Dared to Confess to My Boyfriend's Uncle

Chapter 3

I looked down at the unwrapped watch in my palm, the present I had never handed over, and I hung up without a word.

When Dylan came back, I confronted him about the bracelet.

Only then did he remember that night, but not a shred of guilt showed on his face. He rolled his eyes. "It was just a lousy bracelet. Vivi said it looked nice, so I gave it to her. Why are you being so dramatic?"

"Are you seriously making a scene over nothing?" he added. "She even asked where you bought it. She said she would get you one too as an apology. Now the whole company is gossiping about us. Did you start those rumors? Nia, if you keep acting like this, we are through."

For the first time, I could not even muster the energy to argue.

And just like that, the cold war began.

As payback for my defiance, Dylan organized this team outing. Then, in front of everyone, he hurled those cruel words at me.

The yacht's atmosphere grew livelier by the minute.

A grinning colleague sidled up with a cocktail in his hand and elbowed Dylan. "Mr. Grant, defending our lovely Vivi like this. Aren't you worried that Nia might break up with you?"

Dylan smirked and oozed arrogance. "So what? Bring it on. She is the one who chased me back then. She would not back off no matter what."

The crowd howled with laughter. "The one who loves more always loses. That is just how it goes."

My chest tightened like a vise. I ducked my head and refused to let anyone see me crumble. Not here, I told myself. Save this for behind closed doors.

But Vivian was not done. She clutched Dylan's sleeve and purred loud enough for half the deck to hear. "I heard Nia was Harvard's most sought-after girl back in the day. Since she is so gorgeous, why not try confessing to your uncle? He is still single, right? You are not the jealous type, are you, Mr. Grant?"

The moment the words left her mouth, my head jerked up.

Everyone knew Dylan's uncle, Silas Stone. He was the unreachable titan of European business circles, a notoriously cutthroat operator who had built a commercial empire before thirty. Rumors swirled that he had returned to dominate the domestic market. Even Dylan's plush VP title was a handout from the man himself.

But what truly made Silas notorious was his aversion to women. Not even a female mosquito dared buzz near him. Some even speculated that he only swung the other way.

Once, a top-tier actress tried to hitch a ride on his fame by paying media outlets to spread rumors that she was his secret lover. The very next day, her entire team was wiped off the map.

Vivian's move was meant to bury me.

Eager to curry favor with Dylan, a few male colleagues instantly jumped on the bandwagon. "Whoa, now that is gutsy. Word is that Mr. Stone is actually on board today. He is posted up in the VIP lounge on the top deck."

"Hell yes, let us see if our Harvard belle can snag the city's most elusive bachelor," another one said.

"No way. That is Silas we are talking about. If this backfires, Nia might as well kiss her career in Ardleigh goodbye," a third colleague warned.

"Forget Ardleigh. She would be done for in the entire finance industry," someone else added.

Vivian batted her lashes with fake innocence, and her voice oozed sweetness. "Relax. Nia is gorgeous. Even if Mr. Stone turns her down, he would not dare embarrass her, not with Dylan's reputation on the line."

A female colleague who had had enough murmured in a low voice. "This is not right. Isn't Nia still Dylan's girlfriend? Seriously, they have been together since sophomore year. This joke has gone too far."