Everyone in their circle knew that Paddy Floyd, golden heir to Riverside City's most powerful conglomerate, had married a penny-pincher.

She cross-checked every receipt at the grocery store. She hoarded coupons for days just to save a few cents on a discount. While other women chatted about Botox and fillers, she was comparing egg prices. She even tracked every last fifty-cent difference in her monthly ledger.

And yet, Paddy Floyd was absolutely smitten. He'd turned down Lola Sullivan, his childhood sweetheart, for her. He'd given up his inheritance rights just to move out and live a modest life by her side.

Everyone had bet he wouldn't last. But Paddy held on for two years, and if anything, his relationship with Joanna Winfield only grew more solid.

Until the day of Joanna's twenty-seventh birthday, when she found out she was pregnant.

She clutched the prenatal report so tightly her hands trembled.

But the pregnancy wasn't her only secret.

After today, she would inherit a billion-dollar fortune. They'd never have to scrape by again.

She wanted Paddy to be the first to know.

She hurried to the study door and was about to knock when voices drifted through from inside.

"Bro, Joanna's a total tightwad, but I gotta say—she's surprisingly passionate in bed." That was Percival Floyd, Paddy's twin brother.

"Anyway, Lola was drugged that night, and you personally took care of it. Don't you think you owe her something?"

Paddy's voice was flat. "I'm going to marry her."

Percival paused. "Then what about Joanna?"

"Mrs. Sullivan and Mom came to see me a while back. After I broke off the engagement, Lola refused to even consider marrying anyone else. She tried to kill herself—multiple times. Nearly died."

"They asked me to play husband to Lola for a while. Give her a child, something to hold onto. The Floyd family has already quietly annulled my marriage to Joanna."

Paddy paused. "Once this is done, I'll remarry Joanna."

Percival laughed. "No wonder that night when she and Lola both got drugged, you pushed Joanna to me. She thought I was you the whole time..."

"But honestly, bro—any regrets? You and Joanna have been everyone's favorite punchline for two years now. People laugh behind your back about marrying some broke nobody."

Paddy said nothing. But his silence told Percival everything he needed to know.

It told Joanna everything, too.

A cold draft crept beneath her collar, turning her body rigid.

That night had been Lola's birthday party. Paddy had brought her along to celebrate.

Someone had slipped something into her drink. Disoriented, she'd gone looking for Paddy, only to see him with his arm around Lola, walking into the next room without a backward glance.

The moment the door closed, someone grabbed her from behind.

Through the haze, she'd seen a face identical to Paddy's.

She'd assumed the man with Lola had been Percival.

The man had leaned close to her ear and smiled. "Let's go back to the room."

All she remembered was that he smelled like Paddy, but his hands were far rougher.

It had been Percival all along.

She shoved the report into her pocket and turned back toward the bedroom.

Her back hit the door. Joanna slid to the floor, closed her eyes, and finally let the tears fall.

She was the sole granddaughter of the wealthiest man in the capital. After her parents died in an accident, her ailing grandfather had left her a billion-dollar inheritance and controlling shares in his empire—but she couldn't claim any of it until she turned twenty-seven.

For ten years, she had to survive on her own. No connections, no safety nets. Only by proving she could stand on her own two feet would she prove she was worthy of guarding the family legacy.

From that day on, she counted every single penny.

The cheapest dishes in the cafeteria. Clothes worn until they frayed. She never went to a single social gathering. Everyone laughed at her for being too low-class to show her face in polite company.

Then, three years ago, she'd pulled Paddy from a car wreck.

Without blinking, the woman who agonized over every dollar paid his entire medical bill.

Money saved up penny by penny could save a life. That was worth it.

Paddy woke up with no memory of who he was. She was the one who brought him home.

He rode the bus with her, crouched beside her scanning clearance racks, redeemed loyalty points for toilet paper. And whenever someone mocked her, Paddy stepped in without hesitation.

"Joanna's wonderful. This kind of life is real. At least I love it!"

Later, he discovered that every cent she'd saved went to an orphanage on the outskirts of the city.

The director had been her high school teacher—the only person who'd helped her handle funeral arrangements after her parents and grandfather passed, without asking for a single thing in return.

