I raised my glass and gave it a slight tilt toward Wyatt. Vivian quickly grabbed his arm. "Wyatt, Saddler Group is where it is today thanks to the support of Mr. Griffith's family. Have a drink with him."

Wyatt came from a humble background. Of course, he wouldn't know how things worked in business dealings. Right now, all he cared about were his emotions. He shook off Vivian's hand and left.

Vivian apologized repeatedly, "Mr. Griffith, Wyatt has been feeling under the weather recently. Please forgive him."

One of my friends spoke up in my defense. "Who does Wyatt think he is? He turned down a toast from Mr. Griffith?"

I waved my hand dismissively and smiled. "Forget it. He's just a kid who doesn't know any better. Given Griffith Corporation's reputation, it'd be beneath me to make a fuss over something so trivial."

Vivian repeatedly thanked me, her gaze apologetic. Then, she hurried out after Wyatt.

I had never been a fan of these types of occasions. So, after checking in with a few friends, I stepped out into the garden to get some fresh air. That was where I happened to catch Vivian trying to calm Wyatt down.

She pleaded helplessly, "Wyatt, we can't afford to offend Griffith Corporation. Please try to understand where I'm coming from."

Wyatt, who had climbed his way into high society, replied arrogantly, "Why would Saddler Group be afraid of Griffith Corporation? Saddler Group would be better off without them!"

I lowered my head and chuckled. His arrogance and ignorance amused me. It was true that Saddler Group's legacy went back further than Griffith Corporation's own. In terms of years, Saddler Group was three times as old as Griffith Corporation.

Griffith Corporation was a business that my father built from scratch. Perhaps it was luck that allowed Griffith Corporation's reach to expand to its current level.

On the other hand, ever since Vivian's father took over Saddler Group, its reputation was all that remained. The company had been in decline due to poor management and an obsolete corporate structure. In truth, it had become an empty shell.

Vivian's father had originally planned to hand Saddler Group over to me once our families were tied in marriage. But that seemed unlikely to happen now.

At this point, they were just barely hanging on and surviving one day at a time.

If my father pulled his investment, Saddler Group would never be able to recover. They could even end up drowning in massive debt.

Vivian seemed flustered when she noticed me approaching. "Please don't take it the wrong way, Mr. Griffith. Wyatt didn't mean anything by it."

Hearing my ex-fiancee constantly referring to me as "Mr. Griffith" while making excuses for another man felt a bit strange. Still, I no longer cared. Instead, I comforted her. "Wyatt is just getting started with business matters. Give him some time. He'll adjust."

Vivian seemed surprised.

Wyatt screamed at me, his expression resentful, "Quit pretending to be the nice guy, Lucian Griffith! I know you're still hung up on Vivian. But her heart belongs to me now!"

Without giving me a chance to respond, Wyatt stormed off.

I gave Vivian a helpless smile. "Kids really are more interesting than business types like me. How cute."

Vivian relaxed a little and joked, "You're no ordinary businessman, Mr. Griffith. You're the textbook definition of an intimidating CEO."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you seem to think quite highly of me, Ms. Saddler!"

Vivian gave a bitter smile. "I was the one who didn't know how to cherish what I had… How have you been lately?"

I smiled at her as gently as I used to. "Me? I'd say I'm doing slightly better than you."

Just then, the host's voice rang out inside the banquet hall.

I glanced at Vivian. "The banquet's about to start. Let's go."

This banquet was meant for my engagement announcement. I wasn't going to hold it up for Vivian's sake.

On the way back to the banquet hall with her, a smirk tugged at my lips. The show was just getting started.

I stood at the center of the stage as Yvonne Stauffer, the most stunning woman in Seabrook, descended the spiral staircase in a couture gown. She stepped up onto the stage and gently took my arm. I gazed at her with nothing but love in my eyes. That affection was perhaps more than I had ever shown Vivian in the past.

I lightly patted her hand to reassure her, then turned to face the guests. "I'd like to introduce my fiancee to everyone. This is Yvonne Stauffer."

Yvonne smiled shyly as she raised her hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet everyone."

The guests erupted in applause. "She's so much better than Vivian Saddler!"

"Honestly, Vivian had no idea how good she had it. Mr. Griffith could've had anyone he wanted. She really blew it!"

I cleared my throat. "I'll be sending out wedding invitations soon. I hope everyone will be able to attend."

Amid the cheers, my eyes found Vivian in the audience. Her expression had changed drastically. It was as if she had been struck.

