Maybe guilt over how agreeable I had been at the banquet drove Lucas to find me the very next day with two plane tickets in hand.

"I booked us a trip abroad. Let's get away this weekend, just the two of us. Clear our heads," he claimed.

I had always loved traveling, so I agreed.

On the day of the flight, I waited at the airport for two and a half hours. Lucas never showed.

His call came just as boarding was about to start, his voice rushed and apologetic. "I'm sorry, Gina. Something came up at the company. I don't think I can make it. Go enjoy yourself."

I said nothing for a moment. He braced himself, expecting me to snap.

Instead, I answered in a light, almost breezy tone, "Okay. Don't worry. I'll relax enough for both of us."

A brief silence followed before he asked, "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be? I know how hard you're pushing yourself. You're doing it for our future."

"Gina, you're amazing..."

"Focus on work. I'll be fine." I rolled my eyes where he could not see me, then kept my voice sweet until the call ended. "Work hard, babe."

The moment I hung up, I switched my phone to airplane mode, leaned back, and looked out at the blue sky through the terminal window.

Traveling alone beat traveling with a man like him.

…

When the plane landed, I turned my phone back on.

As expected, Rebecca had posted.

[Accidentally cut my hand cooking, and my fiancé was at my side in no time! He even took over the kitchen and made me soup from scratch. Marrying a man who can cook and actually cares about you? Best decision I ever made!]

The attached photo showed Lucas at the stove in an apron, his back to the camera.

In five years together, he had never cooked for me. He always said he was particular about kitchens. They had to be spotless.

Once, I burned my hand while cooking. He held my fingers, his face full of concern, and gently applied ointment to the swelling.

Then he sat back down. He never offered to help. I finished the meal myself, my hand throbbing the entire time.

I used to think he simply disliked cooking. Now I saw it clearly. It was not the cooking he disliked. It was me.

I walked out of the airport and made a call. On the other end was a key investor in one of Lucas' most important projects, a connection that came through my family and one I had arranged myself.

I told him the partnership was over.

He did not ask questions. He gave a single-word reply, his tone final. "Understood."

Lucas was unaware that each time he chose to leave me behind, he lost something he could never get back.

I spent a full week abroad and enjoyed every minute.

When I returned to the office, Lucas was in a foul mood. I heard him through the door, his voice raised. "What is going on? How does a solid partnership collapse overnight? And now the supplier situation too…"

He slammed his fist on the desk.

His secretary flinched and stepped back.

"Ungrateful vultures. They turn on you without a second thought," he grumbled.

I stood just outside the doorway, out of sight, and allowed myself a small smile.

Rebecca leaned against him, her arm looped through his. "Baby, don't stress. Once we're married, everything my family has will be yours."

That settled him. The tension in his shoulders eased.

"That's my girl. Smart and beautiful. Exactly the kind of woman I want," he said.

Rebecca tilted her head with a coy smile. "What about Gina?"

Lucas paused, then answered without hesitation, "She's different. She has an ordinary family and an ordinary background. She was never a serious option. Marriage is about matching your level. You're the only one who belongs beside me."

I listened a moment longer, then turned and walked back to my desk.

Once, I had hidden my family background from Lucas because I worried he would feel inferior. It turned out that the five years we had spent together meant nothing to him. What mattered to him was money and resources.

A few minutes later, Lucas stepped out of his office. A hickey marked his neck.

He came to my desk and lowered his voice. "Babe, the company is in rough shape. There's a big multi-party deal tonight, and I need you there with me. We'll handle it together. We have to land it."

I agreed without hesitation.

…

That evening, I learned he had brought Rebecca as well.

He leaned close to my ear, his voice low and apologetic. "Sorry, babe. She's my fiancée on paper, so we have to keep up appearances."

I gave him the same easy smile I had worn for days and told him it was fine.

Gratitude flickered across his face. "You've been so good lately. I keep falling for you all over again. When we get back, I'll buy you that bag you wanted."

I felt sick.

He said nothing more and returned to Rebecca's side.

Dinner proceeded smoothly until Rebecca suddenly pressed a hand to her stomach and winced.

Lucas was at her side at once. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I think I drank too much…"

The mood at the table shifted. The other businessmen fell quiet, their energy fading.

