Chapter 1
M.E Group, Human Resources Department.
The HR officer handed a form to Stella Wright without even lifting their head. "Just get Mr. Taylor to sign this. After another month, you’ll be free to leave."
“Does it have to be Mr. Taylor?” Stella asked, taking the form with a hint of hesitation in her voice.
The HR officer looked up, their tone decisive, cutting off her last sliver of hope. “Of course! You’re Mr. Taylor’s secretary. His signature is mandatory. Is there a problem?”
Faced with such a firm response, Stella had no choice but to shake her head and leave the HR office.
Greyson Taylor’s office was on the top floor. As she rode the elevator up, the weight of hesitation stayed with her. Even as she stood outside his door, it lingered.
With a soft knock, she pushed the door open. What greeted her was the sight of Greyson, impeccably dressed in a suit, with a woman in a chic designer dress perched on his lap. They were locked in an intimate kiss.
Stella froze for a moment before quickly regaining her composure. She walked directly to his desk. “Mr. Taylor, I have a document that needs your signature.”
It was only then that the two untangled themselves, reluctantly pulling apart. Stella now recognized the woman—it was Nadia Jackson, heiress to the Jackson Group and a regular visitor to Greyson’s office this past month.
Nadia leaned against Greyson, her voice sugary sweet. “Ugh, high heels are so uncomfortable. My legs hurt so much.”
Greyson’s voice, full of indulgence, responded, “I’ll get someone to massage them for you.” But when his gaze shifted to Stella, his tone turned icy. “Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and massage Nadia’s legs!”
Nadia gasped in faux embarrassment. “Oh, that’s really not necessary…”
Stella remained motionless. She was Greyson’s secretary, but massaging his lover’s legs was definitely not in her job description.
Seeing her defiance, Greyson let out a cold laugh, pulling a wad of cash from his desk drawer and throwing it in her face. She turned away, but a corner of the bill still grazed her cheek, leaving a stinging scratch.
“Is this enough? Isn’t money the only thing you care about?” Greyson’s voice was full of disdain.
Stella’s face burned with pain. She opened her mouth as if to respond but ultimately remained silent. Bending down, she began to massage Nadia’s legs, her touch light and mechanical.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Nadia finally withdrew her legs with a satisfied smile. “Alright, Greyson, didn’t you book us a table at that couple’s French restaurant? It’s time to go.”
Greyson’s lips curved slightly in a doting smile. “Yes, let’s go.” He stood and led Nadia out of the office.
As they were about to leave, Stella hurried after them with her resignation letter. “Mr. Taylor, this document still needs your signature.”
Greyson frowned, taking the form to read it, but Nadia tugged on his arm impatiently. “Greyson, hurry! I’m starving.”
With a sigh, Greyson quickly signed at the bottom without a second glance. Then he left with Nadia, oblivious to the relief that washed over Stella’s face.
Greyson, I can finally leave you.
Just then, her phone rang. Answering it, she heard a warm male voice on the other end. “Stella, the wedding preparations are underway. How much longer until you’re back?”
Stella looked at the resignation form in her hands. “It’s settled. Just one more month.”
The man hesitated on the other end before speaking again, his voice soft. “Stella, will you feel wronged, marrying me? After all, your ex-boyfriend was someone like Greyson—such a big shot. Everyone knows how much he loved you…”
Hearing this, her chest tightened painfully. Six years ago, Greyson had indeed been her boyfriend.
Back then, he wasn’t the accomplished man he was now. They had lived in a cramped apartment, leading a simple, ordinary life. He couldn’t give her wealth but showered her with love. With him, fruits were always peeled, fish always deboned, and there was always an umbrella in her bag on rainy days. He constantly surprised her with little acts of thoughtfulness, and after passionate nights, he’d hold her tightly, promising to save enough money to marry her.
At that time, Greyson was an aspiring eSports player. To provide for their future, he worked as a game surrogate, barely sleeping two hours a day, often to the brink of collapse.
But she had broken up with him when he loved her the most.
She still remembered that rainy night. He had begged her not to leave, tears mixing with the downpour as she pried his fingers off her hand, one by one.
“Greyson, staying with you means being trapped in this tiny apartment. I can’t even afford a dress I like. I’ve had enough of this life. Please, let me go.”
She had gotten into the car waiting to take her away, holding her umbrella. Through the rearview mirror, she saw him stumble as he chased after her, his voice hoarse as he pleaded for her to stay, professing his love over and over.
Inside the luxury car, her tears streamed uncontrollably, but she never looked back.
Because at that time, she had been diagnosed with cancer.
Their life had already been so difficult, and cancer—though not terminal—would have buried them under its costs. She didn’t want to drag him down, so she used this cruel method to save him.
