Chapter 4

The news of Elena, the heiress of Aurum Group, holding an auction to choose a husband sent shockwaves through high society.

Countless families dreamed of tying themselves to this towering empire through marriage.

It was a mutually beneficial deal.

A husband with a strong enough background would help me secure my position faster.

My marriage was part of the business.

I no longer chased after true love.

With that in mind, I called my father's secretary.

Since Lucas loved pretending to be poor, it was time for his family's company to crumble.

Efficiency was always our priority.

In less than two hours, Lucas's family business collapsed.

Raw material suppliers cut them off overnight.

Banks demanded loan repayments and denied new credit.

Several signed overseas contracts were snatched by stronger competitors at any cost.

In the stock market, their shares were shorted maliciously, plummeting to rock bottom.

The family empire Lucas took pride in proved fragile against true capital giants.

I lounged on the estate's terrace, sipping coffee, listening to Jefferson's real-time updates. "Lucas's father had a breakdown at the board meeting and was rushed to the hospital. Lucas is begging for help, but no one dares meet him. He has no idea who he's offended."

I glanced at the dozens of missed calls on my phone and lazily dialed back.

"Elena! Where the hell have you been? My company's falling apart, and you, my girlfriend, aren't by my side? You're ghosting me? Are you some kind of jinx? Everything goes wrong the moment we fight! I order you to come back right now!"

Lucas blamed me for everything, venting his rage.

His pathetic, furious state brought me the thrill of revenge.

Wasn't destroying his company all for this moment?

I couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny? Elena, have you lost it?"

I lost interest in listening, hung up, and blocked his number.

Now, Lucas might actually need to scrape together those two hundred dollars.

Just then, the butler appeared. "Miss, the heir of the Josh Group requests a meeting with you."

I was surprised.

Josh? What did he want?

Rumors painted him as reserved but ruthless, a young man who'd already mastered his group's vast empire.

At the coffee shop, I met Josh.

His tailored suit and commanding presence were impossible to ignore. "Miss Aurum, I heard about your auction. I want to marry you."

I sized him up. "If you want to be my husband, you'll have to accept my ambition. My fortune ranks in the top five globally. I won't, and can't, be tied down by marriage. I don't need a husband telling me what to do or trying to control my life."

I looked at Josh, expecting him to profess his feelings or flex his power, like Lucas would have.

But he didn't. He just gave me a long, complicated look.

Then he turned and left.

I watched his retreating figure.

Leaving when he couldn't meet my terms showed some character.

I quickly put the encounter out of my mind.

Back at the estate, Jefferson waited in the hall. "Miss, everything for the auction is ready. It's set for tomorrow at eight in the evening, at the central hall of the Art Palace. Someone you know will be attending."