My dad, who worked in a top-secret unit, had called me and asked me to come home. He said he had arranged a marriage for me.

The other party had excellent qualifications; not only was he handsome, but he was also the chairman of a well-known listed company in the area.

Because of my special status, I couldn’t take a plane, so my superior lent me his private car to show some respect.

I arrived downstairs at my fiancé’s company right on time. Just as I was about to reverse into a parking spot, a red Ferrari suddenly shot toward me.

I didn’t have time to brake and crashed into it head-on.

The driver arrogantly rolled down the window and started cursing at me.

“You little bitch, are your eyes stuck in your ass? Do you even know how to drive?”

I swallowed my anger and retorted calmly, “You were the one who cut into my parking space. How is this my fault?”

Facing my question, the other party only looked at me with disdain.

“What do you mean by your parking spot?”

“You little bitch, let me tell you something, in Montreal, even a penny falling from the sky belongs to the Scott family. Got it?”

I froze for a few seconds before taking out my phone and dialing my fiancé’s number.

“I heard from someone at your company that your Scott family can cover the sky with one hand in Montreal. Is that true?”

——

If it hadn’t been for my dad’s sake, I wouldn’t have bothered making this call.

Crashing my superior’s car wasn’t something that could be settled with money alone.

If my future husband showed the right attitude, I might have been willing to let it slide.

“I’m busy. Say whatever you have to say.”

His tone over the phone was sharp and impatient.

“Mr. Scott, I think you’d better come down here in person, otherwise…”

Before I could finish, the line cut off with a busy tone.

I stood there, stunned.

Were all rich people this arrogant?

Seeing my expression, the woman who had stolen my spot nearly burst into laughter.

“I thought you were something special. Turns out you’re just all show and no substance.”

“If you ask me, just pay up. If President Scott finds out you hit his car, you’ll be lucky to leave Montreal alive.”

She looked me up and down with complete disdain as though I were nothing more than a joke, seeing that I was barely in my twenties and the car I drove didn’t even have local plates.

“Lady, do you even have a shred of reason?”

“You forcefully cut me off and stole my parking spot. I haven’t even come after you for it, and now you’re trying to blackmail me?”

As I spoke, I lifted my finger and pointed at the surveillance camera overhead.

“There’s a recording right there. If you keep twisting the truth, believe it or not, I’ll call the police this instant.”

The moment she heard me mention the police, she grew even more arrogant.

“You little bitch, save it. Even if the police show up, you’ll just end up paying even more.”

The more she ranted, the more agitated she became. The air around her was thick with the sharp stench of alcohol.

I clenched my fists and narrowed my eyes at her.

“You don’t want me to call the police because you’ve been drinking, haven’t you?”

The moment I said that she suddenly shoved me hard.

“What does it matter to you if I’ve been drinking? Pay up!”

“If you dare try to dodge responsibility, I swear you won’t leave Montreal alive!”

I had spent years working at the unit, with almost no interaction with civilians. I truly had no idea how to handle a shrew-like this.

Seeing how brazen she was, my anger flared uncontrollably.

“You clearly hit my car, and now you’re trying to pin it on me? Are you out of your mind?”

The onlookers around us sucked in sharp breaths.

“Damn, this girl’s got guts. She even dared to curse at Secretary Ross. Is she tired of living?”

“Most people would have gone out of their way to avoid so much as brushing against Mr. Scott’s car, but she actually dared to crash into it. That took some guts.”

“She’s just unlucky. Of all the people she could have offended, she picked Secretary Ross. That woman was Mr. Scott’s right hand.”

As the murmurs grew louder around us, Secretary Ross looked even more pleased with herself.

“You little bitch, you actually dared to curse at me? You must be tired of living!”

I couldn’t have cared less about her threats. Honestly, I almost wanted to laugh.

“Secretary Ross, was it? I suggest you watch your mouth.”

“If you really push me, not even your boss will be able to handle the consequences.”

“Watch your damn mouth, my ass!”

She spat out a few more curses, then, still not satisfied, rolled up her sleeves and charged at me again.

“What? You Montreal people resort to violence the moment you run out of words, is that it?”

Secretary Ross swung several slaps my way but couldn’t even graze the hem of my clothes.

“You little bitch, try dodging one more time and see what happens!”

“You think I won’t call Mr. Scott right now?”

Even as she kept provoking me again and again, I didn’t fight back. I only kept restraining myself.

Not because I feared her, but because before I left the unit, my superior had warned me over and over. “Your every word and action represents the image of the unit. Once you’re outside, don’t get into conflicts with local personnel.”

Besides, I didn’t know how to fight.

If I ever did strike, it would be fatal.

Seeing me stay silent, Cherry Ross assumed I was frightened. She raised her fist and charged at me again.

At that critical moment, a sharp voice sounded behind us.

“Stop!”

“Cherry, you’re my personal secretary. How can you start attacking people on the street like this?”

Winston Scott trode over briskly, surrounded by bodyguards.

