Chapter 4

The Hermès gift box in the entryway was tied with a silver ribbon, reminiscent of the clumsy bow he tied on our first night together.

The shower stopped, and Ryan came out, pressing against me with steamy warmth.

I counted three new scratch marks on his abs, one less than Ms. Li had left last month.

"Just bought a new bag, see if you like it."

He licked the sweat off my collarbone, his fingertips trailing down my spine.

As the platinum bag's metal clasp cut through the darkness, I felt the curled hair inside the lining, just long enough to wrap around his wrist twice.

Fireworks exploded outside the window as Ryan made his vow in a husky voice.

"Once the debts are paid off, I'll set off fireworks for you every day."

But now, the ticking of his Vacheron Constantin watch on his wrist was clearer than his vows.

I counted my heartbeats, waiting for him to tell that all-too-familiar lie.

"The platform wants to push me for the year-end gala."

He whispered, nibbling on my earlobe, the couple's ring on his ring finger digging painfully into my skin.

This wasn't our couple's ring.

Seeing me staring intently, he casually said it was something Ms. Chen required him to wear, telling me not to mind it.

"Once we get the bonus, we'll go get married in Iceland, your favorite place, okay?"

I composed myself and said okay.

The digital clock on the bedside table changed to 02:07, and suddenly his phone screen lit up.

The lock screen notifications were crowded with unread messages, including the topmost one with a pink avatar.

"Babe, the couple's necklace you gave me is so pretty~"

My brow twitched, and I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Hearing him tiptoe to the balcony to reply to the message, I painfully supported my sore waist to get out of bed, took out the key, and pulled open the most hidden drawer.

It was empty.

It used to hold the couple's necklace I had personally designed for our fourth anniversary.

Moonlight sliced through the curtains onto the bedsheet, making the stain he had just left look incredibly ironic.

When Ryan returned and saw me standing blankly to the side, he noticed the open drawer.

He hurriedly grabbed my arm.

"Babe, I'm just playing along with clients, don't take it seriously. Think about it, we can make so much money just by borrowing it for a while!"

"What were you just doing?" I asked calmly.

Ryan paused for a moment.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm participating in the year-end gala. My assistant just told me that to win the bonus this time, you'll need to cooperate with me for a while!"