Chapter 2

The moment those words left her mouth, my nemesis, Quinley Scott, crossed her arms and sneered, "Leah's bullying people again. She's always flaunting her family's wealth, taking whatever she wants from others."

The crowd quickly chimed in, their voices uniting in condemnation. To them, I was nothing more than a spoiled heiress—arrogant, self-centered, and utterly insufferable.

I kept my smile perfectly poised, my lips curling just enough to maintain an air of grace. My gaze, however, remained fixed on Zach's dark, unreadable eyes. I stared at him for what felt like an eternity.

"Let's go," Zach finally muttered, carefully guiding Wynona away. Watching their retreating figures, I couldn't help but feel a sharp pang of irritation.

Zach and I had been engaged since we were eighteen. Back then, Zach had been a brash yet reserved young man. His pale cheeks would flush pink at my teasing, a telltale sign of his youth and innocence.

I had enjoyed toying with him, having for him the kind of affection a woman might have for a man.

But the day his family declared bankruptcy, he seemed to grow up overnight. His gaze turned sharper, filled with a tenacity that refused to bow to fate.

I had known he'd rise again someday, but what I hadn't anticipated was that his success wouldn't necessarily include me—or the promises we once shared.

Did I regret it? Regret had never been my style.

I could lift him out of the dirt, but I could just as easily throw him back into it.

From that day forward, every time Zach showed up at an event, so did I.

If he bid on a plot of land, I'd outbid him by double.

If he competed for a project, I'd undercut his price by half.

If Zach wanted to compete with me in wealth, I wanted him to realize he wasn't even close to my league.

When I was dominating Breskland, he was barely scraping by with the ten million I had given him, struggling in some small corner of the world.

Eventually, Zach couldn't take it anymore. He came to my home alone, clearly intending to make amends.

Standing before me, he held himself steady, his voice calm and unwavering. "Ms. Chandler, this isn't doing you any good. Even the Chandlers' fortune can't sustain this kind of wastefulness."

I raised an eyebrow, sensing the subtle condescension in his words. Was he... lecturing me?

I glanced over his shoulder, noting the absence of someone. "Where's your fiancée? Shouldn't she be apologizing to me too?"

His lips pressed into a thin line, and he bent slightly at the waist, his posture a careful balance of humility and pride. "I'm here on her behalf. I apologize for what happened that day, but Ms. Chandler, you were the one who struck first. Both sides bear responsibility."

I scoffed. If that was his version of an apology, he might as well not have bothered.

Feigning disappointment, I rested my hand against my temple and sighed. "I'll admit I went too easy on her. You'd better keep her out of my sight. Next time, it won't just be a cake."

Seeing that I was unmoved, Zach's patience wore thin. His expression darkened as he straightened his back. "If you insist on making life difficult for Wynona, then there's nothing more to discuss. I suppose we'll settle this in the business world."

Leaning back on the couch, I crossed one leg over the other, exuding confidence. "Fine by me. Don't keep me waiting."

After leaving my place, Zach went on a spree, reaching out to all the major players in various industries, trying to forge alliances.

But in Breskland, my word carried weight. A single phone call from me, and no one dared work with him.

Besides, when the Labarres went bankrupt, they had dragged plenty of others down with them. I wasn't the only one who didn't want to see Zach rise again.

Then Wynona, ever the opportunist, posted a tearful video online. With millions of followers at her disposal, she accused me of monopolizing industries and targeting Zach out of spite. Her sob story about their struggles to rebuild their lives as entrepreneurs struck a chord with countless viewers, who showered her with sympathy.

When my secretary showed me the video, I couldn't help but laugh. It was pitiful, really.

Without hesitation, I called Zach. "Tell your fiancée to take down that video. She has two minutes."

On the other end of the line, Zach's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "Everything she said is true."

"True?" My tone turned icy. "Are you sure you're willing to sacrifice even the last shred of your dignity?"

There was a pause, the silence stretching between us. Then Zach spoke, his voice resigned, "I'll have her delete it."

The fact that I had given him that money was known only to a select few in our circle. If word got out online, the one truly humiliated would be him.

Zach was a businessman, after all. When it came down to it, what was a fiancée compared to his reputation?

Colton Maurus, my childhood friend, had grown up with me. On the night of my engagement to Zach, he had clung to the statue at my front gate, crying until dawn.