Stephanie wasn't sleepy at all in the middle of the night.

She was starting to get thirsty, so she exited her bedroom for a glass of water. But when she walked past Tyler's bedroom, she found out that there was a gap in the door. A dim yellow light could be seen spilling from within the room.

After overhearing the phone call last night, Stephanie had used her discomfort as an excuse to move to the guest bedroom for the time being.

At that moment, faint sounds could be heard coming from Tyler's bedroom. They sounded awfully suggestive.

Soon, Tyler's quiet, breathless words were punctuated by a pant. "Kiki, stop messing around. We're in my home right now."

"What? Are you worried that she might find out about us?" Kiara's honeyed voice soon followed. "Ty, what are you afraid of? We're the ones who are legally married to each other."

"Kiki!" Tyler's voice suddenly became stern. "What happened between us is a thing of the past."

"Ty—"

"I wouldn't have married you if not for the fact that I needed to help you shake off your abusive ex-husband. I've dated Steph for five years. She's my girlfriend, Kiki. In the future, she will become my actual wife. Once your matter is resolved for good, we'll get—"

The rest of his sentence completely vanished. More suggestive sounds came from Tyler's room once again.

Having regained her senses, Stephanie finally realized how badly her hands were shaking at the moment. A trace of mockery was quick to cross her eyes.

Tyler was a man who was six feet and two inches tall. If he didn't want to have anything to do with Kiara, there was no way she'd be able to kiss him by force.

If he truly wanted to help Kiara get rid of her abusive ex-husband, was marrying her really the only option?

Those two shameless bastards just wanted to screw each other in bed, yet they felt the need to come up with such reasons just to justify their actions!

"Ty, don't you miss us being a couple? Stephanie can't even pleasure you the way I do!"

"Kiki…" Tyler's voice was extremely hoarse at that point. Clearly, he was extremely horny for Kiara.

After that, sounds of the couple being entangled in each other's passion could be heard coming from Tyler's bedroom.

Stephanie had already recorded their conversation with her phone. All she felt at the moment was nausea and disgust. Finally, she rushed into the bathroom and began dry-heaving into the sink repeatedly.

How disgusting… and ridiculous.

Upon leaving the bathroom, Stephanie received a text from the client. Apparently, a problem had emerged in the project, so she needed to make changes to the details overnight. She was already exhausted by then, but she had no choice but to burn more midnight oil for the project.

After turning on her computer, Stephanie suddenly recalled a memory from the past. Back then, Tyler had joined the election campaign to become the next student president. She busied herself running around canvassing votes for him, already losing count of how many times she put on forced smiles or how much effort she had put into helping Tyler.

Once Tyler successfully became the student president, she ran herself ragged, dealing with everything there was in the student council. After their graduation from university, she joined his company and burned herself out for the sake of his career.

Stephanie's stomach was starting to hurt. The pinpricks of pain were what snapped her out of her memories.

This would be the last time she helped Tyler. Besides, she wasn't doing this entirely for him—she wanted to wrap up this project purely because she and her team members had spent half a year working on it.

Countless memories flashed through Stephanie's mind. She remembered the five years' worth of contributions she had made toward Tyler, the immense pain she had suffered in the car accident two years ago, the pain of losing her leg, as well as watching her dream to dance shatter before her eyes, as well as the lewd sounds made by Tyler and Kiara when they were screwing in Tyler's bedroom earlier.

After Stephanie investigated everything related to the car accident, she vowed to make the shameless couple pay the price.

…

Early in the morning, Stephanie smelled the delicious aroma of freshly-cooked food the moment she stepped out of her bedroom. She turned around to see Tyler frying eggs in the kitchen. There was also bacon being fried on the side.

Kiara stood at the kitchen doorway while gazing at him smilingly. "It's been so many years, Ty. In the end, the breakfast that you make is the most appetizing to me."

"Wait for me at the kitchen table."