Afterward, she left for Australia, working odd jobs to pay for her treatment. At her lowest, she ate leftovers and slept in a damp storeroom. Battling cycles of treatment and relapse, she finally clawed her way back to health. Upon returning to New York, she secured a high-paying job as a secretary—only to find it was at Greyson’s company.
Searching his name online, she learned how he had risen from being a game surrogate to an eSports star, then built his own empire, creating a gaming kingdom in just four years.
Without her, he had indeed become a better man. But when they met again, the only things in his eyes were shock and hatred.
He despised her.
As Greyson’s secretary, she worked just a wall away from him. Others envied her office, unaware it was deliberate. Here, she could see every woman who entered his office, see how frequently they changed, see his intimate moments with them. He would summon her and humiliate her with degrading requests. If she refused, he’d throw cash at her face, sneering, “Isn’t this what you want?”
It seemed he wanted her to witness his life without her, to torment her—and maybe himself too. Late at night, drunk and broken, he’d show up at her door, sobbing as he asked, “Stella, do you even have a heart?”
Stella didn’t know if he was torturing her or himself. Either way, she thought, one of them needed to let go. So she went home and agreed to marry William Lewis, her high school classmate.
William wasn’t wealthy, but he was steady and kind. Their engagement felt natural, and they planned to marry in a month.
After that, she would let Greyson go and hoped he would let her go too.
From then on, they would be strangers, lost in the vast sea of people, owing each other nothing.
Chapter 2
Her thoughts drifted back to the present, and Stella’s soft voice broke the silence. “William, my decision to marry you isn’t impulsive, nor is it out of desperation. When I broke up with Greyson six years ago, I had already made up my mind to let him go. You don’t need to worry about this. I’ll dedicate myself to building a good life with you.”
William’s voice remained gentle on the other end. “Alright. I’ll focus on preparing the wedding back home. Take your time finishing up over there and come back when you’re ready.”
Stella nodded, even though he couldn’t see her, and hung up the phone.
Returning to her desk with the resignation letter, she began methodically transferring her responsibilities. By the time she got home, it was already late. Exhausted, she washed up and fell into bed.
No sooner had she lain down than her phone rang. She answered, and Greyson’s voice came through.
“Nadia wants the nut mousse from that shop in Southside. Go buy it and deliver it to the hotel.”
The single sentence jolted her out of her drowsiness. The Southside shop was far from her place, and the trip—purchasing and delivering—would take nearly four hours. Yet the call ended abruptly, leaving her no chance to refuse. After all, though her resignation was in process, she was still Greyson’s secretary for another month. With a sigh, she resigned herself to the task, got dressed, and headed out.
Four hours later, Stella arrived at the hotel with the nut mousse, now completely cold. Nadia took one look, barely touching it before turning her nose up in disdain.
“It’s cold and doesn’t taste good. Greyson, why don’t you have her get me a strawberry cake from Eastside instead?”
Greyson immediately turned to Stella. “Go get it.”
With no room to refuse, Stella dragged her exhausted body out again.
When she returned with the strawberry cake, Nadia took a single bite before tossing it aside with a look of disdain.
“It’s awful. How about some barbecue from Northside instead?”
“That’s no good either. Get me roast turkey from Westside.”
After running back and forth countless times, Stella finally found something that pleased Nadia. Just as she thought she could finally go home, Greyson’s voice stopped her. This time, there was a peculiar edge to it.
“Hold on. Go buy a dozen boxes of condoms.”
The bluntness of the request left Stella frozen, her expression stiffening. After a long pause, she finally managed to mutter, “The hotel should have them.”
“They don’t have the flavor Nadia likes.” Greyson’s voice was soft but laced with sarcasm. “You should know my size.”
Her face went pale. Fearing that staying any longer would lead to even crueler remarks, she turned and left immediately.
Luckily, there was a supermarket near the hotel. She quickly made the purchase and delivered it. But even then, Greyson didn’t let her go.
“Wait outside.”
After everything she’d been through that night, Stella’s exhaustion was written all over her face. She no longer had the strength to argue. She stood quietly outside the door, listening to the muffled sounds of intimacy inside.
Perhaps it was the fatigue, but her thoughts drifted back to a time long ago. In their tiny apartment, they had once been inseparable—kissing, holding each other, and exploring every tender moment that love had to offer. Each night, his breath would fall gently on her skin, his actions clumsy yet enticing. She had cautiously responded to his advances, clinging tightly to him.
But all of that was in the past.
Everything had changed after the storm that tore them apart. Now, the person entangled with him in love and passion would never be her again.
From the day she joined M.E Group, Greyson’s girlfriends had come and gone, none staying longer than three days. But Nadia seemed to be an exception. She had been by his side for a month now. As the heiress of a prestigious family, she matched him perfectly. Perhaps this time, he wouldn’t replace her.
