You Wed Your Past; I Wed My Future

Stephanie Ford has given her heart and everything else to Tyler Grover throughout their five-year relationship, only to find out that he has already married his first love, Kiara Grover, on their wedding night. The fake marriage certificate that Stephanie holds is proof that she's stuck in an elaborate scheme that Tyler and Kiara have come up with. This realization leaves her heartbroken and her trust in Tyler permanently shattered. Throughout the past five years, she's gone through a car accident that's apparently staged by others, which has ruined her dreams of becoming a professional dancer. To make things worse, Tyler and Kiara intend to use her as a surrogate mother for their child. Hence, Stephanie decides to go home and enter into a business marriage that her family has arranged for. The next time they meet again, Tyler watches as the cold and aloof heir to the powerful Hawke family of Jetterpolis, Adrian Hawke, pulls Stephanie carefully into his arms. He treats her with utmost care, as though she's the most precious treasure in the world. Tyler's eyes redden instantly. He sinks down to his knees like a madman and begins begging Stephanie for her forgiveness. "Steph, this is all my fault! Please come back to me!" But Adrian shields Stephanie from Tyler, his expression now glacial. "Get lost! Don't you dare taint my wife's sight with your filthy presence!" Chapter 1 "Ms. Ford, we've verified that your marriage certificate is a forged copy. Forging marriage certificates is a federal offence. Please cooperate with our investigation." "Wait, there are still people forging marriage certificates in this era?" "She must have got duped by a man, right? How pitiful…" Stephanie Ford stepped out of the courthouse in a daze. Around her, the staff members and the few couples were all shooting her weird looks. It was a hot and sunny day outside, but Stephanie only felt chills permeating her body. Yesterday, her boyfriend of five years, Tyler Grover, suddenly agreed to register for their marriage. Naturally, they had celebrated the occasion by engaging in bedroom activities in the middle of the night. But an abrupt phone call ruined the mood just as the couple's passion was reaching its peak. Weirdly enough, Tyler had stopped in his actions just to answer it. "Stop it with your tantrum. The marriage certificate that I've obtained with Stephanie is fake. After all, I've already received the real marriage certificate with you two years ago." Tyler used a foreign language that was scarcely used in this country. But the thing was, Stephanie actually understood him. Since Tyler's friends all knew how to speak in this particular language, Stephanie had secretly registered for language classes just to learn it. That way, she'd be able to get along with Tyler's friend group. "But I'm still jealous! Ugh, if only Stephanie had never existedin your life at all!" "Stop being wilful. Also, Steph is innocent. Haven't you vented your frustrations enough after staging her accident? Her leg is already crippled from that accident, so she can never dance again for the rest of her life. No one's going to fight you for the mantle as the Dance Diva. If you stir up any more trouble, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to help clean up your mess." "What about your future child?" "Once Steph gets pregnant and gives birth to my baby, I'll find a way to register you and me as the baby's birth parents. Alright, that's enough. Just be a good girl at home. Remember, Steph is nothing compared to you. How can I ever fall for her?" While Stephanie was shell-shocked to hear the conversation, what little rationality she had was able to help her regain her senses bit by bit. So, that meant the car accident that she was involved in two years ago was actually a manmade accident. At that time, a truck had gone out of control and crashed into her. She almost lost both legs, and she'd most likely be reduced to a disabled person. After spending more than half a month in the hospital, Stephanie managed to save one leg. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to dance ever again. Having inherited her mother's amazing talent for dancing, Stephanie could've had a bright future ahead of her. But Tyler was the one who told her that the car crash was an unfortunate accident. He never showed any disdain toward Stephanie's condition, so she was very grateful to him. That was why she became even more devoted to him. Alas, it all turned out to be a scheme. Tyler had lied to Stephanie and even married the actual culprit behind the accident. Not only that, but they also wanted her to give birth to their child for them. That night, Stephanie never slept a wink. She went to the courthouse first thing in the morning to get her marriage certificate verified, only to get slapped by the cruel reality in the end. With a strained smile, she told everyone that it was just a joke. Thankfully, the staff didn't look further into Stephanie's excuse. They gave her a quick lecture before letting her off the hook. By then, her phone had been ringing for quite some time. She finally snapped out of her trance and answered the call. "Are you on the way to the company already?" Tyler asked huskily. There were still traces of drowsiness tinging his tone, which made him sound more seductive than usual. Stephanie did her best to control her voice so that she could sound normal over the phone. "Not yet. I had something to tend to first." "Where are you right now? I can pick you up." Stephanie's eyes reddened instantly. She remembered Tyler telling her before that regardless of where she went at whichever hour, he'd pick her up, and they'd go home together. But did she still have a home with him now? After all, Tyler had already become someone else's husband two years ago. He had cheated on Stephanie, both physically and emotionally. "Steph?" "It's fine." Stephanie was already tearing up, but her voice was still composed. "I still have other things to do. I'll head over on my own later." Seeing how insistent Stephanie was, Tyler decided to let her do whatever she wanted. After ending the call, Stephanie began sorting out her messy thoughts. She had been nothing but loyal to Tyler