I Am Mr. Vance's Unattainable Love

Chapter 4 Swallowing Humiliation for Survival

I blinked, confused. "What is this…?"

The person handing it to me smiled. "You don't know? Miss Ardent and Mr. Vance are about to get engaged. This is their wedding candy."

The box in my hand was exquisitely wrapped. But all I felt was bitterness.

I forced a calm expression and said something I did not mean. "That's wonderful. Miss Ardent and Mr. Vance are perfect for each other."

I only stepped away to wash my hands. When I came back, the candy was gone. I had no intention of eating it anyway. I assumed someone had taken it by mistake and didn't think much of it.

Lucian showed up on set again. Of course, he was there for Selene.

Every time he appeared, filming stopped immediately, no matter what scene was in progress. That left me idle. I found a corner and sat down, doing my best to blend into the background.

Someone clearly did not like that.

"Ivy!"

A hand shoved my shoulder roughly.

"What's wrong with you? Miss Ardent kindly gave everyone wedding candy. Why did you throw yours in the trash? Do you even know how much that costs? Twenty or thirty thousand per box. Something you could never afford in your life. You're just jealous of Miss Ardent."

I looked up, still stunned, and caught the flash of smug satisfaction in her eyes. In her hand, she was holding a dirty, crumpled candy box.

"I didn't throw it away." I kept my voice steady. "I went to wash my hands and it was gone. I thought maybe someone took it by mistake."

"Who would believe that?" Her voice rose sharply. "This is your box. If you didn't throw it away, then who did? Ivy, I knew from the start you were trouble. You're jealous that Miss Ardent has Mr. Vance's favor. Still dreaming about climbing into Mr. Vance's bed, aren't you?"

My face flushed with anger. I wanted nothing more than to shut her up. "Stop talking nonsense."

The commotion had already drawn attention. People gathered around. At the front were Selene and Lucian.

Selene saw the dirty box in the woman's hand. Her eyes reddened instantly, as if she might cry at any moment.

"I picked this brand myself," she said softly. "If you didn't like it, you could have just returned it. Why throw it away?"

The moment tears welled in her eyes, Lucian's expression turned cold, a sharp edge entering his gaze. He looked at me and let out a faint, chilling laugh.

"The one who threw the candy? Seems like someone familiar."

I forced down the anger rising in my chest and stepped forward, putting on a submissive smile.

"I truly wish the two of you a lifetime of happiness. I hadn't even brought myself to open or taste the wedding candy. I was worried sick when it was taken. If Miss Ardent doesn't believe me, we can check the surveillance footage."

Selene frowned slightly.

I did not give her time to respond. I stepped forward, grabbed the dirty box from the woman's hand, tore it open, and popped a piece of candy into my mouth.

The crowd fell silent for a second. The woman stared at me in disbelief.

I chewed and forced a smile. "As expected of something worth tens of thousands. If Miss Ardent hadn't been so generous, I'd never have had the chance to taste it. The person who threw it away deserves punishment. How could anyone waste Miss Ardent's kindness?"

Selene's expression stiffened for a fraction of a second before she softened her tone.

"Then it was a misunderstanding. If you like it, I can give you more. This one is dirty. You shouldn't keep it."

I clutched the box to my chest as if it were something precious. "Thank you, Miss Ardent."

The woman who had tried to frame me had gone pale. She clearly had not expected me to swallow my pride like this.

Lucian, however, kept his eyes on me. There was something unreadable in his gaze.

To prove my sincerity, I took a few more pieces and put them in my mouth. The chocolate melted quickly. Then came the sharp taste of alcohol.

My smile froze. Something was wrong.