Beyond the Cold Moonlight

It had been ten years since I failed to save Julian Vance. It had been five years since he broke our engagement. We crossed paths again at an international business summit. During his conversations with others, he zoned out multiple times, his gaze constantly drifting toward me across the hall. Once the sessions wrapped up, he finally cornered me in an empty corridor. "Chloe... how have you been all these years?" That familiar voice. It instantly brought back the day he dumped me for the bank chairman’s daughter, telling me coldly: "Chloe, you're great. But she can save me twenty years of grinding. I’m sick of people looking down on me." Before I could even reply, Julian’s father-in-law hurried over, extending a warm hand toward me. "Ms. Hayes! What a surprise. Turns out my son-in-law went to the same college as you. Did you two know each other?" I looked up. Julian’s eyes met mine in the tension-thick air. Two voices spoke at the exact same second— "No." "Yes." The atmosphere turned dead silent and intensely awkward. Julian froze, completely blindsided by my denial. Chairman Miller, an old fox in the corporate world, quickly swept his sharp eyes between Julian and me. Sensing the chill, he smoothly stepped in to smooth things over with a laugh. "Hahaha, listen to me asking silly questions!" "Ms. Hayes is so accomplished now. I’m sure you were a superstar back in your school days. How could you possibly remember everyone? Julian was just a nobody back then—totally normal that you don't recall him." With that, he gave Julian a patronizing pat on the shoulder. "Julian, don't take it to heart." Since an out was handed to me, I took it gracefully. I offered a polished, polite smile. "Mr. Miller is too kind. Honestly, my college days are a bit of a blur. I have an important cross-border board meeting coming up shortly. Please excuse me, I really must get going." "Of course, of course! Go handle your business, Ms. Hayes. Work comes first!" I gave a slight nod, turned on my heels, and walked away without sparing Julian a single glance. Watching my figure disappear down the hall, Chairman Miller turned to Julian with some worldly advice. "Julian, let it go. When someone reaches Ms. Hayes's level, they don't just let anyone ride their coattails." "Besides, I heard rumors that she got burned pretty badly by someone back in college. Broke her heart completely. That's why she retreated to the Hayes family empire and laid low. She only started stepping into the public eye these last few years once everything was locked down. No wonder she hates bringing up the past." "Still, the more she resists, the harder you push. That's where the opportunity is!" Julian frowned, his voice laced with suppressed misery. "Sir, I really don't want to scheme like this..." Chairman Miller gave him a cold, disgusted glare. "Scheme? Business is a battlefield!" "The only reason I bypassed everyone else to put you on the core executive team is because of Tiffany. I didn't promote you so you could play the saint. There's an investment gala in two days; you'll likely run into her again. Play the alumni card. People would kill for that kind of connection!" Julian struggled internally for a long time under Miller’s domineering stare. In the end, he could only bow his head in defeat. "I understand, sir." When my assistant passed by and overheard the tail end of that conversation, she came back to my office venting her frustration. I merely let out a quiet chuckle and flipped to the next page of the financial report. "Why get upset? Given Miller’s attitude, did you really think being a trophy son-in-law was easy? Horizon Bank’s liquidity crisis is worse than the public thinks. Promoting him to the core team right now... he’s just being set up as the fall guy. Let him pray for mercy." "Because this time, there won't be another Chloe Hayes to save his skin."Over the past ten years, I saved Julian Vance three times. The first time, I gambled my relationship with my father to save his education. At the start of tenth grade, Julian was so poor he was on the verge of dropping out. Yet his stubborn pride made him refuse every cent of my money. I knelt outside my father's study all night, begging him for help. My father refused, giving me a harsh ultimatum: "It’s either me, your father, or that worthless stray!" I pressed my forehead against the cold marble floor. "I’m sorry, Dad." Unable to break my stubbornness, my father set up the "Young Scholars Fund." Julian Vance’s name was the very first on the list. That same night, I was kicked out of the family estate. I moved into a cramped, dingy rental, cut off from all financial support, grinding through high school alone for two long years. On the day of high school graduation, Julian held his university acceptance letter, wrapped his arms around me, and sobbed: "Chloe, I swear I will never let you down as long as I live!" The second time, I gambled my grandmother's heirloom to save his dignity. During our sophomore year of college, his mother fell critically ill. The surgery bills pushed him so close to the brink that he almost sold his blood. Once again, I went to beg my father, only to receive a stinging slap across the face: "Are you going to ruin your entire life for that loser?" My father locked me in the house. I climbed out the second-story window, ran to a pawnshop, and pawned the jade bangle my grandmother had left me as a dowry. The pawnshop owner warned me: "Girl, you know how this works. Once you sign the final deed, it's non-redeemable." Gritting my teeth, I pushed the bangle across the counter anyway. When I shoved the stack of cash into Julian’s hands, he was sitting on a cold hospital corridor floor, chewing on stale bread. He dropped to his knees, clutching my waist like a weeping