She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 422

By the end of her first day in a new relationship, the entire company already knew about it. Melanie wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse.

Given how fast office gossip traveled, it wouldn't be long before the news of her and Preston reached her father.

How would he react? He would probably have a heart attack from sheer rage.

Melanie shrugged it off. Even now, her father was probably still holding out hope that she would eventually forgive Dominic and that the two of them would reconcile.

"He's getting delusional in his old age," she muttered, shaking her head in exasperation.

She picked up her phone, flipping it over in her hands a few times, but there were no new messages from Preston.

She had assumed that once they made things official, he would become hopelessly clingy and text her every five minutes.

Instead, the entire afternoon had slipped by without a single word. Melanie involuntarily pouted.

When he came on too strong, she wanted to run away; when he gave her space, she felt slighted. She knew she was being ridiculously difficult.

If she was honest with herself, she had practically zero real relationship experience. Even before her marriage to Dominic, they had rarely spent any meaningful time together.

Because it was an arranged engagement from childhood, it had never occurred to her that she might marry anyone else. She had simply accepted him as her fiancé out of pure habit.

"Looking at it that way... this is actually my first time being in a real, proper relationship," she murmured. "Preston got lucky."

Just as she finished her quiet soliloquy, a knock sounded at her door.

The sun had already dipped below the horizon, ushering in the evening. With autumn settling in, the air had grown crisp, and the days were noticeably shorter. It wasn't even quitting time yet, but the city lights were already flickering on outside her window.

Taking the initiative, she dialed his number. "Are you busy?"

"No," he replied, his voice as smooth and unfazed as always.

Melanie frowned, a flicker of dissatisfaction hitting her. "How come you haven't texted me once all afternoon?"

She could faintly hear a low chuckle through the receiver. The sound only irritated her further.

"Did you miss me, sweetheart?" he teased.

"Absolutely not!"

"Well, I missed you."

"...All right."

She smiled, mildly surprised by how easily he conceded. They chatted idly for a few more minutes before she finally hung up to prepare for the summit.

The conference had been thrown together at the last minute. From what she had gathered, a rare variant of Golden Dendrobium had been discovered in Medora, sparking massive interest across the traditional medicine sector.

Arriving at the venue, she expected to be seated somewhere near the back. Instead, the ushers guided her straight to the very center of the front-row VIP section.

Not only was her seat spectacular, but the event staff treated her with an absurd level of reverence, as if she were a global celebrity.

When the presentations concluded, several high-profile executives practically tripped over themselves trying to network with her. The overwhelming VIP treatment left her completely bewildered.

She was lost in a fog of confusion, half-convinced these industry titans had mistaken her for someone else, until she overheard two attendees gossiping in hushed tones.

"This Ms. Royce from the Royce Group is a serious big shot. She's Mr. Whitmore's fiancée!"

"I always thought the Whitmores would lock down a strategic marriage with the Bennett family! Who would have guessed... Then again, Ms. Royce is drop-dead gorgeous. Mr. Whitmore wouldn't have fallen for her otherwise."

"I heard he completely tore through the industry just to defend her honor!"