Maybe it was the sweet nothings Fraser whispered to her that morning, but Bellamy felt like she was walking on sunshine. She strolled into the office humming a cheery tune.

Her assistant picked up on her good mood, handed her a cup of coffee, and whispered, "Madam, Sophia is here. She's been waiting in the lounge for quite a while now. Should I let her in?"

Sophia Hawkins, her so-called "cousin," was a nightmare to deal with.

Bellamy kept her smile, nodded without hesitation.

Sophia stormed in like always, not even bothering to knock. She shoved the door open and went off immediately.

"Bellamy! Why didn't you take me with you to Fraser's welcome banquet last night? Fine, you didn't take me-but then you ignored my calls? I had to wait outside without an invite for half an hour and still couldn't get in!"

Leaning back lazily in her chair, Bellamy propped her feet on the desk and looked at her with a smirk. "I'm not your babysitter. Why would I drag you everywhere I go? And do you even realize how many women were dying just to get a glimpse of Fraser last night? You couldn't even handle a half-hour wait? Please."

Since they were kids, Sophia always tried to stir trouble for Bellamy, only to end up humiliated every time.

Years of bickering later, Sophia hadn't changed a bit-still throwing tantrums like a brat. A couple of words from Bellamy was all it took to drive her up the wall.

"Don't go thinking just because you slept with Fraser, you've won the jackpot! You and your low-status self will never make it into the Branwell family! One day, Fraser's gonna get tired of you and toss you aside! But me? I'm a proper lady from the Hawkins family. Grandpa's always said I'd be the one to marry him. We'll see who's laughing then!"

Bellamy couldn't hold back a laugh. "If your grandpa's so powerful, why didn't he get you into that party last night? And what exactly do you mean by 'low status'? I'm the chairwoman of Hawkins Corp. Your whole family lives off the money I make! And you..."

She glanced at Sophia with thinly-veiled disdain. "Just some washed-up third-rate heiress. Even if I couldn't marry into the Branwell family, you think you've got a shot? Keep dreaming. Now run along and finish your homework."

"You shameless little illegitimate-" Sophia's face went white with rage, still trying to throw a tantrum.

Bellamy pressed the intercom. "Security? Yeah, come get Sophia. Seems like her condition's acting up again. Better take her home before it gets worse."

The security guards-men with real muscle-escorted a flailing Sophia right out.

Thanks to her little visit, Bellamy got a bit of morning exercise and felt even more energized tackling her workload.

Hawkins Corp had just won the bid for a huge property on the west side of the city.

For the first time, Bellamy had scored a win without riding on Fraser's coattails-so she was going all in on this one.

If it paid off, Hawkins Corp would finally make its big comeback, and she could walk away from her "deal" with Fraser with her head held high.

While Bellamy was burning with fighting spirit, ready to throw herself into the project, Fraser was back at the Branwell family estate, quietly listening to Marianne's lecture.

"Fraser, I really think you should stop seeing Bellamy. You've done more than enough for her. Now that you're officially the CEO of Branwell Group, keeping ties with her would only hurt your reputation-and drag our whole family down with it."

Marianne sat upright on the couch, her back straight as ever-that calm, composed look on her face had hardly changed. Even when she was giving what sounded like more of an order than a suggestion, her tone stayed warm and controlled.

Only whenever Bellamy was mentioned did her emotions give the slightest twitch.

Fraser let out a soft "yeah", eyes glued to the floor, while his mind was still stuck on how Bellamy looked last night in his arms-soft, sweet, impossible to forget.

She was that tempting. How could he possibly settle for anything less than giving her everything?

Marianne's expression stiffened for a beat, a flicker of sadness crossing her face.

She knew Fraser hadn't been paying attention. That half-hearted "yeah" said it all. The boy she'd poured her whole heart into raising, brought up with endless love and patience, wasn't that same kid anymore-the one who used to cling to her, call her "Mom."

Since he turned twenty, since Bellamy showed up in his life, that changed. Now he just called her Marianne or Mrs. Blake.

Half her life had passed, and there wasn't even someone who still called her "Mom." Was that not tragic?

But... as long as Fraser didn't fall too deep for Bellamy, there was still hope. Maybe there was still a chance to turn things around.

Fraser wasn't the emotional sort-distant, self-contained. Over the years, Bellamy had clung to him like glue, never letting go. But she was headstrong, controlling. Thanks to that, Fraser hadn't really connected with other women.

Once he met a girl who was the complete opposite of Bellamy, he'd see it. He'd realize just how messy Bellamy was-and how wonderful other women could be.

Marianne quickly pulled herself together and smiled again.

She gently placed Fraser's hand into her own, voice soft and full of affection. "The Grants invited our whole family over for dinner tonight. Alexander was out of town yesterday, so this is his way of making it up to you. Oh, and your brother's flying back, too-his assignment's wrapping up."

