Once again, Caroline’s past memories came to haunt her in her dream in the evening, preventing her from getting any rest. Her dream flashed back to how she first met Simon when she was trapped in a cave and on the verge of death due to the raging storm and a heavy landslide. Given her situation, she really thought her life would end there. Gradually, her hope faded away along with her consciousness. After an unknown time, she opened her eyes and saw Simon in a white gown. It was then followed by her memories of how they fell in love with each other in the past.

Having that thought, Caroline’s lips curved into an ironic smile as her dream ended the same way their relationship did. Caroline wiped her tears away and climbed out of bed. She then sat in front of her dressing table and looked at her reflection, whose eyes were puffy from excessive crying in her sleep and a lack of sleep. Seeing that, she sighed deeply and mumbled, ‘I have to apply more makeup to hide this in the afternoon.’

Meanwhile, similar to Caroline, dreams also haunted Simon one after another, ruining his night’s sleep. Upon waking up, he was panting heavily and sweating profusely. He also felt his chest tightening, making it difficult for him to breathe properly and his throat dry.

Since it was still early, Simon changed into his usual sportswear and went for a run outside. After running for miles, his shirt was drenched in sweat, but it helped him clear his mind. Soon, he decided to go home, and it was only then that he realized it was already 8:30 a.m.

Like usual, Simon cleaned himself up first, then brewed some coffee for himself. Suddenly, Caroline popped into his head while drinking his coffee, and his hand immediately searched for Caroline’s name on Twitter. Actually, Simon had never had an account before and only downloaded it yesterday for some reason.

To his surprise, Caroline’s name, photos, and even videos of her and Lucien were spread on Twitter with the caption [Attracted to Each Other Like in Those Fiction Stories.]

Those were shot when the latter sent the former to Jana’s car in the parking lot after their celebration party for their ongoing TV series.

Since Lucien’s gestures toward Caroline were too sweet, the media misconstrued their relationship and assumed they were a real couple.

While looking at the photos, his attention was drawn to a comment that said, [What a perfect match!] Reading that comment hurt his eyes, so he logged out right away.

Sure, the news spread like wildfire and quickly reached Jana. As soon as she saw the trending topic, she gave Caroline a call.

Caroline heard her phone ring. Seeing it was her agent, her brows furrowed for a moment, then she quickly took the call.

“Hello,” she greeted.

“Have you seen today’s trending news?” Jana asked.

Completely clueless, Caroline answered, “Not yet. What about it?”

“Well, better to see it for yourself. It’s viral on Twitter,” Jana said.

With that, Caroline ended the call and went straight to Twitter. Like what her agent had told her, it was indeed viral that she didn’t need to search for it anymore. Her photos with Lucien in the parking lot after the celebration party for their ongoing drama flooded her feed.

Caroline couldn’t deny the skill of whoever took the photos, as those were captured in the perfect angles, enough to pique the media’s interest and create a story out of them. It also amazed Caroline how creative the media could be to have interpreted their normal chatting as intimate whispering and Lucien’s thoughtfulness in supporting the drunk her as a “Public Display of Affection.”

Caroline couldn’t help but sneer thinking about it. Fortunately, she was used to handling such situations after being in the industry for many years.

She was thinking about taking care of the issue when her phone beeped. She picked it up again and saw that it was Jana again.

Jana: [Shall we tweet the truth?]

Caroline had already typed [Okay], but her instincts told her to take another look at the photos. Following her instinct, she was surprised to notice something on it. She zoomed in and saw a man standing nearby, staring at her. Although it was quite blurred due to the reduced quality of the photo, she couldn’t be mistaken: the man was Simon!

After staring at the photo for a minute, Caroline logged out of Twitter, deleted her supposed reply, and composed again.

Caroline: [No need.]

Not long after, Jana replied: [Okay. For sure, they will forget about it soon. BTW, try not to eat anything. Your dress is a bit tight.]

As everyone knew, celebrities had strict diet plans where they only ate a minimal amount to none, especially if they had some special event or project coming up. So, as a long-time actress, Caroline was already used to it.

However, boozing too much yesterday left her stomach empty today, so she ate a few toffees to avoid passing out, which was caused by a sudden drop in sugar level.

Afternoon came, and the stylist Jana had contacted yesterday arrived and picked Caroline up for styling. Upon arriving at the venue of her modeling assignment, she saw the black sequined dress. Jana was right; when Caroline tried the dress on, it hugged her body quite tightly, but it didn’t fail to make her look lovelier than ever, though she was trying to hold her breath to keep it fitted to her, even if she was already so slim.

Throughout the shoot, the photographer lavished Caroline with compliments. But Caroline, being a modest lady, simply laughed it off.

After the modeling, she then prepared for the CR Jewelry's evening event. And before the clock struck seven o’clock, Caroline had arrived at the venue. While walking on the red carpet at the banquet hall to sign in, camera flashes blinded her.

As someone who was already used to it, she stood there, smiling at the camera for perfect shots. Afterward, she proceeded inside and left the media in the hall, her hands pulling up her dress to avoid tripping on its hem.

