: Reunion

In our third year together, Marcus Morvan's project finally succeeded.

But at the press conference, the one standing beside him was the richest man's daughter.

Marcus Morvan showed no concern for my well-being, instead letting the heiress shove me into a corner.

Under the camera flashes, they shared a smile, a perfect picture of unspoken understanding.

I made a dejected exit.

「Later.」

Marcus Morvan came stumbling toward me. "I just… I had the wrong person. Can you please give me another chance?"

"Don't abandon me."

1

「AuraCorp's 50th Anniversary Gala.」

I was attending in full regalia, representing Chairman Kensington, who was off on a romantic getaway to Valloria with my mother.

Facing a barrage of questions from prominent reporters, I spoke with confidence and ease.

Though my ambitions had always lain elsewhere, I'd grown up in this world. It was familiar territory.

I said a few more words before noticing my father's secretary in the audience, his expression rushed.

He was my father's secretary, a man whose competence my father trusted implicitly.

He'd been assigned to me for the past two days. In my father's words, I was to "make my own decisions, taking his advice into consideration."

'I'd never seen the secretary look like this before—a mix of panic and helplessness.'

'If something had happened out front, these reporters would have swarmed the scene by now.'

'That means the trouble is backstage.'

With a subtle glance, I smoothly concluded the topic.

The quick-witted host immediately changed his tone, using exaggerated inflections to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

The next act featured a lineup of stars the company had invited, so I made a seamless exit from the stage.

"What happened?"

Secretary Lane rushed me toward the backstage area, explaining between ragged breaths.

"Miss Kensington, a CEO just barged backstage demanding to see you by name. He won't say what it's about."

"As you know, this year's gala is crucial. We've invited most of the major entrepreneurs in our circle."

"Since he won't say anything, I didn't dare make a call on my own."

Even in four-inch heels, I didn't show the slightest hint of panic.

"Which team is on backstage security today? What kind of control are they running?"

"Have the other team come and get the situation under control. Impose a media blackout—make sure not a whisper of this gets out."

"Team A was on duty. Team B has already moved in to contain it, and the event manager is waiting for you over there."

I said coolly, "Tell him to write up a report. And he can forget about this month's bonus."

When we reached the backstage room, Secretary Lane immediately pushed the door open.

I stepped inside and saw him—the source of today's commotion.

Marcus Morvan.

He was wearing a bespoke suit, paired with a striking royal-blue tie.

The tie had a faint pattern, little specks that gave it a somewhat playful look, completely clashing with the tense atmosphere.

'He had the look of a successful man.'

'It seems Faye Hale is taking exceptionally good care of him.'

Finding his resolve now that I was here, Secretary Lane immediately addressed him.

"President Morvan, our Miss Kensington is here. What can we do for you? You can tell her directly."

The moment Marcus Morvan saw me, his face lit up with delighted surprise. He didn't even seem to notice my cold demeanor.

"Seraphina, I've finally found you! Where have you been all these years? What are you doing here?"

"How have you been these past two years? Are you sleeping okay? You've gotten thinner, Seraphina."

He started forward to grab my hand, but security immediately blocked his path.

A cold sweat broke out on Secretary Lane's brow, and his tone turned icy.

"Mr. Morvan, this is Miss Kensington of AuraCorp. May I ask what business you have? Her time is very valuable."

He froze, the realization dawning on him that I was the heiress of AuraCorp.

"Seraphina..."

'After all, back when we were dating, I knew he was an orphan. Proud and self-reliant, he had clawed his way up on his own.'

'To protect his pride, I never told him who I really was.'

I adopted a strictly professional tone. "President Morvan, we had an amicable breakup. What's happening today has nothing to do with our past."

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you how crucial today is for AuraCorp."

"If you continue to make a scene over such nonsense, I will have no qualms about having security escort you out."

Marcus Morvan looked dazed.

"President Morvan..." he breathed. "Seraphina, you never used to call me that."

Even Secretary Lane was rendered speechless.

"President Morvan, Miss Kensington did not come here to reminisce."

My expression hardened. I waved a hand, signaling for security to take him.

"Take him away," I ordered. "And don't let him back in."

2

"Seraphina!"

The security personnel immediately moved to act on my command.

