The moment I opened the door barefoot, I realized how ridiculous I was being.

"Patrick? It really is you—you're back?" Sonya Peters from the neighborhood committee beamed when she saw me and gave my shoulder a warm pat.

"Yeah, Sonya, I'm back. What's going on?"

"Oh right, I got so caught up talking to you I almost forgot." Her expression turned serious. "Patrick, you should head downstairs and take a look. There are a few black SUVs blocking the entrance to the alley, and they said they're here for you. Our streets are narrow enough as it is—people can barely get in or out now."

Frowning, I followed Sonya downstairs.

The second I stepped outside, I spotted Olivia's black car parked at the mouth of the alley.

As soon as she saw me, a bodyguard opened the door, and Olivia stepped out in her high heels.

I immediately turned to leave.

Behind me, her icy voice cut through the air.

"Patrick, stop right there!"

I ignored her and walked faster, but her personal bodyguard blocked my path a moment later.

"Patrick, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

Olivia stormed up to me in her heels and slapped me across the face without a second thought.

"You've gone way too far!"

I slowly turned my face back toward her.

The love that had once filled my eyes was completely gone.

She froze for a second, then spoke coldly again.

"Do you have any idea I left an entire room full of guests behind just to come get you? Hurry up and come with me."

I didn't want to deal with her, but more and more neighbors had started gathering in the alley to watch the drama unfold.

I might not have wanted to be around Olivia, but I wanted even less to be the center of everyone's gossip.

After weighing my options, I finally walked toward her car in my pajamas.

The rear window rolled down.

Dressed in a formal suit, Shawn looked at me apologetically.

"Patrick, sorry about this. I'm not feeling great, so Olivia wanted me to sit in the back with her. I guess you'll have to tough it out in the passenger seat."

Olivia walked up right behind him.

When she noticed me staring at Shawn in the back seat, a flash of embarrassment crossed her face.

She opened the rear door for me herself and awkwardly tried to cover for him.

"Shawn isn't feeling well, so I brought him along to get some air. You don't mind, do you, Patrick? The back seat is big enough for the three of us to sit together…"

I quickly looked away and got into the passenger seat on my own.

"I don't mind."

My indifferent attitude clearly got under Olivia's skin. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but stopped herself.

She slammed the rear door shut and said coldly, "Drive."

As the car pulled away, the curious neighbors were still hanging around outside, watching us go.

Olivia's expression darkened even more because of it.

"I honestly didn't expect a dirty, rundown place like that to still be livable," she said scornfully. "Showing up somewhere like that in custom couture—it's unbelievably bad luck."

Hearing that, I shot her a glare through the rearview mirror and sneered.

"Since you're so high and mighty, Ms. Ranch, you really shouldn't have bothered coming here today."

"You—!"

Before she could finish, Shawn spoke up in a pitiful voice.

"Olivia, is Patrick upset again because I came along…? Maybe I should switch seats with him."

Olivia stared at me through the rearview mirror and snapped viciously, "You stay right where you are. Let's see what he dares to do to you."

I pretended not to hear her. I closed my eyes and leaned back to rest. I needed to save my energy for the battle ahead.

'Olivia, since you won't let me walk away in peace, don't blame me for doing things my own way.'

The car finally stopped in front of a hotel owned by the Ranch Group.

Olivia was still livid. The second the car stopped, she got out and walked off without looking back.

Her bodyguards stayed close behind me, so she wasn't worried about me trying to run.

After I slowly stepped out of the car, Shawn walked over to me with a smug smirk. The weak, pitiful act was gone. Now, he stood in my way arrogantly, his face full of triumph.

"Patrick, don't get too full of yourself. Olivia is my wife now. You're nothing but a pathetic side piece she won't even acknowledge in public."

He let out a cold laugh.

"Just wait and see. In the end, the one standing beside her with a smile will be me."

"Let me congratulate you in advance, Shawn," I said with a smile, giving a mocking little clap as I brushed past him. "You finally managed to turn from a sparrow into a phoenix."

I walked straight toward the banquet hall.

The truth was, I knew exactly why Olivia had gone out of her way to drag me here today.

It wasn't because she cared about me.

It was because the industry-leading corporation signing with the Ranch Group tonight was a client I had personally landed.

The executives at that company only recognized my skills. They had made it clear that all future cooperation between our companies had to be handled exclusively by me—otherwise, the deal was off.

If I didn't show up tonight and they realized their terms had been ignored, that multi-billion-dollar project would fall apart.

That was why Olivia had lowered herself enough to go all the way to the slums to bring me back.

The moment I reached the entrance of the banquet hall, Olivia walked over from the side.

Her perfectly shaped brows furrowed as she looked me up and down in my cheap pajamas, undisguised disgust written all over her face.

"You're seriously planning to go in like this? Isn't that embarrassing enough?"

After taking her shot at me, she grabbed me and pulled me into the backstage dressing room.

She picked out a tailored suit that matched the white gown she was wearing and threw it at me.

Then she gave a sharp order to the makeup and styling team. "Get him ready. Fast."

Like a puppet, I was pushed around and handled by one person after another.

By the time they were done, even I barely recognized the man staring back at me in the mirror.

"At least you finally look halfway decent," Olivia remarked sharply from behind me, her arms crossed.

Hearing her tone, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

The truth was, I had never cared much about looks.

After all, once tonight was over, I would be leaving her world for good.

Since this was the final night, I honestly didn't care what anyone thought of me.

Once the styling was done, Olivia forcefully looped her arm through mine and led me into the banquet hall.

The second we stepped inside, spotlights hit us.

The surrounding chatter and clinking glasses immediately went silent.

A strange dizziness washed over me.

For a brief moment, it felt less like a corporate banquet and more like my wedding with Olivia.

And then the host's voice confirmed what I was thinking.

He cleared his throat and loudly recited blessings about everlasting love and happiness.

Then he announced that the signing ceremony would officially begin after Olivia's engagement banquet.

As his final words landed, I finally snapped out of it. I tried to shake Olivia off, but she clung tightly to my arm.

"Patrick, you'd better cooperate with me tonight!" Her voice was sharp with warning.

I let out a cold laugh and used all my strength to pry her hand off me.

Under the stunned and gossipy stares of the crowd, I spoke calmly.

"Today's engagement ceremony is nothing more than a performance personally orchestrated by Olivia. I knew nothing about it, and I do not accept it.

"Olivia and I no longer have any kind of relationship. She and her assistant, Shawn, are already legally married. I have no interest in interfering in someone else's marriage.

"And finally, I formally announce that as of today, I am no longer an employee of the Ranch Group. I will not be involved in any future business matters for the company."

At the end, I looked at Olivia and smiled.

"I've already transferred the penalty fee for my resignation into your account. From now on, we're done."

Olivia stood frozen in place. Her hands clenched tightly around the fabric of her gown as she stared at me in disbelief.

Then I turned and walked away.

Realizing I wasn't joking, the representatives from the signing company angrily slammed their wine glasses down and stormed out in a group, leaving behind only one furious remark.

"What a complete circus."

The smaller companies that had been invited to the banquet, however, stayed right where they were, all eager to watch the spectacle unfold.

Just as I reached for the doors, Olivia finally snapped back to reality.

Shouting orders at the bodyguards, she ran toward me in a panic.

"Patrick, stop right there!"