Chapter 1

My name is Marcus Sterling. When I was thirty, I thought I was finally on the verge of success.

It was autumn of 2023. As Senior Vice President of Business Development at Blackstone Industries, I had just secured the largest contract in the company's history—a $50 million deal with European tech giant Nexus. CEO Jonathan Blackstone approached me personally, slapping my shoulder hard: "Marcus, you're the star of tonight's celebration. Bring your beautiful girlfriend; it's time to introduce the board to the man who will lead the company to new heights."

My girlfriend, Emily Hart, was my classmate at Harvard Business School. Five years of relationship seemed solid enough to me. She has the quintessential American sweetheart look—long blonde hair, blue eyes, and that sweet smile that could make any man's heart race. More importantly, she comes from New York's upper class; her father is a renowned investment banker.

"Darling, tonight is a very important night for us." I adjusted the tie of my bespoke Italian suit in our luxurious Manhattan apartment, watching Emily apply her makeup in the mirror. "Blackstone said that if this project goes well, he'll consider putting me on the board."

Emily smiled at me in the mirror, but I noticed her smile was a little forced. "That's great, Marcus," she said, her voice sounding somewhat absent-minded.

I didn't think much of it at the time. After all, Emily had never been very interested in business gatherings.

At 8 p.m., we arrived at the Wilson Hotel, a five-star hotel located in Midtown Manhattan. The lobby was already filled with New York's business elites, with clinking glasses under the crystal chandeliers, each person weaving a network of relationships for their own benefit.

"Marcus!" Blackstone waved to me from afar. "Come here, I want to introduce our hero to everyone."

Just as I was about to walk over, Emily suddenly grabbed my arm. "Marcus, wait."

I turned my head and saw that her face was a little pale. "What's wrong, darling?"

"I... I saw Ryan." Her voice was almost a whisper.

Ryan Carter. That name is like a thorn in my side. Emily's ex-boyfriend, a prominent figure at Harvard Business School, and now one of the youngest hedge fund managers on Wall Street. Even more striking is his Hollywood star-like appearance and the background of an old-money family—the Carter family's influence on the East Coast of the United States dates back to the 19th century.

I followed Emily's gaze and, sure enough, saw that familiar figure. Ryan, dressed in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo, was chatting and laughing with several Wall Street tycoons. When he saw us, a noble smile appeared on his lips—a smile I could never emulate.

"Emily, I never expected to run into you here." Ryan walked over, his voice carrying that annoyingly magnetic quality. "Marcus, congratulations on landing the Nexus contract. Everyone on Wall Street is talking about it."

I forced a smile. "Thank you, Ryan. I didn't expect you to be invited too."

"Oh, I'm here representing Carter's Investment Fund. We're very interested in the Nexus project." Ryan's gaze lingered on Emily for a moment. "Emily, you look absolutely stunning tonight."

I felt Emily's hands trembling slightly.

"Thank you." Emily's voice was as soft as a feather, but I could sense a certain emotion in it—was it excitement? Or nervousness?

Throughout the evening, I tried to focus on business negotiations and interpersonal interactions, but a sense of unease was growing deep inside me. I noticed that Emily kept looking for Ryan, and Ryan would occasionally cast meaningful glances in our direction.

"Mr. Marcus, we hope to deepen our cooperation regarding the future development of Project Nexus." An executive from Goldman Sachs handed me a business card. "Mr. Carter's fund has extensive experience in the European technology sector; perhaps we could consider a three-way collaboration."

A three-way partnership? That would mean I'd have to work with Ryan long-term. That's the last thing I want.

"Of course, I will seriously consider this proposal," I replied professionally, while glancing at Emily out of the corner of my eye.

She's not with me.

I looked around and finally spotted her by the French doors leading to the terrace. She was standing there, seemingly waiting for something. A few minutes later, Ryan also walked in that direction.

An ominous premonition welled up in my heart.