throughout their five-year relationship. Back in their university days, Tyler was the charming student president. After graduation, he was known as the handsome and rich CEO of his own company. He had tons of female admirers flocking him everywhere, yet he was cold and ruthless toward them… save for Stephanie. Who on earth was the woman whom he had married two years ago? There was also the matter of that accident… Stephanie reached Tyler's company when it was almost noon. "Hello, Ms. Ford." Everyone in the Executive Office greeted Stephanie right away. She just nodded at them in response. Many documents were already piling up on her desk. After she went through them, she picked out a few documents before sending them to Tyler's office for the latter to sign. The CEO himself was already sitting behind his desk. His striking features made him look intimidating despite him just sitting there without doing anything. When Tyler saw Stephanie entering his office, his expression softened instantly. After signing all of the documents she had brought to his desk, he raised his head to gaze at her, his expression one of concern. "You don't look well." "It's nothing. I'm just a little tired." "Thank you for your hard work on this project." Then, Tyler raised a hand and pinched Stephanie's cheek gently. He produced a long box out of nowhere, as though he had just performed a magic trick. "Surprise!" Stephanie quietly accepted the box and opened it. There, nestled in the box, was a beautiful diamond necklace. She instantly recognized it as Solara's newest creation, available only as a limited-edition piece. Tyler rose to his feet before pulling Stephanie into his arms. He dipped his head in an attempt to kiss her on the forehead, only for her to tilt her head and avoid his kiss. To her, he was already tainted. "Steph?" Tyler's gaze darkened slightly. He had given Stephanie many gifts over the years. Whenever she received something from him, she'd look delighted. But what was with her reaction this time? "Thank you. I like it a lot." Stephanie lowered her gaze before closing the lid on the box. "We're in your office right now, so we should mind our behavior." Tyler smiled in response. He soon raised a hand to ruffle Stephanie's hair. "You've always been a thoughtful person, Steph." Upon returning to her own workspace, Stephanie placed the box aside carelessly. She had to admit that Tyler knew her preferences very well. If not for the fact that she had already found out about his betrayal, she'd have been over the moon the moment she received the necklace, just like how she had reacted in the past. During her lunch break, Stephanie snooped through all of Tyler's personal social media accounts, but she was unable to find any clues about his infidelity. The posts he had made were either related to his company or her. Tyler tended to make various posts on his lovey-dovey interactions with Stephanie on his social media accounts. As such, his friends often complained about how much he was rubbing his relationship in their faces. As Stephanie scrolled through the romantic moments of the past, all she felt was numbness in her heart. That was when she caught sight of a particular profile picture belonging to the user who had liked one of Tyler's posts. Her sixth sense flared up at the sight, prompting her to click into the user's homepage. The latest status was posted a day ago, with the caption saying, "A certain someone has mailed this necklace from a place far, far away. I love it so much!" The post came with a photo as well. The necklace shown in the photo was an exact replica of the necklace Tyler had just gifted to Stephanie. There were only two pieces coming from Solara's latest limited-edition collection. Stephanie chuckled bitterly at the sight of the photo. So, Tyler thought he was being fair by giving both his lovers the same necklace, huh? After closing the social media website, Stephanie booked a flight ticket connected to a flight that would depart in a month. At the moment, she was still stuck with a project that she had been working on with her team members. Said project would only get wrapped up in a month. Everyone had put their blood, sweat, and tears into this project, which was why she couldn't just ditch the project and leave. In a month, Stephanie would leave Tyler and his company. After booking the ticket, she opened another private chat window. "Dad, I've thought things through. I'm willing to go home and help out with the family business. Also, I've decided to get involved in the marriage alliance." Chapter 2 When it was time to get out of work that evening, Tyler walked out of his office with his jacket draped over his arm. Stephanie had just risen to her feet when she heard him telling her, "I have a business gathering to attend tonight. You can go home first." A business gathering, huh? She didn't recall such an event being logged into Tyler's schedule. As Stephanie looked up at Tyler, she noticed that he was still gazing at her affectionately. It was quite captivating, to say the least. In the past, she'd never doubted Tyler no matter what he said to her. "Alright." Stephanie didn't give anything away. "Remember not to drink that much." Tyler patted her on the head, a smile gracing his face. "Yes, dear." After that, Stephanie flagged down a cab and had it trail behind Tyler's car the whole way to the airport. There were crowds in the airport, but she was able to recognize Tyler at first glance. He wore a black, custom-fitted suit that made him look charming and prestigious. Of course, his looks made him stand out in the crowd. Stephanie also saw how a long-haired woman had rushed into Tyler's arms happily. Instead of pushing her away, he hugged her tightly. Both of them looked like a matching couple. Once the hug was over, the woman tried to stand on her tiptoes just to kiss Tyler. But he avoided it instantly and said something to her. Still, the woman refused to relent. In the end, she got her wish by kissing him on the lips. The sight of them making out disgusted Stephanie to no end. But at the same time, she was also shocked to the core. After all, the woman in Tyler's arms was actually his adopted younger sister, Kiara Grover. Kiara lost her parents when