Chapter 6 — The Second Proposal

The acquisition deal reached a turning point thanks to my "Splendid Jiangnan" proposal. In the end, Lucius successfully secured the project, opening a vital overseas market for the Lucius Group. Following this triumph, Lucius’s attitude toward me shifted completely. When he looked at me, the scrutiny and criticism were gone. In their place was something akin to admiration. He began to proactively seek out my past, asking about my university major and the jobs I had held since graduation. When he discovered I had majored in finance and possessed an outstanding academic record, his face betrayed a clear sense of shock.

"You studied finance," he began, his voice trailing off. "Why are you doing... this kind of work?"

He didn't finish the sentence, but we both understood exactly what he meant. Why was a woman with such potential acting as a glorified maid and a contract wife?

"To repay a debt of gratitude," I replied calmly. Had it not been for the kindness of his father, Lucian, the trajectory of my life would have been entirely different.

Lucius fell silent. A complex look flickered in his eyes, as if searching my face for any hint of resentment or self-pity. But he found none. I was simply stating a fact. From that day on, he no longer avoided me when handling business in his study. Occasionally, when faced with a difficult problem, he would instinctively ask for my opinion. Drawing on the solid foundation I had built during my university years, I often offered unique perspectives. They weren't always the perfect solution, but they always provided him with a fresh line of reasoning.

The way we communicated gradually transformed. Our relationship evolved from the initial dynamic of command and obedience into a series of discussions between equals. Even the cold terms of our marriage agreement began to blur at the edges. He eventually started taking me to semi-formal business gatherings. The first time he took me out was to a private gala. He had a stylist deliver a gown and jewelry well in advance. When I finished dressing and descended the stairs, I saw the undisguised astonishment in his eyes. Perhaps he had never imagined that the plain woman who wore an apron and no makeup every day could look so radiant with just a touch of polish.

At the party, the air was filled with the clinking of glasses and the mingling scents of expensive perfume and silk. Guests were curious about my presence, whispering and guessing at my identity. Lucius didn't explicitly introduce me, but his actions spoke volumes. Throughout the evening, he kept me by his side, his arm draped naturally and possessively around my waist. However, there are always those who lack discretion. A drunken young heir stumbled toward us, his words laced with insolence.

"This face is new," he leered, his eyes scanning me. "Where did you find her, President Lucius? Name your price."

The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere turned glacial. Before I could even react, Lucius pulled me behind him. He snatched a glass of red wine from a nearby table and poured it directly over the man’s head.

"She is mine," Lucius said, his voice low but freezing. "Do you truly think you have the standing to name a price for my person?"

Though he didn't raise his voice, every word cut like a blade. The entire hall fell into a stunned silence. The young man, drenched and humiliated, sobered up instantly. Seeing the dark fury on Lucius’s face, he didn't dare utter another word.

"Get out," Lucius commanded.

The man scrambled away, stumbling over his own feet. Lucius draped his suit jacket over my shoulders and led me out of the gala under the awe-struck gazes of the crowd. He never looked back. On the drive home, we were silent. I could feel the lingering heat of his anger. As for my heart, it was racing because of those three words: "She is mine." I felt a mix of confusion, a strange sense of security, and a flicker of sweetness I couldn't explain. I knew then that something had spiraled out of control. The wall between us hadn't just cracked; it was beginning to crumble.

As my relationship with Lucius improved, Victoria felt a sense of unprecedented danger. She watched as Vivian, the daughter-in-law she had painstakingly chosen, was completely sidelined, while I—the "country girl" she had always looked down upon—was slowly finding a way into her son's heart. She couldn't sit idly by. Since she couldn't confront me openly, she turned to underhanded tactics. She hired someone to dig into my past, hoping to find a scandal that would ruin my reputation.

Unfortunately for her, my record was as clean as a blank sheet of paper—except for my family of origin. My parents had died young, leaving me to be raised by my grandmother. I had a younger brother, Julian, who was five years my junior. After our grandmother passed, I took on the responsibility of caring for him. But Julian had never been studious; he was a boy plagued by vices, most notably a gambling addiction. Most of the salary I earned after graduation went toward paying off his debts. That was why, when I received my university acceptance letter, I had almost been forced to decline due to the lack of tuition—until I met my benefactor, Lucian.

Julian and I hadn't been in contact for a long time, but Victoria had unearthed everything. Like an executioner catching the scent of blood, she finally found the weapon she needed to destroy me. She set a trap, luring Julian into a five-million-dollar gambling debt in Macau. Then, she came for me. One day, while Lucius was away on a business trip, Victoria summoned me to her room. She tossed a stack of photographs onto the coffee table. They showed my brother, Julian, battered and bruised, kneeling on the ground with eyes full of terror.

"Your brother owes five million in Macau," Victoria said, her voice calm but dripping with cruel satisfaction. "The creditors said that if the money isn't paid within three days, they'll take one of his legs."

My heart sank. A cold shiver ran through my entire body. "What do you want?" I asked, looking her straight in the eye.

She smiled, a triumphant, predatory expression. "It’s very simple. I will give you six million. One million is your severance pay for leaving my son. The other five million... you can use that to save your worthless brother."

She paused, savoring the sight of my pale face before continuing. "You must take the initiative to ask Lucius for a divorce and vanish from his life forever. If you don't, not only will I refuse to help, but I will tell Lucius everything. What do you think he’ll make of this? He loathes people with messy, greedy families who never know when they've had enough. He’ll think you only married him for the family fortune, using him to fill your family’s bottomless pit of debt. By then, you won't get a single cent, and he will despise you to his very core. The choice is yours."