Sorry Ex, Your Dad Chose Me

"BREAKING NEWS: Ian Wright and Scarlett Hayes are engaged. The powerful match could reshape the business world!"

On the massive LCD screen, Ian stood beside Scarlett. Camera flashes went off nonstop around them.

The television replayed the same footage over and over. Elyse Miller sat on the sofa, eyes red and swollen after hours of crying.

With a click, the villa's front door swung open.

Ian stepped inside, a faint smell of cigarette smoke clinging to him. He loosened his tie and glanced at the empty dining table. His brow furrowed. "Why isn't dinner ready yet?"

Elyse turned toward him. The raw, red rims around her eyes were impossible to miss.

The usual gentleness was gone from her striking face. So was the quiet deference she had always shown him. Only a deep stillness remained. "Ian, we're done."

Ian stopped halfway through taking off his suit jacket. Then he gave a short, sharp scoff.

He crossed the room in a few long strides and stopped in front of her. He took her chin between his fingers and tilted her face up. "Are you jealous?"

Elyse jerked her head aside and pulled free from his touch.

"Elyse, don't make a scene." Ian's tone was dismissive. "This is nothing but a strategic marriage. It's a business alliance between our companies. You know my father would never let me marry an orphan with no status. But none of that changes how I feel about you. You'll always be the one I love."

Ian then leaned in to kiss her.

Elyse shoved him away with all the strength she had.

She rose to her feet and stared at him with cold disappointment. "Then what you call love is worthless."

Ian lifted one hand and idly played with a strand of her hair. "Don't start getting greedy, Elyse. You only got together with me because I'm a Wright, didn't you?"

Elyse slapped him hard across the face.

Her hand shook, and her red-rimmed eyes were fierce. "You've gone too far, Ian!"

Ian ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek. When he faced her again, his eyes had turned dark. "You haven't seen how far I can go. You haven't even finished college yet. If you leave me, my family will cut off your financial support immediately. You won't last a single day in Afordale without us. Don't make a decision you'll regret."

Elyse's chest clenched painfully. She stared blankly at the man in front of her.

This was the boyfriend she had loved for three years.

Back then, her exceptional grades had earned her special admission to Afordale's most prestigious school.

But entering the campus as a poor scholarship student had made her an immediate target. She was isolated and bullied from the start.

Ian had been the only bright spot in that miserable time. He had protected her from the constant cruelty around her.

She hadn't learned until later that the Wright family had been paying for her education all along, or that Ian was a member of that family.

When he pursued her with such passion, she believed he was her salvation.

After spending three years as his secret girlfriend, she finally understood how he had always seen her. In his eyes, she was nothing but a social climber and a gold digger chasing money and power.

The realization hurt so badly it felt as though something in her chest had torn apart. The pain left her unable to breathe.

"I will never regret it." Elyse's red eyes blazed as she spoke. Every word was deliberate and final.

Elyse turned to leave, but Ian's cruel voice stopped her. "Developers have been asking about the land under the orphanage. They want to buy it, demolish everything, and redevelop the entire property. I wonder what will happen to all those children when it's gone."

Elyse stopped cold. She couldn't make her feet move.

She spun around and glared at him with pure hatred. "Don't you dare go after that orphanage, Ian. If anything happens to those children, I swear I'll make you pay."

Ian saw her panic and slowly smiled. He stepped closer, and his voice dropped into a teasing drawl. "And how exactly are you going to make me pay, Elyse?"

He stopped directly in front of her and ran his fingertips along her cheek. "All I have to do is lift a finger, and you won't have any way to fight back."

Elyse turned her face away from his touch in disgust.

Ian didn't seem bothered. "If you want me to leave the orphanage alone, it's simple. Stop talking about breaking up, stay by my side, and be good. Do that, and I promise I won't let anything happen to the orphanage."

Fresh tears filled Elyse's eyes. "You're being such a jerk."

Ian lowered his head and breathed in the scent of her neck. His eyes shone with smug satisfaction. "How else am I supposed to keep you under control without using a few tricks? Now, quit throwing a tantrum. And don't forget the gala tomorrow night. Make sure the Spencer family signs that contract."

Elyse secretly sneered at him. So that was the real reason he had rushed over.

Spencer Pharmaceuticals ranked among Afordale's leading pharmaceutical companies and had negotiated several major projects with Wright Group.

Everyone believed Ian's business skills had secured those deals.

What no one knew was that Spencer Pharmaceuticals had originally offered her a position as a pharmaceutical R&D specialist. She had turned it down because she wanted to help Ian. Only then had the Spencer family agreed to work with him instead.

Just then, Ian's phone buzzed.

He checked the screen. His brows drew together ever so slightly. "Something came up at the office. I need to go."

With that, Ian grabbed his suit jacket and hurried out before Elyse could respond.

Elyse watched Ian leave. The tears in her eyes slowly dried, and her gaze turned cold as ice.

Ian thought he could control and threaten her as much as he wanted simply because she had come from nothing. But he made a serious mistake.

Elyse's voice was ice-cold. "So you want that deal? I'll make sure it falls apart."