Chapter 3

At that moment, I finally understood why he had been in such a hurry to leave.

I gave a bitter laugh, then called a local courier service to send his phone to his office.

Afterward, I headed to work. I had joined my family's company right after graduation.

My father, wanting to train me, had me start as a junior staff member.

By now, I had worked my way up to department manager through my own abilities.

As soon as I arrived at the office, my assistant brought over a project proposal. "Ms. Miller, there's a document here you need to handle. All the procedures are complete; it just needs your signature."

I took it and read it carefully. It was a project collaborating with the Hayes Group, but I had no recollection of this project whatsoever.

"Did Mr. Miller approve this?"

"No." My assistant paused, then quickly replied, "Didn't you say before that for any non-critical collaborations, the Hayes Group was always our first choice?"

That's when I remembered. I had indeed said something like that, thinking at the time that our two families would eventually become one, and it didn't matter who earned more or less, so I hadn't overly scrutinized the project's profitability.

"Let's skip this one. Next time, for such matters, prioritize the best option. Company interests come first."

After working hard all day, I packed up my things after work, planning to check out a newly opened high-end restaurant.

But when I arrived, I found the restaurant was already packed with customers.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard a familiar voice.

"Ms. Miller, are you having dinner here too?"

I turned around to see Vanessa Scott and Jason Hayes sitting at a table, smiling sweetly.

Jason saw me, his expression momentarily freezing, then he quickly said, "I was just about to call you to come have dinner. I can't believe you're already here! Come, join us for dinner."

He waved to a waiter and asked for an extra setting.

I hadn't eaten much for lunch, and by now I was starving.

So, I decided to stay and sat down.

"Ms. Miller, I remember you like spicy food. Should we order a few more dishes for you?"

I glanced at the table; it was filled entirely with bland, mild dishes.

Jason and I both couldn't live without spicy food.

He used to say that without chili, a dish was soulless; eating it felt like torture.

Yet now, facing a table full of bland food, he showed no reaction.

Jason gave Vanessa an annoyed look and playfully scolded, "I think *you're* the one who wants spicy food. Don't forget what the doctor told you today; you can only eat bland things right now."

Vanessa, scolded, let out a mischievous huff. "Alright, Bossy Pants, I'll listen to you, okay?"

Watching their interaction, my heart, which had been torn to shreds, felt strangely calm.

He shook his head helplessly.

"You two start eating. I'm going to make a call."

As Jason left, the smile on Vanessa's face slowly faded, and she shot me a challenging glare.

"Celeste Miller, you actually impress me. You know Jason proposed to me, yet you're still chasing him? You've got some nerve."

Hearing the disdain in her voice, I looked up at her. "Is stealing someone's boyfriend something to be proud of? Something worth flaunting in public?"

"You…"

Before she could finish, thick smoke suddenly billowed from the restaurant kitchen.

Someone saw it first and screamed in terror, "Fire!"

At those words, the bustling restaurant instantly descended into chaos, everyone scrambling in panic.

I quickly reacted and stood up.

Just as I was about to leave, a figure suddenly crashed into me.

Before I could steady myself, I heard a familiar, anxious voice: "Vanessa, don't be scared! I'll get you out of here!"

Jason didn't stop, quickly pulling Vanessa out. His heart pounded with a sense of relief, a joyous feeling of having escaped disaster. He abruptly hugged her.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness you're okay…"

As he said this, something suddenly occurred to him.

He sharply turned around and saw me standing not far away, watching them with cold eyes.

His voice caught in his throat, and he stammered, "Celeste, I… I was just so rushed, I didn't mean to leave you…"

"I know." I interrupted him coldly.

In that moment he embraced her and left, I clearly realized that the Jason Hayes who once promised to protect me for life had long since changed.

Seeing that I wasn't angry, he visibly relaxed and offered to drive me home.

"No need. Ms. Scott seems quite shaken. You should take her home first."