A few minutes later, Simon arrived at the same event venue and walked in when he caught sight of Caroline turning around.

As a result, Simon could only catch a glimpse of her wavy hair and red lips and failed to see her whole face. Thus, his eyes landed on her dress, highlighting her bottle-shaped body. But soon, his eyes settled on her waist.

Hearing the praises of the fans and reporters for Caroline, a smile crept into Simon’s lips. Unbeknownst to the public, the person they praised for having a slim waist had been pregnant before.

Caroline stretched her lips into an alluring smile, not even intimidated by the blinding flashes of cameras in front of her. After her last pose, she continued walking on the red carpet.

“You’re stunning as ever, Miss Young!” A woman in her mid-twenties greeted Caroline. Her name was Tessa Lee, CR Jewelry’s Marketing Department manager.

Caroline politely smiled at her.

“The fans are going crazy! They think you’re the perfect brand ambassador of CR Jewelry!” Tessa said with excitement.

“You’re flattering me too much! It’s an honor to be the face of your brand,” Caroline replied.

Tessa grinned. “By the way, the chairman is over there. I’ll introduce you to him.”

Caroline didn’t have a choice but to follow Tessa. After all, it was part of her job. At times, it could be draining, but years of being in such an industry made her used to it.

Caroline spent the next thirty minutes socializing and proposing toasts with many higher-ups from the company. Not long after, she finally had a chance to escape from them and find a quiet place to rest.

But before she could even walk away, her eyes immediately landed on Finn Balcom.

Stunned, Caroline took a step back. Her hands trembled, and her champagne glass almost dropped to the floor. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. Seeing the man in front of her made her realize that there would always be people who wouldn’t fade away from her memories quickly, no matter how hard she tried to forget them.

Most especially those whom she loved and hated.

Caroline heard the CR Jewelry’s chairman speak, snapping her back to reality. “Good to see you here, Mr. Balcom! Have you met our brand ambassador yet? I’ll introduce you to her.”

The chairman looked at her and smiled. “This is Caroline, our newest brand ambassador. You must have heard of her?”

Finn was a very tall man, probably more than six feet tall. The dark grey suit hugged his body perfectly, and the pair of gold-rimmed glasses made him look more ravishing.

He stared at Caroline for a long while until a slight smirk formed on his lips. “Of course. Carol is very popular and quite a beauty.”

Caroline’s hold of the champagne glass tightened. She gritted her teeth and tried her best not to throw the glass at Finn’s face.

‘How can he look despicable and dignified at the same time?’ she thought.

The people around them laughed at Finn’s comment. Wide smiles were painted across their lips, interested in Finn and Caroline’s relationship.

“It seems like you know each other well, Mr. Balcom,” the chairman asked.

Finn shook his head. “Not really. I’ve watched many of Carol’s works, and I admire her talent and skills.”

The people nodded their heads simultaneously.

“I see, Mr. Balcom. I guess you two must have a lot to talk about, so we’ll excuse ourselves first. See you.”

Caroline heavily sighed as she watched the crowd around them disperse. Only she and Finn were left on their spots. Uninterested in talking to the man, she turned around and stepped away.

However, a firm hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Shocked, Caroline took a few steps backward until her foot tripped on someone else’s foot.

Caroline gasped as she stumbled and almost fell, but Finn successfully caught her in his arms. He lowered his head, buried his nose in her hair, and gently sniffed it.

“You changed perfume?” A chuckle escaped his lips.

“Stay away from me,” Caroline muttered before removing herself from his hold. She put a distance between them as she controlled her emotions.

Over the years, Caroline had mastered how to hide her real feelings. But for some reason, Finn always knew how to trigger her anger.

Finn took a step closer to her and cupped her chin. “You look hotter when you’re mad,” he whispered.

Caroline’s eyes glistened in pure rage. The winged eyeliner she had made her eyes look fiercer, which amused Finn even more.

Years had already passed, but he would still do anything just to see those eyes of hers.

Unfazed by Caroline’s anger, Finn lifted her chin and whispered in her ears, “Still got that short temper of yours, huh? I thought that after what happened, you learned how to behave.”

His words instantly fueled her anger. Her body started to tremble, much to Finn’s delight. Suddenly, he removed his grip from her chin and smoothly transferred his hand to her shoulders.

“Come on, let’s go and get some drinks,” he cooed, but his firm grip on her shoulder told Caroline she didn’t have a choice.

She muttered several curses in her mind. She hated him so much! Just the thought of what he had done to her made her want to send him to hell.

The two of them started to walk. Caroline kept her gaze on him as her mind constantly tried to think of ways to snap his head off.

All of a sudden, Finn chuckled. “You can’t take your eyes off of me, can you? You must have missed me a lot.”

“You—” Caroline said, but her words were cut off when she suddenly bumped into someone.

Horror etched her face when she saw the content of her glass already spilled on the person’s shirt.

“Oh, sorry. She was busy staring at me that she didn’t notice you,” Finn apologized, although there was no remorse in his voice.