she was three years old. Since her family and Tyler's family shared a good relationship, the Grovers decided to take her in as their adopted child. That was how Kiara and Tyler grew up as adoptive siblings. Back when Stephanie began dating Tyler, he had introduced her to Kiara. At that time, Kiara addressed her affectionately as "Steph". Three years ago, Kiara had gone overseas. Stephanie never would've thought that Tyler and Kiara shared such an incestuous relationship while maintaining their cover as a pair of close-knit siblings. To think they even got officially married as well! Did that mean Kiara was also the culprit who had staged the car accident two years ago? … Stephanie was even more flabbergasted to see Tyler bringing Kiara home with him. He said nonchalantly, "Steph, Kiki has just returned from abroad. I'm planning to let her stay with us for some time." Stephanie clenched her fists tightly at his words, resulting in her nails digging into her palms. She still remembered the day when Tyler had brought her back to their home. At that time, he had pulled her into his arms and told her, "Steph, this place will become our home in the future. It's a home that's reserved for us and us only." Back then, Stephanie felt that this residence would be her forever home with Tyler. That was why she had put a lot of effort into decorating the whole place. Every inch of the residence was the result of her hard work. Heck, she even picked out every piece of furniture herself. Yet now, Tyler personally brought another woman home with him. "Hi there, Ms. Ford!" Kiara smiled at Stephanie, though there was a hint of mockery and provocation hidden in her eyes. Five years ago, she'd still affectionately refer to Stephanie as "Steph", but now, she chose to address Stephanie as "Ms. Ford". Tyler turned to look at Kiara instantly. There was a flash of warning in his gaze, but his eyes were mostly filled with affection. Stephanie was somewhat impressed by how good Tyler was at trampling all over her pride and ego—at least, that was how she saw it. If she didn't know the ugly truth, she'd have stupidly welcomed Kiara into the residence as the latter's sister-in-law. She couldn't even imagine how amusing that scene would be to Tyler and Kiara, who were the actual married couple. "Ty, does Ms. Ford not want me here?" Kiara looked at Tyler innocently. She sounded like she was about to burst into tears soon. "I know that my presence has disturbed you. Maybe I should check into a hotel room instead. I'm fine being alone, after all…" Tyler frowned at Stephanie right away. He was about to speak up when Stephanie said, "It's fine." His words were left stuck in his throat at that moment. Stephanie remained unperturbed, "You can stay here for as long as you wish, Ms. Grover." After that, she returned to her own bedroom. Kiara still viewed Stephanie as her enemy. But the thing was, Stephanie no longer cared about Tyler or this so-called home they shared. Even if she and Kiara were truly enemies, the bad blood between them stemmed from the car accident. But Stephanie didn't show her hostility toward Kiara to avoid alerting the latter. Kiara felt quite upset. She initially thought Stephanie would start a huge argument with Tyler. Who would've thought that she'd still remain calm at this time? This was fine. Once Stephanie realized that she wasn't actually married to Tyler, she wouldn't be able to keep her cool at all. Meanwhile, Tyler felt that something was off as well, so he decided to follow Stephanie into the bedroom. "Aren't you unhappy at all, Steph?" He knew that Stephanie wouldn't get mad at him, but he thought she'd be a little unhappy. After all, he did promise her that he wouldn't bring anyone home with him without her permission. "Nope." Stephanie kept her back on Tyler, her expression still cold and aloof. "I knew that you're the best." When Tyler hugged Stephanie from behind, the latter froze up instantly at his touch. And yet, Tyler never picked up on her body language. "Steph, Kiara is my younger sister, which means she's your sister as well. Besides, I plan on collaborating with the Fords of Jetterpolis. Kiara is very close to the Fords, so—" "What did you just say?" Stephanie cut him off instantly. "Kiara is close to the Fords of Jetterpolis?" "Yup. She got to know the Fords when she was still abroad. Also, it seems that Mrs. Ford Senior really likes her a lot." Stephanie couldn't help chortling in response. Tyler gazed at Stephanie's smile in confusion. Still, he continued to explain, "You should know that the Fords of Jetterpolis is one of the Four Powerhouses. With Kiara around, I'll be able to reap more benefits from my collaboration with them." "Ah, I see." Stephanie continued smiling at him. "Then I hope that you can get what you wished for in advance, Mr. Grover." Chapter 3 Stephanie wasn't sleepy at all in the middle of the night. She was starting to get thirsty, so she exited her bedroom for a glass of water. But when she walked past Tyler's bedroom, she found out that there was a gap in the door. A dim yellow light could be seen spilling from within the room. After overhearing the phone call last night, Stephanie had used her discomfort as an excuse to move to the guest bedroom for the time being. At that moment, faint sounds could be heard coming from Tyler's bedroom. They sounded awfully suggestive. Soon, Tyler's quiet, breathless words were punctuated by a pant. "Kiki, stop messing around. We're in my home right now." "What? Are you worried that she might find out about us?" Kiara's honeyed voice soon followed. "Ty, what are you afraid of? We're the ones who are legally married to each other." "Kiki!" Tyler's voice suddenly became stern. "What happened between us is a thing of the past." "Ty—" "I wouldn't have married you if not for the fact that I needed to help you shake off your abusive ex-husband. I've dated Steph for five years. She's my girlfriend, Kiki. In the future, she will become my actual wife. Once your matter is resolved for good, we'll get—" The rest of his sentence completely vanished. More suggestive sounds came from Tyler's room once again. Having regained her senses, Stephanie finally realized how badly her hands were shaking at the moment. A