After Rebirth, I Gave Her My "Poor" Fiancé

Chapter 2

Ethan and I arrived back at the Reed family's estate in Valley Manor.

Ethan sank onto the sofa and tugged his tie loose, exhaustion etched across his face.

I knew exactly what was about to happen.

The Reed Group's overseas catering business was on the verge of collapse.

The company's top executives were preparing to flee, and the entire cash flow was about to snap like a frayed rope.

"Go take a shower."

Ethan rubbed the bridge of his nose, his voice rough with exhaustion.

"Tomorrow... it's probably going to be one hell of a mess."

I didn't move.

Instead, I grabbed the sealed glass jar and headed straight for the kitchen.

"Give me 30 minutes."

Using the fermented chili paste my grandmother had left behind, I added a precise blend of spices and simmered up a smoky chili sauce unlike anything else on the market.

Within seconds, its rich, bold aroma filled every corner of the Valley Manor.

I tossed some pasta with the chili sauce, carried the plate over to Ethan, and set it on the coffee table.

"Try it."

Ethan froze for a moment, clearly confused. Then he picked up his fork and took a bite.

The next second, his head snapped up, his eyes widening in pure shock.

"This flavor... how did you make this?"

"Don't worry about that."

I pulled a chair over, sat down across from him, and looked him straight in the eye.

"Ethan, Mark Davis, the VP of your overseas catering division, is planning to flee the country at midnight tonight. He's taking the division's core technology and whatever funds he can get his hands on."

Ethan's face went pale. "Who told you that?"

"No time to explain."

I slid the half-full jar of chili sauce across the table.

"Take this sauce and get Mr. Smith on the phone. He's the overseas catering tycoon who's been trying to pull his investment, right? Tell him the Reed Group is about to launch a game-changing product that could dominate the market. The second he tastes it, he'll want to invest even more."

Ethan stared at me for a full 10 seconds.

Then he stopped asking questions.

He grabbed the jar and strode straight into the study.

Through the closed door, I could hear him speaking fluently, his voice cutting through Mr. Smith's gruff, irritated replies on the other end.

30 minutes later, the study door creaked open.

Ethan walked out, his eyes blazing with barely contained excitement.

"Mr. Smith's private jet is already filing a flight plan."

He looked at me, his voice trembling slightly.

"He's obsessed with the recipe. He decided on the spot to fly here and verify it himself. There's a very good chance he'll increase his investment. Olivia, you just saved the entire Reed Group."

I leaned back against the sofa and let out a long, slow breath.

I'd successfully stopped the bankruptcy crisis before it ever began.

"But..." I lifted my eyes to meet his. "If you want to root out the mole hiding in your family, and enjoy one hell of a show while you're at it, I suggest keeping this investment completely under wraps."

Ethan wasn't stupid. He immediately understood what I meant.

"You want us to play along? Put out an announcement saying the Reed family's cash flow has dried up and all our assets have been frozen?"

I smiled and picked up the teacup sitting on the table. It had already gone cold.

"Mr. Reed, are you up for playing a broke married couple with me?"

*****

"Well, well, Olivia. Life as a bankrupt socialite wife looks pretty cushy, huh?"

Vivian's shrill, catty voice sliced through the rickety warehouse door.

I was crouched on the floor, sorting through dried chilies with a worn canvas apron tied over my clothes. I didn't even bother looking up when I heard her.

News of the Reed Group's bankruptcy had spread like wildfire over the past few days.

Using what she remembered from her previous life, Vivian had managed to secure a loan from an underground lender.

She'd even beaten me to registering the trademark for Grandma Rose's Condiments, the brand I'd spent 10 years building from nothing.

She'd thrown a lavish grand opening, and today, she'd brought along a food blogger with more than a million followers for a surprise visit.

Vivian held up her phone, shoving the camera practically into my face.

"Hey, everyone, take a good look! This is the former eldest daughter of the Bennett family, who used to think she was better than everyone else. Now she's stuck working in this rundown warehouse covered in official seals, doing the kind of work no respectable person would touch."