The orphanage had been on the verge of shutting down. She'd poured in every dollar she had, and lived even more frugally after that.

Once Paddy found out, he went with her to the orphanage every day.

Watching his silhouette beside her, she'd thought that maybe having someone in her lonely life wasn't so bad after all.

Then his memory came back. To marry her, he broke off his engagement to Lola. He endured ten days of corporal punishment from his family. He gave up his inheritance—all to live an ordinary life with her.

At their wedding, he held her hand. "From now on, you live however you want. I'll always be right here."

She'd believed that someone in this world truly didn't mind that she was poor, didn't care that she wasn't polished enough for high society—that someone would actually give up a life of luxury just to be with her.

She'd even planned it: the moment her twenty-seventh birthday passed, she'd tell him they never had to pinch pennies again. That they could do so much together.

But two years had gone by. The novelty had worn off. He still wanted to go back to being the untouchable young heir of the Floyd family. And in his eyes, she was still the girl who wasn't good enough to stand beside him.

Joanna wiped her tears. A new message from her lawyer lit up the screen.

"Ms. Winfield, the shares and billion-dollar assets still require processing. Funds will clear in five days."

Five days.

More than enough time to settle things with Paddy.

She had just put her phone away when the door swung open. Paddy stood in the doorway, brow furrowed, holding up her ledger book.

His scrutinizing gaze dropped to her lower abdomen. "You went to the OB-GYN today?"

Joanna's heart clenched. "Just some irregular periods. I went in for a checkup."

Paddy's expression relaxed. He carefully helped her to her feet. "Why were you sitting on the floor? What if you catch a cold?"

His phone chimed.

He glanced down at the screen, then hesitated before speaking. "Lola threw a fit and ran away from home. How about she stays here tonight?"

When Joanna said nothing, Paddy's tone turned helpless.

"It's just for a little while, Joanna..."

"Let her come."

Joanna cut him off, her voice flat.

It didn't matter whether she refused. The outcome would be the same.

Paddy blinked, caught off guard. Before he could dwell on how unusually calm she was today, he grabbed his coat and walked out.

That evening, he brought Lola home.

Joanna had just picked up a glass to take it to the kitchen when Lola hurried over.

"Let me do it!"

She snatched the glass and ducked into the kitchen. A second later, a sharp crack echoed through the room.

Paddy rushed over immediately. "Lola!"

The moment he saw the cut on her hand, he grabbed her fingers and pressed them to his lips.

Joanna stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the scene before her. A dull, spreading ache bloomed behind her ribs.

She thought of a few days ago, when she'd sliced her hand while chopping vegetables. The cut had been deep, blood pooling across the cutting board.

She'd asked Paddy for help. He'd barely looked up.

"I'm busy right now, Joanna. Handle it yourself."

She'd paused, then gone to the bathroom to stop the bleeding. But the blood only came faster.

She had no choice but to call out again. "Paddy, take me to the hospital. It's bad this time."

His voice drifted back through the door, laced with impatience. "How bad can it be? You're the one who hates spending money on hospital visits."

Joanna had stood there, stunned. The words landed like a slap.

In the end, she'd called a cab herself. Checked in alone. Paid the bill alone. And came home alone.

Paddy noticed Joanna watching them now. He pulled away from Lola's hand, flustered, but the worry in his eyes didn't fade.

"Lola, let me take you to the hospital."

Lola didn't answer him. Instead, she turned to Joanna.

"Joanna, I'll pay you back for the glass. How much was it?"

Paddy frowned. "You don't need to pay for a couple of glasses."

Lola pressed her lips together.

"But Joanna's famous for being frugal. She probably spent days hunting for a sale on these."

The moment the words left her mouth, Paddy's expression darkened.

Joanna's hand tightened at her side, fingers curling into her palm.

The meaning was clear enough. She was the cheapskate everyone in their circle talked about.

Paddy sighed and pulled Lola toward the door. "Your hand matters more. I'm taking you to the hospital first."

"As for the glasses..."

He looked back at Joanna, irritation plain on his face.

