Usually, Melanie would sit beside Edwin, chatting away about everything that happened the day before—who got teased by the teacher, who suddenly started dating, or which new idol everyone was obsessing over.

But today, she was quiet. Too quiet.

Edwin wasn't used to it.

"I'm full. I'll head to work now." Melanie grabbed her bag and was about to leave when his voice stopped her.

"It's raining outside. The roads are slippery. I'll drive you later."

She froze for a second. It had been so long since she'd heard something like that from him. For a moment, she felt… disoriented.

Turning back, she replied calmly, "No need, I'll take the bus. It's convenient enough."

Edwin frowned, about to insist, but Maurice spoke first.

"Melanie, it's no trouble at all! Edwin and I are going to the company anyway. We can drop you off on the way," she said with a sweet smile.

Melanie blinked, glancing at Edwin. "I thought you two were going to pick out wedding outfits today?"

Yesterday, Maurice had sent her pictures of dresses, asking for her opinion before the photoshoot.

Maurice looked up at Edwin with adoration, her hand slipping into his. "Well, that's for later," she clarified. "This morning, babe's taking me to the company for a little tour. Soon, Melanie, we'll be colleagues!"

For some reason, hearing that made Melanie feel uneasy.

And her instincts were right.

At the company, she was called into the CEO's office.

Edwin didn't waste time. "Gummy Gem—I've decided to assign that project to Maurice. She has more experience. You'll work under her and learn from her."

Gummy Gem wasn't her baby. She'd spent countless hour and resources and sacrificed other opportunities to perfectly conceptualize that game.

And Edwin knew that. He knew exactly how much it meant to her.

Yet here he was, handing it over to someone else—without even discussing it with her first.

Melanie let out a bitter laugh. "President Setchfield, I don't agree."

Edwin's expression darkened, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "Why not?"

Why not?

He knew the answer. But he was cold and distant, still pushing her to accept his decision.

Was it because he didn't love her? Was that why he had to trample all over her like this?

Melanie blinked back the tears building in her eyes, forcing herself to meet Edwin's gaze. "Because Gummy Gem is my work. I put my heart into it, and I won't hand it over to someone else. Besides, has Maurice ever developed a game on her own? Has she led a team to win awards in international competitions? She—"

"Enough, Melanie." His tone was sharp, cutting her off. "This is business. It's not about your personal feelings but profits. Stop acting like a child."

"I'm not!" Her voice shook, but she held firm. "I'm just being logical. I don't—"

"This isn't up for discussion." His voice dropped, cold and final. "The announcement will be made later today. I'm just informing you."

The CEO's face darkened a little, and it was obvious his tone left no room for argument.

Melanie stared at him, and it was at that moment that she realized how that man in front of her felt like a stranger.

This was the same person who once told her she could do anything and encouraged her to dream. But now? He was dismissing her passion like it was nothing, calling it childish.

It hit her then—he really did love Maurice. So much so that he was willing to throw away his principles and standards, even use Melanie as a stepping stone to pave the way.

"Ed," Melanie said, "are you happy now?"

The light in the office flickered unevenly, casting shadows over Edwin as he leaned back in his chair, looking up at her.

For the first time, he realized that the girl who used to follow him around had grown up. But somehow, the bright, cheerful Melanie he used to know wasn't there anymore.

And yet…

The silence was broken when the door opened.

Maurice strolled in, wearing a chic little tweed outfit, her heels clicking against the floor. Without hesitation, she walked up to Edwin, clasping his hand with a playful pout.

"Babe, I've decided! I want the office right next to yours. The view is perfect, and I love the décor!"

Edwin instinctively wanted to refuse, and his eyes couldn't help but drift to Melanie. "This office isn't supposed to be—"

"President Setchfield, I'm stepping down." Melanie forced a smile, turned around, and walked out.

That office had been meant for her. He'd promised her that when she joined the company, she'd work there close to him, so it would be convenient to look after her.

But none of it mattered anymore.

She didn't want it. She didn't want anything anymore.

Half an hour before lunch, the announcement was released.

Just as expected, the Gummy Gem project was handed over to Maurice and the third game development team.

Melanie couldn't forget how, not long ago, the staff in that team were the ones complaining about the project the most. Yet, as soon as the news broke, they all suddenly changed their attitude, throwing compliments at Maurice.

Of course, Maurice was the future wife of the company's CEO. Who wouldn't want to flatter her?

But Melanie? She wasn't anyone special. She could be ignored or insulted.

When she looked at the assignment list, barely paying attention, she had to scroll through it until she finally saw her name at the very bottom.

She'd been assigned to the third team, responsible for the simplest task—building the frontend framework.

That was fine. Once she finished her part, she could focus on her freelance projects. The sooner she wrapped those up, the sooner she could pay back Edwin.

After work, Crista came by to ask if she wanted to grab dinner, but Melanie declined.

Instead, she pulled a sandwich out of her bag, ate quickly, and got back to coding.

When she heard footsteps approaching behind her, she hurriedly switched her screen before turning around. Edwin stood there in his usual black suit, his face calm but distant.

"Why aren't you eating?" he asked.

