"Three years later, nothing's changed, huh?

"Linda Turner, will you ever stop?"

I frowned slightly at Nelson's accusation.

"What do you mean?"

My former fiancé, who once promised to love me forever, now looked at me with nothing but disgust.

"Everyone in Brookshire knows that Trada Corp plans to partner with Anne. If you're not here to steal her project, why would you suddenly fly back from abroad?"

Trada Corp wants to partner with Anne Miller?

How did I not know about this?

My eyes widened with surprise, but Nelson mistook it for guilt at having my true intentions exposed.

His disgust now mixed with contempt.

"Do you still think you can push Anne around because you're a Turner?

"Trada Corp isn't like the small businesses in Brookshire. They don't care about your family name. If you don't want to make a fool of yourself, you'd better leave."

I pulled out my invitation and waved it in front of him.

"Sorry, but I was invited to the bidding conference. You can't make me leave."

"You'd better not—"

Nelson was about to threaten me when he noticed the reporters whispering nearby. A look of realization crossed his face, followed by a sneer.

"Linda, I've told you—our engagement is over. Please stop being obsessed with me. Whatever happens between Anne and me, there's no future for us."

"You've got it all wrong. I'm only here for the bidding. I'm already married, and I couldn't care less who you end up with."

I spoke clearly—explaining to Nelson wasn't my main concern; I wanted the reporters to hear the truth.

The reporters fell silent, but Nelson just laughed.

"Linda, is this some kind of game? You think pretending to be married will make me jealous? Playing hard to get won't work. I don't care if you're married or not."

"I know."

I nodded and stepped into the elevator that had just arrived.

As long as the reporters didn't spin tales, I didn't care whether Nelson believed me.

As I pressed the close button, Nelson stepped in too.

The elevator doors shut, leaving just the two of us in the small space.

With a dark look, Nelson asked, "What will it take for you to leave?"

I gave him a slight smile. "You don't trust Anne’s ability very much, do you?"

"How could you ever compare to Anne?" he smirked. "After Anne signs with Trada Corp, I'm proposing to her right there. I don't want you around to give her the wrong idea."

My response was simple and cold.

"Congratulations."

"Can't you just stop? I know you're jealous, but you can't force love. This isn't good for either of us."

His voice was tired but condescending. "Look, if you leave now, I'll personally give you two projects from Peterson Corp."

I shook my head calmly. "No thanks."

His tone turned nasty. "I'm only trying to protect Anne's feelings. Back off while you still can, or you'll end up with nothing."

After that, I ignored everything else Nelson said.

By the time the elevator doors opened, his face was red with anger.

He stormed out and said one last thing to Ben Turner, who was waiting by the door, before marching off in his expensive shoes.

"Control your sister before she causes trouble."

I looked at my biological brother and silently cursed my bad luck.

I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm as I stepped out of the elevator.

Ben pulled me to a quiet corner and glared at me. "What are you doing here?"

I answered flatly, "Bidding."

"This is ridiculous. Go home now," Ben scolded. "Are you trying to repeat what happened three years ago and steal Anne's project again?"

Ben's words were almost identical to what Nelson had said when he first appeared.

I looked up at the person who shared the closest blood tie with me in this world and couldn't help but feel the irony.

Three years ago, that project was jointly funded by Turner Enterprises and Peterson Corp.

It wasn't a large project, but for a startup company, it was a rare opportunity.

I thought that having connections would give me an advantage, so I went to Ben asking for the project, but he vetoed me immediately. When Nelson heard about it, he came over and scolded me too.

They said it wouldn't be fair to those self-made small companies.

But I didn't understand—business is all about resource integration. If I had the ability to complete the project and the connections, why couldn't I use them?

Later I found out they were supporting Anne Miller, who was also competing for the project.

Right after Ben and Nelson warned me, they each sent professional teams to help Anne improve her project proposal.

And when I was about to win by just one vote, they personally stepped in as judges and cast their votes for Anne, turning her defeat into victory.

When I confronted them, they justified themselves confidently.