trace of mockery was quick to cross her eyes. Tyler was a man who was six feet and two inches tall. If he didn't want to have anything to do with Kiara, there was no way she'd be able to kiss him by force. If he truly wanted to help Kiara get rid of her abusive ex-husband, was marrying her really the only option? Those two shameless bastards just wanted to screw each other in bed, yet they felt the need to come up with such reasons just to justify their actions! "Ty, don't you miss us being a couple? Stephanie can't even pleasure you the way I do!" "Kiki…" Tyler's voice was extremely hoarse at that point. Clearly, he was extremely horny for Kiara. After that, sounds of the couple being entangled in each other's passion could be heard coming from Tyler's bedroom. Stephanie had already recorded their conversation with her phone. All she felt at the moment was nausea and disgust. Finally, she rushed into the bathroom and began dry-heaving into the sink repeatedly. How disgusting… and ridiculous. Upon leaving the bathroom, Stephanie received a text from the client. Apparently, a problem had emerged in the project, so she needed to make changes to the details overnight. She was already exhausted by then, but she had no choice but to burn more midnight oil for the project. After turning on her computer, Stephanie suddenly recalled a memory from the past. Back then, Tyler had joined the election campaign to become the next student president. She busied herself running around canvassing votes for him, already losing count of how many times she put on forced smiles or how much effort she had put into helping Tyler. Once Tyler successfully became the student president, she ran herself ragged, dealing with everything there was in the student council. After their graduation from university, she joined his company and burned herself out for the sake of his career. Stephanie's stomach was starting to hurt. The pinpricks of pain were what snapped her out of her memories. This would be the last time she helped Tyler. Besides, she wasn't doing this entirely for him—she wanted to wrap up this project purely because she and her team members had spent half a year working on it. Countless memories flashed through Stephanie's mind. She remembered the five years' worth of contributions she had made toward Tyler, the immense pain she had suffered in the car accident two years ago, the pain of losing her leg, as well as watching her dream to dance shatter before her eyes, as well as the lewd sounds made by Tyler and Kiara when they were screwing in Tyler's bedroom earlier. After Stephanie investigated everything related to the car accident, she vowed to make the shameless couple pay the price. … Early in the morning, Stephanie smelled the delicious aroma of freshly-cooked food the moment she stepped out of her bedroom. She turned around to see Tyler frying eggs in the kitchen. There was also bacon being fried on the side. Kiara stood at the kitchen doorway while gazing at him smilingly. "It's been so many years, Ty. In the end, the breakfast that you make is the most appetizing to me." "Wait for me at the kitchen table." As Tyler spoke, he turned around to look at Kiara, only to accidentally make eye contact with Stephanie. "Steph!" He smiled at her gently, just like how he did every morning in the past. "Good morning." Stephanie's lips merely curled into a self-deprecating smile. Tyler had never cooked for her over the past three years. Even when she drank too much to the point her stomach hurt during business negotiations on his behalf, he had never served her breakfast. All he did was order someone else to bring food over. All this time, Stephanie had thought that Tyler wasn't the type who knew how to cook. It turned out that she didn't deserve to be pampered like that. Chapter 4 "Good morning, Ms. Ford." Kiara whirled around to look at Stephanie. She wore a shirt with a V-neck. As she spoke, she'd tug her shirt downward to reveal the hickeys scattered across her chest. Bile kept rising in Stephanie's throat, prompting her to turn on her heel and walk away. Coincidentally, Tyler walked out of the kitchen with a plate of fried eggs. When he noticed Stephanie, he spoke up right away. "Steph, let's head over to the company together later." "I'm not going to the company." Stephanie didn't bother glancing back at Tyler. "I'm going to the hospital." "The hospital? Are you feeling unwell?" Tyler placed the eggs on the dining table. "I'll go with you." He was about to approach Stephanie when Kiara grabbed his arm. "Have you forgotten about your promise, Ty? You told me you'd accompany me today…" She sounded pitiful and aggrieved. As Kiara expected, Tyler stopped in his tracks hesitantly. Stephanie seemed to have predicted the same thing as well. She left the house on her own, no longer caring about Tyler's phony acts. As Tyler watched Stephanie leave, he felt slightly uneasy for some reason. But he was aware of how much she loved him. At most, she'd get mad at him for not accompanying her to the hospital. What was there to worry about? Once Stephanie reached the hospital, she went through a thorough checkup. "The state of your gastritis has worsened. I'll prescribe you some medicine. Remember to take it on time," the doctor said as he looked at the report. Stephanie heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she wasn't pregnant at all. "Ms. Ford, did you overwork yourself again? Did you stay up past midnight and skip meals often?" The doctor wore a stoic look. "You might be young now, but if you don't take your gastritis seriously, you'll most likely suffer from major health problems in the future." Stephanie could only smile bitterly in return. It was true that she had devoted all of her efforts to the project to the point that she neglected her own health. But now, the project was in its final stage. There was no need for her to work herself to the bone anymore. "Thank you, doctor. I'll be more careful with my health." "And not just during this period, you know. You'll have to take care of yourself from now on." "Got it," Stephanie replied softly. "I won't wreck my health ever again." Once she grabbed her medication and left the hospital, she set off to the company. