Janice stiffened instantly. There was no way she could be mistaken. The man sitting behind the wheel was impossibly striking.

His looks were striking and well-defined, his side profile crisp and handsome. The custom-fitted suit traced a slim, toned frame, while the cufflinks at his wrists gleamed sharply. An epitome of elegance, he carried himself with the effortless confidence of someone born into privilege.

The man lifted the corner of his lips and smiled faintly at her.

Now, with a clear head, Janice recognized him. He was one of the most talked-about golden boys in the business world. The head of Gilbert Group. A name synonymous with flawless investments and relentless success. In just a handful of years, he had risen to dominate the entire business circle, his personal fortune rumored to rival national treasuries.

She had caught glimpses of him before, standing at a distance during banquets she attended with Karl. No matter where he appeared, he always commanded the room without trying.

Janice snapped out of her stupor and blurted out, "I'm sorry… I think I got into the wrong car."

She reached for the car door, ready to leave, but he reacted swiftly. His hand closed gently around her wrist, stopping her.

The warmth of his touch surprised her. Against her cold skin, the heat radiating from him felt almost overwhelming.

"You're in the right car," he said calmly. "Your brother asked me to come get you."

Janice froze. "You're… my brother's friend?"

"Yeah. We're very close. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Declan Gilbert."

He let go of her wrist and straightened, taking her hand instead in a polite handshake.

Thinking back to the night before, Janice spoke with genuine emotion. "Thank you for everything you did last night."

Last night, the temperature had been brutally low. If Declan hadn't shown up when he did, she didn't dare imagine what might have happened to her. As a doctor, she had seen too many cases of unconscious people dying of hypothermia.

Declan's deep-set eyes lingered on her delicate face. "Shouldn't thanks come with something more concrete?"

"Huh?" Janice blinked, caught off guard by his words. Did he intend to milk a large sum of money from her or something else?

Declan let out a soft laugh. "How about treating me to a meal?"

Realizing she had overthought, Janice gave an awkward smile. He had saved her life and even handled her medical bills. Buying him a meal was hardly enough to repay that debt.

It was only then that she realized Declan was still holding her hand. She quickly withdrew her hand. "Of course. That's only right."

Declan pulled his hand back, smiling lightly. "Then we'll decide on a time later."

Not long after, the car pulled up in front of the Reed family home.

The moment Janice stepped out, she noticed the whole family gathered at the entrance, waiting for her arrival.

Her mother, Madalyn Reed, excitedly took her by the hand and guided her into the living room. "Jani, why don't you move in and live with us? From now on, we won't let you endure any more hardship."

After finally finding her daughter back after so many years, Madalyn's only wish was to keep her close and protect her.

Janice nodded gently. "All right. Sounds good to me. Living together allows me to spend more time with you and Dad."

Her father, Kenneth Reed, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, a concerned look in his eyes. "Cristian told me about your divorce. That jerk Karl… I won't let him off the hook easily."

A shadow crossed Janice's clear eyes as she answered calmly, "No need to dwell on him. He and I are done."

Kenneth gave a small nod. "I'm relieved you are unfazed by the divorce. Rest assured, I'll make sure you find someone better."

A faint blush crept up Janice's cheeks. "Dad, I'm not ready to start a new relationship yet."

"We don't mean to rush you. Maybe you can just start by meeting someone new."

Madalyn grinned. "What do you think of Declan?"

"He's a good person. He seems kind," Janice responded. After all, Declan had saved her life.

Kenneth smiled approvingly. "That's good to hear. Actually, there's something we haven't told you yet. Our family and the Gilbert family have been close for generations, and even before you were born, an engagement was arranged."

"What?" Janice raised her voice, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Madalyn remarked, "Declan is essentially your fiancé. If you hadn't gone missing when you were a child, you would have married him long ago."

Janice's tone turned firm. "I'm not considering a new relationship right now. Besides, I don't have feelings for him, and I won't marry someone I barely know."

Worried that her parents would continue pressing the issue, Janice quickly excused herself and headed upstairs.

Just outside the doorway, Declan had not yet left. Every word Janice had said reached him clearly. He watched her retreating figure, a dark look in his eyes.

Noticing this, Madalyn hurried to reassure him. "Declan, just give Jani some time. She's just come out of a difficult relationship."

Declan nodded. "Our paths will cross again."

When Janice got back to her room, it suddenly hit her that she had forgotten to return Declan's suit jacket.

Hurrying back downstairs, she caught sight of Declan's tall figure just about to leave.

"Declan—your jacket. Thank you!" Janice called out as she rushed to him and passed the jacket back.

Declan lowered his gaze and said, "Do you really dislike me this much? You couldn't even stand keeping my clothes for a little while longer?"

Janice froze for a brief moment. Had he overheard her earlier conversation with her parents? The truth was, she didn't dislike Declan at all. She simply wasn't ready to rush headlong into another relationship without thinking it through.

"That's not what I meant..." she mumbled.

"Sorry for annoying you." Declan accepted the jacket and turned away. The fabric still carried a faint, clean trace of Janice's scent.

As Janice watched him walk off, she couldn't help wondering if she had offended him without meaning to.

Cristian approached her then. "Declan has a lot going for him. Once you spend more time around him, you'll see."

Janice gave a small nod. She had no problems with Declan.

After a brief pause, Cristian continued, "Come with me to the gala tomorrow night. I'll introduce you to some people in the circle. It's time you became familiar with the life you were always meant to have."