But unexpectedly, Marcus Morvan beat them to it, weaving through the crowd like a fish to rush in front of me and grab my wrist.

I had forgotten that Marcus Morvan grew up without anyone to protect him, so his fighting skills were better than the average person's.

The secretary beside me gasped sharply.

"Seraphina, why won't you see me? Do you have any idea how hard I've looked for you these past two years?"

"Why should we part on good terms? I never agreed to our breakup, so why did you just leave without a word?"

The barrage of questions made my head ache.

I stared at the hand gripping my wrist, trying to suppress my anger while secretly calculating the best angle to kick him where it hurts.

"Let go."

"Seraphina, Seraphina, you've become such a stranger. Please, just talk to me, won't you?"

He had completely lost his mind, even reaching out to pull me into a hug!

BAM!

Someone rushed over from behind me and sent Marcus Morvan staggering back several steps with a single kick, forcing him to release my hand.

The breeze stirred my hair. I turned my head, saw who it was, and smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

The man in front of me grinned, then grumbled in mock complaint.

"The moment I take my eyes off you, some stray dog comes sniffing around. If I don't guard you properly, I'll lose my wife."

I smiled faintly and took the hand he offered me.

That made Julian Rhodes happy. He then turned to the secretary, his expression cold, and asked what had happened.

The secretary gave him the gist of it, adding a bit of his own commentary.

"President Rhodes, this President Morvan is completely unreasonable. He barged backstage without a word and lunged at Miss Kensington the moment he saw her."

Julian Rhodes understood. He glanced at the now-restrained Marcus Morvan, his expression indifferent.

"A company as big as President Morvan's can't possibly be short on cash to get your head checked, can it? Or perhaps the Rhodes Family could offer a donation?"

Marcus Morvan ignored the jab, struggling in my direction, his words dripping with jealousy.

"Seraphina, let him go! I don't blame you for leaving without a word, just please don't hold his hand, okay?"

"Honey, just wait for me a moment."

Julian Rhodes shot me a grin, his canine teeth looking exceptionally cute. Then he turned and viciously slammed a fist into Marcus Morvan's face.

"You're pushing your luck. Who gave you permission to speak to my wife like that?"

"I'll let it slide that you bullied my wife in the past, but now you're pushing it right in front of me?"

"Look closely. This ring was designed by my wife herself, and she's the one who put it on my hand. Don't let me catch you pestering her ever again!"

Every one of Julian Rhodes's punches was swift and powerful, leaving Marcus Morvan with no room to fight back.

He didn't stop until Marcus Morvan could no longer stand. Then he let go and waved for security to take him away.

"Take him to the hospital. And while you're at it, make an appointment for him to get his head checked."

I didn't stop him.

AuraCorp's anniversary celebration couldn't afford any mistakes.

Once that was dealt with, Julian Rhodes immediately shrank back to my side, hugging me and acting cute.

"Honey, honey, wasn't I amazing just now?"

I casually ruffled his hair as he nuzzled into the crook of my neck, just like I was petting a dog.

With the backstage incident handled, the secretary quickly directed the staff to tidy up and get everything back in place for the event.

A few celebrities were still performing out front. I hooked my finger around Julian Rhodes's.

"Want to go watch?"

He instantly beamed. "Yes! More time with my wife!"

Julian Rhodes and I hadn't deliberately publicized our engagement, but everyone in our circle who needed to know, knew.

So it was perfectly reasonable for me to bring him to an event like this.

'Besides, even if the puppy doesn't say it, he still needs to be pampered sometimes.'

3

AuraCorp's anniversary celebration was a week-long event.

Aside from the minor incident of Marcus Morvan's sudden appearance, the first day went smoothly.

The remaining days were just filled with promotional lectures and discount sales.

Although public attention wasn't as high as on the first day, we still couldn't let our guard down.

If online public opinion wasn't managed well, it could damage AuraCorp's reputation and directly impact its future growth.

As it turned out, that very night, someone leaked a video from backstage at the anniversary celebration showing Marcus Morvan being restrained by security and pinned down and beaten by Julian Rhodes.

The selectively-edited video, combined with photos of Marcus Morvan in the hospital, immediately sent the public scrambling onto their moral high ground.

Tabloid accounts churned out posts hundreds of words long condemning AuraCorp.

