Chapter 4

"Sounds like you picked a winner. Congratulations," I said.

My indifferent tone seemed to sting Natalie’s fragile pride. Her temper flared up instantly.

"You really think this company can't survive without you? Let me tell you, Julian has already secured an exclusive pitch with Lumina Global! Could you have pulled that off?"

I blinked, momentarily surprised.

Then it dawned on me. A few days ago, my personal assistant at Lumina had briefly mentioned an outreach email from an indie biotech firm.

Because of my personal interest in pharmaceutical R&D, I had relaxed the initial screening requirements, which inadvertently gave Julian’s submission a pass.

It wasn't surprising. The project proposal was built entirely on my previous work, making it look pristine on paper.

I looked at Natalie, choosing not to mention that I was now the sole owner and Chairman of Lumina Global.

"Is that so? Good luck to him."

Originally, I assumed that with my foundational research in place, Julian couldn't mess things up too badly, even with his incompetence.

So when my corporate assistant informed me a few days later that Julian had initiated a "cost-cutting overhaul"—firing several core scientists and causing the laboratory trials to grind to a dead halt—I couldn't help but curse under my breath.

Give a moron a masterclass on a silver platter, and he'll still find a way to choke on it.

Not even a week later, my phone buzzed. It was Natalie.

"Ethan, are you still sulking? Are you really refusing to come back? Look, I know you feel Julian’s promotion was unfair, but I had to put the company first! Julian comes from a prominent medical family, and his background gives our brand prestige."

"About what happened the other day... I've been meaning to explain. I gave Julian some extra attention, and he got the wrong idea, which is why he blurted out that he was my boyfriend in front of everyone. If I had contradicted him publicly, it would have humiliated him, right?"

Listening to her pathetic attempts at damage control, I almost laughed out loud.

Did she honestly think I had no idea about the clinical disaster unfolding at her company?

Now that the ship was sinking, she suddenly remembered her faithful workhorse. She wanted me to come back and plug the leaks.

Did she take me for a complete idiot?

"So you and Julian aren't dating?" I asked calmly. "Then who was the half-naked guy parading around our apartment the other day?"

The line went silent for a beat before Natalie replied, defensive and annoyed.

"Rent in this city is insane, and we had a spare guest room, so I let him crash there for a bit! Ethan, could you show a little basic empathy for once?"

There it was again. She always had an excuse, and somehow, I was always the one to blame.

Too bad for her, I was done buying her garbage.

"So you're saying you two are just landlord and tenant? Purely platonic? Then how do you explain the used condom sitting in the bathroom trash can that afternoon?"

Dead silence fell over the line.

A moment later, Natalie’s voice shattered into shrill, vicious rage.

"Ethan Vance! We were already broken up by then! Who I sleep with is none of your damn business!"

"I offered you a job because I didn't want you starving on the streets! I took pity on our past, and you have the nerve to throw it in my face?!"

I let out a frigid laugh.

"Instead of pitying me, you might want to check in on your own sinking ship. Word on the street is that Julian’s clinical trial isn't going so well."

"You didn't crawl back to me just to clean up his mess, did you?"

With her cover blown, Natalie dropped all pretense.

"Ethan, you honestly think this company will collapse without you?"

"I'll have you know I've already pulled strings to lock in an investment deal with Lumina Global! They are the biggest player in the country!"

"Once their capital rolls in, we're going to reach heights you can't even dream of! When that happens, don't you dare come begging for your job back!"

She clearly still had delusional faith in Julian. I smiled thinly.

"We'll see who ends up begging."

I hung up and buried myself straight back into work.

Managing an empire like Lumina Global was demanding, and my schedule was so packed that my personal life didn't even cross my mind.

It wasn't until the end-of-the-month gala hosted by my family's conglomerate that I saw Natalie again.

She spotted me across the ballroom. Beside her stood Julian, wearing an ill-fitting designer tuxedo, his face looking visibly strained and haggard.

"How the hell did you sneak in here?"

Julian looked me up and down, his sneer returning.

"This gala is out of your league, Vance. If you're here to beg Natalie for your old desk back, go wait by the valet outside."

Natalie didn't speak immediately. Her eyes lingered on my custom Patek Philippe watch and the sapphire cufflinks adorning my French cuffs—pieces worth hundreds of thousands. A flicker of suspicion crossed her eyes.

"An invitation to Lumina’s private gala isn't easy to come by," she said slowly. "You certainly have your ways."

I didn't waste a breath on them. I turned toward the private VIP lounge upstairs.

Julian, however, stepped forward to block my path.

"Trying to run? I knew it—you crashed this event, didn't you!"