I'm the only heir to the wealthiest conglomerate in the world. My father, Tyrone Ferguson, is extremely powerful and has forces from both the underworld and the legal world eating out of his palm.

But I witness my girlfriend, Vivian Vega, giving a "Voluntary Transfer of Body Ownership" contract to my arch nemesis, Richard Larkin, at our engagement ceremony.

"Don't be mad at us, Isaac."

Vivian shows me the contract, her tone still light and casual.

"I love you, so I'll reserve my most treasured virginity for you. I will always be your wife, but I want to give the ownership of my body to Richard."

"The hell are you on about?"

With a deep frown on my face, I attempt to pull Vivian away from Richard, only to get pushed away by the latter.

Vivian quickly moves to stand in front of Richard, her brows tangled into a frown.

"Stop being so narrow-minded, Isaac! I'm free to give anyone my body!"

She then stands on her tiptoes to kiss Richard right in front of me.

At that moment, I become the biggest joke in elite society.

Before the mass media begins spreading the news, I send out a text message calmly.

"There's no need to help cover up for the Vega family's shady businesses anymore."

Holding my arm, which was sore from the push Richard had given me, I watched coldly as Vivian nestled in his embrace.

"Vivian, I gave you love and respect, yet you shamelessly chose to be his lapdog?"

Across from me, Richard toyed with Vivian's cheek flirtatiously as he shot me a taunting look.

Vivian blushed at his touch, but she just gave me a cold look and said, "Isaac, you don't get to decide what I do with my body. After all, you're only my fiance in name."

After she finished speaking, Richard spread his hands helplessly and sneered at me. "You heard her, Mr. Big Cheese. Vivian is doing all this willingly. As the richest man, you can't even keep your money in line? How lucky for me."

Watching them play off each other, I felt a sharp pain in my heart. I rubbed the contract heavily in my hand and said, "Vivian, don't forget that without me, your family would've been finished long ago."

But she remained completely indifferent upon hearing my words. "So what? Mr. Ferguson Senior said your family would take care of my family forever. Do you dare to go against your grandfather's wishes?"

With that, she raised an eyebrow at me defiantly. Then, she took a photo of the contract and sent it to her close friends' group chat.

"As long as you train them well, having two husbands isn't a problem. Look, my two men are coexisting peacefully."

The group instantly erupted.

"When it comes to training men, you've got to hand it to Vivian. Even the heir to the infamous Ferguson family fortune is groveling at her feet for a little attention."

"This is so satisfying. Vivian, can you write a ten-thousand-word tutorial so we can learn too?"

Pandemonium broke out at the venue. The crowd's gazes swept over Vivian before finally landing on me, brimming with derision.

The sounds of ridicule washed over me like a tidal wave.

"The Ferguson family has dominated Havenport for nearly a century. Who would've thought their heir would be this spineless?"

"Looks like the Ferguson family's days of glory are numbered."

"What do you people know?" A voice of dissent rang out from the crowd. His tone was low but carried deep reverence. "The Ferguson family's influence runs far deeper than what's visible on the surface.

"Back in the day, a single word from Mr. Ferguson Senior was enough to trip up even the Havenport bigwigs, and those families implicated in the fallout still haven't recovered to this day.

"You all lived peacefully for too long if you actually think the Ferguson family is something any of us has the right to gossip about!"

The murmuring crowd fell into an unusual silence upon hearing these words. When they looked at me again, their expression shifted to sudden alarm.

But I paid no attention to any of this external noise.

As Vivian, a smirk playing on her lips, was forcing me to accept the master-servant contract, the hall doors suddenly swung open the next second.

In walked Arlene Safer, my childhood friend who had rushed back from the Alluvial Flats to attend my engagement party.

"How odd. People are actually lining up to be lapdogs these days?"

Arlene strode in boldly, the very air seeming to part ways for her. She gave Vivian, who was standing nearby, a cursory once-over before turning to me with a look of disapproval.

