A woman's voice yelled in the meeting hall, "This decision is unacceptable!" Regina, an attractive woman with dark eyes, voiced her disagreement with the unfair verdict against her.
She couldn’t believe her rival company had been chosen over hers. Resenting the selection of a company led by someone she despised for the hotel project, Regina felt cheated. "CEO Kim, didn’t you consider that Grace Company's offer was better than Jian Company's? Why did you choose CEO Jian instead? Wasn't that our initial agreement?” “Questioning a client's decision is highly unprofessional,” replied Henry Miller Jian sharply. Exuding authority with his pristine appearance—neatly styled black hair, a handsome face with a firm jawline, fair skin, thick eyebrows, and sharp almond-shaped brown eyes—his demeanor radiated superiority, and a smirk played at the corners of his lips. “However, it’s understandable. She's new to this industry.” Regina glared at him, her eyes filled with loathing. Clenching her slender, graceful hand into a tight fist, she muttered to herself, “Stay calm! I can't let him see me lose it. I won’t give him the satisfaction.” Her fists trembled with suppressed rage. Biting her lip, she struggled to find the right words as anger choked her voice. Reluctantly, she conceded defeat to her rival. With a heavy heart, she turned on her heel and walked away, her steps echoing through the hall. As she passed by, she felt the weight of judgmental stares and heard mocking whispers, turning her into a target of scorn. “From the start, it was clear Mr. Jian would win. Let’s face it, no one would give this gig to a woman. It's easier to accept defeat from Mr. Jian than from someone like the Grace—Tan family’s daughter.” Regina briefly glanced at the man who ridiculed her. Clenching her teeth tightly, suppressing her anger like a volcano about to erupt, she thought bitterly, *It wasn’t the first time I’ve been compared to Henry. Despite the influential status of both the Grace-Tan and Jian families in the investment industry, his consistent dominance over me led to being looked down upon.* Her hatred for him intensified, fueled by his constant superiority. It simmered within her, a growing ember of resentment. “CEO Tan, are you leaving without extending your congratulations?” Henry stepped in front of her, blocking her way. His smile irritated her to no end. “Congratulations to you, CEO Jian, for achieving victory through deceit,” she said with a forced smile. “Deceit? I understand you may harbor feelings of jealousy, but accusing me of deceit amounts to slander,” Henry responded sharply. “If not deceit, then what? You weren’t initially considered for this project, yet suddenly you emerge victorious in the tender process. Considering your existing portfolio of significant projects, why pursue this one?” “It’s insufficient until I secure the significant project she covets and witness the expression of defeat on her face.” Henry flashed a smile. “Is it truly gratifying to take it away from me?” she struggled to contain her anger. “Yes, immensely gratifying. Witnessing her defeat brings me joy. Aren’t you accustomed to losing to me? Whether in the past or present, being subordinate to me is the rightful place for a woman.” Henry’s voice grew louder, prompting those around to laugh mockingly at Regina. “Henry Miller Jian, you may take pride in this victory for now, but rest assured, there will come a time when you cannot hold your head high due to shame,” she declared sharply. Henry laughed instead. “I’ll wait for you to embarrass me,” he said. She clenched her hands tightly. Wanting to punch that arrogant face, but having to maintain her image, she had no choice but to turn and leave, putting an end to it all. Out of nowhere, he tossed something that struck her back. Spinning around, she spotted an invitation lying on the floor. “You want this, right? I got it for you,” he said. “Why are you giving it to me? What are you planning?” she looked at him suspiciously. He took it and placed it in her palm. “Just accept it. No need to ask too much. Who knows, you might want to repay me.” He quickly left the room. She stared at the invitation for quite some time. *** Dressed in a dark blue evening gown that showcased her beautiful shoulders, she arrived at the party alone. Unconsciously, her gaze fell on him. Immediately turning away, she thought, *Why do I always run into him? Bet he’s going to make fun of me.