1

This was the first time Zac Jacobs had brought Stella Williams to such a business event, and it was the first time the heir of the Jacobs family had appeared with a female companion.

Zac was well-known in the business world as a cold young man with a volatile temper, a rare and unique temperament among the wealthy gentlemen. At this moment, his face darkened, and there was an imperceptible aura of anger in his eyebrows and eyes. I knew this was a sign of his anger.

On the television screen, Stella Williams stood behind him with teary eyes, continuously sobbing, and her pitiful appearance made me feel sorry for her.

I snapped back to reality, and my phone screen was still lit up, showing my chat with Zac.

At the very bottom was a message from Zac sent half an hour ago.

"Stay at home tonight. Don't go out."

Those few words felt like a barrage of tiny needles piercing my heart.

I had always known that my relationship with Zac was nothing more than a contractual one. I loved him. I had been in love with him since childhood.

But in his eyes, I had never existed.

A few minutes ago, when Zac appeared with Stella, all eyes were drawn to the beautiful girl.

For a moment, major news headlines competed to report: "Former heiress of a wealthy family, now Mrs. Jacobs, finally makes an appearance!"

Stella Williams sat in the audience with watery eyes, fair skin, captivating beauty in her features, and a red strapless gown that showcased her perfect figure. Above her slender neck was a face that was both charming and enchanting.

She gazed lovingly at Zac on the stage with a smile.

The camera then turned to Zac, who was speaking on stage.

After a few days apart, he seemed like a different person, so relaxed and at ease, a far cry from the Zac I was familiar with.

During his five-minute speech, his gaze remained on Stella Williams the entire time. They looked like a couple deeply in love, and the ambiguous atmosphere in the air made everyone blush and their hearts race.

When the speech ended, a large group of reporters rushed forward.

"I presume this is Mrs. Jacobs? Indeed, She is an incredibly beautiful woman!"

"Mr. Jacobs, you two are perfect for each other. Stay together forever!"

" Mr. and Mrs Jacobs, please look over here!"

...

The continuous remarks from the reporters gradually stiffened Stella Williams's smile.

She forced a smile and tried to control her emotions. "I'm sorry. I'm not Mrs. Jacobs. I'm not Anna Quinn."

This statement left everyone in the room bewildered, and the reporters, smelling gossip, started targeting their cameras and bombarding her with questions.

"Not Mrs. Jacobs? Then, what's your relationship with Mr. Jacobs?"

"Rumors have it that Mr. Jacobs had a beloved in his youth. Are you that lady?"

"Miss, please answer!"

The onslaught of questions left Stella Williams stunned, and her silence only fueled the reporters' intense inquiries.

People in the audience began to whisper.

"The Jacobs and Quinn families are both prominent. How could such a perfect marriage be ruined by her?"

"Oh, it's just because she's after Jacobs family's wealth, isn't it? But she does look quite attractive."

"How could she catch the eye of Zac Jacobs without some good looks? He is probably just playing around."

"Is that all you have to say?"

In the camera frame, Zac strode over from the crowd. His dark eyes were deep, and his handsome features carried a chilling presence.

A low, cold voice emerged from his thin lips, and his narrow eyes were filled with melancholy.

"Stella, come here."

2

Zac extended his hand, and the chilling aura emanating from him silenced everyone in the vicinity.

Stella Williams lowered her head and hurriedly walked behind Zac.

Zac raised his head, and with a contemptuous look in his eyes, he scanned the reporters who had just asked questions, as if scrutinizing a criminal.

"Miss Williams, she's my invited companion. My wife is feeling unwell today and couldn't attend the event. It was my mishandling of the situation that caused some misunderstandings, and I hope everyone can forgive me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the reporters and guests who had just spoken began to defuse the tension.

Keen observers all understand that you shouldn't provoke Zac Jacobs.

Going up against him is a one-way ticket to disaster.

The livestream had already ended, but the last words spoken by Zac still echoed in my mind.

I was not ill. I could have attended the event.

It was just that Zac didn't allow it.

For so many years, very few people had truly seen me. I never went to those social scenes, and my father never insisted on it.

I sighed and sat on the balcony, lost in thought.

In my younger days, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I was full of youthful vigor and enthusiasm.

As soon as I returned to the country, I began to take over some of my father's responsibilities at work. Everyone thought that this little girl wouldn't be able to achieve much in the business world and advised me to give up, but I refused.

The less people believed in me, the harder I worked to achieve success.

