Dumping My Kept Man for a Real Billionaire

To pacify my family’s constant nagging about settling down and securing my position at the firm, I selected Logan Carter from a pool of three hundred college guys who had submitted their profiles to me. He promised he was obedient, kept his private life spotless, and knew exactly how to please me. He was smart enough to know his place. So, I showered him with cash, making him the envy of his peers. I gave him resources and connections, ensuring he wouldn’t feel like a kept man cooped up in a golden cage. I even promoted him to a high-ranking executive position at Thorne Enterprises, earning him the respect of everyone in the industry. Yet, on the very day of his promotion, he bypassed HR’s strict three-round interview process and sneaked his college underclassman into the company. When HR reported this to me, I simply smiled. I walked into his office and tossed the recruitment performance sheet right in front of him. "Keep hiring. If the next batch isn't up to standard, you can go back to being an intern yourself." I arrived at the celebration party holding a luxury watch box—a custom piece I had ordered two weeks ago. As I walked in, Logan was pulling a blushing Chloe Vance onto the stage. "From today on, Chloe will officially be my personal assistant. Let’s give her a warm welcome!" He clipped a brand-new ID badge onto Chloe’s collar. His eyes shone with the smug pride of a young man who thought he had conquered the world. I stood at the back of the room, slowly clapping along with the crowd. "Good evening, Ms. Thorne!" Sarah, the HR Director, was the first to notice me. Her greeting instantly triggered a chain reaction of polite hellos from the rest of the staff. Seeing me, Chloe froze on stage. When our eyes met, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, looking incredibly vulnerable. Logan held her hand as they walked down the stage, approaching me with a confident smile. "Vivian, this is Chloe. We went to the same college. She’s been helping me out lately, so I decided to bring her on as my assistant to help her get settled in the city." He spoke with absolute pride in his own authority. Chloe shrunk slightly behind him, her fingers nervously clutching Logan’s sleeve. Nudged by Logan, she finally spoke in a trembling, whispery voice. "Hello, Ms. Thorne. I’m Logan’s... college friend..." Her voice was as quiet as a fly. I ignored her completely and signaled my assistant to hand over the expensive gift box. "Congratulations on your promotion," I said. Logan’s eyes lit up with joy. He eagerly took the box with both hands. But just as he opened it, Chloe let out a sudden gasp, drawing everyone’s attention. "Oh! I remember Logan always preferred vintage leather journals. You’re still so thoughtful, Logan. Just like back in college—you kept every single love letter I wrote you because you didn't want to hurt my feelings." Then, as if realizing she had said too much, she gasped and covered her mouth in mock terror, looking at me fearfully. The room fell into a dead silence. Logan’s friend and colleague tried to break the tension. "Don't mind her, Vivian. Chloe is new here and doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. We'll train her well." "New?" I reached out, gently lifting the ID badge hanging from Chloe’s neck to examine it. "I don't recall HR opening any new positions in your department. How is she officially hired?" I turned my gaze to Sarah, the HR Director. Sarah immediately shook her head, indicating she had absolutely no record of this hire. Having Chloe's status publicly questioned in front of his team made Logan lose his cool. "Vivian, please. Today is my celebration party," he pleaded, his eyes begging for mercy. Three years ago, I had been blinded by those very same puppy-dog eyes. Out of three hundred college candidates, I chose him. There were plenty of guys who were handsomer and richer, but I chose him because he was obedient, clean, and knew how to play his part. I was willing to give him a chance. Watching him defend Chloe so fiercely, I merely smiled. "Fine. Enjoy your party." I turned to HR. "Bring me the recruitment performance reports." As I turned to leave with my team, Chloe suddenly pouted and spoke up. "Must be nice to be you, Vivian. You just sit in your fancy office, look at some spreadsheets, and call it a day. Unlike me—I have to work my butt off running errands for Logan just to secure a spot here." Logan tried to stop her, whispering urgently in her ear, but it was too late. I turned back, suddenly amused. "Oh? Since when do our corporate projects require unpaid interns to run errands? But since you sound so capable, I’ll personally review your interview scores later. Maybe I’ll even give you a promotion." Hearing that I was going to look up her interview records, Chloe’s face turned deathly pale. Logan panicked. "Vivian, her professor personally asked me to look after her, so..." "So you used your position to sneak her through the back door?" He didn't deny it. "I just thought Chloe met the basic requirements for the job..." he muttered. I didn't say another word. I turned on my heel and went upstairs to my office. Not even five minutes later, Logan followed me. He quietly stood aside, holding a cup of coffee made exactly to my liking. He waited until I signed the last document before speaking. "Vivian, Chloe is really just someone my old professor asked me to look after. You know how much I owe that professor..." "You don't need to explain. I see you really enjoy playing the savior." Just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, I