Alyssa Lambert, the only daughter of the world's wealthiest family, falls in love with Justin Fuller, a poor man whose company went bankrupt and is burdened with billions in debt.

In the third year of concealing her identity to stay by his side, Justin finally pays off all his debts, starts a new company, and makes his debut on the Nova Exchange.

As Alyssa watches his confident figure on stage, she thinks it's time to reveal her true identity.

When she arrives outside the private room booked for the celebratory banquet, she happens to overhear the lively chatter inside.

"Justin, Alyssa has faithfully stayed by your side for three years and was even willing to live in a basement with you. Now that you've paid off your debts and the company is publicly listed, isn't it time to propose to her?"

"Yeah! When the company was just starting up, and you had no money to hire people, Alyssa practically split herself into three and only slept four hours a day. She even took the initiative with every difficult deal. Where else would you be able to find such a great girlfriend? You'd better marry her soon!"

Alyssa's hand freezes on the doorknob, and she feels a wave of unease creep over her.

She had hinted about marriage before, but each time, Justin dodged the question by saying he still couldn't provide her with a good life.

Now that the company went public, would he… finally bring up the topic of marriage?

"I haven't forgotten the kindness Aly has shown me these past three years. I also believed she was the one for me, but…" Justin leans back on the couch with a glowing cigarette between his fingers.

Everyone's gaze is fixed on him, while outside the door, Alyssa feels her heart skip a beat.

"Claudia is back."

Justin Fuller's low voice was especially clear in the quiet of the private room.

"Claudia Reed?" one of his friends instinctively exclaimed.

The friend sounded somewhat frustrated as he said, "Three years ago, she broke up with you without hesitation and went abroad the moment your family went bankrupt. You kneeled in the rain, begging her to stay, but she didn't look back.

"Don't tell me you haven't let go of such a gold-digging woman!"

Justin exhaled a cloud of smoke, his expression indistinct in the hazy fog.

After a long while, he finally said softly, "Yeah."

That one word was like a poisoned dagger plunged deep into Alyssa Lambert's heart, causing her so much pain that it felt almost impossible to breathe.

She had never imagined that after three years of living together and staying faithfully by his side, he would still be unable to let go of the woman who had abandoned him.

Alyssa had stood by him from the lowest point of his life to his triumphant comeback.

Three years ago, the Fuller family went bankrupt overnight and became burdened with countless debts.

Justin's then-girlfriend, Claudia, broke up with him without hesitation and went abroad.

Despite being faced with these two blows, Justin didn't sink into despair. Instead, he stepped up and shouldered the responsibility alone, publicly vowing that the Fullers wouldn't collapse as long as he remained—and that they would rise again one day.

Alyssa happened to see that interview, and with just one look, was instantly captivated by his presence.

To prevent Justin from misunderstanding her motives, she concealed her identity as the sole heiress to a wealthy family. She portrayed herself as an orphan who was once aided by the Fullers and stayed by his side under the pretext of repaying their kindness.

She stayed with him from night until dawn to handle business, helped him deal with deliberate hurdles at social gatherings, and eased his stress after days of never-ending work.

For three years—amounting to over a thousand days and nights—she was the one by his side. Alyssa bore witness to his gradual return from rock bottom to the top.

Everyone said that true feelings were revealed in hard times, and that once the company went public, the first thing Justin would do was to marry her.

Alyssa also secretly looked forward to that day.

Unexpectedly, when the company did go public, Justin claimed that he still couldn't let go of Claudia, the woman who had once abandoned him.

Tears continuously streamed down Alyssa's face while she stood at the doorway.

The conversation inside continued.

"What about Alyssa, then? She stayed with you for three years. Is she really not as important as Claudia? If she learns you don't love her, she'll leave you."

"She won't," Justin replied with certainty. "Alyssa is an orphan. I'm the closest relationship she has in this world. She wouldn't leave me. She's helped me so much these three years, after all.

"Even though I can't marry her like she wants, I'll ensure she lives comfortably for the rest of her days."

Orphan… Couldn't marry her… Ensuring she lived comfortably for the rest of her days…

Each word hit Alyssa like a sledgehammer, striking her again and again until she was left dizzy and reeling.

Alyssa couldn't bear to listen any longer and stumbled backward.

It was only when she confirmed that no one was in the hallway that she broke down. She slid down the wall to the floor and allowed her tears to flow freely.

It turned out that Justin saw their three years together as something money could buy off.

