Gold Digger Wait for the Billonaire's Breakup Fee Not The Marriage!

A rain had just passed, bringing the temperature down to a pleasant coolness. That night, at the Bulgari Hotel.

On the 13th floor, the banquet hall was filled with elegantly dressed guests, the air rich with an intoxicatingly sweet fragrance. Pink and white flowers, along with balloons, decorated the entire space in the dreamlike vision of a young girl's fantasy. In the corner, a violinist played gracefully, while waiters in tailcoats pushed a swan-shaped cake slowly into the room.

Every detail of the evening showcased the grandeur of a birthday celebration belonging to none other than the cherished daughter of The Green family-someone born with a diamond spoon in her mouth, whose greatest challenge in life seemed to be figuring out how to enjoy it to the fullest.

Guests, led by attentive servers, took turns approaching the star of the evening to offer their well wishes.

Surrounded by a group of young socialites, Miss Green, the birthday girl, maintained her graceful demeanor, accepting each guest's greetings with a polite smile. Until, in the midst of all the greetings and well-mannered exchanges, she caught sight of a figure approaching her from the distance-

The sweet smile on Miss Green's face faltered slightly.

The same momentary pause in expression was mirrored by the girls standing beside her.

Together, they regarded the approaching figure, a subtle crease forming between some brows. Their gazes unconsciously traveled from the ground up, carrying the kind of innate arrogance that came with their status, scrutinizing the woman walking toward them-

A knee-length pink dress in a ladylike style, a white shell clutch in hand, a pearl necklace of a design beloved by older generations, long hair half-pinned back with a delicate clip, and white chunky-heeled Mary Jane shoes that prioritized comfort over elegance.

Each piece on its own was undeniably expensive. Yet, when worn together, in a place like this-Miss Green's high-society birthday gala-there was only one phrase that came to mind, a phrase often seen online, slightly cruel in its description: "Exquisitely Tacky."

It was a look that had clearly been carefully put together, with every detail painstakingly considered. And yet, despite all that effort, she still stuck out like a sore thumb. No matter how polished, she simply did not belong.

-

Shirley held her shell clutch as she walked up to Eva.

She pretended not to notice the ambiguous glances thrown her way, accepted a glass of white champagne from a waiter, and, as one of the invited guests of the evening, smiled sweetly and sincerely as she offered her birthday wishes.

Eva only snapped out of her daze when one of her friends nudged her lightly.

Quickly regaining her composure, she reached for Shirley's hand with an affectionate warmth, as if the two of them were the closest of friends. They exchanged pleasantries, promising to meet for shopping soon. Only after Shirley's figure disappeared into the crowd did Eva's fixed smile finally fade.

Her friends, who had remained quiet up until now, took sips from their glasses and finally voiced the question they had been holding in:

"Eva, why did you even invite her?"

Eva withdrew her gaze and let out a small sigh. "Daddy and Mommy made me do it."

"They said that, regardless of everything, she's been Lucas' official girlfriend for years now. Just in case she does somehow become Mrs. William one day, it's better to start building connections early."

"...Oh, come on."

"Are your parents serious?"

"Shirley getting with Lucas was already the luckiest thing to ever happen to her. Does she actually think she has a chance of becoming Mrs. William? I haven't worn a dress that tacky since elementary school."

"That necklace? Even my mom would call it outdated. Does she think dressing like a socialite means she is one? There's no way she's ending up as Mrs. William."

"Yeah, being his public girlfriend doesn't mean a thing. Word is, Lucas has never even introduced her to his family. Obviously, he has no intention of taking her seriously, and The William family would never accept her as a daughter-in-law."

"She just got lucky meeting Lucas as an exchange student. What else does she have?"

The moment the words "Mrs. William" were uttered, the girls immediately began chattering away. The elegant notes of the violin in the background provided the perfect contrast to their whispers, as every pair of eyes once again landed on the only "exquisitely tacky" figure in the room-the one in the pink, ladylike dress that no actual lady of high society would ever wear.

Their minds drifted back to five years ago, when B City's elite social circles were shaken by the news: The heir of The William family, during his time as an exchange student, had actually been "snatched up" by some unknown classmate.

The girls, usually composed and poised, struggled to maintain their expressions at the memory. They could only console themselves with the thought-

A woman from a small, insignificant background will never truly belong. She'll be cast aside eventually.

