail in his rant. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Wait a minute... who is this childhood friend you have to help tomorrow? Is it a woman?"Riven blinked, nodding honestly. "Yeah. We went to school together."Vanessa's expression changed instantly. A sudden wave of jealousy washed over her features. She clung even tighter to his arm, leaning her head against his shoulder as she whined playfully, "Am I not good enough for you, Riven? How can you still be thinking about other women while you're standing right next to me on a date?"Ri