I've just returned from the world's biggest tech summit when my mentor, who's like a father to me, calls. He tells me he's arranged for me to marry his close friend's son, Jonathan Ford.

Jonathan is one of Javron's rising stars. A few of my patents are licensed to his company, and they form the core technology of his new product.

I work late to wrap up everything in the lab. Then, I dress up and head to the engagement ceremony. Unexpectedly, I'm stopped at the door by Jonathan's secretary, Linda Jones. She wears a lavish gown and looks more like the bride than I do.

"Turn around and scram if you know what's good for you," she says with a sneer. "You're just an orphan from the countryside—think twice about whether you're worthy of our CEO."

I ask, "Does Jonathan know you're making decisions for him like this?"

She lets out a contemptuous laugh. "You're nothing but a pretty face who needs to ride on her mentor's reputation to get married. How can you possibly understand the weight I carry in Mr. Ford's heart?"

A blush spreads across her face as she speaks.

I study her for a few seconds, then call Jonathan. "If your idea of courtesy is leaving your fiancee standing outside the venue, then here's how I'll repay the favor. I'll let you read the contract and watch as I sell my patents to your competitor. How does that sound?"

I was an orphan. Completing my education and getting into one of the country's top research labs was only possible due to the support of my mentor, Steven Lynch.

He gave me a lot of care and was like a father to me. So, since I was facing the fiance he'd chosen for me, I was willing to be more patient.

If Jonathan Ford could handle this properly and give me the explanation I deserved, I wasn't averse to giving him another chance.

"Sophia? What is it?"

Things sounded lively on Jonathan's end of the line, like guests were speaking around him. He answered them first before lifting the phone to his ear, seemingly not having heard a word I'd said.

"Come get me and bring me into the venue. Your secretary—"

Before I could finish, he clicked his tongue, impatience dripping from his voice. "What do you think you are, a princess? You can't walk in here on your own two feet? I'm busy greeting the guests. Where would I find them to fetch you? Get in here on your own."

With that, he hung up, leaving me with nothing but the dial tone.

Linda covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes filled with scorn. "I follow all of Mr. Ford's instructions. If you want to go in, then get in there on your own—if you can. I won't stop you if you can manage it."

I could stay calm through the toughest experiments, but dealing with people who threw tantrums for sport gave me a pounding headache.

"Ms. Jones, are you that confident your position is secure? Is blocking your CEO's fiancee at the entrance to the venue part of your career plan?" I asked.

"Shame you've got such a sharp tongue. Compared to a professional like me, Mr. Ford hates useless airheads like you more," she retorted.

I looked at her icily. "A professional? One who has lewd thoughts about her boss? Does Jonathan know that his secretary is like a dog who drools over him every day?"

That made Linda mad. Her face turned red with rage and shame. She raised her hand, swinging it at me.

I backed up, dodging her attack. "So, you resort to violence when you can't handle the truth? Do you also slap others when you botch business deals? Wow, what a professional you are."

"Pin her down!" Linda's shrill voice cracked after I exposed her.

She sucked in a breath, glared, and pointed at me with a trembling finger.

The security guards, who'd been watching the show, heard her and started toward me.

"Are you going to join Linda in being stupid? Do you realize the person you're about to manhandle is Jonathan Ford's fiancee?" I tried to get them to keep a level head.

The security guards exchanged looks. Then, the lead guard spoke apologetically, though his eyes mocked me.

"Ms. Rook, we're just following orders. Please be understanding. Ms. Jones has Mr. Ford's favor, while you're just a tool in an arranged marriage with no background. If your late parents suddenly came back to life with some earth-shaking connections, then we'd definitely apologize to you."

I'd donned an elegant gown and heels for the engagement ceremony. I managed to dodge the guards twice, but they soon caught me by the arms and forced me into a half-kneeling position before Linda.

She looked darkly at my face before suddenly baring her teeth in a feral grin. She lifted her hand, ready to slap me, her manicured nails gleaming under the lights.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Stop this!"

A low voice, edged with anger, rang out. Linda's hand froze mid-air.

Jonathan walked toward me. He was tall, poised, and strikingly handsome—more commanding than in his photos. He skimmed me in disdain before fixing his gaze on my face. "This is our engagement party. What embarrassing stunt are you pulling here?"

I broke free from the security guards' grip, stood up, and let out a cold laugh. "Isn't the situation clear enough? Tell me, Jonathan. Is having your security rough me up at the entrance your idea of courtesy? Do you even know what your secretary just—"

He cut me off with a frown before I could finish. "Enough of this! You show up late to the ceremony, refuse to come inside, and act crazy at the door. If my security doesn't restrain you, should they just let you run in and bite the guests like a rabid dog?

"My time is valuable, and you've just wasted it. You're a worthless, stupid orphan. I don't know why my dad insists I get engaged to you."

The guests who had stepped out to watch the drama glanced at me while whispering under their breath. All those condescending looks made me feel like a clown on display.