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she heard a gentle and kind voice addressing the other employees. "We'll be colleagues from now on. Here's a little something from me. Don't be shy, everyone!" "Wow! These are pastries from May's Delights! I remember that bakery being on the pricier side!" "Ms. Grover, you're so generous!" "I'm glad to see everyone liking these pastries!" The colleagues in the Executive Office crowded around Kiara, who was distributing the pastries to them one by one. "Ms. Ford, you're here!" A colleague greeted Stephanie when she saw her. "Come, come! This is Ms. Kiara Grover, our new colleague!" Kiara looked at Stephanie, a smile tracing her ruby lips. There was a faint hint of provocation and delight in her smile. Stephanie frowned slightly, but she chose to ignore Kiara. Instead, she walked toward her own workspace. Her assistant, Brenda Miller, scooted over instantly while wearing a resentful and upset look. "Why must this happen to you, Ms. Ford?" "What's wrong?" Stephanie turned on her computer as she wanted to refine one of the schedules in the project. "You've put in so much effort into the project during this period. Why is it that others get to savor your fruit of labor?" That was when Stephanie paused in her typing. "What do you mean by that?" "Mr. Grover just announced that the project you're in charge of will be transferred to Ms. Grover, effective today." Brenda sounded very miffed. Stephanie could feel blood rushing to her head instantly. No wonder Kiara shot her that look. It turned out that she got to rob Stephanie's fruit of labor that she had been cultivating for the past half a year or so without even lifting a finger. Stephanie rose to her feet instantly. Then, she strode right into Tyler's office. "Are you planning to let Kiara head that project?" Having expected that Stephanie would confront him, Tyler remained calm and composed. "You've been working far too hard for so long," he said gently. "In fact, you even visited the hospital today. I'm very worried about your health, Steph. That's why I decided to transfer the project over to Kiki." But Stephanie just sneered in return. "The project is already in its final stage. The hard times are already over. Who will you list as the person in charge when the project ends? Who will be the one receiving the profit generated by this project?" She almost ruined her health by working hard on this project. Yet, Tyler intended to let Kiara take the credit with just a simple command. "Steph!" Tyler's expression darkened slightly. "I want Kiki to participate in the collaboration with the Fords. If she's listed as the contributor of this project, it'll greatly benefit me. Can you settle down already?" Chapter 5 As Stephanie looked at the way Tyler spoke with such conviction, her rage suddenly cooled off. Didn't she already see through his true colors? What was there to feel disappointed about? Since he wanted to give the project to Kiara that badly, he could go ahead and do that. But who said anything about Kiara being able to stomach what she was fed? As he sensed Stephanie's sudden calmness, Tyler's expression softened considerably as well. He rose from his seat before approaching her, his hand soon grasping her icy one. "Steph, as Kiara's brother and sister-in-law, it's normal for us to help our younger sister out. Don't you think so?" Stephanie drew her hand out of Tyler's grasp, her expression still glacial. "Whatever you say." Tyler frowned slightly in return. Clearly, he was displeased by Stephanie's attitude. Then again, since she was no longer hung up on losing the project, he didn't chastise her anymore. "Kiki has just taken charge of this project, so there's a lot that she has yet to learn. Please help her out for the time being, okay?" Not long ago, Tyler had righteously told Stephanie that he was worried about her overworking herself and her health overall. Yet now, he wanted her to help Kiara out. The hint of mockery in Stephanie's eyes was far too strong for Tyler to ignore, resulting in him coughing awkwardly. "Anyway, what did the doctor say to you at the hospital? Your health shouldn't be a problem, right?" Tyler's belated concern for her health didn't rouse any feelings within Stephanie at all. She just thought that he seemed even more ridiculous now. "It was nothing," she replied perfunctorily. "I'm taking my leave, then." Tyler watched Stephanie leave, feeling his uneasiness wash over him once again. But it quickly dissipated the moment he saw Kiara entering the office. "Did Ms. Ford get mad at you, Ty?" she asked tentatively while walking toward Tyler. "Nope." Tyler flashed her a comforting smile. "You don't have to worry about anything. Steph has always been thoughtful." "Oh. That's great, then." Despite what she said, Kiara still felt immensely displeased on the inside. She had already snatched Stephanie's project from her, and yet the latter didn't kick up a fuss in front of Tyler. What she wanted was to see Stephanie getting into a huge fight with Tyler and piss him off. That way, the tension between them would intensify. But Stephanie's reaction… Hmph! That woman sure was a good actress! Kiara was quick to come up with a plan on the spot. "Ty, since today is my first day at work, why don't we host a team dinner tonight? Let's invite everyone who works in the Executive Office. That way, it's easier for me to befriend them." "Alright," Tyler agreed to the idea without hesitation. "I'll get someone to book a private room for us right away." Soon, everyone in the Executive Office found out about the team dinner that would be hosted that night. "Why is a team dinner being hosted all of a sudden?" "Isn't that obvious? Mr. Grover wants to welcome Ms. Grover to the company!" "Who on earth is Ms. Grover, anyway? She shares the same surname as Mr. Grover… Does this mean she's family to him?" "That can't be, right? The way they look at each other is so steamy that even I can feel the heat from here. Maybe their sharing a surname is just a coincidence." "That makes her Mr. Grover's girlfriend, right? I used to think that Mr. Grover and Ms. Ford were an actual couple…" "That can't be it, right? If they were truly dating, they'd have announced it a long time