-

The birthday banquet lasted until nearly nine in the evening.

Eva's close friends left to continue the celebrations at an exclusive after-party, while most other guests began making their polite exits.

The back seat of the Rolls-Royce was spacious.

Shirley, of course, wasn't among the crowd heading off for an all-night party. Finally free from the event, she collapsed into the car's back seat and tossed her clutch aside.

The driver glanced back from the front. "Shall I take you back to First-Class Residence?"

"Mm," Shirley hummed. She pulled out her phone, intending to scroll through social media for a bit of mindless relaxation. But the moment she opened Facebook, she saw a post from Eva, uploaded just ten minutes ago-a nine-grid collage from tonight's luxurious celebration, captioned:

"I don't need a lot of money. I just want a lot of love."

"..."

The slight upward curve of Shirley's lips froze in place.

Her fleeting good mood vanished.

The car drove smoothly along the quiet city roads. Streetlights passed by in even intervals, the full moon hanging high above-a news broadcast had even announced that tonight marked the largest full moon in half a year.

But Shirley didn't look out at the moon.

She hated these socialite gatherings, hated playing along with shallow small talk. The whole evening, she had worn the role of "Lucas' obedient girlfriend," and the effort had drained her. Just as she had hoped to rest, Eva's ridiculous post lingered in her mind like a curse.

"Girls like that just need a couple of acres of farmland to plow."

Her irritation surged. She rolled her eyes so hard she practically sprained something. If she could, she'd grab Eva by her perfectly styled hair and tell her-"If you don't need money, then hand it over. I don't need love, I just need a lot of money."

But instead of causing a scene, she simply scrolled to her Days Matter app, where only one countdown existed:

"Days waiting for Lucas' breakup payout: 1712."

-

Then came the message from Lucas' assistant, Liam.

Lucas' business trip had ended early. His flight would land at 1 a.m. tonight. He was coming home.

The elevator doors opened.

But Shirley didn't step out.

Her fingers tightened around her phone, reading the message again. And again. Until the reality sank in-

Lightning cracked through her brain.

She braced herself against the wall, lifting her head to face the vast, empty silence.

Not only was she still unable to clock out of this job,

She might have to work overtime.

Midnight. The airplane's contrail cuts across the vast sky.

The airport expressway is still busy, with cars coming and going.

A black Maybach speeds toward the downtown area of B City. The driver is focused, and the air in the car is extremely quiet, with the temperature set at the perfect 24 degrees.

Occasionally, the car's headlights illuminate the man's face.

The man in the back seat looks very young, handsome, with high eyebrows and a perfect bone structure. Perhaps because of the long flight lasting over ten hours, there is a faint weariness and detachment about him.

Lucas lowers his head and sees that it is 1,37 AM.

His destination at this moment is the First-class mansion.

Over the past two years, Lucas has been extremely busy with work, flying around the world for business trips, but most of the time, he stays at this high-end apartment located in the top area of the city, along with his girlfriend, whom he has been dating for several years.

Then Lucas sees a message his girlfriend sent him several hours ago on Whatsapp,

[Assistant Liam said you'll land around 1 AM, please be safe on the road]

[I'm waiting for you at home]

[Kiss.jpg]

Lucas' gaze lingers for a moment on the "Kiss.jpg" cute emoji. He wants to reply with something like "Don't wait, go to sleep first," but seeing that it's already been hours since the message was sent, it seems too late to reply with that.

The roadside sign shows that the downtown area is still 2 kilometers away.

Lucas turns off his phone.

The main ring road is clear at night, and the security guard at the entrance of the First-class mansion is still on duty, standing at attention as the Maybach drives in.

After nearly a month of business trips, Lucas finally returns to the apartment he spends most of his time at.

When he opens the door, the scent of food wafts in the air.

The apartment is lit with warm-toned lights. There's a late-night snack prepared on the dining table to the left, and the living room is quiet. In the corner of the sofa, a small figure is curled up.

Shirley, wearing an eggplant-colored silk nightgown and a gray cashmere blanket draped over her, rests on her arm. Barefoot, she must have fallen asleep while waiting for her boyfriend to return after his business trip.

Upon seeing Shirley asleep on the sofa, Lucas instinctively softens his footsteps.

