"Ma'am, your booth has been reassigned. You'll need to move to that spot in the corner."

I was just about to set up my gallery exhibition.

A staff member strode over, his tone dripping with condescension.

I followed his gaze across the hall.

At the center of the exhibition space, right where my paintings were supposed to be displayed, someone had set up a sprawling array of cosmetics.

I couldn't help but frown.

"I paid in full six months ago to reserve that prime spot. Why should I give it up?"

The floor manager sidled closer, a cold smirk on his face.

"You haven't heard? That's Edgar Fox, the young heir of Fox Group. He booked the space for his little girlfriend. You really think an ordinary person can compete with that?"

"I'd suggest you start packing. If you get in the way of Mr. Fox keeping his lady happy, this entire venue is finished. Keep pushing back, and I'll have security toss your stuff out on the curb."

I narrowed my eyes, watching the workers hang the Fox Group logo on the wall. Then a laugh slipped out of me.

Edgar Fox. The so-called young heir of Fox Group.

Wasn't he the same man who only became the Fox family's heir because of his engagement to me?

And he had the nerve to steal my booth.

I didn't mind, really. The Fox family's heir could always be... replaced.

……

Seeing me stare at the distant booth with narrowed eyes, lost in thought, the floor manager walked up to me with undisguised impatience, lighting a cigarette.

"Miss Sullivan, let's not drag this out."

"Five grand covers almost half a year of booth fees for someone like you. Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

He raised an eyebrow and tossed a thin envelope at my feet.

"If you ask me, Mr. Fox is being generous, even giving you compensation money. People like us ought to be grateful."

I barely glanced at it.

A scoff escaped my lips.

"We signed a contract. The agreement was that I'd lease this booth for one year, and whoever breaks the terms pays the penalty first."

"My lease is perfectly valid. Why should I be the one to move?"

The manager looked me over with a flicker of surprise. "Don't turn down a toast only to drink a forfeit."

"Do you have any idea? Mr. Fox's girlfriend is a beauty influencer. She does product livestreams."

He leaned in close, deliberately lowering his voice, practically oozing sycophancy.

"One of her streams earns more than you'd make in ten years. Think of it as charity. Step aside for a future superstar."

A beauty influencer?

Long before the engagement, I'd heard the rumors that Edgar Fox couldn't keep his hands to himself.

I'd assumed it was just gossip. Turns out he really was dating influencers on the side.

But I had no time to worry about his love life right now.

I lifted my wrist and checked the time. Only half an hour until the exhibition opened.

"I'm not switching booths. This is the one we agreed on. No other spot will do."

I pushed the envelope back toward him, a mocking curve forming at the corner of my mouth.

"The contract is crystal clear. The party in breach pays ten times the deposit."

Five thousand dollars.

That wouldn't even cover a single pair of my earrings.

The manager's expression darkened instantly.

"What is wrong with you, lady? Do you have any idea who Mr. Fox is? When he wants something, he gets it. No exceptions."

I scoffed. "I don't care who he is. Even if God himself walked through that door, I wouldn't move."

The words had barely left my mouth when a commotion erupted at the entrance.

A cluster of men in black suits swept into the hall, flanking a man in a crisp white shirt. His sleeves were rolled to his forearms, revealing the Bulgari watch on his wrist. The one I'd given him.

"Eddie, this place is gorgeous!"

Lydia Henson rose on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Edgar Fox's cheek, her voice saccharine and coy.

"This is so much nicer than my usual streaming backdrop."

Edgar looked down at her with a smile. "As long as you like it."

"Tomorrow's launch event, I'll have the tech team set up a full 360-degree livestream for you. Guaranteed to push your followers past ten million."

"Thank you, babe!"

Lydia bounced on her heels, then caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye. She let out a little gasp. "Oh my God, isn't this Katherine? What are you doing here?"

She'd spotted Edgar picking me up for a family dinner once before. Back then, she'd come tiptoeing over trying to ingratiate herself, only for me to not even spare her a glance.

Now she was asking a question she already knew the answer to, clearly looking to settle that old score.

Only then did Edgar turn toward me. His gaze was cold, laced with a flicker of disgust.

"What are you doing here?"

"Don't tell me you're stalking me again, like last time. I already told you, our engagement is just to keep the families happy with their little alliance. Don't kid yourself into thinking I'll ever fall for you."

He slid his arm around the woman beside him and pulled her close, deliberately showing off for my benefit.

"See this? This is the one I actually want."

"Edgar, I'm going to strongly suggest you don't get in the way of my business."

I held up the gallery exhibition brochure, my expression cooling by several degrees.

"I booked this space two weeks ago."

"While I'm still being civil, take your people and get out."

The workers around us had all stopped what they were doing, ears perked. A few of them were already whispering among themselves.

"What's going on? That woman actually knows Mr. Fox."

"Think they've got something going on? Or maybe they go way back?"

"She's got some nerve, though. Flat-out refuses to give up the space. This is about to get interesting..."

The venue manager tried to step in and smooth things over, but a single look from Edgar shut him down.

Edgar lifted his gaze slowly, a mocking smile curling at his lips.

"I'm taking this space."

He pulled out his wallet, drew out a thick stack of bills, and tossed them at my feet.