added: "Keep hiring. If the next person you bring in isn't up to par, you can join the intern pool yourself."Hearing this, Logan immediately knelt on one knee in front of my chair, looking up at me. "Vivian, you're jealous, aren't you?" "The company has rules, Logan." I gently reached out to brush a piece of party confetti from his hair. My voice was calm but leaving no room for argument. My eyes, however, caught a cheap red string bracelet on his wrist. I narrowed my eyes slightly. Logan took my hand, pressing it against his cheek. His eyes sparkled, seemingly thrilled that he had finally provoked an emotional reaction from me. But my mind was on his face—a face that had been meticulously pampered with my money for the past three years. After staring at him for a few seconds, I pulled my hand back, my voice turning icy. "Logan, never forget why I chose you in the first place." His face drained of color. From day one of our arrangement, I had made the terms crystal clear. He had nodded obediently back then. It seemed three years of luxury had made him forget where he came from. I patted his pale cheek gently and took a final sip of my coffee. He stood frozen for a long moment before finally stepping back, bowing his head respectfully. It’s hard to go back to being poor once you've tasted wealth. With me, he had enjoyed three years of absolute luxury. He had gone from a broke college kid to a highly respected executive. "I understand, Ms. Thorne." I stood up and patted his shoulder. "Good boy. Come home tonight. I expect to see the results of the new interviews." With that, I grabbed my bag and stepped into the elevator. The moment the elevator doors slid shut, I saw him frantically calling HR on Snapchat, demanding the resumes of the new applicants. Once I left the building, I drove straight to Logan's alma mater. He wasn't the only one who needed to recruit. I did, too. Since my current toy boy was starting to misbehave, it was time to find a replacement. By evening, I returned to the office with my assistant. Logan was already waiting for me. This time, he was alone. "Vivian, these are the candidates I filtered out this afternoon." He handed me several resumes. Kneeling beside my chair, he walked me through each candidate's strengths, their background checks, and which positions they would suit. I nodded half-heartedly, enjoying the sight of the sweat breaking out on his forehead. Even after he finished presenting the last candidate, I didn't tell him to stop. He could only swallow hard, his throat dry. "Drink some water. You did well," I said, pushing a glass of water toward him. It had already gone cold. A flash of genuine delight appeared in Logan's eyes. It was the same look he had years ago when he first started, back when I praised him for completing his first minor project. Over the years, he had grown sophisticated, learning to mask his feelings with a polite, reserved smile. "Vivian, this wasn't actually a punishment, was it?" he asked softly. "I know you were just teaching me a lesson. I promise I won't disappoint you again!" His eyes were clear, filled with gratitude. I didn't answer. I just had my assistant escort him out. Once he was gone, Mia, the HR recruiter who had tipped me off earlier, knocked and entered. "Ms. Thorne, are you really giving him another chance?" she asked, looking frustrated. I burst out laughing at her annoyed expression. "I’ve invested too much in him to throw him away without getting my return on investment first," I replied. "Besides, someone is doing your job for you while you still get paid. Why aren't you happy?" Mia stuck her tongue out, looking embarrassed. Then she slapped her forehead and handed me a leather folder. "Right! As per your instructions, we've scouted seventeen college seniors who meet your exact criteria. Take a look and see if any of them catch your eye." I glanced down at the photos and pointed at one randomly. "Set it up. Let's start with this one."The next morning, I opened the conference room's security feed. Logan was already hard at work. He conducted interviews from dawn to dusk, not even pausing to eat. By afternoon, his chronic ulcer flared up. Unable to walk, he sent Chloe to deliver a shortlist of candidates to my office. The moment Chloe walked in, she began to complain. "Ms. Thorne, don't you think you're being too harsh? Logan is in so much pain from his stomach, and you don't even care. If I were you, I would have taken him to the hospital already." Instead of taking the files, I stood up and walked down to Logan's office. Logan had just taken his medication. He was resting his head on his desk, hugging a cute, fluffy stuffed animal. The entire office smelled of a cloyingly sweet, cheap vanilla air freshener. "Oh! Logan is so bad, stealing my plushie again," Chloe giggled, blushing like a schoolgirl. She shot me a defiant, mocking look. I kicked the leg of the desk, waking Logan from his light sleep. Opening his eyes and seeing me, Logan instantly threw the stuffed animal aside. Chloe’s face flushed with embarrassment. I looked around the office at the childish decorations and spoke coldly. "Clear all this junk out of here. And throw away that air freshener. It smells incredibly cheap." With every word I spoke, Chloe's face grew paler, until her eyes filled with tears. Logan, unable to stand seeing his sweetheart cry, tried to intervene. "Vivian, these are just harmless decorations. They don't really get in the way..." "Don't make me repeat myself," I interrupted. I walked over to the window and threw it open to let the fresh air in. Turning back to Chloe, who was still