He removes his suit jacket and tie, rolls up the sleeves of his shirt to his forearms, and instead of going to eat the late-night snack prepared on the table, he walks to the sofa.

The man's large shadow casts over the peaceful sleeping face.

Lucas silently watches Shirley, who had fallen asleep waiting on the sofa. His gaze lingers on her face for a few seconds, and then he decides to gently lift her up.

She sleeps deeply and doesn't react much when lifted, only making a soft sound before finding a comfortable position to continue sleeping. Lucas carries her back to the bedroom, and it seems only when he lays her on the bed does she stir.

Her peaceful dream is interrupted. The first thing she senses is the cool male scent, then she drowsily opens her eyes.

Against the light, she sees the familiar, handsome face of the man.

It's familiar because after years of being in a relationship, he has inevitably become the most familiar person to her, especially in such close proximity. It's handsome because, from this close angle, his good looks are so striking it almost makes her dizzy. So, in the past, when she couldn't resist some things under his charm, it didn't feel so unforgivable.

Shirley then realizes that she must have fallen asleep waiting for Lucas on the sofa.

Upon facing the man who returned from his business trip in the dead of night, still half-asleep, the first word that comes to her mind is "service."

Yes, Lucas came back early, and she's going to service him.

Shirley wraps her arms around Lucas's neck.

Lucas notices Shirley is half awake and seems to be about to speak, telling her to continue sleeping, but as soon as he pushes himself up, her arms immediately wind around his neck.

He hesitates for a moment and tries to remove her arms from his neck, but the next second, she主动 kisses him.

The kiss quickly ignites the familiar warmth between them, and their hands, which feel delicate and smooth, are hard to tell apart from the silk or the skin itself. At first, Lucas tries to hold back, but when he meets her dreamy, confused gaze-like she doesn't quite know why he's acting differently tonight-his throat tightens, and all his previous restraint evaporates.

Clothes fall one by one, the bed shakes slightly, and the moon outside, which had been visible all night, hides behind clouds, unwilling to listen.

...

The next day.

It's a workday.

Even though he just finished a long business trip and landed in the early morning, the man who is always busy with work still chooses to go to the office today.

The morning in the First-class mansion is as busy as usual.

In the walk-in closet, Shirley, still wearing her nightgown, stands in front of Lucas, tying his tie.

Tying a tie is something she's used to by now. Nearly every morning when they're together, she does this. But today, when she ties Lucas's tie, she feels like his gaze on her is somewhat different.

It seems like Lucas is always looking at her.

His eyes carry a vague meaning, as if scrutinizing, mixed with hesitation.

This makes Shirley subconsciously think of last night.

Lucas seemed a bit off; at first, he didn't seem like he wanted to continue with her, even trying to stop at first.

Of course, after things started, he didn't hold back.

Shirley finishes tying the tie and, with a slight furrow of her brow due to the slight doubt in her mind, hears Lucas say, "Shirley."

"Hmm?" Shirley instinctively looks up.

Lucas meets her gaze-her beautiful face, devoid of makeup, still as stunning as ever. His lips part as if to say something, but when he sees her clear, moving eyes, and her obedient, still posture waiting for him to speak, his words catch in his throat, and ultimately, he doesn't say anything.

Shirley waits for Lucas to continue.

Lucas grabs his suit jacket, "I'm going to work."

Shirley is a little confused but replies with an "Oh" and sees him to the door.

A new day officially begins.

For Shirley, aside from Lucas's early return, it's an ordinary day.

As Lucas's girlfriend, she doesn't have to work.

This doesn't mean Lucas forbids her from working-he's even suggested that she could do anything, regardless of whether she earns money-but Shirley feels that being Lucas's girlfriend is already a full-time job. She works 24/7, providing both emotional and physical support. Adding a job on top of that would be like working two jobs simultaneously, and it's unnecessary.

So, like now, she spends her days shopping, getting spa treatments, doing Pilates, occasionally attending flower arrangement or crafts classes-nothing too taxing.

In a way, it fills the emptiness of Lucas's hesitation in bringing up a breakup.

In the afternoon, after finishing her flower arrangement class, Shirley heads to a pre-booked hand-made dessert shop.

The waiter brings over all the shop's specialty desserts, filling the table with beautiful treats.

