Chapter 3

Logan was still talking on the other end.

Dominic glanced at me and "accidentally" hit the speaker button.

Though he kept the phone near his ear, Logan's voice was crystal clear in the quiet studio.

"Bro, you gotta help me out a bit more. Be more aggressive. See how she reacts. If even you can't charm her, then I can finally be at peace."

Dominic chuckled. "How many times have you tested this girl?"

"This time is different. You know how it is in our world—we have to marry for business. She's brought up marriage a few times, and I've been dodging it. But my parents are pushing me to go on blind dates with heiresses lately, and I don't want to break up with Vivian yet."

"So you need to help me. Once I'm 100% sure she'll never leave me, I can go ahead with the family dates with peace of mind."

Dominic looked at me. "If you're going to marry someone else anyway, why not just let her go? Keeping her in the dark is messed up."

"Dominic, you don't get it. I really love her. If she loves me enough, she won't care about a stupid piece of paper."

"Aren't you afraid..." Dominic's eyes darkened, "that I might actually steal her from you?"

Logan let out a loud laugh.

"Come on, Dominic. You've seen the most beautiful women in the world. Why would you ever fall for her?"

"Anyway, if she passes this final test, I'll reward her with a private commitment ceremony. Just a small event for our inner circle. That'll keep her happy for life."

"But if she fails... well, then you help me throw it in her face. I'll make sure she regrets it for the rest of her life."

Dominic hung up. We stood there in silence.

Honestly, I wasn't even that sad.

I had thought about marrying Logan once.

But after his constant dodging, I had checked out a long time ago.

Staying with him was purely for his connections.

To me, Logan was like a bland, tasteless dish.

Dominic, on the other hand, looked delicious.

I wanted him. But not quite yet.

I threw myself entirely into my work, knowing Dominic would eventually be my prey.

Dominic knew how much my career meant to me, so he kept feeding me resources.

And I accepted every single one of them.

He used his connections to help restructure my company, headhunted top talents for me, connected me with the best factories, and got me premium fabrics at dirt-cheap prices.

He even secured a showcase spot for me at next year's Milan Fashion Week.

He kept giving without asking for anything in return, and I didn't mind giving him a little taste of what he wanted.

Just a little taste. Never the full meal.

I acted like a total heartbreaker, soaking up all his favors while keeping him at arm's length.

But he didn't seem to mind. To him, these favors were effortless.

Except sometimes, when the tension got too thick and he was left hanging, he would let out a bitter laugh.

"I feel like a dog you've got perfectly trained. How can you be so cruel, Vivian?"

But that wasn't true. He was incredibly attractive to me.

Under the guise of fitting his suits, I would let my hands wander.

Through the thin fabric of his shirt, I would trace the hard lines of his chest and abdomen.

But I always stopped right before he lost his mind.

That was my favorite game.

Our flirting was practically out in the open, yet Logan was completely oblivious.

He actually believed that all the resources Dominic was giving me were just "bait" to test my loyalty.

Even his friends thought the same.

During their parties, they would gossip about me behind my back:

"Logan's got his girl completely whipped. Even a guy like Dominic can't tempt her. I bet she'd jump off a cliff for you if you asked!"

"Vivian acts all cold and elegant, but in front of Logan, she's probably begging for his attention."

"Imagine her face when she finds out Logan is marrying someone else. She's going to cry her eyes out."

"Let her cry. It's not like she can ever leave him."

"Hahaha..."

Dominic had secretly recorded all of this and sent it to me.

"Vivian, I didn't want to play this for you because I didn't want to hurt you. But I thought you should know what he's really like behind your back."

"I don't have any ulterior motives. I just... I hate seeing you treated like this."

"If I had the honor of being your man, I would never hang out with people who disrespect you like this."

"Are you refusing to be with me because you still love Logan?"

Me: ...

I was just used to getting my bag first.

Since Dominic was already on my plate, I was in no rush to eat.