Annie endured in silence as she took a seat across from Sofia."How have things been lately? Has Finn grown tired of that rustic face of yours yet?""Has he thrown you out of the house already?"Sofia's tone was laced with arrogance as she eyed Annie with disdain and curiosity."Never. Everything is fine.""Finn still hasn't realized that I'm just a stand-in for you."Sofia burst into laughter as if she had just heard the most ridiculous joke."Then Finn really is a fool, isn't he? A noble lady like me is being replaced by a pathetic, ignorant girl like you for this long, and he hasn't even noticed a thing."Annie had no interest in entertaining Sofia's insults. She met her gaze head-on, her voice calm and indifferent."Why did you call me here today?"Sofia wasn't the least bit offended by the interruption. Instead, she smirked."Give me some money. Lately, my mom hasn't been as generous with my allowance, and it's hardly enough to take my darling boys on yacht parties like before."
At that moment, the phone rang. Finn impatiently picked up."What is it? Make it quick."His voice was a mix of irritation and impatience, startling even Mike. What had he done to provoke Finn?"Hey, who ruffled your feathers today? Or is it trouble in paradise with your fiancée, and I'm just the unlucky punching bag?"Mike shrugged innocently. Finn clenched his fist, his patience wearing thin."I'll give you three seconds to say what you need, or I'm hanging up."Mike quickly pleaded for him to wait, then hastened to explain."To celebrate the successful acquisition of Lisa's father's company, I want to invite a few close friends to the bar for drinks. So, how about it? The man who suggested this golden opportunity to me and my business partner-are you interested?"Ordinarily, Finn did not incline these gatherings and would refuse outright. But his mood was foul today, and perhaps a few drinks would do him some good.So, he agreed."What time? Where?"Mike was taken aback by Finn's a
However, Finn's upbringing did not allow him to display anger or any reaction at this moment. He remained silent, merely observing his fiancée from a distance. And for a fleeting second, it seemed that Annie had also noticed him.Compared to Finn, Annie was far more flustered. A guilty unease flickered in her eyes as she avoided looking in his direction-despite knowing that Finn was blind and could not see her.Her anxiety made her movements unsteady. As she placed the bottle of wine on the table, her hands trembled so violently that she nearly dropped it.Just then, a friend sitting beside Mike suddenly spoke up."Oh, that's right! Didn't they say Finn's fiancée just moved in with him? When will you bring her over to meet us?"The man was hearty and straightforward, his words accompanied by a friendly smile as he turned to Finn.Finn, ever composed, continued playing the role of a blind man-his expression unchanged, his eyes remaining unblinking, exuding an air of serene indifference
After Annie and Finn reconciled,They remained unaware that, elsewhere,A man stood on a windswept balcony, lazily swirling a glass of red wine in his hand.He gazed down at the cityscape below, a smirk of disdain curling his lips."Oh? Does my dear brother truly care for that foolish and arrogant fiancée of his? Now, that's unexpected."His voice dripped with mockery. Taking a slow sip of wine, the amusement in his expression deepened."Well then, this should be entertaining. I wonder... will my charm be enough to make his fiancée utterly captivated-so much so that she abandons him like a discarded piece of trash?"His words dissolved into the night, vanishing without a trace.-The next day,During their meeting,Annie placed a card on the table before Sofia, her tone calm and measured."The amount you asked for is all in this card."Sofia eagerly picked it up, shaking it lightly in her grasp, her voice brimming with delight."Right on time, Annie. But I have to wonder-how did a cou
Hubert's words caught in his throat.He had never expected Finn to act this way."Finn, don't go too far."Finn let out a bitter laugh."What does 'too far' even mean? When your mother bullied my fiancée, did any of you think that was too far?"With that, Finn fell silent. Hubert, too, said nothing, seemingly locked in an internal struggle, weighing the pros and cons. After a long pause, he finally let out a sigh."Fine. This weekend, take Sofia home with you. As for the family matters, leave them to me."Once Hubert had left, Finn turned to Annie and asked in a quiet voice,"Where were you just now? Were you meeting that friend who recently returned?"To keep Finn from growing suspicious, Annie had told him that a close friend had just come back to the country, so she had been meeting up frequently to reminisce about old times and show her around the city. Thankfully, Finn didn't seem to question it.He merely nodded in acknowledgment and said nothing more....Friday.It was a rare
"Sorry, I didn't know you were lactose intolerant," Finn said apologetically, his voice tinged with guilt."It's okay. You didn't know," Annie reassured him gently, but her words did little to ease Finn's remorse. He finished his breakfast in silence before trudging upstairs, leaving Annie watching him in bewilderment.That evening,Finn and Annie were expected to have dinner at Finn's family home. Annie had planned to wear something simple, but as she came downstairs, Finn's voice stopped her."What are you wearing today?" he asked casually.Knowing Finn couldn't see, Annie gave a detailed description. "I'm wearing a short-sleeved, cream-colored dress. Why?"Finn frowned, clearly unimpressed. He shook his head."You should wear something a bit more eye-catching. Did you put on any makeup?"Annie shook her head before realizing he couldn't see the gesture. "No," she answered.Finn pressed on. "You should put on a little makeup too. You'll want to look your best-there's a show worth wa
