Chapter 2Money Can’t Buy Real Love

Fueled by the superpower of cash, Anna was eventually won over.

Six months later, they held their wedding of the century at a castle in France. The guest list was a who’s who of high society, and the event dominated the headlines for weeks. Even a year later, people still talked about it with envy.

But for those of us on the inside, it was a different story.

I ran into Grayson at a birthday gala. He came over with a glass of champagne, trying to make small talk. As he reminisced about our past, I kept my responses polite but distant.

He was alone. No Anna in sight.

“Trouble in paradise, Mr. Cole? Making you miss your ex?”

It was meant as a joke, but his expression turned serious.

“What if I said yes? Could we start over?”

My face remained a placid lake. I looked at him coolly.

“You went to great lengths to win her over. Are you telling me you’re already bored?”

A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face. I could smell the gossip, but I had no desire to get tangled up with him again, so I resisted the urge to ask for details.

I remembered how Grayson had bought out every billboard in the city to declare his love. Subway stations, office lobbies, building light shows—all broadcasting their “pure” romance. It reeked of money, but when a reporter interviewed Anna, she had bashfully claimed, “I just love this kind of simple, down-to-earth affection. I don’t need fancy cars or mansions, as long as he loves me with all his heart.”

Right. My mistake.

She was wrong about one thing, though. I wasn't the one looking down on their love. I was just another prop in their game.

After the gala, Grayson tried to add me back on social media.

I gave him my assistant’s contact info. “If you need something, contact my assistant. He’ll pass it on.”

Just because the marriage was off didn't mean the business had to be.

The next day, in a torrential downpour, Anna threw herself in front of my car. She looked like a drowned rat.

I took her to a nearby cafe and had my assistant call Grayson.

Anna’s jaw was set stubbornly. “Don’t call him. I don’t want to see him.”

So they’d had a fight.

“You must be feeling pretty smug right now, huh?” she muttered, staring down at her hands.

“What would I have to be smug about?” This was ridiculous.

Her head snapped up, and she glared at me. “Why are you trying to seduce him? Don’t tell me you’re still not over him.”

I scoffed. “I swear, I haven’t even had his number since we broke up.”

She didn’t believe me. She pulled out her phone and showed me a video she’d taken the night before. In it, Grayson was drunk, slouched on a sofa, muttering to himself.

“Victoria, I can’t forget you. Let’s start over, please.”

“Victoria, I was wrong. You’re the one I really love.”

I couldn’t listen to any more of it and reached over to stop the video.

“As you can hear, he’s the one who’s not over me. I don’t do leftovers.”

Anna pushed her luck. “Then promise me you’ll stay away from him from now on.”

I leaned back in my chair and flatly refused. “Can’t promise that. We’ll likely have professional dealings.”

Before I could react, she threw her cup of coffee in my face.

The warm liquid streamed down my cheeks. The cafe erupted in gasps. Someone was already recording on their phone.

I pressed my tongue against the inside of my cheek, already calculating how much I was going to bill Grayson for this.