Leave Them With Nothing​

The morning we were supposed to elope for our destination wedding, my fiancée finally rushed to the airport from her office. But a second before boarding, she got an urgent message from her male secretary.

“I’m so sorry, darling,” she said, her face a mask of professional regret. “A massive project just came up at the company, and I have to be the one to sign off on it.”

“Could you go on ahead without me? I promise, I’ll handle everything in a few days and fly out to meet you.”

It was disappointing, but work was work. I told her I understood.

As soon as she was gone, I tore up my ticket.

I decided I’d go have a look for myself. I was intensely curious about which company was so blind as to be negotiating a “massive project” with the figurehead CEO of a corporation that I had, just that morning, fully repossessed. Especially since they dared to bypass me—the actual owner—to do it.

1

I followed her all the way to the luxury hotel I’d bought for her when we first started dating, a place worth a hundred million dollars.

The welcome sign near the entrance almost blinded me.

【Congratulations on the wedding of Ms. Chloe Jensen & Mr. Tom Vance】

Next to it was a professionally shot wedding portrait. Chloe, radiant in a white gown, was smiling brightly. But the man with his arm around her wasn’t me, her fiancé.

It was her male secretary, Tom—the one who’d just texted her about that “massive project.”

It all clicked into place.

No wonder when we’d discussed getting married, she said she was tired of all the fake corporate schmoozing and didn’t want a big, phony ceremony. All she wanted was a quiet destination wedding with me.

It turned out she’d had someone else lined up for the wedding photos, the grand ceremony, and the marriage license all along.

Before walking into the hotel, I made a quick phone call.

I found a table with the best view of the proceedings and sat down just as the master of ceremonies began. Chloe’s father walked her down the aisle, her hand on his arm, and they stopped right next to my table. Tom approached from the other end of the aisle, holding out his hand to her.

The moment her father placed her hand in Tom’s, just before their fingers could intertwine, I kicked Chloe hard in the shins, sending her sprawling face-first onto the floor.

Her veil flew off, and her bouquet scattered across the pristine white runner. The force of her fall even took Tom down with her.

Chloe, sprawled at my feet, was about to let loose a stream of curses, but then she looked up and saw me. The blood in her veins seemed to turn to ice. Tom kept whining for her to help him up, but she couldn’t even bring herself to look at him.

I looked down at her, panicked and scrambling on the floor. “What’s with the grand gesture?” I asked coolly. “Are you bowing to me for a wedding gift?”

The sound of my voice made Tom’s head snap in my direction. His face went pale with terror. He instinctively tried to crawl behind Chloe to hide, but her father grabbed him by the collar.

Chloe’s father, a shrewd look in his eyes, pointed a finger at me and bellowed loud enough for the entire hall to hear, “You shameless homewrecker! You just don’t give up, do you? I thought I already threw you out! How did you get in here?”

His words made every head in the room turn toward me.

“Look at that weaselly face. No wonder he’s the other man.”

“Chloe’s a stand-up girl. She’s been devoted to Tom her whole life. This guy never stood a chance.”

“They’ve been childhood sweethearts since they were kids, started dating in middle school. The second Chloe made it big, she brought Tom to the city to live the good life, even made him an executive to help run her company. What kind of trash are you, trying to get between them? Take a good look at yourself.”

Childhood sweethearts.

Dating since middle school.

Perfect.

I nodded slowly. Chloe had pursued me relentlessly from the moment we started college. It wasn't until our senior year that her persistence finally wore me down, and I agreed to be with her.

Which meant that today, the day of our elopement, was the day I discovered I’d been the other man for three years.

And why would she, a woman so deeply in love with her childhood sweetheart, chase after me? The answer was obvious. It was for my status as the son of a billionaire and a pop superstar. For my money, the kind you couldn't spend in a dozen lifetimes.

Just perfect.

I nudged her with the toe of my shoe. “So, you agree? I’m the one who broke you two up?”

Chloe’s face was a mess of guilt. She shook her head frantically, about to offer some pathetic explanation, but Tom suddenly shrieked and threw himself on top of her.

“Chloe, are you okay?!” he cried, hugging her tight while shooting her a series of frantic, meaningful glances.

Their eyes met for a moment. Chloe slowly regained her composure, a calculated glint appearing in her eyes.

Seeing Chloe on the floor, the room full of her family and friends erupted in outrage.

“Who the hell do you think you are, hitting her?” one man shouted, rolling up his sleeves and raising a fist as if to strike me.

“Wait,” Chloe said, her voice suddenly firm, all traces of her earlier fear gone.

“Julian,” she said, looking straight at me. “I’ve told you time and time again to leave me alone. I’ve made it clear that my heart belongs to someone else. Today is my wedding day, and I will not let anyone ruin what I’ve prepared for Tom. Leave now, before I have security throw you out.”

I met her gaze with a cold smile. “Chloe, have you forgotten who owns this hotel? On what authority do you get to throw me out? Or do you think if I leave, all your dirty little secrets will just disappear?”

Tom stepped forward, clutching her hand. “Julian, my friend, I know you’ve always had feelings for Chloe. It must be hard seeing us get married. But she’s always loved me. You can’t force these things. We’re married now. I hope you can respect that and leave her alone.”

Honestly, I wasn't surprised. It was because I’d discov...