1 “My husband is a vindictive, hot-tempered, incredibly petty piece of work.” “He loves throwing hands when he is angry. If he finds out I lost his phone, he is going to absolutely murder me!” The girl on the other end of the line was ugly-crying so hard she was practically snorting, and the sheer terror in her voice made me shiver. “He… he actually hits you?” I asked, my voice dropping. “Oh, you have no idea! He even…” Before she could finish, a cold, deep male voice sliced through the background noise. “Piper, where is my phone?” Click. The line went dead. I hastily pulled the phone away from my ear to look at the screen. Damn it. Of all the times to die, it had to run out of battery right now. 2 I had a conference to catch, and I could not afford to stand around waiting. My only option was to rush to the convention center and hunt down a portable charger. As I walked, a heavy knot of worry settled in my stomach. Had that poor girl already been hurt? I made up my mind right then. No matter who this guy was, the moment I handed the phone back, I was going to demand he delete every single photo of me. Using some random girl’s picture as his lock screen when he already had a wife? If he was not disgusted by his own behavior, I certainly was. Outside the main exhibition hall, I scanned a QR code at a charging station. While waiting for the power bank to pop out, the hushed whispers of two girls nearby caught my attention. “Did you hear? Hank is here today as a keynote speaker for the main summit!” Hearing that name, my breath caught in my throat. The other girl sighed dreamily. “Hank? No way! A titan like him actually came to this forum? It is such a shame we are stuck in the breakout sessions. The schedules overlap completely. Otherwise, even if we couldn’t hear his speech, we could have stalked the main lobby just to get a glimpse of his gorgeous face.” Clack. The power bank unlocked. I shook myself out of my daze, grabbed the charger, and plugged the phone in. Beside me, the girls had already shifted from business gossip to personal rumors. “By the way, is Hank single? I don’t think I’ve ever seen any media coverage about his private life.” “He must be. I remember reading in some old interview that he had someone he loved back in the day, but she passed away.” Hearing that, the lingering spark of interest in my chest vanished. Was the mortality rate of young women exceptionally high these days? Why did every guy seem to have a tragically deceased first love? Just then, the screen of the lost phone lit up. Before I could even swipe, a flurry of notifications flooded the screen. Ten missed calls. The phone’s GPS is active. I have locked onto your location. Contact me within ten minutes, or I am involving the police. I have filed a report. If you do not contact me immediately, you will face the consequences when the authorities show up. Please, I beg you, give my husband his phone back. He has already slapped me seven times! He is just a really aggressive guy, please don’t be angry. Just have some pity on me and pick up! The messages came from two different numbers. The first set was clearly from the owner, while the desperate pleas at the end were from the crying girl I had spoken to earlier. Judging by the texts, this man was a toxic, arrogant piece of trash. Suddenly, the phone began to ring again. I picked up, and the girl’s frantic sobbing immediately filled my ear. “Oh, thank god! Thank god you finally answered!” “I am so sorry,” I apologized quickly. “The phone died, and I just managed to find a charger. I am currently at a conference. If it’s convenient, could you come by and pick it up?” When I gave her the address, the girl gasped. “What a coincidence! We are actually right nearby. I can be there in five minutes!” To make sure we did not miss each other, I gave her my personal cell phone number as well. After hanging up, I hesitated. Before heading downstairs, I pulled out my wide-brimmed sun hat and a matching face mask from my bag. Once I was sure that only my eyes were visible, I headed toward the main lobby. As I passed the grand hall, the announcer’s voice echoed through the double doors, introducing the guest of honor. The moment the name Hank was spoken, a thunderous wave of applause erupted inside the room. Through the half-open doors, I caught a glimpse of a tall man in a tailored charcoal suit being led onto the stage by the event staff. Time seemed to freeze. In that fleeting second, I was thrown back seven years, looking at the brilliant teenager who had stood on the stage at our high school graduation, delivering the valedictorian speech. He was just as dazzling, just as impossibly out of reach. The phone in my hand buzzed, breaking the spell. “Hey, I’m at the main entrance. Where are you?” Taking a deep breath, I forced my eyes away from the stage and hurried outside. 3 Stepping through the glass doors, I immediately spotted a young woman. She looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a delicate floral dress, clutching her purse with an anxious expression. I walked up to her. “Are you Piper?” The girl’s eyes lit up, and she nodded rapidly. “Yes, that’s me!” I handed the black phone over to her. As she took it, I carefully examined her face. Her skin was flawless and fair, without a single trace of swelling or redness that would suggest she had been struck. As if reading my mind, she casually touched her cheek. “I am used to it by now. My skin has built up a tolerance, so a couple of slaps don’t really leave a mark anymore.” She quickly opened her payment app. “Is your username linked to your phone number? I want to transfer a few thousand dollars to you as a thank-you.” A few thousand? I waved my hands frantically. “No, please, there’s no need. It was just a lost phone. It didn’t take up any of my time.” “How can you say that? You have no idea how much this means to me.” She pointed at the lock screen, which still displayed my old high school photo, and offered a bittersweet smile. “See this? She is his absolute treasure. If this phone had been lost forever, I don’t even want