Shirley doesn't dive into the sweets immediately but glances at the empty seat across from her, checking her phone, waiting for someone.

After a while, the waiter finally leads someone over.

The person arrives and immediately exclaims, "You're going to make me fat!"

Shirley smiles, showing the time on her phone, "You're 20 minutes late today."

Abby sits down, placing her bag on the chair, and looks at the desserts, "Shirley, what's with all this? I can't eat anymore or I'll get fat. The editor's going to kill me if I keep eating like this. I'll never become deputy editor."

Shirley looks at Abby, who's looking at the desserts with longing but complaining about getting fat, "Does your editor still care about your weight?"

"It used to not matter," Abby replies, eyeing the desserts and swallowing. She takes a sip of unsweetened red tea before gritting her teeth, "But now there are two new interns who are so skinny they look malnourished, and I'm starting to look like a balloon. I think the editor's been looking at me less favorably lately."

Shirley chuckles.

Abby, unable to handle the desserts in front of her, calls the waiter to clear everything off the table, leaving only a small low-sugar biscuit. Shirley keeps a piece of tiramisu.

Once the high-calorie bombs are removed, Abby's mood seems to settle.

Abby begins talking about her work at the magazine when she suddenly notices a pink hickey peeking from Shirley's collar. Her eyes widen, "Lucas is back?"

Shirley looks down and feels her face warm as she quickly straightens her collar, "Yeah."

"He came back early last night."

Abby, now certain about the hickey, looks at her friend in front of her.

She remembers back when Shirley had sworn never to give up her body so easily, that holding hands was the farthest she'd go. She thought it was a quick, short-term relationship, but now, like an investment that's trapped her, she feels deeper and deeper. The guilt creeps in when she's finally having tea with her friend.

"I'm sorry, Shirley," Abby swallows hard. "I do bear some responsibility in this."

Shirley, confused, looks at her, "What responsibility?"

Abby, stirring her tea, sighs, "Well, I encouraged you from the start..."

Shirley, "..."

The two of them had been university classmates. When they first met, Shirley was still a part-time model working on scattered freelance gigs, while Abby was an intern at a fashion magazine. Over time, they became good friends.

Later, Shirley discovered that the exchange student with the tall frame, arrogant attitude, and handsome face was actually the heir to the Noble Group, a member of the William family. She also found out that this heir had a tendency to switch girlfriends as frequently as changing clothes, with his previous breakup settlement being in the eight digits.

At that time, Shirley was caught in the confusion of Lucas's misunderstanding of her and his possible interest in her.

Lucas thought she was the innocent, shy girl from an idol drama who could be the perfect female lead.

So when Shirley heard about the eight-digit breakup fee, she was tempted and unsure whether to give it a try. Abby wholeheartedly encouraged her.

"Go for it."

It was eight digits.

She'd calculate how many modeling gigs she'd have to book to earn that amount of money and how many unreasonable clients she'd have to endure. But after doing the math, she decided to go for it.

In the end, practice proved that Lucas, although seeming cold and distant, wasn't so hard to approach.

It was even Lucas who actively proposed they date.

"Do you think the rumors are true?" Abby sighs and slaps the table, clearly feeling that the gossip about Lucas was wrong.

"Who the hell said that Lucas changes girlfriends every three months? How many three-month cycles has it been now?"

Shirley leans back in her seat, her face a little despondent, "I think it's true."

If slander could be punished by law, she would sentence the person who spread the rumor about Lucas changing girlfriends every three months to life imprisonment.

The topic feels heavy, and after a while of silence between them, Abby changes the subject, "By the way, you called me out for afternoon tea today-what did you want to talk about?"

Shirley then remembers the main reason she invited Abby today.

Some feelings can't be fully expressed over Whatsapp and need to be discussed in person.

So, Shirley looks at Abby, furrowing her brow slightly, and carefully explains the unsettling things she's sensed since Lucas returned last night.

He didn't respond to her Whatsapp messages right away, at first seemed unwilling to continue with her, and has been looking at her with an odd, unreadable expression this morning... What's going on?

Why does it feel like this?

Why is he acting this way?

As she speaks, Shirley supports her chin with her hand and looks down at the table, her face full of confusion.

After all, being Lucas's girlfriend feels like a job now, and if she doesn't perform well, it feels like the boss is not satisfied with her-very troublesome indeed.