Melanie got up and stood in front of her computer, answering lightly, "I already ate."

He frowned. "You're new here. Aside from Gummy Gem, did Director Shaw assign you anything else?"

She hesitated, then saw him pull out his phone, clearly about to call the director. Panicking, she quickly said, "No, Director Shaw has been really kind to me. I was just practicing earlier."

Her explanation didn't convince him. She watched nervously as he found Director Shaw's number and was about to dial.

Before he could, someone knocked on the door.

"Babe, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Maurice walked in with a bright smile and casually linked her arm to his. "Come on, I'm starving!"

Edwin glanced briefly at Melanie before putting his phone away. "Alright."

Maurice's eyes landed on Melanie as if noticing her for the first time. The former's smile widened as she invited the latter. "Melanie, why don't you join us for dinner?"

As she spoke, her fingers played with the ring on Edwin's hand, almost like she was showing off.

Melanie wasn't naive. She could see right through Edwin's fiancée.

"No, thank you. I've already eaten."

Edwin didn't say anything. He just left with Maurice.

Ten minutes later, a message popped on Melanie's phone.

It was from Maurice.

The message was deleted almost immediately, but not before Melanie saw it.

It said: [Edwin and I are getting married soon. I hope you'll learn to keep your distance, you know.]

Melanie stared at the "Maurice unsent a message" notification on her screen and let out a bitter laugh. She didn't reply. She just went back to her work.

Over the next few days, Melanie made sure to leave early and return late, carefully avoiding Edwin and Maurice.

Her goal was simple: finish her freelance projects as soon as possible, collect her client's payments, and pay back Edwin. Then she could leave for good.

After several busy days, she finally completed all her freelance projects. When she added up the payments she was about to receive, she realized it was finally enough.

Melanie stretched her arms and glanced at the clock. It was six in the evening.

Packing up her things, she slung her bag over her shoulder and left the office. On her way out, she called her client.

The client answered the call right away and asked her to first pick up a document from his company's finance department, and then meet him at a restaurant to get it signed. Once signed, she could submit it to the finance team the next day to process her payment.

It was getting late, and she didn't feel like going. However, the client said he was leaving on a business trip tonight and wouldn't be back for a week.

Considering Edwin's upcoming wedding and Maurice's hostility toward her, she couldn't wait that long.

Right then, she called a cab and went to the client's company. Luckily, the finance department was still open, and they handed her the document she needed.

By the time she arrived at the restaurant, it was completely dark outside.

The private room she entered was loud and lively. Melanie knocked on the door before stepping in. She handed the document to the client for his signature.

But before she could say much, a man in his late 30s wearing a gray suit came up to her.

He casually draped an arm over her shoulder "Hey, babe," the man said with a grin, "are you a friend of Walter? Come sit with us and have a drink!"

He reeked of alcohol as he spoke.

The room had four or five men, all dressed sharply. But the table only had alcohol—no food. It seemed they were waiting for someone.

Probably out of boredom, the man's words made the others laugh loudly.

Melanie glanced at the client, who was busy looking for a pen and didn't seem to care about what was happening. Her expression darkened.

"Sorry, I don't drink. I'm just here to get something signed by Mr. Dettman," she said firmly.

But the man didn't back off. His big hand slid from her shoulder down to her hand.

"What kind of document? Need me to sign it for you?" he asked, smirking.

Melanie quickly shook off his hand and turned to the client. "Mr. Dettman, is it ready yet?"

The client ignored her. The man, annoyed at being pushed away, grabbed her shoulder and tried to force her into a chair.

"Just have a drink, and I'll sign it for you," he sneered.

Melanie struggled but couldn't free herself. She was about to say something to scare them off when the door suddenly opened.

Edwin and Maurice walked in.

The men in the room immediately straightened up, plastering on polite smiles as they went to greet Edwin.

The client, who had been stalling, quickly scribbled his signature on the document and threw it to Melanie. "I've got important business here. You should leave now," he said in a rush, shoving her toward the door.

The push made her stumble, almost falling to the floor.

Before she could hit the ground, Edwin stepped forward and caught her in his arms.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice cold and distant. He smelled faintly of men's cologne mixed with a woman's perfume.

Stunned, Melanie quickly stepped out of his arms and backed away. Her heart raced as she mumbled, "I… I walked into the wrong room. It's nothing. I'll leave now."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and left in a hurry.

Edwin didn't return home until almost midnight.

Melanie, who had been half-asleep, heard his footsteps approaching and immediately woke up.

A few seconds later, there was a knock at her door.

She hesitated for a moment, hoping he'd leave. But when the footsteps didn't go away, she reluctantly got out of bed and opened the door.

The scent of cologne and perfume hit her.

Edwin stood at the door, his usual composed expression replaced by frustration. "Are you short on money?"

Melanie shook her head. "No."

He frowned. "Mr. Dettman said you've been working on a game design for him."

She had known the moment she saw him at the restaurant that this wouldn't stay hidden.

"I was just practicing," she said lightly. "I didn't want to lose my touch."

Hearing this, Edwin's expression softened slightly. He asked, "Are you still mad at me?"