* Nothing good ever happened when they met. She wanted to avoid trouble. It was better to stay as far away as possible. Just as she was about to leave, a boy inadvertently caught her attention. He looked familiar. Her eyes kept following him. The kid stood in front of him, who was by himself. “Daddy!” From a distance, she watched his face closely. His typically steady gaze faltered, indicating surprise. Without thinking, she found herself walking toward the group surrounding him. “Who are you calling daddy? I don’t have a child!” he said firmly, his expression turning cold again. “Daddy, I’m Kevin Charles Jian, don’t you know me? I’m really your son. And I have your last name too!” The kid kept trying. He looked at him with hopeful eyes, full of innocence. “Am I the only one with the Jian family name? Look for another Jian!” he responded flatly. She felt pity for the child. Quickly saying something that made everyone look at her, she said, “CEO Jian, is it so difficult to acknowledge your illegitimate child in front of everyone? Look, the child looks so much like you, yet you still want to deny it?” His sharp gaze stared at her. His face flushed with anger, “Regina Grace Tan! Is this your doing?” he said sharply. “Is this how you plan to get back at me because you lost?” She couldn’t accept it. “What? I’m not that low. You’re just using me to cover up your sins. You’re the one who has a child, why vent it out on me?” The boy suddenly said something shocking after staring at her for so long. “Mom, don’t be mad at Dad!” The word ‘Mom’ caught everyone’s attention. They were more surprised by what the boy said next. The boy who claimed to be Kevin ran and held her hand. “Mom, let’s go home together.” His clear round eyes looked at her gently, a gaze unfamiliar to her.Regina's eyes widened with the shift in the situation. What was going on with this child? She was just trying to help, but he responded like this. She didn't want to get dragged into this troublesome mess. "Hey, little boy, who are you calling mom? I haven't even given birth, let alone been pregnant." The guests began to whisper to each other. Regina's ears caught snippets of their conversations. "It must be Miss Tan who trapped Mr. Jian into having a child!" "No wonder she stooped so low. Regina Tan has high ambitions willing to do anything. She pretends to hate Young Master Jian, but ends up having a child with him and won't even acknowledge it, truly embarrassing!" The negative responses from the people, accompanied by disdainful glances, made Regina feel uncomfortable. Regina clenched her fists. "Damn it! What kind of situation is this? Shouldn't you be criticizing him for not acknowledging his child? Why am I the one being looked down upon here? I'm not crazy enough to sleep
Regina strode into the vast grounds of the magnificent house, her expression a tumult of emotions. She turned around, but the car was already gone. "Was my decision the right one? I'll have to contact him again to reconsider." Entering the house, Regina was immediately met with a piercing gaze and a slap landing on her cheek. The blow was so forceful it sent her tumbling to the ground. She held her reddening cheek. "You disobedient child! All you ever do is cause trouble!" A middle-aged man glared at her with anger, while a glamorous woman beside him looked on with disdain. "I've raised you to be a perfect, elegant woman who could serve as a role model in this town, but all you do is tarnish the family's reputation by having illegitimate children and getting pregnant at such a young age!" "Papa, you've misunderstood. I don't have a child. That child is Henry Jian's--" "Yes, that child is yours and Henry Jian's. How could you engage with the descendants of our rival family like th
"No! I can't leave now! Do you see what you've done to my mother?" Regina struggled to free herself from the strong grasp of this handsome, muscular man. Henry shouted in anger, "You still consider that woman as your mother after what she did to you? Miss Regina, I truly don't understand you, accepting such inhumane treatment without a fuss." "Exactly, Mom, neither of them deserve to be considered family," Kevin chimed in, criticizing the Tan family. His innocent eyes showed concern as he looked at Regina. "You both know nothing! Let go, I have to make sure my mommy is alright!" Regina rebelled, trying to break free. Instead, Henry tightened his grip on Regina's hand. He glanced at the boy who resembled him. "Kevin, go inside first!" Kevin didn't say much and went inside. Henry pushed Regina into the car and locked the door. He firmly held onto the woman's shoulder as she glared at him with hatred. "Miss Regina, why are you so stubborn? I didn't grab that old lady's hand forceful