"Isaac, a woman like her doesn't deserve to marry into your family. Even if Mr. Ferguson Senior were here today, I'd still say the same thing."

To others, Arlene's words might simply imply that my family, with wealth rivaling nations, looked down on the insignificant Vega family.

But Arlene was the only one present who knew my true identity, so I understood exactly what she meant.

Given that my family controlled the financial reins, we truly needed a mistress of status.

Upon hearing this, Vivian folded her arms and let out a low chuckle. "Oh? And what kind of woman am I exactly? I'll have you know, my grandfather saved Mr. Ferguson Senior's life. Who do you think you are, spouting nonsense here?"

Instead of answering the question, Arlene simply retorted, "So what if your grandfather saved Mr. Ferguson Senior's life? If it weren't for Isaac, your family would've married you off long ago in exchange for resources.

"You wouldn't even have the right to be yapping here today."

Before Vivian could speak, Arlene turned and pointed at Richard.

"And you!" she uttered sharply. "You're nothing but a kept man who got his start by stealing Isaac's project documents through Vivian. So, what's with this little act of undying devotion you two are putting on here?"

As I watched Vivian's face gradually twist with distortion, I felt a momentary daze.

Back when her family tried to force her into an arranged marriage, she came to me begging for protection.

Like a little stray cat, she retracted all her claws and hid in my arms, sobbing softly. The tear she let fall onto my neck that day as she declared she'd never marry another still seemed to burn against my skin.

"Isaac, you're the only one in this world who's ever been good to me. Let me be your family. I want to protect you too."

Yet now, she'd chosen to stand against me without hesitation, all for the sake of another man.

Arlene saw through Vivian's audacity at a single glance and let out a cold sneer.

"Vivian, are you 100% sure that Isaac can't live without you? Once you lose the Ferguson family as your backing, let's see if Richard still wants a lapdog like you."

Unable to tolerate anyone speaking ill of Richard, Vivian flew into a rage. She grabbed a glass from the coffee table and hurled its contents at me.

"Isaac, you really have raised yourself a fine lapdog. Have this tramp apologize to Richard right now, or I'm leaving with him today!"

I lowered my gaze slowly, wiping the water from my face.

Today was supposed to have been our most beautiful day. Yet, the woman I cherished most willingly became someone else's lapdog, making me the ultimate laughingstock of aristocratic circles.

All of a sudden, I felt tired. Without looking at them, I said to Arlene, "Let's go, Arlene."

Even though my family moved quickly to suppress the news, someone was pulling strings behind the scenes, and the story spread like wildfire throughout Havenport in an instant.

What was supposed to be a perfectly planned engagement party ended in dismal failure.

Right at this critical moment, Vivian's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vega, arrived at my door bearing expensive gifts.

"Isaac, Vivian didn't know any better, so please be understanding. Besides, it's all Richard's fault for leading her astray!"

"That's right. You can't just call off a marriage contract between our two families over a little tantrum."

The two played off each other perfectly, trying to smooth things over while pinning the whole incident on youthful indiscretion.

I bit my tongue, unable to suppress a bitter laugh from the depths of my heart.

It seemed my family had kept such a low profile for so long that the Vegas actually believed anyone could push us around.

"Be understanding?" I slapped a copy of that contract onto the table, a faint smile creeping onto my lips but never reaching my eyes. "You want me to be understanding while she plays lapdog for another man?

"I'm not fortunate enough to provide for your precious daughter. The marriage contract between our families ends here."

When she saw how determined I was, Mrs. Vega's expression shifted in an instant. She suddenly slammed her hand on the table and said, "Isaac, don't you forget that my grandfather took a bullet for your grandfather back then!

"Without us, where would your family be today? How dare you put on airs with us?"

Her voice was shrill, completely devoid of the kindly demeanor she had just moments ago.

With my elbow resting on the back of the chair, I looked up at the two people baring their teeth at me and suddenly laughed.

"Indeed, what a tremendous debt of gratitude."

The next day, Vivian unexpectedly asked to meet me, claiming she wanted to provide an explanation for what had happened yesterday.

