"Emily, just let go already. Ethan doesn’t like you anymore. He’s into me now. Don’t make this harder than it is—for any of us," Jessica said smugly, curling herself comfortably into Ethan’s arms as the car finally stopped shaking.

The air was thick with a strong, nauseating smell that left no room for guesses.

Emily’s fists clenched at her sides. She blinked fast, forcing back the tears that kept welling up, her voice calm but tight as her clear gaze locked onto Ethan. "So? What do you have to say?"

She’d been dating Ethan for three years—it felt serious enough to talk marriage. That trip she took? She got back a whole day early, ring box in hand, all set to surprise him and pop the question herself.

But waiting for her wasn’t a celebration.

Instead, she found his car parked downstairs with the windows fogged up and rocking in a way that needed no explanation. She went closer. And yeah—he didn’t even bother making excuses.

And the woman tangled up with him? Jessica. Her old friend. The woman she’d helped at work, even poured her heart out to like a sister.

"Emily," Ethan finally spoke up, his tone flat, "since you already saw me and Jess, I’ll be honest. You and I? We’re just not right for each other. Let’s break up."

He freed Jessica from his arms, grabbed his jacket, and pulled out a blank check from the pocket along with a pen. He handed them to Emily.

"Also, it’s better if you stop coming to work. Jess might feel awkward seeing you there. We’ve dated for three years. Since I’m ending it, it’s only fair I give you something. Fill in whatever number you think’s appropriate, pack up your things, and go."

So that was it? Dumped and kicked out in one move?

He seriously thought she’d take money as some kind of farewell gift? Like she needed it?

Of course, he had no idea who she really was—Emily Lancaster wasn’t just some girl off the street. She was George Lancaster’s daughter, heir to an empire.

Three years ago, her father had sent her out on her own with nothing from the family—no money, no name-dropping. It was a challenge, a test. Because she was the only child, the future head of the Lancaster Group.Now that the three-year mark had arrived, and with Summers Group still struggling to seal an ongoing deal and facing a serious cash flow crunch, Emily had planned to propose to Ethan. She even thought about asking her parents from Jiangcheng to come over, maybe offer some advice—or worst- case scenario—pitch in some financial help to get the Summers Group through the rough patch…

“Heh.” She let out a dry laugh, laced with disappointment and irony. “Ethan, do you seriously think I dated you just for your money?”

Jessica butted in coldly, “Didn’t you? Emily, now that everything’s out in the open, why fake it anymore? These past three years—would you have landed that director role if not for being Ethan’s girlfriend? Would you be living in a fancy downtown condo if not for him? Would you be making two hundred grand a year? Would those elites in Bincheng even notice you if you weren’t with him?”

She sneered, her tone turning more aggressive. “You got all these perks off Ethan. And yet you stayed cold toward him… what, planning to ditch him for someone richer once you climbed high enough?”

Jessica’s little speech was basically flipping the script, blaming Emily. Then she shot a look at the blank check and added, “If you really wanna convince us you weren’t in it for money, that you weren’t using Ethan for personal gain, then since you two are done, hand the check back. Let’s part ways clean.”

“I’m fine with that,” Emily said, lifting the check. “I’ll take it too.”

“Three years ago, I joined Summers Group by going through the hiring process like anyone else. It was Ethan’s grandfather who interviewed me, and I started out as deputy director. Just two weeks in, I helped the company close a thirty-million deal, and that earned me the director title. A month after that, I met Ethan. He chased after me for six months before we started dating.

Now that he’s cheating on me with Jessica and wants to dump me and kick me out of Summers Group—fine. I won’t stop him.

But let’s be clear. I make two hundred grand a year. When I signed my five-year contract with Mr. Summers Sr., the clause clearly said if the company ends the contract early, they owe me 100 times the remaining salary. I still have two years left. That’s four hundred thousand. Times one hundred—forty million.”

Without skipping a beat, Emily filled in the amount on the check, folded it neatly into her pocket, and handed the pen back to Ethan’s stunned hand.

“What?! Forty million? Are you insane?!” Jessica practically leapt toward her, reaching out to snatch the check. “Give it back!”