standing there, staring at me with tearful eyes, I spoke again. "What? Do you need a formal written notice to understand plain English?" Logan sighed and gave Chloe a warning look. Unable to hold back her tears, Chloe began packing up all her fluffy, childish items into a large cardboard box, sniffling loudly. When the box proved too heavy for her to lift, Logan immediately stepped in to help her carry it to her desk. The way he helped her carry the box while she wiped his sweat made them look like a perfect, devoted couple. "Stomach doesn't hurt anymore?" I asked Logan, amused. His face turned a shade of crimson, looking extremely uncomfortable. I didn't need to guess what he was thinking. He was probably upset about Chloe's discarded toys. I smiled faintly. "Logan, don't forget who gave you this office." "If those things aren't in the trash by tonight, you can pack up your own things and get out." That shut him up instantly. He didn't dare speak up for Chloe again. Satisfied, I watched Chloe tearfully toss her cute trinkets into the dumpster. Before the workday was even over, she grabbed her purse and ran out of the office. Logan’s eyes filled with worry. I immediately picked up the phone and called HR. "Mark Chloe Vance down for an unexcused early departure." Just as I was preparing to leave for my appointment with the new candidate, Logan suddenly doubled over, clutching his stomach in agonizing pain. Not wanting him to die in my building and bring bad press to the company, I had my driver take him to the hospital. Even in the back of the car, looking pale and miserable, he didn't forget to plead for Chloe. "Chloe is really just a favor to my professor. There is nothing going on between us..." "Logan," I placed my index finger over his lips. "Don't forget why I chose you." He fell silent, his eyes filled with a deep, pathetic sadness. "If you can't play your part anymore, tell me. Be as smart as you were three years ago. You are not irreplaceable." Logan went rigid, staring at me with newfound terror. While he was being admitted to the hospital, I received the quarterly revenue report for his latest project. The sheets were a sea of red. The best-performing sectors were barely breaking even. After reviewing the numbers, I called Mia. "The kid I met this morning. Get him trained and bring him to my office."When Logan woke up in his hospital bed, his first words were a plea. "Vivian, tomorrow is my mother’s birthday. Can we go together?" I nodded. Indeed, a grand family gathering would be the perfect venue to announce my new update. The banquet hall at the country club was split into two distinct groups. On one side were Logan’s working-class relatives; on the other were my elite business partners. The two sides ignored each other, though they kept casting judgmental glances across the room. Before dinner was even served, Logan's mother summoned me to her table. In front of all her guests, she raised her voice at me. "Vivian, when exactly are you planning to have a baby? If you won't do it, there are plenty of girls begging to carry my son's heir. Don't be so ungrateful." "Chloe is a million times better than you. She actually knows how to take care of my son, unlike you!" My business associates, knowing my status, looked appalled. The tension in the room instantly spiked. Previously, out of respect for Logan, I had always maintained his dignity in public. I had given his mother whatever money and resources she asked for. And now, it seemed my generosity had given her the delusion that she was a high-society matriarch. I looked around the room. Logan was nowhere to be found. I smiled faintly and spoke up. "And what exactly does your family have that is worth inheriting? Even if I do have a child, my wealth stays in the Thorne family. The child will take my surname." "Furthermore, do you actually know who your darling Chloe really is?" "Here are some documents for you to look over. I must say, you and your husband have remarkably consistent taste in women." I signaled my assistant to hand out folders to Logan's mother and their relatives. Then, with a smile, I walked out to greet my guest. On my way out, I ran into Logan, who was leading some relatives back to the hall. Seeing his questioning look, I merely walked past him without a word. "Vivian," a soft voice called. Standing outside the lobby was Julian Pierce. He stood there somewhat awkwardly, giving me a shy, bright smile. I looked him up and down. He immediately straightened his posture, his deep, expressive eyes blinking rapidly. "Let’s go," I said, slipping my arm through his. I have to admit, he was far better than Logan. At least he didn't freeze up or stammer when I introduced him to the seasoned CEOs in the room. Though his ears were slightly red from shyness, he politely blocked every drink offered to me, drinking them himself. When he needed a break, he politely excused himself to the restroom to freshen up. The moment Julian left, Logan rushed over to me. "Vivian, my mom didn't mean those things. Someone must have put those words in her head!" "And about Chloe—I know you're jealous, but you can't just ruin a girl’s reputation like that!" "Please, explain things to my mom. I promise I'll make Chloe leave the company as soon as we get back, okay?" I looked past his shoulder and saw Chloe standing there, sobbing, with a fresh red slap mark on her cheek. I smirked. My private investigator really did a thorough job. "Vivian!" Julian, just returning from the restroom, immediately stepped in front of me, shielding me from the hostile duo. Logan froze, staring at him. "Who the hell is he?"