ago." Everyone kept chatting in a gossip chat group on their phones. Meanwhile, Stephanie scanned around the office with a stony expression. Kiara was only here for less than a day, and yet the colleagues in the Executive Office were able to pick up on the suggestive relationship she shared with Tyler. Those two really loved each other a lot, eh? Stephanie remembered the time when she intended to announce her relationship with Tyler to the rest of the company. But Tyler had told her, "Steph, the company is a workplace at the end of the day. Let's not drag our private affairs into this space." Initially, Stephanie thought that Tyler wanted to keep his private life locked away from his subordinates, so she agreed to keep their relationship a secret. Now that she thought about it, Tyler just wanted to save the position of his wife for Kiara. Stephanie didn't want to attend the team dinner at first, but she couldn't stop her colleagues from dragging her there. Left without a choice, she could only head toward the hotel with her colleagues. Everyone knew that this dinner was hosted in favor of welcoming Kiara to the company. That was why people began toasting to Kiara the moment the dinner started. But Tyler was quick to block those glasses. "Kiki can't drink because of her poor health. I'll drink on her behalf." Then, he picked up the glass in front of him before downing everything on the spot. He even ordered a glass of juice for Kiara after that. Everyone began cheering on Tyler in the private room. Since they were no longer in the company, the employees, who were usually afraid of Tyler, grew bolder around him. "Mr. Grover cares about Ms. Grover a lot!" "Mr. Grover really is a wonderful man!" Their words got Kiara blushing like mad. "N-Nonsense! Mr. Grover just took pity on me for having poor health…" "Oh my! Ms. Grover, there's no need to downplay it! Mr. Grover clearly cares about you!" "Does this mean you'll receive all of our toasts on Ms. Grover's behalf, Mr. Grover?" Tyler smiled faintly while glancing at Kiara, who sat next to him. "I'll drink everything no matter how many times you keep toasting to her." "Wow!" Everyone gasped in surprise. They never would've thought that Tyler, who was known to be cold and aloof, would show such a tender side when he was in love. Meanwhile, Stephanie just sat in a corner all by herself, her gaze pinned on the glass of wine before her. Once upon a time, she had attended business gatherings with Tyler. She remembered downing glasses of hard liquor in those gatherings. And yet, Tyler never blocked any of those drinks meant for her. Then again, she was also pretty stupid back then. Whenever Tyler showed concern for her and had someone prepare a hangover meal after she'd finished drinking, she thought he cared a lot about her. Now, Stephanie got to see for herself what Tyler was actually like when he truly cared about someone. He didn't have the heart to let Kiara drink at all, even when she was presented with beer, which had a low alcohol rating. "Ms. Ford," Kiara suddenly called out to Stephanie, her voice dripping with fakeness. Stephanie raised her head to see Kiara standing before her with a glass of beer in hand. "I heard that you've been guiding everyone over the past few years. Everyone respects you greatly, Ms. Ford. Since it's my first day here, I should toast to you." Then, she handed the beer glass over to Stephanie. Stephanie remained calm. "Sorry, my stomach has been feeling off lately, so I can't drink alcohol at all." "Ms. Ford…" Kiara looked upset. "Did I somehow piss you off? I just wanted to toast to you, that's all…" Stephanie was rendered speechless by Kiara's act. All she did was speak the truth. But Kiara soon turned to look at Tyler in an aggrieved manner, making the latter frown instantly. "Ms. Ford," he said coldly. "Kiki is your new colleague. You should drink the alcohol she offered to you." Chapter 6 Stephanie turned to look at Tyler, noting the immense displeasure in his eyes. He was silently chastising her for bruising Kiara's ego in front of everyone. It wasn't as if he didn't know about Stephanie's weak stomach at all. When she suffered from stomach pain some time ago, he even got someone to deliver some medication to her. But now, he demanded that she drink the alcohol offered by Kiara. Tyler didn't give a damn about Stephanie's condition at all. To him, her health wasn't as important as Kiara's pride and ego. Seeing as Tyler would never let her off the hook as long as she refused to accept Kiara's drink, Stephanie could only smile self-deprecatingly. Then, she accepted the glass from Kiara before draining it right away. "Is this enough for you, Mr. Grover?" Stephanie pointed the mouth of the glass at Tyler to show him that the glass was already empty. Upon making eye contact with her, Tyler opened his mouth. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. Kiara, on the other hand, just flashed Stephanie a taunting and smug smile. "Thank you for accepting my toast, Ms. Ford. Please take good care of me at work from now on." Stephanie just ignored Kiara, which the latter was fine with. She strutted back to Tyler smugly before taking her seat next to him. "Do you see it now, Stephanie? Ty cares about me the most!" she thought. Kiara continued feeling very pleased with herself, unaware that Stephanie wasn't bothered enough to get hung up on this incident. Now that Stephanie had drunk some alcohol, she could feel her stomach starting to hurt. She knew that she had a weak stomach, to begin with, so she didn't plan on consuming alcohol at all. The glass of alcohol that her colleague had poured for her was meant to be a decorative piece. What she didn't expect was that Kiara would toast to her with that particular glass of alcohol. While the alcohol rating of the drink was relatively low, it was still lethal to Stephanie because of how fragile her stomach was. Stephanie endured the pain the best she could while reaching into her bag to look for her medicine. Unfortunately, she couldn't find it at all. That was when she realized she had left the medicine back at the company. The pain wracking through her stomach was starting to intensify. Seeing as everyone else's attention was on Tyler and