Chapter 1

"I'll leave the arrangements of the engagement party to you, Mr. Sommar."

"Alright, no problem."

I kept a professional smile on my face, staying calm while facing this woman whom I'd loved for seven years.

Brooke Rivers raised an eyebrow at me and asked, "Any other questions?"

"Yes."

"What is it?" A gleeful look appeared on Brooke's face.

I answered robotically, "What's the budget like for this engagement party? Do you have a fixed date or time for it yet? And about the outfits and hair and makeup—"

"That's enough! Talk to Gaston about those instead."

"Alright."

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Oh…"

I might have hallucinated it, but she looked briefly disappointed. Maybe she thought I was behaving too calmly.

However, she didn't know that I was no longer in love with her.

…

Gaston Storm was quite well-known for his bossy and overbearing attitude. He was the eldest son in the Storm family and was also the CEO of his family's company.

Even though everyone knew that this was a business marriage alliance, people still thought that both Brooke and Gaston had fallen in love with each other at first sight. They also said that the two were soulmates and made for each other because they looked so good together.

I listened to Gaston's relentless requests for the engagement party as I typed away on my iPad. All the while, I made sure I was smiling slightly.

Finally, after a long time, I was done typing out all of my future boss' requests.

Keeping my professionalism in check, I still asked politely, "Do you have anything else to add for the engagement party, Mr. Storm?"

"Yes!"

"Please let me know."

Gaston looked at me with a raised eyebrow and spoke slowly while emphasizing each word. "After the engagement party is over, I want you to leave Riveria Group."

I looked at him in confusion. However, I understood what he meant very quickly.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot promise you that immediately. My employment contract is with the HR department in Riveria, and you'll still need a valid reason to terminate my employment with the group. However…"

I steered the conversation in another direction as I smiled brightly at him. "If the severance package is ludicrous enough, I might seriously consider your offer."

"You're a smart person, Mr. Sommar. You should know that asking you to leave is just what's best for you."

"I do, but I also have to think about myself. After all, I'm very happy with the terms and perks Riveria is offering me now."

Gaston scoffed. "Hmph, you're just a nobody that's too easily pleased. It's all just about the money, isn't it? Don't worry. You'll be satisfied with the compensation."

I smile lightly. "If that's the case, thank you very much, Mr. Storm."

After seeing Gaston off, Claude Skye, who was right next to me, started to complain about him. "He's not even married yet, and he's already starting to meddle in Riveria's affairs."

"He has the right."

"But Theros… Everyone's aware of all the work you've done for the company. Ms. Rivers looks up to you too. How could he…"

Claude had been assigned to me ever since he first joined Riveria. He was one of the very few people in the company whom I had a close relationship with.

I just patted him on the shoulder and said nothing else.