As Tyler spoke, he turned around to look at Kiara, only to accidentally make eye contact with Stephanie.

"Steph!" He smiled at her gently, just like how he did every morning in the past. "Good morning."

Stephanie's lips merely curled into a self-deprecating smile.

Tyler had never cooked for her over the past three years. Even when she drank too much to the point her stomach hurt during business negotiations on his behalf, he had never served her breakfast. All he did was order someone else to bring food over.

All this time, Stephanie had thought that Tyler wasn't the type who knew how to cook. It turned out that she didn't deserve to be pampered like that.

"Good morning, Ms. Ford."

Kiara whirled around to look at Stephanie. She wore a shirt with a V-neck. As she spoke, she'd tug her shirt downward to reveal the hickeys scattered across her chest.

Bile kept rising in Stephanie's throat, prompting her to turn on her heel and walk away.

Coincidentally, Tyler walked out of the kitchen with a plate of fried eggs. When he noticed Stephanie, he spoke up right away.

"Steph, let's head over to the company together later."

"I'm not going to the company." Stephanie didn't bother glancing back at Tyler. "I'm going to the hospital."

"The hospital? Are you feeling unwell?" Tyler placed the eggs on the dining table. "I'll go with you."

He was about to approach Stephanie when Kiara grabbed his arm.

"Have you forgotten about your promise, Ty? You told me you'd accompany me today…" She sounded pitiful and aggrieved.

As Kiara expected, Tyler stopped in his tracks hesitantly.

Stephanie seemed to have predicted the same thing as well. She left the house on her own, no longer caring about Tyler's phony acts.

As Tyler watched Stephanie leave, he felt slightly uneasy for some reason. But he was aware of how much she loved him. At most, she'd get mad at him for not accompanying her to the hospital. What was there to worry about?

Once Stephanie reached the hospital, she went through a thorough checkup.

"The state of your gastritis has worsened. I'll prescribe you some medicine. Remember to take it on time," the doctor said as he looked at the report.

Stephanie heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she wasn't pregnant at all.

"Ms. Ford, did you overwork yourself again? Did you stay up past midnight and skip meals often?" The doctor wore a stoic look. "You might be young now, but if you don't take your gastritis seriously, you'll most likely suffer from major health problems in the future."

Stephanie could only smile bitterly in return. It was true that she had devoted all of her efforts to the project to the point that she neglected her own health.

But now, the project was in its final stage. There was no need for her to work herself to the bone anymore.

"Thank you, doctor. I'll be more careful with my health."

"And not just during this period, you know. You'll have to take care of yourself from now on."

"Got it," Stephanie replied softly. "I won't wreck my health ever again."

Once she grabbed her medication and left the hospital, she set off to the company. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she heard a gentle and kind voice addressing the other employees.

"We'll be colleagues from now on. Here's a little something from me. Don't be shy, everyone!"

"Wow! These are pastries from May's Delights! I remember that bakery being on the pricier side!"

"Ms. Grover, you're so generous!"

"I'm glad to see everyone liking these pastries!"

The colleagues in the Executive Office crowded around Kiara, who was distributing the pastries to them one by one.

"Ms. Ford, you're here!" A colleague greeted Stephanie when she saw her. "Come, come! This is Ms. Kiara Grover, our new colleague!"

Kiara looked at Stephanie, a smile tracing her ruby lips. There was a faint hint of provocation and delight in her smile.

Stephanie frowned slightly, but she chose to ignore Kiara. Instead, she walked toward her own workspace. Her assistant, Brenda Miller, scooted over instantly while wearing a resentful and upset look.

"Why must this happen to you, Ms. Ford?"

"What's wrong?" Stephanie turned on her computer as she wanted to refine one of the schedules in the project.

"You've put in so much effort into the project during this period. Why is it that others get to savor your fruit of labor?"

That was when Stephanie paused in her typing.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Mr. Grover just announced that the project you're in charge of will be transferred to Ms. Grover, effective today." Brenda sounded very miffed.

