It seemed that the past six months hadn’t been kind to her either.

When she caught me staring, Blair flared up in an instant.

“You broke loser! You’ve been stalking me, haven’t you? You didn’t contact me for half a year, and I actually thought you’d moved on. Who knew you were secretly watching me all this time!”

“Now that I’ve caught you red-handed, let’s see how you explain yourself!”

I let out a cold laugh. “You were the one who dragged me aside first. How exactly am I stalking you? This isn’t your house; you’re allowed to be here, but I’m not?”

Blair rolled her eyes with a look of disdain. “No, it’s not my house. But this is a high-class social event. Someone like you, some pathetic, poor excuse of a man, would never get invited.”

I raised an eyebrow and asked, “Then how did you get in?”

“Me? Obviously, I’m here with my dear husband. That’s right, I’m officially a rich man’s wife now. My husband’s a successful entrepreneur; he makes more in a single day than you make in a whole year! These kinds of events are routine for us.”

“See this? It’s my wedding ring, which my husband gave to me. Isn’t it a thousand times better than that glass one you gave me when you proposed?”

5

I glanced at the ring and couldn’t help but laugh.

“I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t pointed it out. That tiny little speck of a diamond? If you dropped it on the ground, no one would even bother to pick it up.”

“Don’t you remember? Any diamond under one carat is just considered diamond dust; it’s worth almost nothing. Wasn’t that what your favorite celebrity once said? Funny how you’ve forgotten her words now.”

Blair’s face drained of color. “What do you know? This is a real diamond! Besides, what would a broke guy like you understand? This ring’s clearly over one carat!”

We had broken up long ago, and she was already married, so I no longer felt the need to hold back. I spoke directly, “The ring I gave you back then was a real diamond, too. You just didn’t recognize it.”

Even though I was telling the truth, Blair didn’t seem to believe a word of it. She let out a dramatic laugh, and powder visibly flaked off her thick makeup.

“I remember you used to be so grounded, so realistic. What happened? Did being dumped turn you into some delusional bragger?”

“But let me remind you, Wren, I know exactly where you come from. You’re just a regular guy from a modest, middle-class family. Don’t think talking big makes you rich.”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get out of here now and never show your face in front of me again. Otherwise…”

I cut her off mid-threat, my voice sharp. “Otherwise, what?”

Back when we were together, I always gave in to her. So the change in my tone and attitude clearly caught her off guard.

“Otherwise…” she hissed, her expression contorted with rage, “don’t blame me for throwing away all our past feelings and making sure you’re ruined, never to recover!”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, completely unmoved by her empty threats. Turning to walk toward the banquet hall, I felt her hand clamp onto my arm.

“Security! Security!” she screamed, her voice shrill.

6

The guards stationed at the entrance rushed over as soon as they heard the commotion.

Before they could say a word, Blair stomped her foot in frustration.

“What kind of security is this? You let a loser like him in? He was harassing me; why haven’t you thrown him out yet? If you don’t deal with this, I’m going straight to my husband, and all of you can start looking for new jobs!”

The guard glanced at me, scanning me from head to toe. He clearly didn’t recognize me, but still tried to reason politely.

“Miss, everyone inside has an invitation. Maybe this is just a misunderstanding?”

Blair’s frown deepened, clearly surprised that I had managed to secure an invitation.

“Well, well… Wren, I didn’t expect you to get your hands on one. What did you do, steal it from a rideshare client while driving their car?”

“If you’re so confident, show me your invitation. Let me see if it’s real or fake!”

I patted my pocket. “The invitation is with my assistant. My assistant…”

“So you don’t have one!” Blair cut me off, then turned to the guard. “This is exactly why you're not doing your job properly. I know this loser; he’s dirt poor and doesn’t even have an assistant! He’s just a stalker! Hurry up and throw him out!”

The guard glanced at me, then at Blair, before finally speaking. “Maybe we should wait for his assistant. A few cars just pulled into the parking lot.”

Blair’s face twisted in frustration, her plan crumbling. But then, her eyes sparked, and she suddenly called out, “Honey!” She turned to the guard and me, adding, “Don’t go anywhere! Wait until my husband gets here. You’ll see what happens next!”

Soon after, her husband arrived.

The moment I laid eyes on him, one thought flashed through my mind.

Wow. The man looked ancient; he could easily pass for Blair’s father.

As soon as he appeared, Blair clung to his arm, playing the damsel in distress. “Honey, thank God you’re here. This loser’s my ex; he’s been stalking me, harassing me. You’ve got to help me.”

“And that’s not all! This scumbag doesn’t even have an invitation, and security still let him in. They’re completely ignoring me!”

7

The man scanned the room as if waiting for someone. But when no one appeared, he let out a breath and gently patted Blair’s hand. “A real man knows when to step back. Someone like you doesn’t deserve a woman like her. You should’ve disappeared after the breakup. But no, you show up here, causing trouble with my wife? Are you looking for a fight? Do you even know who I am?”

Maybe my calmness was too much for him because he immediately turned to the guards. “I’m Silas Delaney, General Manager of Ember Group! I’m here to discuss business with the young master of Delacourt Group. If you let this interruption continue, none of you will be able to pay the price! Throw this man out, now!”

At that, my face, which had been calm until now, finally betrayed a flicker of emotion. No wonder that voice sounded familiar.

Silas grinned smugly. “What? Have you heard of Ember Group? You know Delacourt Group? Then you’d better leave. You’re not in a position to offend us.”

The guards hesitated, clearly unsure of what to do. Since my so-called assistant still hadn’t shown up, they reluctantly said, “Sir, we’re terribly sorry. Could you please wait at the entrance until your assistant arrives with the invitation?”

I didn’t hold it against them. Instead, I calmly pulled out my phone and made a call.

Silas thought I was calling for backup, but then his own phone rang. He glanced at it, panic flashing across his face. Stepping aside, he answered with a sudden respect, “Mr. Delacourt! I’m at the entrance now. Have you arrived?”

I smiled, speaking into my phone, “Yes, I’ve arrived. But I left my invitation in the car. There’s a man named Silas here; he’s been calling me a freak and wants to toss me out…”

Silas’s face drained of color as I continued, “So forget the meeting. The deal’s off.”