Chapter 117

The sharp clink of a coffee cup hitting the floor shattered the silence. Brown liquid seeped into the carpet, leaving a dark stain.

Su Wan shot to her feet, her fingers trembling slightly. She stared at Shen Mo, whose expression remained indifferent, her throat tight. "So... you've always seen me as an outsider?"

Outside, the rain grew heavier, droplets tapping against the window like countless tiny needles.

Shen Mo adjusted his cuffs with deliberate calm, his tone icy. "Miss Su, we were only ever business partners."

The words cut like a knife, piercing straight through her heart. All those late-night conversations, the quiet moments they'd shared over the past three months—had they meant nothing to him?

"Business partners?" Su Wan let out a hollow laugh, her eyes glistening. "Then why did you—"

"It was just part of the act." He cut her off, his gaze flickering over her reddened eyes. "Profit comes first. Surely you understand that."

The rain drummed harder, filling the room with the bitter scent of spilled coffee.

Su Wan clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. Now she saw it clearly—every tender glance, every fleeting touch—had all been carefully orchestrated traps.

"Impressive, Mr. Shen." She lifted her chin, clinging to the last shreds of her pride. "I was a fool to believe otherwise."

His phone lit up with a notification. Against her will, her eyes caught the familiar profile picture—Miss Lin, the heiress to Lin Corporation and Shen Mo's rumored fiancée.

So that was it.

She turned toward the door, her steps unsteady as if walking on cotton. Behind her, Shen Mo's voice remained detached. "I'll have the contract delivered tomorrow."

Su Wan didn't look back. Only when the elevator doors closed did she finally let the tears fall.

The mirrored walls reflected her shattered reflection. In this meticulously crafted game, she had never been anything more than a pitiful outsider.

Samuel Bright arrived at Michael Stone's house in a hurry, his face as grim as if it were covered in frost. Without even stopping for a sip of water, he got straight to the point: "I came as soon as I heard. Is Charles home? His fiancée's family suddenly demanded the 'Three Turns and One Sound' dowry plus five hundred yuan. That’s practically extortion!"

Though Charles Clark was strong, he was only the second son in his family—neither the favored youngest nor the eldest who managed household affairs. Every time he earned money outside, he was lucky to keep thirty percent for himself.

After a month of hard work with their group of four, the profits split according to their investments left Charles with just over three hundred yuan—nowhere near enough to cover even a fraction of the dowry.

"Even if he had the money, he shouldn’t give it!" Daniel River slammed the table in frustration before turning to Michael, who had remained silent. "Michael, say something!"

Both Samuel and Daniel stared at Michael expectantly.

"This is Charles’ family matter," Michael finally spoke, his voice low. "We're still outsiders after all."

Daniel nearly jumped in agitation. "Michael! That girl’s family is clearly taking advantage! What gives them the right?"

What gave them the right? The fact that Charles was head over heels for her?

Samuel analyzed calmly, "This doesn’t seem straightforward. A sudden price hike like this—I suspect they don’t actually want to marry their daughter off."

"Could something have happened in their family?" Daniel suddenly wondered.

"Not sure," Samuel shook his head. "I’ll look into it. The girl’s from the neighboring brigade—I’ll make a trip there."

Daniel clenched his teeth. "Even if Charles is willing, we have to stop him! If he gives in this time, who knows what they’ll demand next? They’ll bleed him dry!"

After a long silence, Michael finally made a decision. "Samuel, go find Charles. Everyone’s coming here for dinner tonight."

Samuel’s eyes lit up. "I heard Emily bought meat?"

Michael gave a slight nod. "Yes, a little."

Without lingering further, Samuel left to find Charles, while Daniel and Michael returned to their work.

Samuel searched half the village before finally spotting Charles sitting alone on the high riverbank, lost in thought.

"Charles," Samuel sat down beside him, gazing at the shimmering water. "Emily bought meat today. Michael wants us all to come for dinner tonight."

Suddenly, Charles buried his head in his hands, his voice breaking. "Why? Everything was agreed upon! I was planning to marry this winter, have a few kids... She’s just an ordinary village girl..."