I felt like my time was wasted, too. I'd spent ages getting ready and had even taken time off work—time that could've been spent pushing a fresh round of data for my new experiment.

"What a coincidence. I think my time was wasted, too. Since neither of us is impressed with each other, let's just call off the engagement," I said evenly.

Jonathan narrowed his eyes at me, clearly not expecting this. "Are you threatening me? Playing crazy in front of me isn't enough. Now, you're threatening to call off the engagement to cause a scene? You think that'll intimidate me?"

I suddenly felt at a loss for words when I saw the look on his face. I felt helpless. It was as if human language wouldn't reach his brain.

Beside him, Linda leaned into him, her body soft and pliant. "Mr. Ford, if she's causing such a fuss at the engagement party, imagine what she'll do after you're married. She'll wreak havoc!

"Just now, when she found out I was your secretary and that I'm somewhat attractive, she flew into a jealous rage and tried to hit me. If the security guards hadn't protected me, she would've gotten her way."

Jonathan stared at me incredulously. "Linda has been my secretary for two years and has handled countless matters for me. Do you think she's just an airhead like you? What do you have to be jealous of?"

I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. "I'm curious to know why you think I'm just an airhead, but are you going to believe her words so easily? She was the one who—"

He cut me off again. "If I don't believe Linda, am I supposed to believe a raving lunatic like you?"

Linda raised a hand to cover her smug smile. She blinked, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Mr. Ford, my heart goes out to you. You're already an important figure in Javron, yet you still have to be constrained by your father and forced to marry a lunatic."

Jonathan had only taken over Ford Group two years ago, and his father, Arthur Ford, still interfered in company affairs. He had accumulated a lot of anger and resentment because of Arthur's constant meddling.

At Linda's words, the tension thickened.

Jonathan growled, "You'd better apologize and make amends, Sophia. Otherwise, even my dad won't be able to get you out of this."

I had a grasp of things now. Rather than call Linda Jonathan's trusty aide, she was more like someone who knew how to flatter him just right. She knew what to say to get to him.

The fact that he thought I was nothing but an airhead was probably due to her feeding him lies about me. Thanks to her fawning, it was easier to get things done if one went along with what he wanted.

I shot him a look, feeling resigned. "How do you want me to make amends?"

Jonathan scoffed. "Call my father and tell him you're the one who wants to call off the engagement."

I nodded readily. "Alright."

With that, I whipped out my phone and pulled up my contacts.

Jonathan glanced at me in surprise and pressed his lips together. "You'd better think this through. Once you make this call, Ford Group and the Ford family's wealth and power will have nothing to do with you."

I didn't respond. Instead, I scrolled right to Arthur's number and called him.

"That's not enough. I want her to kneel before me and apologize with everyone watching!" Linda whined, her voice shrill and grating. "Mr. Ford, I've worked for you for ages. All my achievements came about due to my abilities. I genuinely can't accept the way she bullied and humiliated me earlier. I won't forgive her if she doesn't apologize!"

I laughed out loud at that. The security guards were standing right there. Who was the one who'd been bullied?

I asked, "Linda, do you think everyone here is stupid enough to fall for your twisted version of the truth? You ordered the security guards to pin me down and even tried to slap me, yet now you claim I was the one who bullied you."

Jonathan stepped forward, shielding Linda behind him. "You must've hurt Linda first. She was just trying to protect herself. If you had even a shred of basic human decency, you'd apologize to her right now. If you refuse, I'll have no choice but to use my methods to make you do it."

He swept a glance at the security guards, who eyed me beadily upon getting the order.

"I can assure you that Sophia has plenty of decency. If you ask me, you and your secretary have proven just how shameless you both are."

A refined, elegant voice rang out behind Jonathan. It belonged to Elliott Landeau, the CEO of Landeau Group. He approached us with a winning smile on his face. The tiny mole beneath his eye seemed to sparkle under the lights.

Landeau Group was Ford Group's competitor. Their businesses overlapped in many areas.

Elliott had taken over the family empire early and had been running it exceptionally well—so well that he and Jonathan had always kept a respectful distance from each other, lest things turn nasty.

But because of my patented technology, Ford Group's latest product upgrade had begun to edge ahead of Landeau Group's.

Jonathan was surprised to see Elliott show up at the engagement party. Then, he frowned in displeasure and said, "You must have a lot of free time on your hands, Mr. Landeau. Not only are you gracing your rival's engagement party with your presence, but you're also trying to meddle in my personal affairs."

I stood there, equally stunned. I stared at Elliott's broad back as he positioned himself protectively in front of me.

We'd worked together before, and the collaboration had actually been quite pleasant. What I hadn't expected was that halfway through the project, he suddenly tried to seduce me. It had scared the hell out of me, making me flee back to my lab that very night.

This particular patent had only ended up with Ford Group because Steven and Arthur had been close friends for decades. That was why I'd sold it to them.

I never imagined Elliott would still be willing to step up and shield me like this.