to think about what he would have done to me.” The discomfort in my chest deepened. What a disgusting, hypocritical bastard. He abused his wife at home while running around pretending to mourn a dead girl. I had intended to tell her that the girl in the photo was actually me, but looking at her anxious face, I decided against making things more awkward. Adjusting my mask, I asked quietly, “Is your husband not with you?” “My husband? Who? Oh, right! Him,” she stammered, looking slightly flustered. “He was supposed to come, but his meeting started at the same time, so he couldn’t make it.” So I would not be seeing him today. “You should probably delete that photo for him,” I suggested gently. “Now that he is married, keeping another woman’s picture like that isn’t fair to you.” “Oh, I couldn’t do that!” She shook her head quickly. “I wouldn’t dare.” Seeing my frown, she let out a soft sigh. “What can I do? I am just a glorified placeholder anyway. He only married me because I happen to look like the girl in that photo.” I looked up, staring at the girl who was easily half a head taller than me. She had long legs, a slender waist, a sharp jawline, and perfectly styled wavy hair. I, on the other hand, was barely five-foot-four, weighed a modest hundred and ten pounds, and had a soft, round face with blunt bangs. In what universe did we look alike? After a brief silence, I asked, “If he treats you like this, why do you stay with him?” “He’s filthy rich,” she replied instantly, without a shred of hesitation. Her blunt honesty left me completely speechless. Before I could think of a response, her phone began to ring. I caught a glimpse of the caller ID on her screen: Wyatt. She picked up, her voice instantly turning meek. “I found it! Yes, I have it. I’m coming back right now.” Hanging up, she gave me an apologetic smile. “He is rushing me. Thank you so much again for today!” I waved goodbye, and she scurried off into the crowd. So, the owner of the phone was Wyatt. He was indeed my high school classmate. 4 Though Wyatt and I had not been in the same class, I remembered him clearly. Mostly because of Hank. The two of them had been inseparable childhood friends. Every day after class, Wyatt would wait outside Hank’s classroom so they could head to the cafeteria together. As the top two students who constantly dominated the academic honor roll, they were always the center of attention. Although we had rarely spoken, I remembered Wyatt as a warm, smiling guy who seemed to get along with everyone. Who could have guessed he was such a monster behind closed doors? The priority now was to get in touch with him and force him to delete my photo. But ever since my car accident in senior year and my sudden transfer, I had lost touch with everyone from that school. As I stood there trying to figure out how to contact him, my manager rushed over, looking frantic. “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you in the breakout rooms. Come with me, quick!” I blinked. “What’s wrong?” “I just found out Hank is here in the main hall. Our company has been trying to pitch a partnership to his firm for months, but we could never get past his secretaries. The CEO just called and ordered me to secure a contact opportunity by any means necessary.” Securing a contact opportunity by any means necessary. That sounded exactly like the kind of desperate, half-baked plan our boss would come up with. My manager pushed me gently toward the exit of the main hall. “You’re the prettiest girl in our department. You go make the pitch.” What? Me? “No, no, I can’t do that, I…” Before I could finish protesting, the double doors swung open. Hank’s keynote had concluded. A small crowd of executives flanked him as he walked out of the auditorium. Hank walked right at the front, his expression cold and aloof, carrying an aura that practically screamed at people to keep their distance. I stared at him as he approached, just as I had watched him walk down the high school hallways a thousand times before. My heart pounded so violently I could barely breathe. Just as he was about to pass us, my manager gave me a sharp, heavy shove from behind. Off-balance and completely unprepared, I stumbled forward and crashed straight into Hank’s chest. The bustling lobby instantly went dead silent. I instinctively covered my face. Thank god my sun mask was still on. 5 Nobody knew this, but I had spent six months of my life hopelessly chasing Hank. During senior year, we had briefly been assigned as desk partners. Captivated by his quiet brilliance, I had spent every single day manufacturing excuses to ask him academic questions just to hear him speak. My final memory of him was the afternoon I had confessed my feelings, my cheeks burning with hope, only to be met with his icy glare. “I found being your desk partner incredibly annoying.” “I found your constant questions incredibly annoying.” “And now, you telling me that you like me is just as annoying.” “Grace, could you please just stay away from me?” At an age when I believed myself to be invincible, I experienced a crushing, humiliating defeat. To make matters worse, the very next morning, a speeding truck crashed into my father’s car while he was driving me to school. The injuries were severe. We were rushed to a specialist hospital in Savannah for emergency surgery. Later, as my father’s recovery required long-term follow-ups, my family decided to relocate permanently, and I finished my studies at a school in Savannah. That unrequited, humiliating confession became a dark piece of history I tried my best to bury. In the present, the man standing in front of me finally spoke, his voice low and vibrating against my hands. “How long do you plan on holding onto me?” “I am so sorry, so sorry!” Clutching my mask and keeping my head low, I scrambled backward to stand upright. Hank frowned slightly, preparing to walk away. My manager hissed from behind me, “Grace! Make the pitch! Say something!” Hank probably wanted to throw me out of the building, let alone listen to a business pitch. As I took another step back to