Nathan poured himself a glass of wine and settled near the window, the city lights stretching endlessly below. He scrolled through his phone absently—then paused.
Nathan: Where are you?
The reply came almost instantly.
Emily: Now I don't see why you should know.
Nathan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Nathan: I can see a man's reflection in the glass door behind you. Since when do lawyers wear dresses like that?
A moment passed—then a reply.
Emily: Wow. You should've been a detective. Amazing eyesight.
And since when do lawyers need your permission to dress well? Control freak.
I'm having a food date with investors for the gala event my jewelry and beauty company is hosting and stop looking at my online page stalker level.
Nathan let out a quiet scoff.
Nathan:I'm your husband ,Change location to Starlight Five-Star Hotel. I'll double my investment in your gala.
A typing bubble appeared immediately.
Emily: Deal.
And buy me diamonds too.
Nathan smirked.
Nathan: Thief.
He locked his phone, took a slow sip of wine—then unlocked it again and sent a message to his assistant.
Buy the best diamonds and gemstones available. Jewelry set. No budget limit.
Setting the phone aside, Nathan gazed out at the city, expression unreadable.
The dinner party was just beginning.
John returned with a thick stack of documents, placing them neatly on the desk.
Nathan didn't waste time.
He flipped through project proposals with sharp precision, emerald eyes scanning numbers, projections, and risk assessments at a speed that made John silently admire him. Whenever Nathan detected the slightest inconsistency—a bloated budget, an unrealistic timeline, a hidden liability—he didn't comment.
He shredded the document.
The sound of tearing paper echoed through the suite again and again.
"Tell the team to redo this," Nathan said coldly.
"And this."
"And this one too."
John nodded, calmly collecting the rejected files. Time slipped by unnoticed as Nathan worked like a machine, until the sky outside deepened into evening.
Finally, Nathan rose and headed to the bathroom as John left.
When Nathan emerged, he was dressed impeccably in a black-and-grey three-piece suit, tailored to perfection. The black trousers sat sharp against polished leather shoes, while a silver tie clip caught the light subtly—restrained luxury at its finest.
And then he stopped.
A woman lay sprawled comfortably across his bed.
Emily.
She wore a pink one-shoulder satin maxi dress, the fabric draping smoothly over her figure, flowing down to her ankles like liquid silk. The dress clung just enough to highlight her curvy yet slender frame, the slit revealing long, elegant legs.
Her chestnut curls cascaded down her back in loose, glossy waves, half pinned with a rose-gold hairpin shaped like delicate vines. A pair of diamond drop earrings framed her face, matching the thin bracelet resting on her wrist. Soft makeup highlighted her features—rosy blush, subtle shimmer on her eyelids, and glossy pink lips.
She scrolled lazily through her phone, completely at ease.
"Hm," Emily said, eyes flicking up as she smiled slowly. "Mister… do you have a wife? You look hot enough to eat."
Nathan clicked his tongue and walked over.
"Tsk. I never knew the world's most famous lawyer had such a naughty side," he said coolly, bracing one arm beside her head, effectively caging her against the mattress. "Seducing a married man?"
Emily's eyes sparkled.
"I have a naughty side because my husband doesn't satisfy me," she purred. "So tell me, Mister Nathan—can you?"
Nathan leaned down and kissed her neck.
"Really," he said flatly, lips brushing her skin, "you're not satisfied with your husband?"
"Yes," Emily said exaggeratedly. "He's old, weak, terrible in bed—"
She yelped as Nathan bit her neck.
"Dog!" Emily yelled, pushing him away.
Nathan caught her wrist, pinning it above her head, his expression darkening slightly. He lifted her chin with two fingers.
"Emily Hayes," he said calmly, "keep talking like that and I'll bundle you back to your family."
Emily pouted dramatically.
"Oh, my poor heart. After all I've done. After giving you two adorable children. And now you want to abandon me?" She stuck her tongue out. "Fine. But I won't divorce you. You're old and about to die anyway—I need that inheritance."
Nathan shut his eyes briefly.
"I always forget why I stay away from you," he muttered. "You raise my blood pressure."
Then he added dryly, "Before I die, maybe I should try a younger woman. You're getting old too, aren't you? Thirty-eight?"
Emily grabbed a pillow and started hitting him repeatedly.
"I seriously wonder why I married you!"
Nathan laughed.
She fixed her hair, stood up, and headed for the door. Just before she left, Nathan caught her hand, pulled her back, and kissed her properly—slow, familiar, intimate.
Emily pushed him away with a scoff and left.
The entire scene was witnessed from the corridor.
Mary stood frozen.
Her fingers clenched tightly around the fabric of her gown as she stared through the slightly ajar door. She hadn't seen the woman's face—but the back view, the dress, the hair, the intimacy—
She swallowed.
That woman was a vixen from her back view she knows the woman would be gorgeous that is how beautiful she is .
Mary didn't know she was looking at Emily Hayes, Nathan Carter's wife.
"Who does she think she is?" Mary whispered to herself.
Then her gaze dropped to her phone.
The photo she had taken—Nathan's hand cradling the woman's face, his lips pressed against hers, the pink dress unmistakable—was perfect.
Mary smiled slowly.
So what if he's married?
Men are visual animals.
If Nathan could kiss another woman so openly, then that meant something.
Opportunity.
Status.
Power.
Fame.
Nathan Carter—the man at the peak of the business world, ruler of a tech empire, heir to the Carter family with two centuries of dominance, rumored ties to politics and the underworld alike.
Who wouldn't want him?
And worse—he was devastatingly attractive.
Mary immediately placed an order for a pink gown, copying the style down to the heels. What she didn't know was that Emily's dress, shoes, and bag were worth tens of millions, available only through private connections.