But Alyssa wasn't an orphan. She was the only daughter of the world's wealthiest family, and she would never cling to a man whose heart belonged to another woman.

As for his promise of ensuring she would live comfortably, she had no need for that either.

Alyssa wiped the tear stains from her face, took out her phone, and dialed her mother's number.

"Mom, I've decided to come back and inherit the family business."

Marilyn Hale was overjoyed to hear that her daughter, who had been away for three years, was finally willing to return home.

"That's wonderful! It's about time for you to take over the family business.

"Oh, and the other day you mentioned wanting to introduce someone to me and your dad. It must be your boyfriend, right? Will he be coming back with you this time?"

When Alyssa first learned that Justin's company was about to go public, she had decided to tell him about her true identity on the day of the listing and then introduce him to her parents.

But now…

Alyssa's hand tightened around the phone as she struggled to hold back the overwhelming emotions.

"I have no boyfriend. It was a misunderstanding."

The voice on the other end paused, but ultimately, Marilyn didn't ask anything further. She only sighed and said, "Alright, then. The company will be holding a local press conference in five days. Aly, you'll attend it as the company representative before coming back to Albion.

"It'll be the perfect time to announce your status as heiress to the public."

Alyssa hummed in agreement. She chatted a bit more with Marilyn before hanging up.

Just then, someone happened to push the private room door open. When they saw Alyssa, they asked in surprise, "Alyssa, when did you get here?"

Instantly, the noisy clamor in the room quieted down.

Alyssa could very clearly feel a burning and somewhat nervous gaze lock onto her. She pursed her lips and swallowed down the bitterness that filled her chest.

She tried her best to make her voice sound no different from usual as she said, "I just arrived."

Inside the room, Justin quietly let out a sigh of relief. He smiled at her and said, "Come on in. This celebratory banquet wouldn't be complete without you."

His words prompted friends to chime in.

"That's right! If it weren't for Alyssa staying by Justin's side all this time, the new company probably wouldn't have gone public this fast."

"Alyssa can help Justin secure contracts and also take care of his daily needs. We're all really envious."

"You'd better treat her well, dude."

These were Justin's good friends who helped him establish the new company. They had all witnessed how Alyssa had firmly stayed by his side over the last three years.

Alyssa understood they were trying to persuade Justin to give up on Claudia, who had once abandoned him.

Justin didn't respond at that moment. He simply picked up a glass from the table and took a sip.

Of course, Alyssa noticed his evasive attitude. Her lips twitched faintly as she sat down.

She played dumb, saying, "Congratulations."

When he heard that, Justin turned to look at her with a gentle expression. It was as if the person who had uttered those heartless words earlier was someone else altogether.

"Alyssa, thank you for staying by my side for the past three years. Without you, I—"

Midway, he was abruptly interrupted by a woman's voice at the entrance of the private room.

"Justin, I'm back…"

Claudia's eyes were slightly red-rimmed as she stared at the man sitting in the center.

Justin's hand that was holding the glass tightened abruptly, and his knuckles turned white. His expression instantly turned icy as he enunciated each word slowly.

"Claudia Reed, how dare you show your face in front of me?"

Seeing his chilly demeanor, Alyssa lowered her eyes and sneered internally. If she hadn't personally heard him admit that he couldn't let go of Claudia, she might have been fooled by this icy attitude.

Claudia bit her lower lip, looking like she was on the verge of a breakdown. "I… I know you resent me for leaving you back then, but I…"

Halfway through her sentence, she stopped and didn't continue. Instead, her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she said, "I heard your company went public, so I wanted to congratulate you in person.

"I've said my congratulations, and I know I'll only be a bother here, so I'll leave now."

After speaking, she cast a sorrowful look at the expressionless Justin before covering her face and leaving.

At that moment, the private room was eerily quiet, with everyone focusing their gaze on Justin.

A long while later, he finally let out a light laugh and set down his glass. "Why are you all looking at me? Today is a celebratory banquet. Don't let an irrelevant person ruin the mood. Let's continue."

Only then did the others become lively again.

For the rest of the celebration, everyone tacitly avoided mentioning Claudia, acting as if she had never shown up.

Only Alyssa noticed that even though Justin smiled and celebrated with his friends on the surface, he kept secretly glancing toward the door.

She withdrew her gaze and self-mockingly downed the drink in her glass.

After the celebratory banquet ended, everyone bid farewell to each other.

