Chapter 2The Ultimate Checkmate: Marrying My Ex's Billionaire Rival

Sebastian didn't stay long; an urgent phone call pulled him away.

As a man who managed a global empire, attending a trivial alumni dinner was already highly unusual for him.

I quickly made up an excuse to slip out as well.

By the time I rushed out the front doors, panting, a chauffeur had already opened the door to a sleek, black Rolls-Royce.

"Mr. Sterling!" I called out, out of breath.

Sebastian paused and looked back.

Under the pale glow of the streetlights, his sharp, chiseled profile looked even more unapproachable and cold.

"Thank you... for tonight."

"No need."

Sebastian spoke calmly. "We are getting married. You can make it public now."

I opened my mouth but couldn't find the words.

The day I moved back to the city, I had absolutely no one.

I was dragging my suitcase down the street when I randomly ran into Sebastian's car.

"Did you come back to see Tristan?"

That was the very first thing he said to me.

"He's getting married," he added. "With his controlling nature, you'll find it very hard to survive in this city."

Then, Sebastian casually tossed out an olive branch. "I'm in need of a fiancée to get my family off my back. Think about it."

Driven by some inexplicable impulse, I agreed.

Honestly, I didn't understand what someone like him could possibly want from me.

I didn't dare use his powerful name to show off. I just wanted to keep my head down and live a quiet life.

"Bastian Sterling" was his birth name, the one recorded on his secretive family registry. Very few people knew it.

"I'm sorry... for causing you trouble tonight."

Sebastian stared at me quietly for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something else.

Eventually, he just said, "Text me when you get home."