Callan didn’t move.

For several seconds, the entire lobby remained silent.

The managers behind him looked confused.

Ivy still held her phone, convinced that she had already won.

Then Callan finally spoke.

—Sabine… what did you just say?

I looked at him.

The man who had promised to marry me.

The man who had held my hand when his company almost collapsed.

The man who had told me:

“Wait six years for me. When I stand at the top, the first person beside me will be you.”

Six years.

I had waited.

I had defended him.

I had convinced my family to trust him.

And now he was standing there protecting another woman while allowing everyone to humiliate me.

—You heard me.

My voice was calm.

—Northcott Capital is withdrawing the Meridian letter of intent.

The color disappeared from his face.

—Sabine, don’t make decisions because of a misunderstanding.

A misunderstanding.

That was his first sentence.

Not an apology.

Not an explanation.

A defense.

I smiled.

—A misunderstanding?

I pointed at the giant screen behind him.

—The whole city knows Ivy Marlowe is your fiancée.

I looked at the employees watching us.

—Your company knows.

—Your family knows.

—Even your future wife knows.

Ivy’s expression changed.

—Sabine, don’t twist things.

I turned to her.

—Interesting.

—You threw a box of candy at me.

—You accused me of chasing a man who was engaged to you.

—And now I’m the one twisting things?

Ivy’s lips trembled.

But before she could answer, Callan interrupted.

—Enough.

Everyone looked at him.

For a moment, I thought he would finally tell the truth.

I thought he would say:

“She is my fiancée.”

Or:

“I made a mistake.”

Instead, he lowered his voice.

—Sabine, let’s talk privately.

I laughed softly.

—Privately?

I took out my phone.

—You didn’t want things private when you announced another woman to the entire city.

His jaw tightened.

—This is complicated.

—No.

I shook my head.

—It was complicated six years ago.

—When your family needed help.

—When Asterion needed Northcott.

—When your father personally came to my house asking for support.

Callan’s face became pale.

Because everyone there knew only half of the story.

They knew he was a genius.

They knew he rebuilt Asterion.

They didn’t know who gave him the first chance.

I stepped closer.

—Do you remember what you told me before I helped you?

Silence.

I answered for him.

“Sabine, when I succeed, I will make sure everyone knows you were the reason.”

I looked at him.

—You succeeded.

—And the first thing you did was erase me.

Callan clenched his fists.

—It’s not like that.

—Then explain.

He couldn’t.

Because there was no explanation that sounded acceptable.

The elevator doors opened again.

An older man walked out.

Callan’s father.

Everhart Senior.

The moment he saw me, his expression changed.

He immediately understood.

—Sabine.

His voice was serious.

—What happened?

I looked at him.

The man who had once held my hands and called me the daughter he wished he had.

—Ask your son.

Everhart Senior turned to Callan.

—What did you do?

Callan remained silent.

That silence answered everything.

His father closed his eyes.

Then his phone rang.

He answered.

The color drained from his face.

—What?

A pause.

—The banks already received the notice?

Another pause.

Everyone watched him.

Finally he lowered the phone.

—Northcott has frozen all cooperation projects.

Callan looked at me.

For the first time, panic appeared.

—Sabine.

I picked up my suitcase.

—Don’t worry.

I walked past him.

—You wanted to become the heir of Asterion without my family.

—Now you can prove whether you really deserve it.

As I reached the door, Callan grabbed my wrist.

Not hard.

Just desperate.

—Wait.

I looked down at his hand.

Then at him.

—Let go.

He immediately did.

His voice was low.

—Why didn’t you ask me?

I stared at him.

Then smiled.

—Because I spent six years asking you to choose me.

—And you already answered.

I left the building.

But I didn’t know that the next morning, the entire Bellhaven business world would discover another secret.

The engagement between Callan Everhart and Ivy Marlowe…

was not just a betrayal.

It was part of a plan.

And the person who had helped create it…

was someone from the Everhart family itself.