Maybe something's wrong, but it's been so long, she hasn't realized it before.

Abby, hearing all this, stares blankly at Shirley.

Then, after processing everything, she realizes what's going on. Looking at her friend's confused face, she can only make one conclusion.

"Shirley, from everything you've just said..."

"Does Lucas want to break up with you?"

"Huh?" Shirley freezes, as if something has clicked in her mind.

The dessert shop still played the light melodies.

The weather was clear, with not a cloud in the sky.

Today's task for the driver was the same as always, picking up his boss's girlfriend after her afternoon tea. He had already received a message that she was done with her tea and was waiting for her outside the shop.

Shirley finished her tea and saw the driver waiting respectfully not far from her.

She felt dizzy, nearly tripping over the threshold, but Abby quickly caught her. She sighed quietly and simply helped her into the car.

The driver opened the car door.

Shirley sat down in the back seat, feeling somewhat numb.

She gave Abby a vague goodbye, and after a while, she heard the driver in the front seat calling her name.

The driver had asked her several times if she was going back to the First-Class Mansion.

"Oh? Oh." Shirley quickly snapped back to reality and answered the driver. The Rolls-Royce quietly started, and she opened the window halfway. The cool evening breeze brushed her face, making her feel more awake, slowly bringing her back to reality.

Shirley bit her lips, remembering what Abby had bluntly said in the dessert shop-Lucas wanted to break up.

Lucas was finally going to break up.

The words "Lucas wants to break up" filled her mind, and after confirming it several times, she felt a trembling throughout her body. It was as though every cell was cheering and bubbling with excitement.

She had lost hope for so long, having almost given up on any expectations.

Yes, Lucas's recent behavior was the precursor to a breakup, just like it happens in every relationship when the man starts thinking about ending it.

The diary on her phone showed, Today is Day 1713 of waiting for Lucas's breakup fee.

Shirley almost cried when she saw the number 1713.

She had been the devoted girlfriend for 1713 days, working hard, almost to the point of losing her mental stability, giving so much inside and out, and now Lucas finally wanted to break up. She could finally leave this role with pride.

Shirley thought about her breakup fee and couldn't help but feel excited, but then she sensed the driver in the front seat was looking at her. She quickly adjusted her emotions again.

Taking a deep breath, Shirley told herself not to get too excited. She should wait quietly for that day to come, just as usual. But she couldn't help but wonder how Lucas was thinking. If he was going to break up with her, would it be next quarter, next month, or next week?

She unconsciously opened the calendar app, but before she could start calculating, her phone vibrated lightly with a message notification.

It was from Lucas, marked as "Lucas",

[What do you want to eat tonight?]

[Shirley, I have something I want to talk to you about.]

[Tonight.]

Shirley's phone slipped from her hand and fell with a snap.

...

At the same time, in the evening, the setting sun cast a fiery glow.

Most of the office workers in the CBD were still busy preparing for overtime. The Noble building stood in the heart of the financial district, radiating the most solemn and cold light as it reflected the sunset.

26th floor.

After a whole day of meetings, the people from the president's office had left for the day, and the office was empty. The only light left was in the president's office.

Liam, holding several documents, stood at the door of the president's office. After receiving a response, he entered.

Lucas had not left after work, staying behind to deal with some personal matters.

"President William," Liam said, walking in and placing the documents on Lucas's desk.

Lucas had just put down his phone and looked at the documents Liam had brought.

They were all property transfer agreements.

Liam waited beside him.

Lucas quickly flipped through the documents and, after confirming everything was in order, signed his name on the final line for the party A. He then put the agreement aside and picked up the blank check Liam had brought along.

Liam couldn't help but glance at the blank check.

He saw that Lucas pondered over it for a few seconds before taking the pen and writing.

The numbers began with "hundreds of millions" and continued with three nines.

The final amount on the check was 999 million.

Despite expecting a large sum, Liam was still shocked when he saw the number Lucas wrote.

The documents that had seemed so thin in Lucas's hands represented cash worth 999 million, a top-floor apartment in First-class Mansion valued at no less than 500,000 per square meter, a villa in the suburbs of B city that couldn't even be bought for money, and a vacation villa in a southern coastal city with a private sea area.

And all of these properties had one common recipient,

Shirley.

