Chapter 4

"Vivian..." Ethan suddenly wrapped his arms around me from behind, his warm breath brushing against my neck.

I froze but didn’t push him away.

"When are you going to break up with Ryan?" His voice was laced with hurt. "I’ve been counting the days..."

I turned slightly and saw the redness in his eyes.

"Do you know how much it kills me? Every time I see you two together..." His arms tightened around me, as if afraid I’d slip away.

I sighed softly and turned to embrace him.

"Silly boy." I ruffled his hair. "In my heart, he’s not even worth one of your fingers."

Ethan’s eyes lit up.

"But right now, the company is in a critical phase..." I lowered my voice. "A sudden breakup could affect the stock price, and it wouldn’t be good for you either."

"Just give me a little more time, okay?"

He nuzzled my shoulder like an overgrown puppy. "I knew Vivian cared about me the most..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a fleeting figure disappearing around the corner. A cold smirk tugged at my lips.

By the time I returned to the private room, the drinking session was winding down. When we finally dispersed in the early hours of the morning, Old Zhou mysteriously pulled me aside to the underground garage.

"What do you think?" He gestured excitedly at a brand-new Porsche 911.

I nodded. "Not bad."

"It’s yours!" He suddenly shoved the keys into my hand.

I was stunned. "This..."

"That old junker of yours is long overdue for an upgrade!" Old Zhou waved dismissively. "I heard Ethan from your company is already driving a Maserati? With his level of skill?"

Drunk and worked up, he grew more animated. "I’ve seen his projects—they’re a mess, clearly just thrown together!"

I clenched the keys but said nothing.

Those were projects our team had slaved over for countless sleepless nights. And every time we neared completion, Vivian would hand them off to Ethan under the guise of "nurturing new talent."

Even an outsider could see the truth, yet Vivian turned a blind eye.

"Don’t refuse," Old Zhou clapped me on the shoulder. "I’ll deduct it from your year-end bonus!"

I knew it was just an excuse. That car was worth two years of my salary.

When I got home, I was surprised to find Vivian already waiting in the living room.

"Where were you?" She stood abruptly. "We were supposed to talk tonight."

I glanced at my watch—just past one in the morning. Normally, when she went out with Ethan, she wouldn’t be back until dawn.

"Class reunion," I said flatly, pulling documents from my bag.

Her brows furrowed. "You’ve been drinking?"

"I seem to recall you saying," her voice turned icy, "that you’re not allowed to drink when I’m not around."

I smirked. Right. Only when I was covering for her at business dinners was I permitted to touch alcohol.

"Jealous?" She suddenly laughed, stepping closer to loop her arm through mine. "Because I had dinner with Ethan?"

I sidestepped her touch and placed the property authorization papers on the coffee table.

"Sign it," I said.