"Can't you show some empathy? You have two safety nets with Turner and Peterson, but Anne has no choice but to succeed. Since we have the ability to help her, of course we should."

In my previous life, I refused to accept this and exposed the whole thing publicly, causing Anne to lose the bid.

After that, I repeatedly worked against her.

To get revenge for Anne, Ben and Nelson joined forces to sabotage my company, causing me to go bankrupt even before Anne did.

When I was cornered by debt collectors with nowhere to turn, the two people who should have been closest to me stood beside Anne, mocking me as they watched my desperate situation.

I lost consciousness in a heavy downpour, and when I opened my eyes again, I was back at the project bidding conference three years ago.

Watching Ben and Nelson cheat for Anne just like in my previous life, my heart died completely.

After shutting down my company, on the very night they were celebrating with Anne, I boarded a plane and left the country alone.

For three years, they never contacted me.

Yet the first time I returned, they were immediately defensive, afraid I might hurt their precious loved one.

Even after living two lifetimes, I still felt a painful ache in my heart.

My eyes welled up as I looked at him, repeating the same words I'd said three years ago when he tried to make me withdraw before the bidding conference began. "I'm not participating in the bid as a Turner. You have no right to make me leave."

With that, I shook off his hand and started to walk away.

But after just a few steps, two security guards suddenly appeared and blocked my path.

I turned to look at Ben, but he simply said with a blank expression, "If Anne wins this project, her company can go public at least two years earlier. I can't let you ruin her chance."

If a company representative doesn't show up for bidding, they're considered to have forfeited, and the slot goes to the next candidate.

He had supported Anne for three years yet still had no confidence in her abilities, still needing to cheat to help her even now.

Yet this useless person had managed to make the two people closest to me betray me repeatedly.

I couldn't help but laugh, even as I felt a sense of desolation.

I wanted to ask Ben what he liked about Anne, but then felt it was pointless.

Between us lay a lifetime of resentment—reconciliation was impossible no matter the reason.

"Ben Turner, do you really think these two men can stop me?"

He frowned. "What did you call me?"

"Huh." I let out a soft snort and turned toward the security guards.

"Stop her."

At Ben's command, the two muscular guards lunged at me.

As hands reached for my shoulders, I suddenly stepped forward. While leaning my body backward, I thrust both palms forward, aiming for the exposed armpits of the guards as they raised their arms.

Seeing this, the guards quickly changed tactics and pressed downward. I pulled my hands back to my chest, straightened my back with force, and leaned forward, simultaneously striking both guards in the chest with my elbows.

Bang! Bang!

The guards stumbled backward. I stepped around behind them and, before they could regain their balance, delivered a powerful push to each of their backs, creating distance between us as they staggered.

Our positions were now reversed.

As the two guards steadied themselves and prepared to charge again, I stepped back, positioning myself within view of the security cameras.

"Stop!" Ben quickly called off the guards, then looked at me with a complex expression. "When did you become so skilled?"

I gave him a silent glance before walking toward the bidding venue.

Yes, why indeed?

Living alone abroad wasn't easy. The number of times I was robbed each month was several times higher than what others experienced.

If I hadn't learned to protect myself, I probably would have died overseas long ago.

By the time I entered the conference hall, Anne was finishing her presentation.

My seat wasn't far from Nelson's.

When he saw me, he lowered his voice and taunted, "I can't believe that useless brother of yours couldn't stop you from getting in."

He gestured toward the person on stage, his eyes filled with unmistakable admiration and love.

"See that? If Trada Corp hadn't already decided to give her the project, why would they specially invite her to speak?

"Since you're here, you'd better behave yourself.

"If you ruin things for Anne, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Just then, Ben also entered the hall.

Seeing everyone was now present, I smiled slightly and gave a subtle nod in a certain direction.

As Anne finished her last sentence and prepared to leave the stage, the host went up and asked her to stay.

"I'm sure everyone recognizes this familiar face. This is Anne Miller, the rising star of Brookshire's business world. In just three years, she's built her company from nothing..."

After a series of compliments, the host's expression suddenly changed, and the tone shifted.