"It's just a homecoming. No need to roll out the red carpet," Fraser said with a faint smile. But his eyes grew colder.

She said "our whole family" so naturally-it somehow stung.

If they were all one family... what about Bellamy? Where did she fit in?

Right, the Hawkins family never acknowledged her. Who would claim her?

So, Mrs. Blake-how could I possibly walk away from a girl the world refuses to care for?

*****

They called it a welcome dinner for Fraser. In reality, it was more of a setup-a low-key matchmaking dinner with Lydia.

Lydia had ditched her usual classy, conservative vibe for something totally different-a made-to-order fresh, girly dress. She looked like a college freshman-basically a carbon copy of Bellamy back when she was eighteen or nineteen.

Lydia wasn't dumb.

She knew Bellamy was the direct type-bold and blunt, no interest in playing games or faking niceness. That's why Lydia believed every word Bellamy said to her last night.

At most, Bellamy was just Fraser's fling. So why bother going after her? Getting Fraser's attention directly was the smarter move.

Still, Bellamy had managed to stay by Fraser's side for six years, which had to mean something.

Curious, Lydia dug up old photos of Fraser and Bellamy together. Every time, Bellamy showed up in some playful, casual outfit-nothing stiff or fancy.

So Fraser must go for the cute-and-carefree type, she figured.

Lydia kept her nerves in check, forcing herself to smile with grace as Fraser walked toward her.

When Fraser sat down across from her, his expression didn't even twitch. He gave her a small nod, totally indifferent.

Lydia had been hoping for some praise or maybe a hint of surprise, but when none of that came, she forced a smile anyway, trying to keep up the elegant and graceful act in front of him.

Marianne noticed the disappointment too, and though she wasn't thrilled either, she was more composed. She offered a gentle smile. "Fraser, doesn't Lydia's outfit suit her nicely? She looks so light and full of life in it."

"Does it?" Fraser barely lifted his eyelids as his gaze briefly swept over Lydia. "I must have a poor eye. Can't really tell. Though I remember Bellamy wore something similar once-it looked pretty fresh and lively on her."

He said it so casually, like it meant nothing.

But Lydia's face changed instantly. Her fingers clenched the hem of her dress so tightly she looked about ready to tear it to shreds.

Marianne was momentarily stunned and didn't know what to say next.

Alexander Grant, Lydia's father, aware of his daughter's interest in Fraser and seeing things going south fast, stepped in to save the moment.

"Fraser, you really are impressive! A couple years back when I was in Amerden talking business, one of my partners mentioned you-youngest top executive on Wall Street, turned a nearly bankrupt software company around and even got it listed on Nasdaq. That's nothing short of a miracle."

Alexander had a polished yet menacing air about him-years in business had sharpened him. Even his compliments felt like veiled threats.

Primewell Group, Alexander's company, had a shady past, but he'd covered it all up cleanly.

Fraser had no particular fondness for him. Despite respecting his seniority, he had no patience for polite pretenses. So he just smiled faintly and replied, "You flatter me, Mr. Grant."

Alexander caught the cold tone but brushed it off with a laugh, turning instead to clink glasses with Arthur.

Meanwhile, Marianne had perked back up again, pulling Lydia close and trying every angle to steer the conversation toward Fraser and her.

But Fraser, once he switched to "emotionally unavailable" mode, was like a solid wall-nothing could faze him. No matter how much Lydia tossed conversation bait with Marianne cheering from the side, he stayed quiet and unreadable.

As things slowly slipped into awkward silence, Axel Branwell, Fraser's big brother, finally arrived in a bit of a rush.

"Sorry, everyone, flight got delayed. I'll take three shots as punishment!" Axel, with his chiseled features and those well-defined brows, looked every bit the no-nonsense military man. He downed three shots straight like it was nothing.

Fraser frowned and snatched the glass away in disgust. "Do your punishment, sure, but don't use mine!"

He waved a waiter over to set Axel up with a full place setting while Axel plopped down next to him, smiling like a kid at Christmas.

He gave Fraser a good once-over, even reached over to pinch him. "Damn, it's only been a month and you've bulked up again. You're catching up to me."

Fraser rolled his eyes and scooted his chair a bit further away. "And you've come back even darker than before. Took me a second to recognize you."

The two brothers kept roasting each other, back and forth, like they were on a comedy show instead of at an awkward arranged date dinner.

With nothing better to cling to, Fraser decided to ride out the dinner by bickering with Axel. Toward the end of the meal, he quietly slipped out his phone, dodged Marianne's gaze, and sent Bellamy a text.

[You home now? If not, where are you? I'll come get you.]

Instead of texting back, Bellamy just called.

Fraser picked up and heard her yelling over the noise, "I'm drinking people under the table right now!"