Kiara, Stephanie pursed her lips before rising to her feet and leaving the private room. For now, she intended to visit a nearby pharmacy to buy the required medication. When Tyler noticed her leaving, he subconsciously got up and tried to follow her. But Kiara quickly stopped him from doing so. "Where are you going, Ty?" she whined coquettishly in a low tone. "You're the only one I'm close to in this room, so you must stay with me." Her honeyed voice softened Tyler's heart immediately. In the end, he sat back down. He was certain that Stephanie was unhappy with him because of what had happened earlier. It was fine—he'd just have to coax Stephanie later once they got home. … Stephanie stumbled down the corridor, feeling her stomach getting wrecked by the intense pain. It hurt so much that she thought she was about to keel over and die on the spot. Dark spots swam before her eyes, and when she rounded a corner, she bumped into another person. "I'm so sorry… I…" Before Stephanie could finish speaking, her stomach twisted in pain once again. This time, she clutched her stomach and curled into a ball instantly. It hurt so much that she could barely stand up straight. "Are you okay?" The speaker had a cool and husky voice that was pleasant to Stephanie's ears. But right now, she wasn't in the mood to admire his voice. She forced herself to raise her head so that she could apologize to the stranger again. "I'm terribly sorry…" Since she was in extreme discomfort, she didn't notice the hint of surprise crossing the man's eyes the moment he saw her face. "Are you alright?" The man sensed that Stephanie was suffering from extreme discomfort and that she couldn't even stand on her own, so he steadied her on her feet out of courtesy. "I…" Having noticed the way she kept clutching her stomach, the man asked, "Is your stomach hurting?" Stephanie nodded weakly. By then, cold sweat had completely covered her forehead. "Do you normally take any stomach medication?" Stephanie instinctively gave the brand of the stomach medication she often took. The man didn't say anything else after that. Instead, he helped her into a vacant private room and sat her down there. "Wait for me right here." His footsteps gradually faded away. Stephanie's muddled mind was still buzzing in pain and confusion. Who on earth was that man? Where did he go? But at the same time, her sixth sense told her that the man didn't harbor any ill intentions toward her. Moreover, she had a feeling that he looked quite familiar. A short while later, the man returned to the private room. He stuffed a glass of water and two pills into Stephanie's hands. "You should feel a lot better once you've taken the meds." His voice was still cold, but it was laced with a hint of concern. Stephanie looked at the pills, noting that they did come from the brand she usually took. So, she took the pills with the water. The water was cool. When it flowed down her esophagus, she felt it soothe the scorching acid burning in her stomach. The pills' effects kicked in very quickly. Shortly after taking them, Stephanie could feel her stomach pain starting to ease. She looked up at the man and thanked him. "Thank you so much. I'm so sorry for the trouble I've caused you." The man standing before her was tall, well-built, and had striking features. Anyone who saw him could clearly tell that he was a natural leader who came from an elite family. "No need to thank me, Ms. Ford," he replied coolly. "You know me?" Stephanie looked surprised. It was at that moment she recalled who the man truly was. He was Adrian Hawkes, the second son of the Hawkes of Jetterpolis. Rumors claimed that he was a business prodigy who came along once in a lifetime. He was exposed to his company's business before he even turned 16. At the age of 20, he was named as the next heir of the Hawke family by his own grandfather. And now, he had already inherited Hawke Group and had become the fearsome CEO. Six years ago, Stephanie had seen Adrian at a banquet. She often kept a low profile, not to mention that it was the only banquet she had ever attended. Besides, she only got to see Adrian from far away. That was why she didn't remember him right away. To think that Adrian was the one who actually lent her a helping hand… "Mr. Hawke." Stephanie felt a little embarrassed, but she could still maintain her composure. Her expression remained neutral as she asked, "What are you doing in Hydroton?" Adrian didn't seem to mind the fact that Stephanie finally remembered his identity. "I'm here for business negotiations." A pause later, he asked, "Since you're feeling unwell, what are you doing here on your own?" The words "on your own" had somehow stung Stephanie's heart, for she could feel her eyes starting to burn all of a sudden. In the past, she had completely disregarded her family's protests and opted to stay in Hydroton with Tyler after she graduated from her university. She wanted to prove to her family that she could still lead a happy life without them. Who would've thought that she'd be left alone in the end? A while later, Stephanie finally snapped out of her trance. "I attended a team dinner with my colleagues tonight. My stomach began hurting all of a sudden. At first, I intended to buy some medicine on my own, but I didn't think I'd keel over from the awful pain. Thank you for helping me out, Mr. Hawke." Adrian handed the box of stomach medication to Stephanie. He said coldly, "Although the medication's effects kick in very quickly, it won't help cure your stomach once and for all. Since your stomach is already weak, you should take good care of it." For a moment, Stephanie wondered if Adrian was showing concern toward her. But she knew that they weren't close in the slightest. Besides, Adrian was nothing but cold and aloof when he spoke to her. Maybe he was just being courteous. "I know." Stephanie accepted the medication before pulling out her phone. "I'd like to transfer the money for the medication to your account, Mr. Hawke." "It's fine." "You paid for the medication meant for me. By right, I should give you the money." The money might be nothing to Adrian, but Stephanie was the type who didn't like owing other people anything. She had to pay for the medication no matter