"Do some of these big corporations really think they can get away with anything? Just brazenly beating people up backstage?"

The story latched onto the buzz from AuraCorp's anniversary. Adding to that, Marcus Morvan's girlfriend, Faye Hale, was an online influencer with millions of followers.

The whole topic shot to the top of the trending charts in an instant.

"Whoa, isn't the guy who got beaten up the recently popular President Morvan? Faye Hale's boyfriend?"

"I know, I know! I heard President Morvan wanted to do business with AuraCorp but touched a nerve with the big corporation. I guess his path is going to be a lot harder now."

"Oh my god, President Morvan's injuries look horrifying. How much do they have to hate him to do that?"

"I have a friend who works at President Morvan's company. I heard he's a really nice guy. Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Some of the more irrational fans flooded the comments of AuraCorp's official social media page, demanding an explanation.

Some even spammed the social media accounts of the celebrities who attended the anniversary celebration.

Rumors flew thick and fast. The PR department worked through the night to manage the public narrative, and while they were at it, they released the full video of the day's events.

Even without audio, it was clear who had started the trouble.

The online furor gradually subsided. Meanwhile, the Tech department was investigating the source of the video leak.

But as it turned out, the other party exposed themselves first.

Seeing the hype die down, Faye Hale posted a video along with a lengthy, emotional essay.

She claimed I had abandoned Marcus Morvan and that he had searched for me like a madman after I left.

Then, she wrote about how her own unwavering companionship and support finally allowed Marcus Morvan to gradually emerge from the shadows.

But then I suddenly reappeared and, to her surprise, had not only hooked up with a powerful man but had also arranged to have Marcus beaten.

The buzz exploded once again.

And once again, a mob of netizens rushed to AuraCorp's page to curse me out.

This time, I didn't even have to make a move before someone else exposed the truth.

The post began with a single sentence in a large font.

"She descended from the clouds to build a high ladder, and you climbed it only to push her into the mire."

My hand paused. I kept scrolling.

The post contained photos of hundreds, even thousands, of transaction records, dated from five years ago to three years ago.

All of them were transfers I had made under various pretexts, either directly to Marcus Morvan or to his company's account.

There were also a few screenshots of chat logs.

They were records of me begging several major figures in tech to go work for Marcus Morvan's company.

I had offered salaries two to three times the market rate to persuade them to join a tiny, newly-established company.

And a video clip.

It was from the press conference two years ago, on the day Marcus Morvan's company successfully launched its project and went public.

It was a project Marcus Morvan and I had spent half a year preparing for, but he called Faye Hale up on stage to thank her, without mentioning me at all.

He allowed Faye Hale to lift her chin at me smugly and have the staff show me out.

The final image was a summary of all the little tricks Faye Hale had pulled behind the scenes to create friction between me and Marcus Morvan after the company was founded.

Faye Hale was, in fact, the richest man's daughter from a certain city.

For the past two years, she had been using the internet to build a social media presence, all under the banner of being a pampered young heiress.

Her daily content consisted of either showing off her lavish lifestyle or showing off Marcus Morvan, all while implying she had helped him a great deal and had always been by his side.

Her followers constantly encouraged her to confess her feelings to him, but Faye Hale would always act nonchalantly, pretending not to care.

"I'll wait a bit longer. I'm waiting for him to reach the peak, so we can stand shoulder to shoulder."

All her followers shipped the two of them.

But now, all those lies had come crashing down in a single night.

I scrolled to the very bottom of the post, carefully reading through all the summaries and the final, bolded sentence.

"BUT SHE WAS BORN IN THE CLOUDS, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE GETTING STOMPED UNDER MY BOOT!!!"

My first thought was—Julian Rhodes.

Sure enough, Julian Rhodes seemed determined to turn the entire social media sphere upside down that night.

Before netizens had a chance to digest all of that, he posted a photo of me.

'He's such a schemer.'

The photo seemed to be of me reaching toward the camera, but you could clearly see matching rings on my hand and on the hand holding mine.

The exquisite, beautiful diamond on it is my favorite.

Julian Rhodes added a faux-innocent caption to go with it.

"Oops, my phone must be broken. How'd it post this gorgeous picture of my wife all by itself?"

He even attached a popular facepalm meme.