Just as I expected, I hadn't even made it home before I received a text message from Vivian. "I didn't think you'd be getting married so soon, Lucian. Congratulations!"

I calmly adjusted my glasses. "I won't be around to look after you anymore. Take care of yourself. Your back acts up when it rains, so remember to apply a hot compress when it happens. You always suffer from migraines too. Don't forget to keep your medication by your bedside…"

I replied with a message I had prepared long ago.

There was no reply from her for a long while. Perhaps she was reminiscing about the kindness I had once shown her.

I didn't think much of it. After getting home and taking a shower, I went straight to bed.

When I checked my phone the next morning, I realized that Vivian had sent me a text in the middle of the night. "I was the one who failed you. If I were given a second chance, I'd marry you. But I guess it's all too late now…"

I stretched. Everything was going exactly as planned. "Let the past stay in the past. After all that time together, we can still be friends even if we can't be lovers."

Vivian seemed to have not slept a wink. Before I could even put away my phone, she replied to my text. "Yeah! We'll always be the best of friends!"

I shook my head. Vivian was too easy to fool. It was no wonder Wyatt had her eating out of his hand. I must've been too sincere with her! She was the kind of woman who followed whoever said the right words to her.

I set my phone aside and looked at Yvonne, who was still asleep beside me. A deep sense of peace settled over me.

In terms of family background and beauty, she far outshone Vivian. Yet, she was somehow more innocent and kinder than Vivian.

We had only known each other for three months. But things between us felt effortless when I was with her.

Perhaps she was the one for me.

I heard that Wyatt and Vivian got into a fight after the banquet. He accused her of still having feelings for me.

Perhaps Vivian had once been completely bewitched by him, but after his outburst at my engagement party, she was bound to start thinking about me again. After all, I had always been the one running after her. It was possible that she still naively believed I would go back running to her as long as she looked back.

But with my engagement announced out of the blue and seeing the immature boy by her side, how could Vivian not regret her choice?

…

Two days later, while I was in the office handling some documents, the secretary suddenly entered to inform me that Vivian was here.

I smiled. "Guests are always welcome. Let her in!"

Vivian walked in with uneasy steps. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

I closed the file. "Not at all. I just finished my task. I'll take you to that restaurant you love in a while."

Surprise crossed Vivian's expression.

I awkwardly scratched my head. "I'm sorry. That was a force of habit. I forgot you have a new boyfriend now."

Vivian immediately responded, "It's alright. I have time. Let's catch up as old friends!"

I lowered my head and adjusted my glasses. My smile slipped from my face. I had already known that she'd agree.

After our engagement was called off, she had a huge fight with her family. She had gone against her family's wishes to be with Wyatt. The Saddler family knew well what kind of crisis this would bring to Saddler Group.

Vivian was the Saddler family's only daughter who was raised spoiled. Her parents loved her so much that they had never punished her.

However, Wyatt wasn't so lucky. Mr. and Mrs. Saddler blamed everything on Wyatt. They claimed that it was he who seduced Vivian and caused her to make such a terrible mistake. They even declared he wouldn't get a single share from Saddler Group, and neither would they offer him a position at the company.

To outsiders, he appeared to be an attractive young man who had climbed the social ladder. But only he knew how miserable his life had become.

He could've secured a position at a reputable company with his capabilities. There was plenty of room for him to grow. But now, no company in Seabrook would hire him out of respect for me.

These days, he acted more like a parasite who was completely dependent on Vivian for survival. If she left him, he would have nothing. Given all this, his current state of anxiety and paranoia made a lot of sense.

But his biggest mistake was drowning his sorrows in alcohol. He ended up sleeping with a hostess in a moment of drunken lust.

Vivian seemed completely unaware of the matter. She was entirely focused on how to get closer to me again.

Seeing the anticipation written all over her face, I couldn't help but think, "What a foolish woman. Thank God I didn't end up marrying her."

Although it was my father who decided to pull the investment from Saddler Group, he gave me full control over how it was carried out. The reason I hadn't acted yet was because I had been waiting for the right moment. And now, it seemed that moment was fast approaching.

Once Vivian received Wyatt's scandalous photos, I would use the excuse that it demonstrated a negative public image and withdraw all support from Saddler Group. I just hoped that Vivian wouldn't accuse me of being ruthless then.

After all, she was the one who had betrayed me first. She had caused my father's blood pressure to skyrocket, and my mother had almost ended up hospitalized when she nearly collapsed. All I was doing was returning the favor.