I waited at the street corner from noon until sunset, and only then did she finally show up arm-in-arm with Richard.

"Oh my, Isaac. You didn't actually wait over five hours, did you? I was only speaking offhand. You really still take everything I say to heart, don't you?"

With that, she stepped forward half a pace and took my wrist. "I know you still have feelings for me, and I have intentions toward you too. So, how about reconsidering my suggestion from yesterday?"

She was clearly smiling, but I didn't miss the flicker of mockery in her eyes.

Was I nothing more than a lapdog to her? To be summoned at will and dismissed just as easily?

I deliberately curled my lips into a gentle smile. "It's not entirely out of the question. If you have Richard kneel and apologize to me, I might consider it."

I raised an eyebrow at Richard as I spoke.

When Vivian heard this, her face instantly crumpled. She opened her mouth to argue, but Richard smiled and agreed before she could get a word out.

I was stunned by his immediate agreement when he suddenly pulled a small bell from his pocket and gave it a gentle shake.

"Kneel, my little slave," he commanded Vivian.

My pupils constricted sharply. My first reaction was sheer disbelief. The street was crowded with people, so how could anyone—let alone someone as proud as Vivian—willingly submit to such humiliation?

But in the next instant, with everyone watching, Vivian actually dropped to her knees right there in front of the law firm. She hugged Richard's leg docilely and rubbed her cheek against his pants in a pathetic plea for affection.

Richard laughed arrogantly, his right hand casually resting on top of Vivian's head.

"Mr. Ferguson, are you satisfied with this apology? If you feel it's not enough, I could even have her be your lapdog for a couple of days."

Vivian showed no resistance whatsoever to these words of extreme humiliation. Instead, she shot me a reproachful glare.

"Isaac, if you truly love me, you'll support my choices instead of repeatedly making things difficult for me. I love you as well, which is why I saved myself for you. But I've already signed a contract with my master, so please don't put me in an awkward position."

At those words, my whole body went rigid. At the same time, my heart turned completely cold.

Vivian had long since become completely unrecognizable.

I curled my fingers, and as I looked down at her, my eyes turned dark and deep.

"Vivian, perhaps I've indulged you to the point where you've forgotten who I am. I am not merely Isaac—I am the only heir to my family. I don't need you, but your family certainly needs me.

"Because without me, you and your family are nothing. I'm calling off this engagement if it's the last thing I do, you hear?"

Agitated by my words, Vivian shot up and grabbed my arm tightly. Then, she said with a fierce glare, "You wouldn't dare! Mr. Ferguson Senior will never allow it. Your family can't just forget everything we've done for you!"

"We can't?" I violently shook off her hand with a mocking smirk, as if touching her for even a second longer would somehow soil me. "Vivian, Mr. Vega Senior saved my grandfather. He did not bind my entire family to yours in eternal servitude.

"My family repaid that debt 100 times over a long time ago. Oh, and be sure to check the trending headlines tonight. My grandfather will personally address this engagement fiasco between us."

I uttered the last sentence slowly and deliberately, my voice firm and icy cold.

The color drained from her face. But then, as if something occurred to her, the panic on her face was instantly replaced by a sneer.

"You've got to be kidding. You're clearly just trying to piss me off so I'll come crawling back to you. This whole playing hard to get act is way too obvious. How boring."

Her face, flushed red from the argument, and all those useless retorts were nothing but a joke in my eyes.

"It's up to you whether you want to believe it."

With that, I deftly tossed the termination of engagement into her lap. Then, I turned and walked away without looking back.

The termination of engagement between me and Vivian stirred up a massive uproar in Havenport, and Vega Group's stock price plummeted overnight.

During this time, Vivian called me no fewer than 20 times, all of which I blocked.

Little did I expect that our next meeting would be at a press conference where she accused me of cruel abuse.

The allegations included, but were not limited to, exerting control over her, emotional abuse, and attempting to use money to restrict her freedom. She also produced partially falsified chat logs to support her claims.

