I had thought she was talking about the Sullivan’s wealth, and I was just some guy driven by money.

For three years, I tried to show her that I wasn’t after her family’s wealth.

When Charles Hughes returned from abroad, Nicole eagerly made him her executive assistant. That’s when I realized what she had truly meant all along was her love for him.

I couldn’t bear the thought of those three years being wasted, so I clung to our engagement with everything I had.

But now...

I tossed the torn engagement letter into the trash can.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a new message:

[I’m leaving. If you’re really not going to say yes, then we’ll never see each other again.]

I stared at the screen for a moment before typing back:

[I accept.]

Not long after I sent the message, my phone rang.

“You’re not just saying this to get back at her, are you?” a woman’s voice asked on the other end.

Without hesitation, I replied, “I swear on my father’s name, I’m not lying to you.”

There was a pause, followed by the sound of a slow, steady breath.

Then she said softly, “I’ll treat you well.”

I smiled.

To her, that was the most loving thing she could say.

...

The flight tickets arrived soon after.

I was leaving tonight, so I went back to the villa to pack. But as I pushed the door open, I saw Nicole, who is usually never home, waiting for me.

"Have you thought it through?"

In the darkness, her voice was cold.

"The brooch... will you let him have it?"

I gripped the brooch over my chest.

Nicole continued, "Charles comes from a poor family. Luxury items are something he’s only started experiencing in the past two years. He doesn’t blame you for taking what’s his; he just wanted your brooch. What’s the matter, aren’t you satisfied?"

She stepped down, looked up, and moved closer to me.

"So, you really want me to cancel our engagement?" Nicole asked, feeling intimidated.

It was her greatest threat, and the one that used to shake me the most.

In the past, I could never swallow my pride. Deep down, I always felt reluctant to accept it.

Even though Charles met her before I did, he never truly loved her. If he had, why would he have married that old lady in the first place?

And why, when he found his name missing from her will, did he divorce her and come searching for Nicole?

Thinking about that, I couldn’t help but laugh.

And so, I asked, "Wouldn’t that be exactly what you want?"