Lucas considered the situation for a moment, then spoke. "My apologies, gentlemen. My fiancée isn't feeling well. I need to take her to rest."

He then pointed at me. "Gina here is the strongest drinker in our company. Tonight, she'll keep you company. Consider it my apology."

My grip tightened around my wine glass.

I kept my voice low. "Lucas, have you forgotten that I have a stomach condition?"

I had endured more nights like this than I could count. Once, while trying to secure a key partner away from a rival company, I drank until my stomach bled. The damage never fully healed.

In the hospital afterward, Lucas held my hand and promised, with complete conviction, that he would never let me go through that again.

Now, only a flicker of discomfort crossed his face. "It'll be fine. Just this once. Nothing will happen. The company is in crisis. This deal matters. You have to make it work."

He took Rebecca by the arm and walked out.

The room fell silent.

The businessmen around the table turned to me. Their eyes held neither mockery nor hunger. They simply waited.

I set my glass down and spoke quietly. "I think you've all seen enough tonight. I'll be stepping away from the company. There's no need for any of you to continue supporting it."

What Lucas didn't know was that I had arranged tonight's dinner and this so-called critical deal.

One of the businessmen spoke first. "Miss Hudsion, wasn't that a bit much? After everything you've given him over the years, especially considering who you are…"

I shook my head and let out a short, tired laugh. "Call it a lesson learned. I gave my heart to someone who didn't deserve it. I've made a fool of myself in front of all of you tonight. Thank you for coming. My family will continue to look after your businesses going forward."

I had no appetite left. I said what I needed to say, pushed back my chair, and walked out of the private room.

As I passed the restrooms, I heard Lucas' and Rebecca's voices.

"Baby, not so loud. What if someone's outside…"

"Relax. No one's going to catch us. Doesn't the risk make it better?"

Their breathless voices mixed with the rustle of clothing.

So this was what he meant by keeping up appearances. He had told me repeatedly that the proposal was a business arrangement. That Rebecca meant nothing. That he only wanted her family's resources.

If it were all an act, why couldn't he keep his hands off her in a public restroom?

A cold smile settled on my face. I went to find the cleaning attendant and told her there seemed to be a man in the women's restroom.

Her expression hardened. She grabbed her mop and marched in. She stopped outside the stall, listened, and banged on the door without warning, raising her voice. "I heard everything. Come out right now, or I'm calling security."

A long pause followed. Then the door opened.

Lucas and Rebecca stepped out, both flushed.

The attendant tore into them without restraint.

Lucas slipped her a card and told her to keep quiet. She rolled her eyes, pocketed it, and let them go.

I stood nearby the entire time, filming the moment they came out and everything that followed.

I slipped my phone away before either of them noticed.

That was when Lucas finally saw me.

His brow tightened. "What are you doing here? How did the deal go?"

I wiped the smile from my face, played dumb, and told him it went well.

The tension in his expression eased. "Just so you know, Rebecca and I were in there because her stomach was acting up again. I was looking after her. Don't read into it."

Rebecca took my hand, her eyes wide with concern. "Gina, I know five years is a long time. I know it's hard to let go, but you two are done.

"He's about to marry me. You need to stop holding on. We're the ones who are engaged. That's just how it is."

Her eyes held gloating and hostility, dressed up as sympathy.

She likely expected me to snap. Instead, I smiled at her with complete sincerity. "Don't worry. We broke up. There's nothing between us anymore. I hope you two last forever. I mean that."

Something shifted after I said it. Lucas fell quiet. His gaze lingered on me a moment too long, something unreadable crossing his face.

"Rebecca isn't feeling well. We're heading out. Go back in and keep the others company." He took her arm, and they left.

I watched them go and felt only faint, dry amusement.

He had no idea that every partnership his company still held was already hollow. Those businessmen would play along for now, just as I had asked.

One word from me, and they would all pull out at once. However, that alone would not be enough to finish him.

I opened my phone. A message from my assistant waited.

[Miss Hudson, everything you requested is ready.]

I opened the file and found everything laid out in full: years of records documenting every illegal move Lucas' company had made, including tax evasion, fraud, asset laundering, and more. He had crossed every line in the name of profit.

I had seen it all and kept track of everything. I organized the files and saved them. When the time came, I hoped he would be ready for what I was about to send him.