"This is impossible. Finn, don't be too greedy."Ryan growled in fury, slamming his fist onto the table with a force that left no room for negotiation. His stance was firm, uncompromising. Yet Finn showed no sign of wavering. He remained seated, unruffled, as if he hadn't even heard the outburst.Instead, he gently patted Annie's arm, a silent reassurance against the hostility directed at them."Then so be it. I have no intention of negotiating further."Finn rose from his seat, motioning for Annie to do the same."If you can't agree to these terms, then consider this discussion a failure. In that case, Sofia and I won't waste more of your time. We have other matters to attend to."Without sparing another glance at the two men, Finn grasped Annie's hand and strode away, ignoring the calls from Hubert and Ryan urging him to stay.The purpose of today's meeting had been achieved. He saw no reason to linger any longer.As they stepped outside, Finn casually draped an arm over Annie's sho
Annie never expected that Finn would confront her like this, in the end. She blinked at him, unable to grasp the mocking undertone laced with sarcasm in his words.She also couldn't understand why he suddenly seemed so angry.Annie was stunned."What do you mean? Boyfriend? What boyfriend?"She had assumed Finn was upset because he knew about her dinner at Denis's house with him and his mother. But his words only deepened her confusion."Don't play innocent, Sofia. I know everything."Finn had no intention of arguing with Annie, but her feigned ignorance only fueled the fire inside him. He pressed on."My friend saw you with his own eyes-having a romantic dinner with your so-called boyfriend on a yacht. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"Annie blinked, momentarily unable to process what Finn was implying. She had no idea what he was talking about. Facing his sudden outburst, the only emotion she felt was bewilderment.Then, a thought flickered through her mind, offering a vagu
Hubert put on a sycophantic smile, carefully laying out his plan to Sofia."What do you think about becoming my fiancée after Finn fails this project? Although we don't have real feelings for each other, we can always build them over time."He gazed at Sofia, trying to appear deep and affectionate."Not to mention, I'd love to see Finn crumble under everyone's scrutiny. Losing such a crucial project and his fiancée simultaneously-now that would be a devastating blow."Hubert reveled in the thought, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. His excitement grew, his voice rising unconsciously-completely oblivious to Sofia's expression, which had turned from indifferent to outright disgusted.She regarded Hubert with unveiled contempt."If that's your plan, then forget it. I have no interest in playing a fake couple with you."At the very least, Finn was handsome and wealthy-pretending to be his fiancée would at least have some prestige to it. But Hubert? He had absolutely nothing going for h
After Sofia entered Finn's office, Max frowned in confusion and asked him,"Boss, why are you indulging Sofia like this? Letting her into your office-what if she causes trouble?"His brows furrowed as he clenched his fists, looking as if he was ready to march in and drag Sofia out himself.But Finn remained calm. He took a leisurely sip of his tea, his voice unhurried."So what? I want to see exactly what she's up to.""Instead of constantly worrying about Sofia and Hubert's schemes, why not give them the chance to act? That way, we can figure out a countermeasure more quickly."Only then did Max finally grasp Finn's intentions. He let out an "Oh" of realization, impressed by his boss's foresight. Finn merely smiled, offering no further explanation.His gaze, however, remained fixed on the surveillance feed displaying Sofia's figure in his office.Sofia didn't make any immediate moves. Instead, she strolled around the room, casually taking in the arrangement of the furniture-playing t
In the office, Finn was staring intently at his computer screen, barely blinking, completely absorbed in the upcoming project. Max knocked politely before stepping in, as always carrying a thick stack of documents in his hands."Boss, I think we need to talk right away."Finn lazily tore his gaze from the screen, took a sip of coffee, and then looked up at Max."What is it? Is something important?"Max studied Finn as if searching for the right words. After a brief pause, he let out a sigh."I don't know if Sofia has gone through some kind of shock recently or has an agenda, but she's been coming here every single day-just like before.""Every day, she shows up flawlessly made up, playing the role of a devoted fiancée, bringing you lunch. She even subtly probes me about the company's current business situation."Back when Sofia had finally stopped showing up, the one who felt the greatest relief was none other than Max. After all, every time she appeared, Finn would leave him to handl
"Is this all it takes to break you?""A little trick, and you're already trembling?" Calliope's lips curled in mockery. "And here I thought you were so strong, Sofia. Wasn't that why you dared to go against me?"She pushed herself up from the table, her eyes raking Sofia from head to toe with unveiled disdain."Such pitiful strength, yet you thought you could challenge me? You truly don't know your place."Sofia clenched her teeth, seething with rage, but words failed her.She had been too arrogant. Too confident.She had believed Calliope couldn't touch her. That she was untouchable.All because she had Finn's money to fall back on.She had taunted Calliope, provoked her, thinking she could get away with it.Calliope watched as realization flickered across Sofia's face-the color draining, the weight of her mistake settling in.With slow, deliberate steps, she closed the distance between them, smiling coldly."So? Have you come to your senses, darling?""Do you still want to defy me?