Stephanie could feel blood rushing to her head instantly.

No wonder Kiara shot her that look. It turned out that she got to rob Stephanie's fruit of labor that she had been cultivating for the past half a year or so without even lifting a finger.

Stephanie rose to her feet instantly. Then, she strode right into Tyler's office.

"Are you planning to let Kiara head that project?"

Having expected that Stephanie would confront him, Tyler remained calm and composed.

"You've been working far too hard for so long," he said gently. "In fact, you even visited the hospital today. I'm very worried about your health, Steph. That's why I decided to transfer the project over to Kiki."

But Stephanie just sneered in return. "The project is already in its final stage. The hard times are already over. Who will you list as the person in charge when the project ends? Who will be the one receiving the profit generated by this project?"

She almost ruined her health by working hard on this project. Yet, Tyler intended to let Kiara take the credit with just a simple command.

"Steph!" Tyler's expression darkened slightly. "I want Kiki to participate in the collaboration with the Fords. If she's listed as the contributor of this project, it'll greatly benefit me. Can you settle down already?"

As Stephanie looked at the way Tyler spoke with such conviction, her rage suddenly cooled off.

Didn't she already see through his true colors? What was there to feel disappointed about? Since he wanted to give the project to Kiara that badly, he could go ahead and do that.

But who said anything about Kiara being able to stomach what she was fed?

As he sensed Stephanie's sudden calmness, Tyler's expression softened considerably as well. He rose from his seat before approaching her, his hand soon grasping her icy one.

"Steph, as Kiara's brother and sister-in-law, it's normal for us to help our younger sister out. Don't you think so?"

Stephanie drew her hand out of Tyler's grasp, her expression still glacial.

"Whatever you say."

Tyler frowned slightly in return. Clearly, he was displeased by Stephanie's attitude. Then again, since she was no longer hung up on losing the project, he didn't chastise her anymore.

"Kiki has just taken charge of this project, so there's a lot that she has yet to learn. Please help her out for the time being, okay?"

Not long ago, Tyler had righteously told Stephanie that he was worried about her overworking herself and her health overall. Yet now, he wanted her to help Kiara out.

The hint of mockery in Stephanie's eyes was far too strong for Tyler to ignore, resulting in him coughing awkwardly.

"Anyway, what did the doctor say to you at the hospital? Your health shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Tyler's belated concern for her health didn't rouse any feelings within Stephanie at all. She just thought that he seemed even more ridiculous now.

"It was nothing," she replied perfunctorily. "I'm taking my leave, then."

Tyler watched Stephanie leave, feeling his uneasiness wash over him once again. But it quickly dissipated the moment he saw Kiara entering the office.

"Did Ms. Ford get mad at you, Ty?" she asked tentatively while walking toward Tyler.

"Nope." Tyler flashed her a comforting smile. "You don't have to worry about anything. Steph has always been thoughtful."

"Oh. That's great, then."

Despite what she said, Kiara still felt immensely displeased on the inside.

She had already snatched Stephanie's project from her, and yet the latter didn't kick up a fuss in front of Tyler.

What she wanted was to see Stephanie getting into a huge fight with Tyler and piss him off. That way, the tension between them would intensify.

But Stephanie's reaction… Hmph! That woman sure was a good actress!

Kiara was quick to come up with a plan on the spot.

"Ty, since today is my first day at work, why don't we host a team dinner tonight? Let's invite everyone who works in the Executive Office. That way, it's easier for me to befriend them."

"Alright," Tyler agreed to the idea without hesitation. "I'll get someone to book a private room for us right away."

Soon, everyone in the Executive Office found out about the team dinner that would be hosted that night.

"Why is a team dinner being hosted all of a sudden?"

"Isn't that obvious? Mr. Grover wants to welcome Ms. Grover to the company!"

"Who on earth is Ms. Grover, anyway? She shares the same surname as Mr. Grover… Does this mean she's family to him?"