"Is that enough?"

The crisp hundred-dollar bills fluttered down like a shower of petals, and every pair of eyes in the room went wide.

Lydia's mouth fell open in surprise, but she quickly recovered, pouting with exaggerated displeasure.

"Babe, you're way too generous. With that kind of money, you could've bought me a Birkin bag instead. Why waste it on some random woman?"

She shot me a venomous glare as she said it.

Edgar chuckled indulgently and ruffled her hair. "Relax. You'll get all the bags you want."

"Every dollar I earn out there is for you to spend. Who else would it be for?"

Lydia squealed and threw her arms around his neck. "I knew it. You're the best to me."

She rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his. Edgar let her cling to him, making no move to pull away.

But the moment her kiss landed, his gaze drifted lazily upward, settling on me with deliberate ease.

"Katherine, do you really enjoy watching other people's love life that much? Get lost already."

The bills lay scattered across the floor.

I didn't give them a single glance.

"Edgar, you really are something."

"Or have you already forgotten that we just sealed our families' alliance?"

I fixed him with a frigid stare and let out a quiet scoff.

"You're publicly crossing me for some influencer with a face full of plastic surgery. You really aren't afraid of me telling your grandfather?"

Edgar's expression shifted.

"You're threatening me?"

Old Mr. Fox valued reputation above all else. If he found out that Edgar was tangled up with another woman right after formalizing their alliance, he'd break his legs.

Lydia clapped both hands over her face and let out a piercing shriek. "Plastic surgery?! My face is one hundred percent natural!"

"Babe, did you hear what she just said about me?!"

"My livestream is about to start, and all these people heard her! How am I supposed to show my face in this industry after this?!"

Edgar cooed at her, his voice dripping with tenderness. "Whoever makes my Lydia unhappy deserves to be punished."

"Go on, sweetheart. Tell me how you'd like me to punish her."

The crowd milling through the gallery buzzed with whispers.

"She's done for. Nobody crosses that tyrant Edgar Fox and walks away unscathed. That Miss Sullivan is in for a world of hurt."

Even the gallery manager furrowed his brow and nudged me with his elbow.

"Look, just stop being stubborn. Take the money and go."

"Dragging this out isn't going to end well for you."

I folded my arms and let out a cold laugh. "I'd love to see how Edgar plans to treat me over this woman... his own fiancée."

"Fiancée?"

Someone nearby stared at me in disbelief. "She's lost it. The poor woman's been scared out of her mind."

Six months ago, the Sullivan family had decided to reshape its position as the unchallenged power in Seaview City. The best way to cultivate a loyal business partner was through a strategic marriage alliance.

The eligible heirs of every prominent family had lined up before me in their finest suits, ready for my selection.

Whoever I chose would become the Sullivan family's son-in-law.

And that meant gaining access to every resource the Sullivans had to offer.

So naturally, every last one of them was falling over himself to impress me, all flattery and fawning smiles.

Every one except Edgar Fox, who stood there with a look of open defiance. "If my family hadn't forced me to come, I wouldn't be caught dead standing here."

"Sullivan, if you're going to pick someone, hurry it up. I've got financial reports waiting for me back at the office."

And just like that, amid a lineup of handsome, polished men, Edgar stood out.

My interest was piqued. I pointed at him, almost on a whim.

Edgar Fox. Chosen.

Three days later, he was named the heir to Fox Group.

Word was he thought his ancestors had blessed him from beyond the grave. He'd apparently rushed off to church, dropped to his knees, and thanked God profusely, convinced his prayers had finally been answered.

What a fool.

He had no idea that the only reason he'd become heir to Fox Group was because I had picked him.

Just then, Lydia's eyes darted around, and a coy little laugh escaped her lips.

"What kind of garbage art is this?"

"Painted at this level, and you actually have the nerve to display it in a gallery? You're embarrassing yourself."

I watched her reach for the paintings on my table, about to sweep them to the floor.

My expression changed instantly. "Don't touch those!"

But it was already too late.

The paintings tumbled to the ground, smeared with dust and ink.

My fists clenched so tight my knuckles ached. Those paintings represented six months of my life.

I had booked this exhibition half a year in advance for one reason alone: to fulfill my late mentor's dying wish and share these works with the world.

And now Lydia had destroyed them.

My eyes burned crimson. Before I even realized what I was doing, a sharp crack rang through the gallery as my palm connected with Lydia's face.

The force of the slap snapped her head to the side. She clutched her cheek and gaped at me, stunned.

"You hit me?!"

"So what if I did?"

I lifted my chin, my voice ice-cold. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to touch other people's things without permission?"

Edgar's face twisted. He lunged in front of Lydia, his tone venomous.

"Have you lost your mind, Katherine?!"

"I'm standing right here, and you dare lay a hand on Lydia?"

In that single moment, every shred of regard I'd ever had for Edgar Fox turned to ash.

I narrowed my eyes, and a deep, bitter disappointment settled over my gaze.

"Edgar, when I chose you to be the Sullivan family's son-in-law, it was because I saw a glimmer of business sense in you. Not so you could stand here and make my life miserable."

The Fox family heir.

It was time to pick a replacement.