Henry and Regina turned towards the boy barging in. "Kevin, you can't just barge in like that!" Henry advised.Kevin stepped forward. "Dad, why didn't you discuss this with me? If I hadn't come down and overheard the servants' conversation, I wouldn't have known about this. Give me that contract, I need to remove the clause about divorce!"Henry withdrew the contract from his hand, holding it high out of reach of the boy standing less than 150 cm tall. "Children shouldn't meddle in these matters. Let the adults handle this.""Just because I'm a child, I don't have the right to voice my opinion? Why are adults always so selfish? What about me when you two split up? You never think about that, do you? It's all the same, I hate you both!" Kevin blurted out his emotions before storming off.Regina stared at his departure without blinking, her mind drifting to a little girl clutching a teddy bear. The child was in tears, screaming, "Mom and dad are selfish! Why can't I decide? Just because
“What? Keep an eye on him until we get there!” Henry snapped, ending the call abruptly.“What’s wrong? Did something happen to the boy?” Regina’s expression remained stoic, but her voice was laced with concern.“He suddenly got off at the side of the road and just stood there. My men asked him to come with them, but he refused,” Henry explained as thoroughly as possible. “He insists we pick him up ourselves. That kid, with his infuriatingly stubborn and selfish nature.”“You’re one to talk. You two are like carbon copies of each other,” Regina jibed.“I’m not selfish and stubborn like that. He must have gotten that from you. Just listen to yourself,” Henry retorted.“He’s obviously your son. He inherited it from you. Besides, his last name is Jian, not Tan.”“Hey, I couldn’t have had a child by myself. You’re the one who gave birth to him!”“Maybe it was another woman. You’re lucky I’m helping you pretend.”They bickered back and forth. The driver up front tried to block out the noise
“No. I don’t want to. Why don’t we start by just calling each other by our names,” Regina firmly refused his unwelcome suggestion.Henry’s gaze sharpened. “We’re supposed to be a loving couple. If we don’t use affectionate terms, who will believe us? Regina, it’s not like you’ve never dated and used endearing terms before, right?”Regina touched her neck, prompting Henry to sneer. “Seriously, you’ve never dated anyone? Has no one ever called you ‘darling’? Am I going to be the first?”“Stop mocking me. I’m not like you, throwing around pet names to every girl you sleep with. Don’t lump me in with them!” Regina snapped, standing up from the sofa, eager to end this. “Are we done here? I’m leaving.”Henry quickly hugged her from behind. Regina stiffened at the unexpected contact. He whispered in a lower, more intimate tone that tickled her sensitive ear. “Then call me ‘husband.’ You’ll be the first to do so.”Henry’s voice was soft and seductive, like a magnet for women. Regina shrugged
Regina and Henry arrived at Civil Affairs Bureau,, greeted by a flurry of questions that caught their ears. The spotlight of cameras and microphones was on them. "Have you come to register your marriage?" "Is it true that you've actually been married since you were young? Why didn't you register your marriage sooner?" "Why are you hiding your relationship?" Regina and Henry didn't have time to think of a good reason to answer. However, there was one question that caught Regina's attention: "Madam, was the dress you wore designed by Madame Jian? Did your mother-in-law make it specially?" Regina was taken aback, unable to stop thinking. Questions swirled in her head. Additionally, she recalled what Madam Jian had said in an interview. Henry responded to the noisy reporters, "Sorry, we will hold a press conference later. Right now, we have to go in and register our marriage." Henry grasped Regina's hand tightly. They broke through the crowd of enthusiastic reporters. "We can finall
"You can go now! This will be proof of our relationship," Henry insisted, pulling away and creating distance between them. "You can open the door now."Regina looked at the man who showed no sign of remorse. She wanted to say something, but the words stuck in her throat. It was unclear why this chaotic feeling of anger surged within her."Do you have something to say to me?" Henry asked, glancing at Regina, who remained motionless.Regina stayed silent, stepping out of the car with a simmering rage. She made sure to slam the door shut with force. As she glanced at the car window, seeing Henry's annoyed expression brought a slight sense of satisfaction.With her gaze fixed ahead, Regina walked, aware of her employees watching her. It seemed Henry had succeeded in stirring gossip about her. The memory of the kiss everyone was talking about distracted her, even as she struggled to focus on reviewing documents in her office.The thought consumed her, and without realizing it, Regina touch