Humiliated by His Fiancée, He Begged Me to Stay

Chapter 5

My heart stuttered when Adrian spoke. He had always been a man of his word, never looking back once he made a decision.

Just like when he dumped me all those years ago.

Clean break. No hesitation. No loose ends.

Impatience crept into his voice.

Afraid he might hang up, I quickly followed Vanessa's advice. "My apologies, Mr. Graves. I had too much to drink tonight and spoke out of turn. The contract is signed, and I will fulfill all terms as agreed."

A light laugh came through the phone, tinged with mockery. "I thought someone like you would just charge forward without looking back."

He paused, and his next words cut through me like icy blades. "What's this? Did bankruptcy teach you to bow your head?"

Since when did Adrian care about my family's situation? I thought only Chloe rated that kind of concern.

No, I was wrong. She and I were different.

If Chloe's family went bankrupt, Adrian would have lovingly paid off every cent of her debt.

For me, he would only exploit the situation and force me to sign my life away.

Five years ago, I couldn't bear to watch our love crumble into dust, scattering with the wind. I ran off to Germland to study. Even in that strict academic environment, I couldn't mask the grief in my heart.

Around that time, my father's company started to decline. I didn't want to put all that pressure on them, so I chose to become a blogger.

I thought I would never come back. Then disaster struck at home. My father was drowning in debt. That five million, it was only a drop in the bucket.

"I spoke without thinking."

He wasn't wrong. Given my current situation, swallowing my pride was my only option.

Before Adrian could respond, I heard Chloe's voice in the background. She seemed to have brought him homemade soup at the office.

Then the line went dead.

A text message from Adrian appeared on my phone.

"Be at the Graves Corporation CEO's office in one hour."

It was 10:20 PM.

I stretched and opened the map app on my phone, locating the Graves Corporation.

The life of an employee on call 24/7. I understood the drill.

As the most profitable company in all of Riverton, the Graves Corporation headquarters had changed dramatically in five years. Gone was the flashy opulence of before. Now it was sleek and modern, truly international.

I walked in on heavy heels, intending to check in at reception, but found the desk already empty.

An elevator sat open on the first floor. I stepped inside.

Only after the doors closed did I realize it was Adrian's private elevator. I hesitated, glancing at the security camera, then pressed the button.

Five years had passed, and my access still worked.

When I first went to the Graves Corporation, I wasn’t part of the staff, so I had to use the regular elevators.

Adrian had pulled me into this very elevator and registered my face himself. "The Graves Corporation always welcomes you, my honey," he had murmured.

The elevator arrived.

I shook my head, forcing those memories away.

Ethan was already waiting outside.

When he saw me, he looked like he'd seen a savior.

"Iris! Thank god you're here." Ethan immediately gestured for me to follow. "The boss has been in a terrible mood since the party ended. He's usually pretty even-keeled, but whenever something reminds him of you, he needs medication to calm down."