Waiting for Love to Die

Her face had lit up with admiration when I proposed it.

"Honey, you're incredible! This won't just put our companies on the map. It's going to make our wedding the talk of the town," Melissa had said, her eyes glowing with admiration. "I'm the happiest woman alive."

Now, I let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh. There was nothing left worth asking.

Just as I turned to leave, she stopped me and flung a stack of papers onto the table.

"Since the engagement is off, you'll hand back your 20% stake in Young Group. That was meant for my fiance. And now, Nicky is my fiance."

Nicolas handed me a pen with mock politeness and said, "Come on, Leonel. You're filthy rich. A few shares like this don't mean a thing to you, right?

"Thanks for stepping aside. I'll make a great vice president at Young Group and take good care of Melissa."

My grip on the pen faltered. I looked up at Melissa, her face set in cold impatience, a cruel contrast to the excitement she'd shown me the day she first handed me those shares.

I clicked the pen and signed my name in one decisive stroke.

Without looking back, I walked out of the office and called my secretary.

"The chairman's approval has come through. Start pulling our investment from Young Group tomorrow," I said coldly. "The sooner, the better. I don't want to see their faces in public another minute."

Zucker Group's legal team jumped into the online fray and redirected the narrative toward Melissa's cheating.

As the tide of online abuse against me eased, I finally felt a moment of peace.

But the next morning, Young Group held a press conference.

On the screen, Melissa held Nicolas' hand and declared solemnly, "I'm here today to announce that Young Group will be renamed YouGib Group. This is a promise I made to my fiance."

Then she turned it around on me. "The people attacking me online were hired by Leonel. I've put up with his volatile temper and controlling ways for years. It got so bad I couldn't even have dinner with anyone without his permission.

"Nicky's the only one who's ever stood by me, quietly supporting every decision I've made. So today, I, Melissa Young, want to make it clear. Whatever it takes, I'll fight Zucker Group to the very end."

Almost immediately, my phone buzzed nonstop with messages.

"Mr. Zucker, YouGib Group has poached a large number of Zucker Group's clients and resources. Many of our projects have come to a standstill."

"That's not the worst of it. Melissa convinced several shareholders to withdraw their investments and move them to YouGib Group instead."

Those were the clients and resources I'd secured before our engagement, all to prepare for the merger of our companies.

Once we were married, the merger would go through, and those resources would be ours to share.

But I didn't expect her to snatch away all the groundwork I'd laid for our marriage alliance without a word.

Anger shook me to my core, and I went straight to confront Melissa.

"Melissa, our engagement is over! What makes you think you can take resources meant for our merger?" I said. "Don't you realize this is corporate fraud?"

Melissa signed the incorporation papers for her new company, then shot me a dismissive glance. "I had every right to those resources. Why wouldn't I take them?"

She scoffed and added, "Maybe you should ask yourself why the shareholders and partners chose me over you—a man with a ruined reputation who dragged his company's name through the mud."

My fist clenched as I roared, "Ruined reputation? You know damn well whether those rumors were true, and who threw me into this mess!"

She ignored my fury and shoved me aside as if I were nothing. Linking arms with Nicolas, she said coldly, "Are you done? Nicolas and I are heading to our new office site. Do us a favor and stop wasting our time."