“You must be Cynthia Labelle?”

I studied the man before me and had to admit, my father truly had good taste.

He stood nearly one meter eighty-five, dressed in a tailored suit, handsome but with a calm elegance.

If there was any flaw, it was the way he looked at me, far too cold.

“Mr. Scott, nice to meet you. Please allow me to briefly introduce myself.”

“My surname was Labelle, given name Cynthia. I came from…”

“No need!”

Before I could finish, Winston impatiently raised his hand to cut me off.

“You and I aren’t suitable. Just go back to wherever you came from.”

For a moment, I thought my ears were deceiving me.

I had driven from the unit all the way to Montreal, over ten hours without so much as a sip of water.

And now, the moment we met, without even a proper conversation, he simply told me to leave.

Did he think I was some kind of fool?

That thought instantly sparked my temper.

“You must be Winston, the future son-in-law my father handpicked, right?”

“You won’t even let me finish a sentence before telling me to leave. Isn’t that a little rude?”

The moment I said that Winston’s expression shifted.

“Rude?”

“Miss Labelle, why don’t you turn around and take a good look at the building behind you? Do you really think someone like you is worthy of me?”

As he spoke, he gave me a slow, dismissive once-over.

“I have no idea what my father was thinking, trying to marry me off to some vase like you.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, the scene erupted in a chorus of whispers.

“What? This woman is actually Mr. Scott’s fiancée? That’s unbelievable!”

“Someone like her, a bumpkin who’s never seen the world, actually dreaming of marrying up? She should look in the mirror and see if she’s even worthy.”

“President Scott is the publicly recognized dream man of all the women in Montreal. I, Isabella, am the first to oppose this marriage.”

As the chatter around us grew louder, I stood there feeling slightly dumbfounded.

When had I ever said I wanted to marry him?

Even taking ten thousand steps back, even if I did want to marry him, it would still need to be approved by my superiors first.

“Fine, fine, fine, you say I’m a vase, and you’re the rich young master. Happy now?”

“Since Mr. Scott doesn’t fancy me, can I have the wedding gift money back?”

“My mom specifically told me over the phone that if this marriage fell through, I had to remember to collect the money.”

In truth, my mom had never said anything of the sort. I simply couldn’t stand him anymore.

As soon as I finished, Secretary Ross jumped in, her voice shrill.

“You little bitch, who the hell do you think you’re looking down on?”

“President Scott is the youngest billionaire in Montreal’s history. Do you really think he’d care about your petty change?”

Watching this scene, I finally understood the true meaning of the word bootlicker.

“Secretary Ross, I’m only asking to take back what belongs to me. What does that have to do with whether he’s the richest or not?”

Winston’s face turned red at my words.

“It’s just eighty thousand dollars. Fine, I’ll give it back to you.”

He pulled out his phone on the spot and transferred the money over.

“I’m sending you a hundred thousand. The extra is a little travel money from me.”

I curled my lips into a faint smile. “Well, thank you very much, Mr. Scott.”

Just as I turned around, Cherry suddenly shouted at me. “You little bitch, stop right there!”

I paused and slowly turned my head back.

“What now? Secretary Ross, are you trying to invite me to dinner?”

Cherry flashed a sinister grin and leaned in to whisper something in Winston’s ear.

The next second, this so-called youngest billionaire in Montreal flew into a rage.

“Cynthia! You actually dared to crash my car?”

From Cherry’s expression, I could easily guess she must have filled his head with all sorts of nasty things about me.

Using someone else to do your dirty work is a masterclass move.

Judging by Winston’s attitude toward me now, I knew perfectly well that any explanation would be pointless. So I couldn’t be bothered to waste my breath.

“Say it, how much do you want? I’ll pay.”

Winston clearly hadn’t expected me to admit it so directly, and for a moment, surprise flickered in his eyes.

“Pay? You think you can afford it?”

“This Ferrari was a gift from my father on my eighteenth birthday, a coming-of-age present. There are only three in the world and only one in this country.”

“Just one scratch on it is worth your life. What exactly do you think you’ll pay with?”

I raised an eyebrow slightly, the corners of my lips curling into a faint smile.

“Mr. Scott, just name your price. Whether I can afford it or not is my business.”

“Ten million!”

The moment I finished speaking, Cherry jumped in first, her voice shrill.

“The entire front of the car is dented. There’s no way it can be repaired in the US. It has to be shipped back to the original factory in Italy.”

Upon hearing that, the onlookers all gasped in unison.

Even Winston looked somewhat surprised.

“Cherry, this car only cost a little over ten million when it was purchased. Just repairing the bumper couldn’t possibly cost that much, could it?”

Cherry immediately waved her hand dismissively.

“No, no, President, you’re thinking far too simply.”

“This car was your father’s birthday gift to you. The sentimental value alone is immeasurable. I don’t need to explain that, do I?”

“Asking her for ten million is already us showing mercy.”

After hearing her words, Winston seemed to think it over and lowered his head, deep in thought.