Liam had expected a large amount, but not one written out to the maximum amount.

It made him think of the shy and careful Miss Shirley, who always greeted him politely as "Assistant Liam."

Liam paused for a moment.

Indeed, when you want something from a man, the best emotion to exploit is his guilt and sympathy.

Especially when this man is already generous.

Lucas finished signing the check and put down his pen.

He glanced at Liam, signaling that he could leave for the day.

Liam quickly snapped back to reality, gathered all the signed documents, and left the office.

The office fell silent again.

The sunset outside the floor-to-ceiling windows painted a beautiful scene.

Lucas sat in his office chair, staring at the sunset and thinking about Shirley's message, where she suggested a romantic candlelit dinner with a view of the night sky.

Lucas lightly tapped his fingers and counted how long he had known Shirley.

From the semester he began his exchange at C University, to graduation, and then taking over Noble, it had been nearly five years.

They had been together for almost five years.

In these five years, there had never been any conflict. Shirley was always sweet and considerate. When they first met, she was naively pure, and later she became like a clingy little animal always sticking by his side. She understood everything, never being pretentious or awkward, and while his friends were often busy with their girlfriends, he never had to worry about such things.

So Lucas knew he was being cruel now.

Perhaps it was age, or maybe the increasing pressure and busyness after taking over Noble, but at some point, he began to hear a voice in his head.

He and Shirley might not be able to last forever.

He knew that their relationship had always been good, and Shirley had never done anything wrong, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they couldn't go on.

Especially now, after growing from the young man who started his exchange semester to the CEO of Noble, with no opposition from the board.

But Shirley seemed unchanged.

She was still as pure and considerate as when they first met, occasionally timid, unwilling to do anything just to kill time, unwilling to engage with the outside world, living quietly in her ivory tower. Only when forced to, she would briefly participate in events and then retreat back into her comfort zone.

The distance that already existed between them seemed to be widening.

And it was at this moment, when she tied his tie as usual, that Lucas realized he no longer looked forward to each day with Shirley by his side.

An end to a relationship doesn't have to be dramatic.

Lucas had spent the entire day wondering whether he should break up next week, next month, or next quarter, but he knew the result was inevitable. Prolonging it would only add to the exhaustion.

Lucas looked at the check he had just signed.

So, all he could do was compensate her as much as he could, hoping that after their breakup, Shirley would still live well, at least materially.

...

At the First-class Mansion.

The dressing room was in chaos.

Shirley had tried on all the dresses she owned for the season and then remembered Lucas's message about wanting to talk tonight. She couldn't help but smile and silently scream with excitement.

It almost felt too unreal.

For 1713 days, she had given everything and almost lost hope. But now things had taken a turn.

Just when she thought Lucas might want to break up, his message came.

They weren't the type of couple who talked about everything, so if Lucas wanted to talk, it could only mean one thing.

But she didn't expect him to be so quick about it, it was happening tonight, not next week or next month.

Shirley thought "a cliff-edge breakup" wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

With a smile on her lips, she picked out a simple white dress, one with a minimalist cut.

She remembered how the girls at Eva's birthday party had looked at her. Shirley laughed softly.

When she was a model, changing into three hundred outfits a day, those fake friends were probably still playing pretend at home.

Shirley stood with her hands on her hips, looking at herself in the mirror. She thought, after five years of wearing simple clothes and being secretly ridiculed by the wealthy women, the breakup fee tonight better be a seven-figure sum.

Anything less and she'd go down with him.

The thought made her laugh.

She sprayed herself with a perfume called "Freedom" and finally grabbed her bag to head out for the dinner. It felt like a victory march to her final MVP moment.

The Rolls-Royce glimmered under the evening lights.

When she arrived, Lucas was already there.

The waiter led her to the VIP room, where the night view outside the window was dazzling. Lucas was already seated at the table.

It wasn't their first time dining at this restaurant.

Lucas noticed Shirley had arrived a little later than expected.

At first glance, he realized Shirley seemed different tonight, though he couldn't quite pinpoint why. He wasn't very knowledgeable about fashion, but tonight she seemed brighter, livelier.

Shirley sat down across from Lucas with a big smile.

The waiter brought two menus, and Shirley casually flipped through hers. Then she looked up and blinked curiously.

"Lucas," she said, "You said you wanted to talk tonight. What is it?"