In just a few short months, the projects I led skyrocketed to the top of the industry, and major companies were eager to collaborate with us.

As a result, the Quinn Group firmly established itself in the business world and became one of the industry giants.

Everything was going smoothly.

Until Zac returned from abroad, with someone new by his side, Stella Williams.

Zac, for her sake, began to dismiss all the frivolous distractions around him, including me.

I started to feel anxious.

Since childhood, I had grown up alongside Zac, and in his world, besides me, it seemed like no other girls ever appeared.

Not to mention someone who could pique his interest.

No matter who it was, he always wore a cold and distant demeanor.

On that New Year's Eve, my parents went abroad for business, and the streets were bustling with activity, filling the entire city with a lively atmosphere.

I stayed home alone, not going anywhere.

As the New Year's bell was about to chime, I heard Zac's voice, thinking it was a hallucination.

"Anna."

I raised my head, and the doorbell at the entrance rang. I opened the door to find Zac holding fireworks under the moonlight, his eyes glistening with a faint watery sheen.

"Anna, Happy New Year!"

His finely scattered bangs partially covered his eyebrows. In the gentle, mist-like starlight, the man's dark and profound eyes exuded the tranquility of a peaceful time.

The man's melodious voice echoed above, and at the same time, the pitch-black sky behind him bloomed with colorful fireworks.

At that moment, my heart suddenly began to flutter.

So, that was what it felt like to have a crush.

I had always thought I was an exception, but it wasn't until Stella Williams appeared that I realized that all these years, I had merely been indulging in self-delusion.

3

It was raining outside.

I had called Zac several times, but he didn't answer.

Just as I was about to send a message, he called me back.

I pressed the answer button, but before I could speak, a woman's voice came from the other end.

"Zee, I said the wrong thing today, I shouldn't have responded to the reporters. I'm sorry."

I paused for a moment; it was Stella.

Before I could react, Zac's voice came through.

"Stella, you don't need to apologize. These years, I've made you suffer. You know, the person I've always loved is you."

I stared at the phone in astonishment.

Until there was silence on the other end, followed by uncomfortable and ambiguous sounds.

Over the past two years, I have witnessed countless such scenes.

It was Zac who had initially proposed the business alliance marriage.

Two years ago, my father's company faced betrayal, and the financial stability suddenly crumbled. Panic and unrest gripped everyone in the company.

It was Zac who extended a helping hand to assist the Quinn Group in overcoming the crisis.

Everyone thought it was just family members helping each other out.

Only I knew that it was merely a transaction.

The day before Zac offered his help, he approached me.

"Do you like me?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied without hesitation. I did like him, and all our friends knew it. However, Stella's appearance turned this open affection into a hidden one.

He stood in front of me, staring directly into my eyes. His expression was no longer the same as when we were children, and his tone was as cold as a gentle rain.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

I lowered my head and remained silent, knowing that he hadn't finished speaking.

"I can help the Quinn family get through this difficult time, but the condition for my help is that you marry me and deal with my mother.

"I can give you anything you want, except love."

I lightly curved my lips, letting out a bitter smile. He was marrying me not out of love, but out of necessity.

Initially, when Zac returned to the country with Stella, his mom vehemently opposed their relationship.

Even when Zac lowered his head to plead, his mom didn't budge an inch.

I had heard from his foreign friends that he and Stella Williams had met at a bar overseas.

They got along very well and were great friends who could talk about anything, especially when they were abroad.

Due to an accident, Stella got injured while trying to save Zac and ended up in the hospital.

During her hospital stay, Zac took meticulous care of her.

Since then, their relationship had grown closer and had surpassed the bounds of friendship.

The night when Zac returned to the country, everyone gathered to welcome him.

When I saw Stella in that moment, all eyes in the room turned to me.

Later, I found out that Zac had told everyone about his relationship with Stella, except me.

I agreed to Zac’ proposal because in the business world, true friends who lent a helping hand in times of need were few and far between. Without the assistance of the Jacobs Group, my father's company might have truly gone bankrupt.

Apart from signing the marriage agreement, Zac and I also signed another agreement.

【Our private lives shall not interfere with each other.】

So, during these two years of marriage to Zac, I never questioned anything about his life. I didn't know when he went on business trips, where he went, or who he went with, and I had no right to know.

However, in front of our elders, he never lost his composure, always looking out for me, ensuring that my parents didn't worry about me.

In this aspect, we had a perfect understanding.

We continued to play the role of a loving couple in front of others.