Finn's business trip ended in a haze of uncertainty. However, he began to suspect that his longing for Annie had conjured illusions in his mind.Everywhere he went, he imagined he would see her.Even after returning to his country, Finn remained lost in a fog of confusion, unable to understand what had been happening to him lately. But there was little time for reflection. The moment he arrived back home, he was swept into the relentless rhythm of work, often staying late into the night to handle the company's most critical projects....Meanwhile, Sofia's life was in complete turmoil. Ever since she had openly severed ties with Calliope and ceased playing the role of a sycophant, she had become invisible in the household. The very servants who once flattered her now treated her with indifference, their warmth long gone.Worse yet, when she issued commands, they deliberately ignored her.She had lashed out at them more than once, but deep down, she knew-this was all Calliope's doing.
After returning, Finn remained dazed. A strange sense of emptiness lingered in his chest as if he had missed something profoundly important.The graceful silhouette of the girl he had encountered near the coffee shop refused to fade from his thoughts, haunting him like a half-remembered dream. Even when he finally arrived back at his hotel room, his mind was still adrift. His unusual demeanor did not go unnoticed-Max, who had been walking beside him, frowned in concern."Boss, are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to take you to the hospital for a check-up?" Max asked, his gaze fixed on Finn's slightly pale face.Finn shook his head and pressed a hand lightly against his forehead. Then, without another word, he pushed open the door and stepped inside."I'm fine. Probably just a little tired. I'll be fine after some rest," he said nonchalantly. "You should get some rest too."Max let out an understanding hum. He didn't forget to remind Finn to call him if anything happened-his room w
Max flattered him with words, but Finn remained indifferent, showing little emotion.After dinner, the two strolled toward a nearby shopping mall. The place was vast, and just as Max had described, it housed numerous renowned handbag brands.It was clear that Max had done his research. At every boutique they visited, he meticulously examined the designs, carefully considering his choices. And, of course, whenever he found a piece he fancied, he would turn to Finn for an opinion before making a decision.Finn, on the other hand, lacked Max's enthusiasm. He merely observed the stores with a detached gaze, occasionally offering a few suggestions regarding Max's selections.In the end, after what felt like an eternity of browsing, Max emerged carrying an assortment of shopping bags from various luxury brands. Finn estimated that his friend had likely spent the equivalent of at least a month's salary on handbags for his girlfriend.Yet, Max showed no hint of regret. On the contrary, he see
At Finn's company,Max knocked on the door and stepped inside, speaking to Finn in a composed manner."Mike just arrived. He said he has something important to discuss with you. I've already invited him to wait in the lounge. Would you like to see him now?"He spoke in a steady stream, finally prompting Finn to lift his head and glance at him. His voice was calm yet distant."Is that so? Then I'll meet him now."Max nodded. Watching Finn rise from his chair, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added,"Boss, I almost forgot to remind you.""Don't forget that the day after tomorrow, you'll be leaving for a business trip to City A. I'll send you the final itinerary later today.""I'll also be accompanying you on this trip. Everything has already been arranged."Recently, Finn's company entered into a new partnership with an automobile firm in Country A. Being meticulous by nature and having never collaborated with this company before, Finn decided to make the trip himself to f
In the days that followed, Sofia underwent a drastic transformation. Previously, she had been somewhat submissive to Calliope, constantly flattering her in hopes of receiving some spending money.But after receiving a billion dollars from Finn, Sofia no longer had any interest in the meager sums Calliope used to give her. At home, she openly defied Calliope at every turn.During dinner,"Sofia, why haven't you been in touch with Finn lately? And why has he stopped investing in our company?""Haven't I told you countless times that you must do whatever it takes to win Finn over? Are you even listening to a word I say?"Calliope slammed her plate onto the table in fury, making both Sofia and Galvin flinch.But Sofia quickly regained her composure. She let out a derisive laugh."What kind of charm do you think I have to make Finn obey my every word? The fact that he's still keeping me as his fiancée is already a huge courtesy-don't be too greedy."Her indifference sent Calliope into a ra