And Stella? She was about to return home and marry someone else.
She could only hope that from now on, their paths would truly separate. That bridges would remain bridges, roads would remain roads, and each would find their own happiness.
Chapter 3
Stella stood outside the door for an entire night, listening to the sounds within. Just as sleep began to creep in, the door abruptly swung open.
Her senses sharpened instantly, and she turned to see Nadia nestled in Greyson’s arms as they exited the room. Their posture was intimate, their connection palpable. Both wore loosely tied robes, and the faint marks of last night’s passion were visible along their necklines—evidence of an intense night together.
As the pair stepped out, their eyes landed on Stella, still stationed outside. Greyson’s gaze bore into her.
“You didn’t leave at all?”
“No,” she replied evenly.
After a sleepless night, Stella had composed herself. Her expression betrayed no hint of discomfort.
Her calm demeanor seemed to irritate Greyson further. His voice sharpened with anger. “Stella, you’re really something.”
But Stella remained unruffled. Of course, she could endure it. There was a time she couldn’t let go of Greyson, but now, as her wedding approached, she resolved to see him only as her boss. His personal life was no longer her concern.
“If there’s nothing else, Mr. Taylor, I’ll take my leave now,” she said, turning to go.
Something about her indifference infuriated him even more. His face darkened, and he seized her wrist with such force that his knuckles turned white.
“Did I say you could leave? Tonight is Nadia’s birthday. You’re responsible for organizing a grand celebration.”
Stella, having been awake all night, now faced an arduous new task. Logic dictated that she should refuse, push back against this unfair demand. Yet, faced with the fire in his eyes, she hesitated only briefly before numbly agreeing.
“Understood, Mr. Taylor.”
Just twenty-nine more days, she reminded herself. Then it’ll all be over.
The door slammed shut behind her with a resounding thud, startling Stella. She had no idea what had triggered his anger but shrugged it off and headed to the elevator.
Stella spent the entire day running around to arrange the birthday party. By the time it began, she was utterly drained.
The event opened with Greyson leading Nadia onto the dance floor for the first dance. They moved in perfect harmony, their steps mirroring each other’s with effortless grace. Their whispers and smiles spoke of deep affection, a sight that drew envious glances from all around.
After the dance, it was time for gifts. A grand seven-tier cake was wheeled in, followed by Greyson presenting Nadia with a carefully chosen gift—a dazzling diamond necklace. Its pendant was a polished, deep blue-green gem, reminiscent of the ocean’s depths.
The crowd gasped in awe.
“Isn’t that the Heart of the Ocean, the necklace that sold for tens of millions recently? Mr. Taylor bought it?”
“A gift this extravagant—he must truly care for her.”
“Did you see how tender he was during the dance? I wouldn’t be surprised if a wedding is next.”
As the murmurs filled the room, Greyson took Nadia’s hand and stepped forward. His deep voice echoed through the venue.
“I have another happy announcement to make tonight.”
“Miss Jackson and I are getting engaged.”
The sudden announcement startled many, though it was not entirely unexpected.
Standing quietly in the corner, Stella watched as Greyson and Nadia stood side by side, basking in the congratulations. For a fleeting moment, she thought Greyson glanced her way as he announced the engagement. But she quickly dismissed the notion. He hates me. Why would he look at me?
Pushing those thoughts aside, Stella shifted her focus. The couple was now surrounded by well-wishers and people toasting their engagement.
“Drinking too much isn’t good,” Greyson said suddenly, stopping Nadia just as she was about to lift a glass. His gaze shifted to Stella. “You, come here. Nadia can’t drink—you’ll drink for her.”
Without a word, Stella stepped forward, picking up the glass with a practiced smile and downing it in one go.
The toasts came one after another. Stella drank until her stomach felt like it was on fire. Greyson seemed intent on dragging her to every corner of the venue, making her drink until she vomited, only to return and continue.
After over an hour, the party finally ended. As the crowd dispersed, Stella, pale and unsteady, pulled out her phone to call a cab. Before she could, a notification lit up her screen—William had sent her a message.
Opening it, she found photos of wedding dresses and a potential house. Seconds later, her phone rang.
“Stella, I’ve picked out a few wedding dresses. Which one do you like?” William asked, his voice warm. “And this house—should I go ahead and buy it?”
Stella glanced at the photos briefly. The searing pain in her stomach made it hard to concentrate. “The dresses all look great. Choose whichever you think is best. The house is fine too—I don’t have any preferences,” she replied softly.
As soon as she finished speaking, a chilling voice came from behind her.
“What house?”
She turned abruptly, her heart sinking. Greyson stood there, his expression dark and foreboding.
