Chapter 3The CEO Who Bled Me Dry is a Wreck After My Rebirth, While I'm Holding Hands with a Supermodel

The next morning, an exquisitely wrapped gift box was sitting on my office desk.

The moment I untied the ribbon, a strange, foul stench hit me. The black leather shoes were covered in suspicious, sticky stains, with clumps of hair stuck to the heel.

My phone buzzed. A message from Leo popped up. Mr. Logan, I thought about it and couldn't bear to take something you love. Here are the shoes back. Wore them dancing with Victoria last night, whoops! Got a little dirty~

Fighting back a wave of nausea, I threw the shoes in the trash.

A message from my mother suddenly appeared. Thomas, the dowry list the Thornes sent over is absolutely staggering!

I opened the file and sucked in a breath. The value of the assets listed could buy the Logan Corporation three times over. The Thornes, known for their low-profile, mysterious ways, had made an unprecedented show of sincerity for me. The rare treasures on the list alone were proof of how seriously they were taking this union.

At Cresthaven's annual business gala, I was chatting with a few friends when the main doors swung open. Leo walked in, dressed in a garish sequined suit with tacky diamond cufflinks.

Whispers erupted around us.

"My god, what is he wearing? So tasteless…"

"Did you hear? He was originally a servant at the Frost estate. No idea how he wormed his way into being Miss Frost's assistant."

"I've seen his type before. Ambitious and rotten to the core."

Leo's expression didn't change as he walked straight towards me.

"Mr. Logan," he said, raising his voice deliberately. "Those limited-edition shoes… why aren't you wearing them?"

I took a sip of my wine, my voice light. "Oh, something dirty touched them. I threw them out."

He was momentarily speechless, then sneered. "Just you wait, Mr. Logan. You're no match for me."

Before the words were even out of his mouth, he threw himself backward with dramatic flair, crashing into a champagne tower. It collapsed with a deafening roar, sending glass shards flying everywhere.

"Ah!" he screamed, and every eye in the room swiveled to us.

Before I could react, Victoria rushed over and shoved me violently. I stumbled back, my hand landing on a pile of broken glass. Blood immediately welled up.

"Thomas Logan!" Victoria cradled a trembling Leo, her eyes blazing with fury. "What did you do?"

Leo leaned against her. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have shown my face in front of Mr. Logan and offended him."

He sobbed, "He said my background was beneath him…"

"Apologize," Victoria commanded coldly.

I clenched my bleeding hand. "For what?"

She suddenly reached out and ripped the jade pendant from my neck—the only thing I had left from my grandmother.

"No!" I lunged for it.

CRACK! She smashed it on the floor, and it shattered into a dozen pieces.

"Next time," she said, helping Leo to his feet and looking down at me, "it won't be this simple."

My fists were clenched so tight my knuckles were white.

For the next week, the entertainment news was filled with photos of Victoria taking Leo on lavish shopping sprees.

I acted as if I didn't see a thing.