Caroline raised her head and saw Simon’s threatening gaze directed at the man beside her. Then, his eyes transferred to her, making her swallow hard.

“It’s fine,” he gravely said.

His voice sent shivers down Caroline’s spine. She looked away and prayed that no one heard the loud beating of her heart.

Caroline felt like fate seemed to enjoy playing with her.

In less than twenty-four hours, she bumped into her ex-boyfriend not just once but twice. In those moments, she was with two different men.

Caroline could only imagine what Simon must be thinking right now.

“I’ll ask my secretary to pay for your clothes,” Finn said beside her, interrupting her thoughts.

Both of them scanned Simon’s outfit. Dressed in a white t-shirt, denim pants, and black boots, it seemed like Simon didn’t get the memo that this was a formal event.

Finn took Caroline’s wrist and moved past him without waiting for Simon’s reply. Caroline, on the other hand, silently tagged along with Finn. She knew that this man was easier to deal with than Simon.

Finn displayed a smile of satisfaction. He slid his arm around Caroline’s waist, crouched, and pressed his lips near her ears. “What a pity you didn’t obey me earlier,” he teased.

Caroline clenched her teeth and disregarded Finn’s remark. However, there was something she couldn’t completely ignore.

She could feel someone staring at her from behind. The intensity of his gaze made her mind absolute haywire, and her chest couldn’t stop pounding.

She didn’t need to look back to check who it was. Of all people, she knew Simon the best.

Meanwhile, Simon remained on his spot. His brooding eyes watched how Finn rested his hand on Caroline’s waist until they disappeared in the crowd. He looked away and scanned his surroundings to look for a glass of wine.

In just a few minutes, Simon had already finished his fourth glass of wine. He couldn’t find any more potent alcohol, so he settled with gulping down wine as if it was just water.

He put down his sixth glass and was ready to drink a few more when Leo Sheen, his assistant, approached him.

“Mr. Johnson.”

Simon turned to him. “Done now? Can I leave?” he asked. Impatience was laced in his tone, making Leo panic. Bullets of sweat formed on the side of his face.

Hardy appointed Leo to be Simon’s personal assistant, and today was his first day of work.

The Johnson family had two legitimate sons. Hardy was a favorite subject of most journalists, but he never failed to protect his family’s privacy and never let them show up in public.

Leo thought that Simon, Hardy’s younger brother, would be easy to get along with. However, his first encounter with him instantly deflated his optimism.

Simon refused to wear a suit for the party. Instead, he wore jeans and a pair of boots. He made it clear to Leo that he didn’t plan on mingling with anyone and would leave the event as soon as possible.

‘He’s a tough nut to crack,’ Leo thought as he sighed.

He laughed nervously and glanced at the empty glasses beside Simon. “I’m afraid we can’t leave yet, Sir. The CR Jewelry’s chairman wants to talk to you.”

When he heard the company Leo mentioned, Caroline’s image immediately flashed on Simon’s mind.

“No,” he muttered darkly before leaving Leo to the bathroom.

Leo thought that working for Hardy was already like serving a king. However, meeting his younger brother tonight made Hardy look more amiable and patient.

He clicked his tongue as he stared at Simon’s retreating form. At that moment, he knew he would have a hard time with his new boss.

Indeed, Simon Johnson was a tough nut to crack.

As soon as he left the bathroom, Simon was greeted by a group of ladies in beautiful dresses, talking and laughing.

He looked away and was ready to leave when he heard Caroline’s name. He stopped in his tracks and silently looked at the women again.

“Did you see Caroline Young’s face just now? Why is she like that? She was paid generously to come here and put on her friendly smile in front of the guests! I don’t get why CR Jewelry chose her,” A woman stressed.

“Why are you surprised? She was obviously chosen because of her popularity,” another voice said.

“Yeah. She’s been a hot topic recently. Also, she has paired up with Lucien again, attracting all those hopeless fans to root for their nonexistent love story. Last night, I heard that gossip about her went viral. Everyone’s very eager to ride on her fame.”

“Their management must be working hard to keep their clout. I just saw Caroline on the terrace, and she’s with a different man. Who knows? She must be his sugar baby,” one said, and the women giggled together.

Simon clenched his fists as he listened to them. These women must be talent managers or agents. He felt so disgusted listening to their envious voices as they talked about Caroline. On top of it all, the word ‘sugar baby’ left a bad taste in his mouth.

His neck and ears reddened in anger. Veins in his arms protruded as he fisted his hands. He didn’t know that he had already caught the women’s attention.

“Hey, handsome. Are you interested in the showbiz industry? You certainly have the looks,” one of them said.

Simon was towering over them. His white shirt perfectly showed off his fair skin, well-shaped biceps, broad shoulders, and perfectly-shaped waist. It would be too hard to ignore a sight like him.

He was a perfect epitome of a manly guy.

And people would always dig for manly guys on the television.

Simon clenched his jaw and glanced at the woman talking to him. She was also the same person who labeled Caroline as a sugar baby.

Without any word, he walked away from her.