Chapter 3

Selena decided it was time to go home.

Before leaving, she received an invitation to a party from a high school classmate.

It was a reunion marking ten years since graduation.

After a moment's thought, she decided to go.

She put on light makeup and slipped into a plain long dress.

As she boarded the cruise, Selena immediately recognized her former classmates, but they only looked at her without daring to acknowledge her.

Aria Francis, who had been close to Selena in high school, came up to her, took her hand, and looked her up and down in disbelief.

"Oh my God, Selena, when did you change your style? This isn't Caius's type at all."

Aria glanced around behind her, looking a little disappointed.

"Where is he? Why didn't he come with you? I heard he's now the Godfather of the Capone family. You really had good luck and sharp eyes, tying Caius down early when he was still a rising star. So, should we start calling you Godmother now?"

Their classmates joined in, teasingly calling Selena the "Godmother of the Capone family," and Aria was the loudest of them all.

Selena frowned, wondering how she should explain.

Just then, a bottle came flying straight at Aria.

Amid the gasps, Selena caught it in a flash and hurled it back hard.

The bottle grazed Caius's brow and shattered against the pillar behind him.

Wine splashed everywhere.

Instinctively, Caius turned sideways and pulled Charlotte into his arms to shield her.

His expression darkened. When he saw Selena, he froze for a moment, then his face turned cold, his words as sharp as knives.

"Selena? She thinks she's worthy?" he sneered.

"Let me introduce you. This is my fiancée, the future and only Godmother of the Capone family."

Charlotte and Caius laced their fingers together, and she smiled as she nodded to their classmates.

"Hello, my name is Charlotte. Our wedding is next week, and I hope you can all come."

After she finished speaking, she looked curiously at Selena.

"Caius, is this the Selena you told me about-the one who stayed by your side for ten years? What a coincidence, she and I ended up in the same outfit today."

Caius frowned, finally noticing that Selena, like Charlotte, was wearing light makeup and a white dress.

"A white dress for purity, Selena? How old are you now, still pretending to be innocent?"

Selena was stunned for a moment by the jab.

Caius looked her over critically and went on, "Don't even talk about imitating Charlotte. Even if you stripped bare and stood in front of me right now, I still wouldn't be interested. I know you're not willing to accept it. Fine, let's do it this way."

He licked the corner of his mouth and suddenly let out a chuckle.

He pulled out a checkbook, scrawled his name with a flourish, and shoved it into Selena's chest. "One hundred million dollars. Take it."

It was another gesture dripping with humiliation.

Selena's fingertips trembled, and her voice shook uncontrollably. "What do you mean?"

Caius laughed with a careless air, his tone as if it were only natural.

"Haven't you been with me for ten years? Ten million dollars for each year. I wasted ten years of your time, so I'll pay you a hundred million."

A buzzing exploded in Selena's ears.

She had been with Caius for ten years- charging into battles for him, taking knives and bullets for him.

She had bled and broken bones, but never had she felt pain like this day.

Right in front of her, Caius gave a roguish grin.

Selena fought the urge to swing a fist at him, yanked out the check, ripped it to pieces, and hurled it at Caius.

"I don't need your money. Truth be told, my ten years of youth are something you could never repay!"