By the time Mary posted the photo using a fake account, the dinner party had already begun.
The Internet Explodes
The image spread like wildfire.
> Is that Nathan Carter kissing his wife?
No, that dress isn't Emily Hayes' usual style.
Could he be cheating?
The woman looks younger…
Who is she?
Speculation spiraled.
Elite circles quickly traced the post's origin and identified it as fake-account leakage, but they remained silent—watching.
Meanwhile, the lower class and newly rising middle class were less restrained.
Theories ran rampant.
The Party
Nathan stood among a circle of influential clients, John beside him as always.
Compliments poured in.
"President Carter, your vision is unmatched."
"Your tech division dominates the market."
"Working with you is an honor."
Mary approached hesitantly.
"Mister Nathan," she called softly, cheeks flushed. "I had to redo my makeup."
Nathan glanced at her once.
His emerald eyes were hooded—mocking.
Whispers erupted around them.
"Is she the woman from the photo?"
"They look similar from the back…"
"So bold…"
A client chuckled politely.
"Your secretary is very beautiful. You're quite lucky."
John stepped aside, issuing quiet orders. Within minutes, the image vanished from platforms, downloads locked, reposts disabled.
But the damage lingered.
Mary stayed glued to Nathan's side all evening, trailing him like a shadow. When Nathan and John eventually left, she remained—surrounded by lower elites and ambitious social climbers, women praising her dress, her taste, her "confidence."
Mary smiled graciously.
She believed she was already halfway to the throne.
Nathan stepped onto the balcony, the glass door sliding shut behind him with a muted click. The city sprawled beneath him in a sea of lights—cold, glittering, obedient. He lit a cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating his sharp features as smoke curled into the night air.
"So," Nathan said calmly, exhaling slowly, "Mary was the one who posted the picture."
He didn't turn around.
"Yes, sir," John replied from behind him. "She used a fake account. She wants people to believe you're involved with her. She's also been subtly spreading rumors about being… close to you."
Nathan gave a low chuckle.
"And the ones backing her?"
"They don't seem to know yet," John said, adjusting his glasses. "Not fully."
Nathan tapped ash from his cigarette.
"So the Chen family sent her to spy on me," he said softly. "And instead, she fell for me."
His lips curved faintly.
"I wonder what the Chen family will do now."
"There are two possibilities," John replied smoothly. "They might see her as a useless chess piece and remove her. Or they might keep using her."
Nathan inhaled again, smoke filling his lungs before he released it slowly.
"I have too many flies in my company," he said. "So why not drive them all away? Especially the Chen family. Give them a bone, and they'll start dreaming of the whole carcass."
John's eyes sharpened.
"You want to give them the illusion that Mary is useful. Let them believe they have a chance. When they act, you deal with them—and force every other spy to reveal themselves."
Nathan nodded slightly.
"That means provoking the Chen family," John continued. "Making them desperate."
"Yes," Nathan said. "They want the land project? Give it to them. But take their energy project as well. And give Mary a project—one she'll gladly hand over."
John sighed inwardly.
He understood the trap perfectly.
The land project's ownership, logistics, and supply chain all belonged to Nathan. The Chen family would pour money into it, only to bleed endlessly. Taking their energy project would force them to build it halfway before Nathan seized it back—without spending a single dollar.
And the project given to Mary?
Mary would never hand it over cleanly.
Her ambition would destroy it from the inside.
By then, the Chen family wouldn't just fall—they'd drag half the industry down with them.
"You're setting a very large net," John said quietly.
Nathan didn't reply.
John bowed and left.
Nathan returned to his suite just as Mary entered, clutching a folder tightly.
They went through the documents. She tried to make small talk—soft laughter, lingering glances—but Nathan didn't even look at her.
When they finished, Mary stood up.
Then she fell.
Her elbow knocked into the wine glass, red liquid spilling across her dress.
"Ah—!" she cried softly. "My leg… I think I sprained my ankle."
She looked up at him, eyes glossy, lips trembling.
"Oh," Nathan said calmly. "Then you should see a doctor."
Mary blinked.
"N-no… it's just a small sprain. I'll be fine."
Nathan tilted his head.
"Such independence," he said slowly. "Injured, yet refusing help. You must be a feminist."
Mary's heart leapt—
Then shattered.
"So use the door."
She stared at him.
"My shirt—it's wet," she rushed out. "It's see-through—"
Nathan tossed his coat over her head.
"Then cover yourself."
Mary bit her lip, slipped into the coat, and limped toward the door.
"Oh," Nathan added lazily, sitting down. "Don't return the coat. Too many germs."
Mary's fingers clenched.
She paused at the door, then deliberately adjusted her dress—lowering the neckline slightly. She bit her lip until it reddened, pinched her skin until marks bloomed like hickeys.
Then she opened the door.
Outside, she limped dramatically toward the elevator, messy, flustered—
And perfectly photographed.
Inside the room, the balcony door slid open again.
Emily stepped out, wearing a white silky nightgown, popcorn bowl in hand. She strolled over casually and sat right on Nathan's lap.
"So she's the one the Chen family sent to monitor you," Emily said, munching. "How disappointing."
Nathan glanced at her.
"You're enjoying this a little too much."
"I'm eating popcorn so I'll have energy to fight for you," Emily said lazily. "Besides, she's not worth jealousy. She looks like Cinderella's stepsister—just the cheaper version."
She popped popcorn into his mouth.
"The butler called," Emily added. "You told him we're in another country for work."
She poked his chest.
"Tsk. Lying without blinking."
"I didn't want the children disturbing us," Nathan said calmly. "Besides—this is our little secret."
Emily smiled and leaned in.
The city outside glittered on, unaware that several empires had just been marked for collapse.
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