Chapter 1
I was in the middle of booking flights to Sweden when Seraphina strode into my office, a frown etched on her face, and rapped on my desk.
“Preston lands in two hours. Arrange for someone to pick him up; I’m tied up here.”
“Oh, and by the way, move out for a bit. Clear out the master bedroom and order 999 champagne-colored roses.”
I just stared at her cold, clear eyes. For the first time, I didn’t immediately agree.
I simply lowered my gaze, tidying up the papers on my desk.
My phone screen lit up, confirming the flight booking.
Seraphina glanced at it, her frown deepening. “Blair Vance has no real power now. The heir position is a sure thing. Your main task right now is to keep a close eye on those old foxes in management. Don’t let Blair get an opening.”
Seraphina always spoke to me with that commanding tone.
She always said she felt insecure, and to accommodate her, I’d always put her first in the company, following her every command. Now, it just felt ridiculous.
Seeing my lack of response, Seraphina gripped the desk with clenched fists, veins popping out on her hands.
“Jaxson Hayes, are you testing me? Are you even listening? So what if your tiny company had a tech breakthrough? That’s no reason to get cocky!”
I pushed the printed termination agreement and a few recent contracts across the table to her.
“Ms. Vance,” I said calmly, “sign it.”
“What is this now?” She furrowed her brows, taking the papers impatiently.
“Just read it yourself.”
A notification pinged on her phone. She casually tossed the contracts aside, her slender fingers flying across the screen as she replied to a message.
Apparently, text wasn’t enough to convey her urgency. She pressed her thumb to the screen. “Okay, I’ve arranged it. See you tonight.”
She tried to control the joy in her voice, but the smile on her lips was impossible to hide. Her relaxed brows made her look even more radiant.
After a long moment, she seemed to remember I was still there.
Impatiently, she grabbed a pen, barely glancing at the papers as she signed off in a few quick strokes. Perhaps the other person’s message had put her in a good mood.
“Jaxson, maybe we’ve both been too tired lately.”
Seraphina’s tone softened. “You don’t always need to seek validation from me. Once everything settles down, I’ll fulfill my promises to you.”
I ignored her, simply bending my head back to my work.
After all, I’d been waiting year after year for such worthless promises.
I finally understood: it wasn’t that she was too busy; it was that this groom was never meant to be me.
After arranging the follow-up work for the termination and returning home, Preston Thorne, dressed in designer clothes, appeared at my door.
“Seraphina said you were lonely and pathetic, which is why she took you in all these years.”
“But you’ve really worked hard taking care of Seraphina all this time. Even a bodyguard couldn’t be this dedicated.”
“Still, don’t fantasize about being the man of the house, big brother. After all, we’re getting married tomorrow.”
I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists, fighting the urge to punch him. I turned to leave.
But Preston quickly moved to block me, shoving his phone in my face.
“This is a couple’s account Seraphina specifically made to document our love. I bet you’ve never seen this side of her, have you, big brother?”
“I’d advise you to stop clinging to the Vance family’s high branch. Just give up and find someone ordinary!”
With that, he shoved the phone into my hand and slammed the door shut.
A cold breeze swept by as I scrolled through the messages, one by one.
April 29th, 2025: While I pulled three all-nighters in a row, she bought Preston a two-million-dollar ring at an auction.
October 18th, 2024: On the way to a contract meeting, I was hit by a truck arranged by a rival company, breaking my leg. She was living it up in Dubai with Preston. “Preston’s happiness is more important than anything.”
June 8th, 2022: I was set up by her older sister and detained for 15 days. After I got out, I spent two weeks finding people to short Blair’s company stock. She was in France with Preston at an art exhibition. “No artwork can compare to even one-thousandth of Preston’s beauty.”
Every single video frame felt like plunging into an ice-cold abyss, a suffocating ache squeezing my lungs.
During those ten years with Seraphina, I had pleaded with her to take some photos to document our daily lives.
She would just scoff and sneer, “Jaxson Hayes, how can you be so childish for a grown man? Closing a few big deals is far more important.”
My only photo with her was probably the hundreds-person group shot when the company went public.
Turns out, she didn’t dislike taking photos; she disliked taking them with me.
She didn’t dislike going public; she just didn’t want to go public with me.
Lost in thought, my phone pinged with a new message. Two words: “Let’s talk.”
After a moment of consideration, I couldn’t help but want to confirm some things.
“June 8th, 2022. Was that your setup?”
The reply was instant: “What good would putting you in there do me?”
“Are men in love really that stupid? You believe whatever that brat Seraphina says.”
“So, because of that, you almost made me shoulder hundreds of millions in debt?!”
I let out a long sigh.
Yes, I’d truly been her pawn for years, believing everything she said.
I’d made countless enemies for her, taken reckless risks for her, only to end up a complete joke.