I really brought this on myself. If I’d just stayed in my seat, none of this would’ve happened, but now I’ve ended up in this mess.

Up on stage, Nathan was answering questions from the host. When asked how long it took to develop the new product, Nathan spaced out, gazing into the audience. It wasn’t until his partner stepped in to answer that he snapped back to reality, forcing a smile at the host.

Seeing Nathan drift off, I instinctively shook off Jared’s fingers. Jared’s lips curled into a wicked grin, as if he’d just gotten his way.

I stood up and left my seat, needing some fresh air. I really didn’t want to turn an event this important into my own personal soap opera, but there’s just so much I can’t control. It was as if fate had woven everything together, binding us so tightly that no one could stay uninvolved.

I sat on a comfy sofa, coffee cup in hand. To my surprise, they’d even invited some high schoolers to check out the event. The bright hall buzzed with energy–a bunch of teens were deep in animated discussion, while not far off, a group of girls giggled over little cakes, their faces full of youthful joy, completely untouched by worry.

Sipping my coffee and watching these kids, I felt their energy was contagious–for a moment, all the heaviness in my heart faded away. Just then, a group emerged from the doorway, led by Edward. The guys trailing behind him were clutching packs of cigarettes, clearly heading out to the smoking area. As they passed through the hall, Edward shot me a look but didn’t break his stride, just kept walking right out.

That glance from him sent a chill down my spine. He already knew about me and Nathan, and now I’d just been sitting with Jared. For Edward, that was seriously crossing the line. Last time, Edward had made it clear: if I wanted to be with Ryan, I had to stay away from other men.

I was just lost in my thoughts when I accidentally choked on my coffee, coughing uncontrollably. Then I heard a clear, pleasant voice: “Ms. Murphy, you’re here too?”

I looked up and saw Emily. She’d really gone all out today–dressed to impress and looking absolutely gorgeous. I set down my coffee cup and stood up with a smile. “Yeah, there are a ton of people here. It’s really lively.”

Emily gave me a suspicious look. “Were you invited? Or… did you come for him?”

I shook my head. “I’m a shareholder now. I’m here in that role.”

“You? You invested in his company?” Emily looked genuinely shocked. “Where’d you get the money? Did you take out a loan or something?”

I replied, “No, it’s my own money.”

Emily clearly knew my background wasn’t anything special. Not everyone can play in the investment game, and even if you can, you need nerves of steel.

Emily let out a soft “oh,” then frowned. “My dad actually wanted to invest too, but Nathan turned him down.”

I thought to myself, ‘After the Chancellor Family tried to pull their funding and burn Nathan’s bridges, he’s not dumb enough to work with them again.’

Emily looked a little down. “I went up on stage earlier to give him flowers and told him congratulations.”

I nodded. “Yeah, you did something really sweet–he’ll definitely feel it.”

Emily studied my face, her confidence suddenly wavering. She looked down, twisting her fingers. “Even though I don’t want to admit it, the person he really cares about… is still you.”

I froze.

Emily’s expression softened with sympathy. “His hair’s gotten so much whiter lately. Do you know why?”

“Maybe he’s just been working too hard, too much on his mind,” I replied, trying to sound casual.

“No,” Emily shook her head. “It’s because you broke up with him.”

I parted my lips, but nothing came out.

Emily’s eyes were red with tears. “I’ve been pestering him a lot lately, but he only saw me once. He took me out for a meal.”

My mind was a mess. When it came to Nathan, I always tried to keep my distance–because the more I knew, the deeper I got tangled up in it.