Janice smiled gently. "Alright."

The next evening, at a five-star hotel.

Janice stepped into the ballroom with her arm looped through Cristian's. She was dressed in a white off-the-shoulder evening gown. Tiny diamonds were scattered along the hem, with gold thread woven elegantly into the fabric.

Her slender figure and graceful face immediately drew attention from the guests around them.

She rarely attended galas, only accompanying Karl on the rare occasions when he asked. Even so, she stayed composed and unfazed in the face of numerous appraising looks at this moment.

Cristian soon spotted a few familiar faces. "Jani, I'll go greet some friends first."

"All right." Janice's throat felt a little dry, so she headed toward the refreshment area for a drink.

That was when she noticed two familiar silhouettes near the buffet. Karl stood there in a tailored suit, with Joyce leaning closely against him. The two looked intimate.

The moment Karl saw Janice, he stiffened. It was the first time he had ever seen her look this striking and elegant, and the sight made his eyes light up with admiration. How had he never realized before just how beautiful she was?

Joyce immediately caught the look in his eyes. Her expression darkened, and she let out a mocking laugh. "Janice? What brings you here? Don't tell me you followed us to this event."

Karl snapped out of his daze and coughed twice, trying to cover his discomfort. "Janice, I already have Joyce as my date tonight. You should leave."

He didn't want to be seen standing between two women; it would only make Joyce appear like a mistress.

Joyce seized the chance and added pointedly, "Janice, this is a VIP-only event. If people find out you snuck in, security will escort you out. That would be humiliating, wouldn't it?"

Janice found the situation absurd. Her clear eyes turned icy as she replied, "I didn't come here for you."

Saying that, she turned to leave.

Karl reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Janice, that's enough. Here's not the place to make a scene." He lowered his voice to deliver a warning. "Don't cause problems for me. Tonight, I'm meeting Mr. Gilbert from the Gilbert Group, our company's biggest investor, to talk about a partnership. If you don't leave now, I won't remarry you."

Janice paused. Looking at his self-important expression, she suddenly laughed. "Oh, please, Karl. Don't flatter yourself."

Shaking off his grip, she turned around, only to collide with someone head-on. The orange juice in her glass splashed all over the front of his suit.

"I'm so, so sorry!" Janice apologized again and again before finally lifting her head.

The man standing in front of her was devastatingly good-looking, his face sharp and refined, as though carved by a master artist. He had a cold, imposing aura.

It was Declan.

Heat rushed to Janice's face. Why did she keep running into him at the worst possible times? Her embarrassment was impossible to hide. She had only upset him the day before. Would he think she had deliberately crashed into him now?

Karl was the first to react. He hurried over, clearly flustered. "Mr. Gilbert, are you okay? Janice wasn't paying attention. I'll make sure she apologizes properly."

Turning sharply to Janice, he hissed, "Janice, apologize to Mr. Gilbert. Now."

Declan raised an eyebrow slowly. "Is a verbal apology really enough? Apologies should come with something a bit more… concrete."

Janice's eyes widened slightly as she stared at his face. Was he truly this petty? Was he planning to shame her in front of everyone?

Karl quickly grabbed a glass of liquor. "What if she drinks this as her punishment?"

"One glass isn't much of an apology. That hardly shows sincerity." Declan reached for a half-full bottle of whiskey resting on the table. "At the very least, it should settle with a bottle. Don't you agree?"

Karl hesitated, glancing at Janice with unease, and fell silent.

"Karl, Mr. Gilbert is an important client. You can't afford to offend him," Joyce whispered.

Karl's face hardened, and he glared at Janice. "Jani, you caused this trouble. Drink the alcohol and apologize to Mr. Gilbert."

Janice scowled. This was the man she had loved for three years, the same man who knew perfectly well that her stomach couldn't tolerate alcohol. He clearly wouldn't give a damn about her well-being.

Declan raised his chin slightly, fixing Karl with a contemptuous look. "Mr. Brooks, you've got it wrong. I was asking you to drink. If you hadn't grabbed her and refused to let go, she wouldn't have collided with me in the first place."

Janice froze, staring at Declan in disbelief. His expression was serious; there was no hint of playfulness. His punishment was directed at Karl.

Instantly, Karl's face went pale with disbelief. He stared at the bottle in his hand, visibly panicked. The alcohol content was dangerously high. Drinking all of it in one go could cost him his life.

Declan scoffed and asked coldly, "What? Are you unwilling to apologize?"

"N-no, of course not, Mr. Gilbert. Please don't be upset. I'll drink it right away." Karl didn't dare defy Declan. His company was already on the edge of a financial collapse, and securing the Gilbert Group project was critical.

Frowning, Karl tipped his head back and forced the liquid down. With every swallow, his face twisted further in pain.

Janice watched expressionlessly. If it were in the past, she would have been heartbroken watching him suffer. But now, all she felt was a strange, bitter sense of satisfaction.

Joyce hovered anxiously beside Karl, worry written all over her face, but she was powerless to stop it.

Karl finally finished the bottle. His legs wobbled as he struggled to remain upright. Rubbing his temple, he mumbled, "Mr. Gilbert… I've finished the alcohol. Can we talk about the partnership now?"

Declan's eyes were distant. "I only agreed to speak with you before out of respect for your wife. Now that I know you're divorced, there's no reason to talk about this partnership."