"That can't be, right? The way they look at each other is so steamy that even I can feel the heat from here. Maybe their sharing a surname is just a coincidence."

"That makes her Mr. Grover's girlfriend, right? I used to think that Mr. Grover and Ms. Ford were an actual couple…"

"That can't be it, right? If they were truly dating, they'd have announced it a long time ago."

Everyone kept chatting in a gossip chat group on their phones.

Meanwhile, Stephanie scanned around the office with a stony expression.

Kiara was only here for less than a day, and yet the colleagues in the Executive Office were able to pick up on the suggestive relationship she shared with Tyler.

Those two really loved each other a lot, eh?

Stephanie remembered the time when she intended to announce her relationship with Tyler to the rest of the company. But Tyler had told her, "Steph, the company is a workplace at the end of the day. Let's not drag our private affairs into this space."

Initially, Stephanie thought that Tyler wanted to keep his private life locked away from his subordinates, so she agreed to keep their relationship a secret.

Now that she thought about it, Tyler just wanted to save the position of his wife for Kiara.

Stephanie didn't want to attend the team dinner at first, but she couldn't stop her colleagues from dragging her there. Left without a choice, she could only head toward the hotel with her colleagues.

Everyone knew that this dinner was hosted in favor of welcoming Kiara to the company. That was why people began toasting to Kiara the moment the dinner started.

But Tyler was quick to block those glasses. "Kiki can't drink because of her poor health. I'll drink on her behalf."

Then, he picked up the glass in front of him before downing everything on the spot. He even ordered a glass of juice for Kiara after that.

Everyone began cheering on Tyler in the private room. Since they were no longer in the company, the employees, who were usually afraid of Tyler, grew bolder around him.

"Mr. Grover cares about Ms. Grover a lot!"

"Mr. Grover really is a wonderful man!"

Their words got Kiara blushing like mad. "N-Nonsense! Mr. Grover just took pity on me for having poor health…"

"Oh my! Ms. Grover, there's no need to downplay it! Mr. Grover clearly cares about you!"

"Does this mean you'll receive all of our toasts on Ms. Grover's behalf, Mr. Grover?"

Tyler smiled faintly while glancing at Kiara, who sat next to him. "I'll drink everything no matter how many times you keep toasting to her."

"Wow!"

Everyone gasped in surprise. They never would've thought that Tyler, who was known to be cold and aloof, would show such a tender side when he was in love.

Meanwhile, Stephanie just sat in a corner all by herself, her gaze pinned on the glass of wine before her.

Once upon a time, she had attended business gatherings with Tyler. She remembered downing glasses of hard liquor in those gatherings. And yet, Tyler never blocked any of those drinks meant for her.

Then again, she was also pretty stupid back then. Whenever Tyler showed concern for her and had someone prepare a hangover meal after she'd finished drinking, she thought he cared a lot about her.

Now, Stephanie got to see for herself what Tyler was actually like when he truly cared about someone. He didn't have the heart to let Kiara drink at all, even when she was presented with beer, which had a low alcohol rating.

"Ms. Ford," Kiara suddenly called out to Stephanie, her voice dripping with fakeness.

Stephanie raised her head to see Kiara standing before her with a glass of beer in hand.

"I heard that you've been guiding everyone over the past few years. Everyone respects you greatly, Ms. Ford. Since it's my first day here, I should toast to you."

Then, she handed the beer glass over to Stephanie.

Stephanie remained calm. "Sorry, my stomach has been feeling off lately, so I can't drink alcohol at all."

"Ms. Ford…" Kiara looked upset. "Did I somehow piss you off? I just wanted to toast to you, that's all…"

Stephanie was rendered speechless by Kiara's act. All she did was speak the truth.

But Kiara soon turned to look at Tyler in an aggrieved manner, making the latter frown instantly.

"Ms. Ford," he said coldly. "Kiki is your new colleague. You should drink the alcohol she offered to you."