"If she can't let it go, take it out of the savings in my account."

Joanna had never cared about other people's jabs before. She could keep her head down and live her own life.

People who didn't matter to her couldn't hurt her.

But hearing those words from Paddy's mouth felt like being slapped across the face in public.

The door closed softly behind him, but the sound reverberated through Joanna's chest until her whole body felt numb.

It wasn't until the small hours of the morning that Paddy came back with Lola.

He walked into the bedroom, shrugged off his jacket, and climbed into bed. His arm slid around Joanna from behind.

Her body went rigid. She tried instinctively to pull away, but he tightened his grip and pressed her closer.

"Come on, don't be upset."

"Lola grew up wealthy. She's not cut out for housework. I transferred a hundred thousand to your account. Just let her stay for a few days and stop asking her to do chores."

The words hit Joanna like a fist to the sternum. She wrenched free of his arms and sat up.

"You think I made her wash that glass because I didn't want to spend the extra money on another person in this house?"

Paddy frowned but said nothing.

Silence was answer enough.

The bridge of Joanna's nose burned. She bit down hard, forcing the tears back.

A knock came at the bedroom door. Lola's voice floated through.

"Paddy, I can't sleep in a strange bed. It's dark and I'm scared. Could you come keep me company?"

Before Joanna could even react, Paddy was already out the door.

She stared at the empty space where he'd been.

The tears finally fell.

The next morning, Joanna was jolted awake by the sound of something shattering.

She pushed open her door, and the scene before her sent the blood rushing to her head.

Lola stood in the center of the living room. At her feet lay a broken jewelry box.

And her mother's necklace was dangling from Lola's fingers, being toyed with like a trinket.

"What are you doing?! Give that back!"

Joanna lunged forward, reaching for the necklace.

Lola watched her. A slow, deliberate smile curved across her lips.

Then she opened her hand.

Joanna's fingers grazed the edge of the necklace. She couldn't catch it.

The imperial jade struck the floor and split into pieces, shards scattering in every direction.

Joanna froze where she stood, staring at the fragments on the ground.

That was her mother's.

All those years, when she'd been too poor to afford a meal, she hadn't sold it. When she'd been too sick to see a doctor, she'd never once considered parting with it.

Now it was gone.

Joanna crouched down, her hands trembling as she gathered the broken pieces.

Lola withdrew her hand at a leisurely pace, leaning against the back of the sofa, watching her with a look that hovered between amusement and contempt.

"Oops. Butterfingers."

She lifted her foot and nudged one of the shards with the toe of her slipper.

"Joanna, I'm not trying to be mean, but you pinch every penny like your life depends on it. How nice could anything you own really be? Cheap knockoff stuff like this falls apart if you breathe on it. How is that my fault?"

Joanna's fist tightened around the shards. The jagged edges bit into her palm.

"Say that again."

Lola straightened up and looked down at her.

"I said, everything you own is cheap garbage. It was bound to break sooner or later. You got what you dese—"

Crack.

A slap rang through the room.

Lola's voice cut off mid-word.

She clutched her cheek, staring at Joanna in disbelief.

"You hit me?"

Joanna's gaze was cold and razor-sharp. She didn't answer. Instead, she pulled out her phone.

"Hello, I'd like to report a crime. Someone deliberately destroyed another person's property. The item is of significant value."

Twenty minutes later.

The police station.

The two women sat in a mediation room. Paddy arrived in a rush after getting the call.

The moment he walked through the door, Lola threw herself into his arms.

"Paddy, I didn't mean to! I thought it was just a necklace. I figured if I accidentally broke it, I could just pay for it. But Joanna wouldn't let it go. She insisted on dragging this all the way to the police station..."

Paddy murmured reassurances to Lola, his gaze drifting to Joanna, who sat off to the side in composed silence.

The officer looked at the jade fragments laid out on the table. "You said this necklace is of significant value. Do you have anything to back that up?"

Joanna took out her phone and opened a folder.

"This is the appraisal certificate."

She handed the phone to the officer.

He took it. The instant his eyes registered the words on the screen, they went wide.

"Imperial jade. Appraised value... twenty-eight million dollars?"