retreat, Hank suddenly stopped and turned around, his sharp eyes locking onto me. “What is your name?” Before I could open my mouth, my manager chimed in eagerly, “Mr. Vance, her name is Grace!” With my identity exposed, I had no choice but to pull down my mask and offer a weak, awkward wave. “Hi, Hank. Long time no see. Do you remember me?” For three agonizing minutes, Hank just stared at me, completely speechless. Seeing his lack of reaction, I slowly lowered my hand, my smile freezing on my face. Trying to save some dignity, I chuckled dryly. “We went to the same high school, though I transferred out later. It’s completely normal if you don’t remember me.” Hank’s eyes were wide with a shock so profound it looked almost like disbelief. Still, he said nothing. Deciding to stop embarrassing myself, I cleared my throat. “Well, we won’t trouble you any further…” I turned to escape, but Hank’s voice suddenly cracked the silence. “Are you looking for me for something?” “No, I…” “Yes! Yes, of course!” my manager interrupted, nudging me hard. I forced myself to speak. “We were just wondering if your firm would be open to discussing a potential collaboration with our company, Apex Solutions?” He stood quiet for a long moment, as if trying to recall if such a minor company even existed. “You work at Apex? I recall their headquarters is based in Savannah?” “Yes. My father and I were hospitalized there after our accident, and my family ended up settling down in the city permanently.” “So back then… you only transferred?” “Of course.” The expression on his face turned incredibly complex. The color drained from his cheeks, leaving him looking pale and suddenly dark. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke. “Your contact information.” “What?” “If you want to discuss a collaboration, how am I supposed to reach you without your contact info?” That actually sounded promising. I hurriedly pulled out my phone and displayed my QR code. “We can add each other here. It’s faster.” He reached into his pocket, and his expression faltered again. “I forgot my phone. Tell me your number, and I will have my assistant note it down.” Who forgot their phone in this day and age? It felt like a polite brush-off. Disappointed, I recited my number, and his assistant quickly jotted it down. Hank looked at me. “Is that all you wanted to discuss? Just business? Nothing else?” What else could there possibly be? We were practically strangers now. But his question did remind me of something. “Actually, there is one personal thing.” His shoulders seemed to relax slightly. “Go ahead.” “Do you happen to have Wyatt’s phone number?” Hank’s face instantly went cold. “Why are you looking for him?” Embarrassed to admit that Wyatt had my picture on his lock screen, I stammered, “Just… some personal matters to clear up.” “I don’t have it,” he snapped, his tone freezing over. With his sudden shift in attitude, I did not dare to push further. I merely offered a quiet, “Thank you anyway.” I guess he still disliked me as much as he did in high school. 6 That evening, shortly after I checked into my hotel, a friend request notification popped up on my phone. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the name: Hank. My fingers moved faster than my brain, immediately tapping Accept. Almost instantly, a message popped up. Are you staying at a hotel near the venue? I blinked. Yes, why? Send me your location. You dropped something when you bumped into me earlier. I’ll drive over to return it. My things? What did I drop? Send me the location, and you can see for yourself when I get there. A wave of panic hit me. What if something valuable had fallen out of my bag when I crashed into him? I quickly shared my location. If it’s too far, I can come pick it up myself. It’s fine. Be downstairs in fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes. That was barely enough time to do anything. I leaped out of bed, grabbed my cosmetics bag, and began applying foundation at lightning speed. Halfway through blending, I stopped. I was literally just going downstairs to grab a dropped item. Why on earth was I putting on makeup? I felt a sudden rush of annoyance at myself. Seven years had passed, yet the mere mention of Hank’s name still had the power to make me lose my mind. To prove a point to myself, I washed my face entirely clean, threw on a casual oversized jacket, and went down to the lobby. Hank’s car was already parked by the curb. He was leaning against the passenger side door. He had discarded his formal suit jacket, wearing only a relaxed grey linen shirt that made him look incredibly handsome in the dim streetlights. Seeing me approach, he stood up and walked over. He opened his palm, revealing a delicate, sparkling diamond bracelet. “Is this yours?” I stared at the expensive jewelry. Did Hank have some massive misconception about my financial status? “No,” I said, scratching my head. “If you had just sent me a photo, you wouldn’t have had to drive all this way for nothing. I’m really sorry for making you waste your time.” “Take another look. Are you sure it’s not yours?” Hank frowned. “It definitely isn’t.” “That’s strange,” he muttered, looking genuinely puzzled. “I haven’t had a girlfriend in years, and there hasn’t been another woman near me today except you. If it isn’t yours, whose could it be?” How would I know? Seeing my silence, he withdrew his hand. “Since it’s not yours, I’ll let my assistant handle it.” He didn’t linger. “Go back inside and get some rest. Goodnight.” With that, he got into his car and drove away. Watching his taillights disappear into the evening traffic, I fell into a deep silence. Hank had driven all this way, late at night, just to personally check if a diamond bracelet belonged to me? I had returned a lost phone today, but compared to Hank’s meticulous integrity, I felt completely outclassed. As expected of the high school genius. He excelled at everything, even being a good Samaritan.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “497741”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel
Leave a Reply