Vivian's hand was shaking as she gripped the microphone on stage.

"He was so controlling that he wouldn't even let me hang out with friends!"

Richard, picking up on her emotion, felt his own eyes redden as he looked into the camera and said, "All Vivian has ever wanted is freedom. So, Mr. Ferguson, please let her go."

The reporters in the audience buzzed with murmurs.

"Who would've thought the heir of the richest family in the world would turn out to be a creep. Truly, the wealthy have their own brand of drama."

Another clicked their tongue. "Poor woman. By exposing all this today, she's basically picking a fight with the Ferguson family. There's no way she won't face retaliation."

Remarks of this kind multiplied, and soon the place was in an uproar.

Arlene and I watched everything unfold from below the stage. We exchanged a knowing glance before letting out an involuntary scoff.

Since they wanted a scene, I decided to give them a bigger one.

Arlene stepped forward and snatched a microphone straight from a reporter's hand. Without missing a beat, she fired off three questions at the pair on the stage.

"You want freedom? Vivian, do you dare to take off that scarf around your neck and let everyone see if there's a collar mark left there by your master?

"Richard, how do you plan to account for the fact that you put her up to stealing the core data from Ferguson Group's Galaxy Project?

"Vivian, you willingly play the part of Richard's lapdog on one hand, while on the other, you covet the Ferguson family's wealth and refuse to accept the termination of engagement.

"You really want to have your cake and eat it too, while spinning the narrative entirely in your favor!"

The moment the words landed, the entire venue erupted into an uproar, buzzing with even more shocked murmurs than before.

Camera lenses swiveled frantically, shutters clicking incessantly.

Vivian's eyes stung from the flash of cameras as she instinctively moved to shield Richard.

"You're simply spouting baseless accusations out of thin air! Are you, by any chance, one of Isaac's mistresses waiting in line for his attention?" Her tone abruptly softened the next second as she turned to Arlene with a warning.

"Isaac isn't a good person. When he loved me, he gave me everything. But when he didn't, he treated me like dirt. He even went after my family's company.

"Take it from someone who's experienced it—what happened to me will happen to you. Turn back before it's too late."

Vivian really knew how to put on an act. All it took was a few tears and some sweet talk, and suddenly everyone was on her side.

Unfortunately for her, she was dealing with Arlene, who was known as the Iron Fist of Alluvial Flats. No way would Arlene be brought down by some cheap tricks from a two-faced woman like Vivian.

Arlene quietly wiped the corner of her eye as well, playing along with the emotional appeal.

"You're wrong, Vivian. You, coming from a poor and humble background, were never worthy of Isaac in the first place. But because you promised as a girl to love him forever, that fool went against his family's wishes and endured 39 lashes just to marry you.

"Not only did he pull strings to lift your family up, but he also gave you a black card to give you status. Yet, during the engagement party, you signed a master-servant contract with another man behind his back."

The tide turned once again, leaving the reporters utterly stunned. They scurried back and forth with their cameras, busier than ever.

"Don't be fooled by her," Vivian shouted frantically from the stage.

Despite that, no one was willing to believe her anymore after seeing the photo of the contract Arlene had displayed on the big screen.

The crowd erupted in fury, hurling insults at Vivian and Richard, branding them a shameless, scandalous pair.

Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, Richard muttered a curse under his breath. He then let go of the microphone, and it crashed to the floor with a piercing screech.

A chorus of groans rose from the crowd as people hurriedly clamped their hands over their ears.

Just then, the security guards on site suddenly stirred into action, shoving their way onto the stage and violently pushing Arlene off.

A heavy thud echoed as Arlene, unable to catch herself in time, hit her head hard against the ground. Blood pooled across her features, a ghastly mask that was horrifying to behold.

With his back to the crowd, Richard shot me a vicious grin and silently mouthed, "Look at that. How pathetic."

The last thread of my restraint snapped. In an instant, my eyes bloodshot, I stormed the stage and threw a punch that broke Richard's nose right in front of the entire press.

"You're dead, Richard!"