In a luxurious room of a high-end hotel, Nicholas Coldwell stared fixedly at the phone Julia Bluen had just disconnected.
He really wanted to call back; he realized he desperately missed her voice.
When he decided to abandon Julia Bluen and be with Diana Powell, he knew he had feelings for Julia. But to climb higher, to secure a place for himself in the business world, he ultimately chose his career.
He thought he could be indifferent, that he could stop paying attention to Julia. But he hadn’t expected Julia to be the true heiress, the one truly capable of helping him ascend, saving him a hundred years of struggle. This unexpected news had shattered all his self-assuredness. Coupled with Glades Horne’s connection, he regretted it.
Glades Horne... oh, he dreamt of having some connection with him.
These past few days, though he was honeymooning with Diana in beautiful Hawaii, not a moment went by when his mind wasn’t occupied. If he hadn’t secretly gotten involved with Diana behind Julia’s back, hadn’t had an affair with her, abandoning Julia, the one he truly loved, then he would have become the brother-in-law of the Horne Family’s heir. What did that mean? It represented the rise to prominence he had always craved.
Even without being Glades Horne’s brother-in-law, just by being the son-in-law of the Bluen consortium’s CEO, he would have had enough opportunity to display his talents and establish himself in the business world.
He couldn’t stop thinking about it, couldn’t stop regretting it.
"What’s wrong?" Diana Powell asked as she came out of the bathroom and saw him staring blankly at his phone. "Did you take care of the matter Dad mentioned on the phone? Will Julia Bluen let us off the hook for your sake and spare our Cosmos Group?"
Nicholas Coldwell turned his head to glance at her, mockery in his eyes, and said irritably, "After being deeply hurt by someone, would you still plead for them?"
Diana was slightly taken aback, then said, displeased, "What kind of attitude is that? You were the one who hurt her, not me." Diana was a pampered heiress. Even though she was ordinary in appearance, her temper was not to be taken lightly. Furthermore, as the Powell Family’s only child, with no siblings, she was spoiled beyond reason by her parents, which only worsened her temper.
It was precisely because of her parents’ excessive doting that she developed a personality where she had to get whatever she wanted. Knowing full well that Nicholas Coldwell and Julia Bluen were lovers, she still insisted on seducing Nicholas.
Now that she knew her family had offended both the Horne and Bluen families, she pushed all the blame onto Nicholas Coldwell. In her view, it was Nicholas’s decision to choose her; it was Nicholas who abandoned Julia Bluen, so it had nothing to do with her.
Seeing Diana Powell angry, Nicholas Coldwell quickly reached out to embrace her, smiling warmly. "I’m sorry," he said, "I was also angered by Julia Bluen."
He had already lost Julia, and for now, he couldn’t afford to lose Diana. Once he controlled Cosmos Group, he would kick this ugly woman to the curb. With his looks and talent, even if he couldn’t win Julia back, he’d at least marry someone whose appearance matched his own.
Now that he was with Diana, anyone who saw the couple could guess their union was motivated by his greed for money. Of course, in front of the Powell Family, he always put on a good act, never showing any sign of coveting their wealth.
"What did she say? That damn woman! How did she suddenly become the second daughter of the Bluen consortium?" Seeing her husband’s expression soften and hearing his apology, Diana’s mood improved. Nestled in Nicholas’s embrace, she complained bitterly. She was extremely envious of Julia Bluen, jealous of her beautiful appearance and model-like figure. In the company, she always regarded Julia with hostility.
At work, she would occasionally instruct the Chief Financial Officer to make things difficult for Julia. However, these attempts always came to nothing because Julia was extremely experienced in financial accounting.
Diana had previously thought Julia’s strong work performance stemmed from diligent study, but now she realized it was an innate aptitude. The Bluen consortium’s Finance Department was vastly larger than that of Cosmos. Even if Julia didn’t work at her family’s company, she would surely know a thing or two about its operations. With time, she naturally gained experience.
Embracing Diana and sitting down on the bed with her, Nicholas lovingly caressed her face and gazed at her tenderly. "It doesn’t matter who she becomes, I don’t want her," he said. "No matter how noble her social status, in love, she’ll always be your defeated rival, Diana. I love you."
Diana raised her eyes to meet his affectionate gaze, her cheeks blushing shyly, her voice softening. "I know you love me. But just thinking about that hateful Julia Bluen makes me furious. She was the one desperately clinging to you, and now that we’re married, she’s actually using her brother-in-law to retaliate against us. It’s utterly shameless."
Hearing Diana belittle Julia, Nicholas felt a twinge of displeasure. On the surface, however, he feigned the same righteous indignation as Diana, saying, "Well, her brother-in-law is Glades Horne, the Horne Family’s heir."
"Nicholas," Diana suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest. "You must work hard and strive," she encouraged. "One day, we’ll surpass the Horne Family and slowly take revenge for today’s humiliation."
Holding her, a hint of grimness flashed in Nicholas’s eyes before he responded, "For you, I will fight."
"After the honeymoon, when we return to the office, I’ll have Dad promote you to Vice President of the company. As equals, husband and wife, let’s work hard together so that Cosmos will become a business kingdom like Valence Group in the future."
Her infatuated gaze remained locked on Nicholas; she had, in fact, been smitten with him at first sight. That was why she had tried every possible way to get close to him, showing him affection and care. At first, Nicholas was merely polite to her, showing no emotional attachment, because he was in love with Julia at the time. Diana saw how well he treated Julia every day, and those scenes constantly pained her heart.
She wasn’t in any hurry; she was willing to wait.
However, she always subtly arranged for Nicholas and other senior company managers to meet clients, frequenting high-end establishments and showing Nicholas how glamorous and prestigious the lifestyle of the Upper Class Society was. Nicholas, who came from poverty but harbored lofty aspirations and an inflated sense of self-worth, believed that with his abilities, he too could rise above others. When he learned that his monthly salary wasn’t even enough for a single meal at the Emperor hotel, his pride suffered a heavy blow. An indignant feeling began to grow within him—someone with his looks and talent shouldn’t be languishing at the bottom. He began to strive upwards, using opportunities when she wasn’t looking to connect with her wealthy friends and curry favor with clients.