Alyssa and Justin walked side by side toward the parking garage.

A cold, sharp gust of wind blew by, and she instinctively held herself.

The next moment, a warm coat fell over her shoulders.

"The weather has gotten cold. Remember to keep yourself warm." Justin's voice was gentle as he thoughtfully fastened the buttons for her.

While staring blankly at the man in front of her, who was meticulously buttoning the coat, Alyssa suddenly recalled that it was also a cold winter when she first came to Justin three years ago.

That was when he was at his poorest.

The two of them had huddled in a basement that had no heating and could only keep warm by snuggling close to each other.

Whenever he noticed that her hands and feet were still cold, he repeatedly got up in the middle of the night. Each time, he would refill the hot water bottle before tucking it into her arms.

As the heiress to a wealthy tycoon family, Alyssa had never experienced such harsh living conditions. Yet, on that freezing winter night, she could feel the fiery heart in her chest thumping fiercely.

The scene before her instantly pulled her back to that winter night. Suddenly, she felt an urge to hear his answer to her question, even though she already knew what he would say.

"Justin, will you marry me?"

The moment the words left Alyssa's mouth, Justin's figure froze in place. His gaze wavered slightly as he said, "Alyssa, the company just went public. It's a busy time for the business now."

Was he really busy with work, or was it just an excuse because he didn't love her?

Alyssa let out a faint chuckle and nodded faintly. "Alright, I understand."

Dodging the question was often the best answer in itself.

Alyssa didn't press further and headed straight for the parking garage. They had only taken a few steps when the man beside her suddenly stopped.

Alyssa followed his gaze and saw a figure in the distance. The person had their head buried in their knees and was crouching under the dim glow of a streetlight.

It was Claudia.

Justin's gaze remained glued to that figure as he spoke hoarsely. "I have something to attend to. Head back by yourself for now."

After saying that, he strode toward the woman.

Alyssa's feet remained rooted to the spot. She watched helplessly as Justin reached out and pulled Claudia into a corner.

Claudia staggered a little from the pull. Justin didn't move to support her, but his pace noticeably slowed.

Alyssa's hands subconsciously tightened by her sides. And in the end, she decided to follow them.

At the corner of the hallway, Justin grabbed Claudia's wrist. His eyes were bloodshot as he said, "You said you were leaving. Why are you still here?"

Claudia looked at him with red-rimmed eyes. "I… I just wanted to see you one more time."

Justin laughed coldly. He practically gritted out through his teeth, "You left so decisively back then. Why come back now?"

Claudia broke free from his grip and threw her arms around his waist. He buried her head against his shoulder and said in a choked voice, "I never wanted to leave you! It was my father who didn't agree to us staying together.

"He threatened to use you against me, saying if I didn't break up with you, he'd join forces with others to oppress you."

Justin didn't push her away. His hands clenched into tight fists as he said in a subdued tone, "Even if you had your reasons, you could have told me. We could have faced it together. But you chose to run away and only returned after three years.

"Now, what makes you think I would want a woman who once abandoned me?"

Tears streamed down Claudia's face, and she looked up at him through blurred vision.

"I didn't come back expecting us to be together again. I know you've had another woman by your side these last three years. I just wanted to see you one more time."

She let go and stepped back a few paces. In a broken voice, she said, "Knowing you're doing well is enough for me. I'll keep my dist—"

Before she could finish her sentence, her body suddenly went limp, and she fainted.

Standing nearby, Alyssa watched as Justin's cold facade crumbled and how he immediately gathered Claudia into his arms.

"Claudia?" His voice trembled slightly.

When he realized she had only fainted due to overwhelming emotions, Justin visibly relaxed.

He gently stroked her cheek, no longer suppressing his true feelings. He looked at the woman in his arms with a gaze full of calm affection.

"Claudia, it seems I'm completely at your mercy."

After saying that, he lifted her into his arms in a bridal carry.

Alyssa stood where she was and watched the man's figure gradually disappear from sight.

She suddenly felt a patch on her cheek. Upon reaching up to touch it, she found it was already wet.

Over the past three years, Justin had always treated her well. Even at his poorest, he would save up to buy her things.

Thus, she had believed it to be love.

But today, after witnessing how he interacted with Claudia, she suddenly realized that this was what Justin looked like when he truly loved someone. He would get angry and say things he didn't mean.

When he was with Alyssa, though, he only ever kept up a gentle facade.