Lucas paused as he flipped through the menu.

Then, seeing her seemingly confused expression, he smiled and replied, "Let's eat first."

"Oh." Shirley didn't expect Lucas to be so formal about breaking up.

Outside the window, the city was bathed in the glow of the night.

The main dishes tonight were black truffle foie gras risotto and sirloin steak.

The waiter dimmed all the lights, and white candles slowly burned in silver candleholders, creating the most romantic atmosphere.

But Shirley had no appetite.

She couldn't pretend she didn't know what was happening right now. She mechanically cut her steak, and just as she was about to bring a piece to her mouth, she heard Lucas's voice.

"Shirley."

Her hand trembled, and the steak fell off her fork, rolling down her chest and onto her skirt, then finally landing on the carpet.

Shirley looked down at the steak sauce stain on her white dress.

Lucas couldn't speak at first.

Shirley winced at the sight of the stain and said, "I'll go to the bathroom and clean it up."

Lucas nodded. "Okay."

Shirley went to the bathroom, leaving Lucas alone in the room.

The candles burned silently, their light reflecting on the nearby windows.

Lucas sat still, thinking about what he was going to say to Shirley tonight. But just then, Shirley's phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

The screen lit up with an unknown number.

Lucas picked up the phone. "Hello?"

On the other end, someone was asking if he was interested in buying health supplements, claiming they could cure terminal cancer.

Realizing it was a sales call, Lucas immediately hung up.

As he hung up, he glanced at Shirley's phone screen, intending to check the time. However, since Shirley's phone was set up to recognize his face, it unlocked as soon as he swiped.

Lucas wasn't the type to go through his girlfriend's phone.

He had no real interest in invading Shirley's privacy. But when the phone unlocked, Lucas happened to see a few unread messages on WhatsApp, one of which contained his name, "Lucas."

Everything seemed so coincidental.

For the first time, Lucas found himself compelled to open the chat with his name on it.

...

Shirley was busy in the restroom for a while.

A waiter brought her a stain remover pen. After a lot of effort, she managed to reduce the visible stains on her dress to faint marks that weren't noticeable unless looked at closely.

After cleaning her dress, she also took a moment to use the restroom.

Standing in front of the mirror, she took several deep breaths and reminded herself to stay calm. Her expression became determined, like a warrior preparing for battle.

This was probably the most important night of her 24 years of life.

After tonight, she'd be free to collect her payment and step into the peak of her life.

She forced herself to suppress a smile that was threatening to appear, then walked out of the restroom.

The waiter led her back into the VIP room, where Lucas was still seated at the same spot, bathed in the soft candlelight.

Shirley sat back down across from Lucas.

She adjusted her dress. The food on the table had mostly cooled, and she wasn't hungry anymore. She noticed that Lucas' wine glass appeared empty.

Lucas, noticing that Shirley's dress was now clean again, slowly looked up at her. He saw the beautiful face in front of him, always wearing a sweet smile.

Shirley couldn't shake the feeling that something was different about Lucas tonight.

But she couldn't pinpoint what exactly was off. Sweat had started to form in her palms as she remembered the ultimate purpose of tonight. The meal was almost over, and seeing Lucas silently staring at her without saying a word, she decided to take the initiative and spoke up, "Lucas, can you tell me what this is about now?"

Lucas looked at Shirley as she spoke. Since they first met, she had always been this way-gentle, clear-eyed, quiet, never acting selfishly.

Despite the limitations her background placed on her, she always tried her best in front of him.

Lucas had always believed he knew everything about her.

Until, in just a few short minutes, everything seemed to turn into a complete joke.

This situation was so absurd that he could hardly believe it-he, a man of wealth and power, being manipulated by a young woman who had once barely seen the world beyond her small life.

His fingers tightened around the silver cutlery.

Shirley, still smiling with her eight perfect teeth, started to feel a chill down her spine as she waited for Lucas to respond.

The silence seemed to grow louder, making the back of her neck feel even colder. A gust of wind appeared from nowhere, causing the candle flames to flicker.

Shirley began to feel something was wrong.

Just as it seemed everything would snap, the eerie silence was finally broken.

Lucas, staring at her now stiff smile, spoke calmly, his eyes as dark as an endless abyss, "Shirley..."

"We're getting married."