what. Adrian fell silent for a moment. He then dug out his phone and tapped on the screen. Stephanie was about to ask Adrian to produce his bank account's QR code when she received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. It was a user who was already in her contact list—it was just that they had never chatted with each other on WhatsApp before. That user had just sent her a blank text. Realization dawned on Stephanie right away, but it also left her feeling quite flabbergasted. "Is this… your WhatsApp account?" she asked tentatively. "Yup." Adrian remained stone-faced. Stephanie was confused, to say the least. Since when did she save Adrian's number on her contact list? She didn't even remember doing that. But then again, now was definitely not the time to dwell on such matters. Instead of asking questions, Stephanie was quick to transfer the money to Adrian after having him flash his QR code to his bank account. "Well then, I'm going to head back to my colleagues." Stephanie flashed Adrian a polite smile. But Adrian's voice became colder for some reason. "Ms. Ford, is the team dinner more important than your own health?" Chapter 7 Stephanie was momentarily stunned. She didn't expect Adrian to ask her such a question. Also, he seemed a little… unhappy at the moment. But why, though? Was it really because she insisted on returning to the team meeting despite being ill? She was very sure that she and Adrian weren't close enough for him to show such concern for her. "Well, not really…" Honestly, Stephanie just wanted to drop by her colleagues' private room and tell them that she'd be going home for the night. But when she recalled the way those colleagues crowded around Kiara earlier, she felt that it was unnecessary for her to do so. She wasn't the main character of tonight's dinner anyway, so no one would care if she left early. Suddenly, someone knocked on the private room's door a few times in a row. A man, who was seemingly Adrian's assistant, stood at the doorway. "Everyone's waiting for you, Mr. Hawke." It didn't matter what type of business Adrian was conducting at the table—he'd always be the main character. No business negotiation could proceed without him. "I'm sorry for delaying your schedule, Mr. Hawke," Stephanie quickly said. "It's fine." Adrian was back to his detached self. It was as though his displeasure was just a figment of Stephanie's imagination. After that, Adrian walked out of the private room. When he walked past his assistant, Harry Newman, he shot the latter a look. Harry nodded right away in understanding. Once Adrian left, Stephanie rested in the private room for a little longer before leaving the hotel. As she stood on the pavement, she was about to flag down a cab when she saw a black car rolling to a stop next to her. The car door on the driver's side was opened from the inside. Harry could be seen getting out of the car. He smiled at Stephanie as he approached her. "Ms. Ford, Mr. Hawke has ordered me to take you home." "There's no need for that." Stephanie quickly turned him down. "I've already troubled Mr. Hawke enough as it is." "It's fine. This is nothing to Mr. Hawke," Harry explained. "Besides, Hawke Group and Ford Group have had many business collaborations with each other over the past two years. Soon, they'll be collaborating on a deeper scale." He paused momentarily before adding, "That's why Mr. Hawke finds it necessary to take good care of you, Ms. Ford." Since both companies had many collaborations going on, Stephanie had a feeling that she'd see Adrian more often once she went home for good. It'd be bad for both parties if she kept turning Adrian's offer down. "Thank you for your offer, then." "You're far too courteous, Ms. Ford. This way, please." Harry took the initiative to open the car door for Stephanie. At the same time, Adrian sat by a window overlooking the cityscape in a fancy VIP private room located on the top floor of the hotel. He looked downward, where Stephanie could be seen getting into his car. Shortly after that, Harry drove away from the hotel. A bold associate decided to crack a joke at that moment. "See something interesting outside the window, Mr. Hawke?" Adrian averted his gaze, his response cold as ice. "No." Since he refused to answer, no one dared to ask the same question. Adrian pulled out his phone and tapped on WhatsApp's icon. His gaze swept across his private chat with Stephanie. Then, it landed on the latest text his mother, Amelia Sutton, had sent to him last night. "The Fords have agreed to the marriage alliance. You're at Hydroton now, aren't you? I heard that Stephanie is also there. You should visit her. Pay more attention to her, will you?" All he had replied was, "Okay." Adrian seemed to have thought of something, for he texted Amelia again. "Mom, where is Dr. Lombard right now?" Amelia was quick to respond. "Oh, she traveled abroad again last month. It was an urgent trip, and she didn't tell me where she went, too. I can't get in touch with her at the moment. Why are you looking for her, by the way?" Adrian's gaze darkened slightly. "It was nothing. Let me know if you can get in touch with Dr. Lombard again." … Harry drove Stephanie back to Tyler's residence. As she stood at the front door, she took a few deep breaths to center herself. For the longest time, she had viewed this place as her home. But now, it was nothing more than a temporary shelter for her. If anything, this place grossed her out. If not for the fact that she was worried about alerting Kiara and Tyler regarding her secret investigation into the car accident, Stephanie wouldn't have chosen to return to this place at all. Taking advantage of Kiara and Tyler's absence, Stephanie began searching through the whole place, with Tyler's study being her top priority. Alas, she couldn't locate any useful clues. Then again, since Tyler was adamant on concealing Kiara's crime for her, there was no way he'd left any evidence behind, let alone keep it in his own residence. At this point, Stephanie was just latching onto a trace of hope. Just as she got out of the study, she heard the sounds of the front door being opened. Tyler and Kiara then walked into the residence. They were even holding hands at that time.