child. He slipped a soda can pull-tab onto my ring finger and proposed: "Chloe, once I start making real money, I’m going to buy you the biggest diamond in the world!" The third time, I gambled everything to save his future. During our senior year, Julian hit a brick wall in his job hunt. Behind my father's back, I swallowed my pride and begged an old business partner of our family—a man my father had feuded with for years—just to secure Julian an internal referral at Horizon Bank. My father was so furious that he formally disowned me. When Julian got the offer letter from Horizon Bank, he spun me around in his arms, overjoyed: "Chloe, the second I pass my probation, we're getting married!" What came, however, was not a wedding. It was betrayal. Just one month after Julian started at the bank, I went to his office to drop off a file he had forgotten at home. Outside the corporate tower, I saw him gallantly opening the car door for Tiffany Miller. His face wore a fawning, subservient smile I had never seen before. Then, so naturally, he took her hand and gently kissed her knuckles. I instinctively called out, my voice trembling: "Julian!" Julian turned around, panic flashing across his eyes. Seeing this, Tiffany hooked her arm through his and asked with an irritated pout: "Julian, who is that?" Julian gripped Tiffany’s hand tighter. There wasn't a trace of guilt in his eyes. Only sheer annoyance at being interrupted. "No idea." With that, he led Tiffany right past me, his eyes never lingering for a fraction of a second. In that instant, I heard something shatter inside me. The next day, Julian asked to meet. He pushed a debit card across the table without any expression. "Chloe, you're great. But she can save me twenty years of grinding. I’m sick of people looking down on me." "This covers the money you spent on my mom's medical bills, plus double the amount as compensation." "Let's call off the engagement." Looking at my devastated face, Julian let out a long sigh and added: "I’ll remember your kindness for the rest of my life. But I hope... you won't contact me again." With that, he walked away without looking back, his strides so hurried it was as if he were running for his life. I picked up the card. Staring at the empty seat across from me, I felt like a piece of garbage that had been discarded on a whim. I broke into hysterical, tearful laughter, muttering to myself: "Julian, you really are pathetic." "And my taste was even more pathetic." In that moment, my heart completely died. Snapping out of the memory, my fingers subconsciously brushed against the cool jade bangle on my wrist. This bangle couldn't be redeemed back then. So later on, I simply bought the entire pawnshop and took it right out of the display case myself. The owner's words—"once you sign the final deed, it's non-redeemable"—still echoed in my ears. I smiled faintly. Yes, rules said it couldn't be redeemed. But now, I was the one who made the rules. Just then, the internal intercom buzzed: "Ms. Hayes, Tiffany Miller from Horizon Bank is here and wants to see you. Should I turn her away?" My fingertips glided across the smooth jade. "No need. Show her into Meeting Room 2."I pushed open the door to the conference room. Tiffany looked up immediately, her pupils shrinking in disbelief. "It really is you!" "I looked into you back then. I knew you two almost got married, but Julian cut ties with you the very next day. It’s been ten years, and now you're running the Hayes Group. Did you come back to the city... for Julian?" Hearing that, I instantly regretted granting her an audience. Some people genuinely treat garbage like treasure, assuming everyone else is dying to fight them for it. I let out an amused sigh. "Tiffany, in this circle, countless men try to get close to Chloe Hayes every single day. Even your father has to book an appointment a month in advance and wait to see if I'm in the mood." "Do you ever think before you speak?" Tiffany turned pale. She knew she couldn't afford to cross me right now. Flustered by my ridicule, she hurried to explain: "Ms. Hayes, that's not what I meant. It's just that Horizon’s projects were suddenly blocked, and my dad hasn't been able to sleep. I thought it through, and our family has never crossed anyone. Except... back then..." I raised a hand to cut her off, refusing to waste another second. "If a project isn't worth at least a billion, it doesn't even make it onto my desk." "Block your family? You’re not that important." "I’m a busy woman. I only spared you five minutes out of courtesy because you're pregnant. If all you have are delusional ramblings, you can show yourself out." With that, I tapped the intercom on the table and instructed my assistant: "Escort our guest out." Seeing my icy indifference, Tiffany panicked completely. She had assumed that I still carried a torch for Julian, that she could leverage her status as his "wife" to negotiate some terms. She never imagined that I didn't care about Julian in the slightest. Losing all composure, she grabbed my wrist and pleaded frantically: "I'm sorry! I spoke out of turn!" "I know that with just one word from you, Horizon's crisis will vanish. I'm begging you, please help Horizon!" She looked up at me, her eyes filled with desperate pleading. Without even batting an eye, I let out a mocking sneer. "And what’s in it for me?" "Tiffany, you know me. I'm a businesswoman. I don't move without profit." Tiffany wracked her brain, but she couldn't offer anything remotely equivalent. Her hand slowly slipped from my wrist in defeat. Seeing her hesitation, I let out a low chuckle, my eyes dropping to her swollen belly. I made a casual, wicked proposal: "How about this... divorce Julian." "And hand him over to me?" Tiffany looked up in utter shock. Then, as if she had been subjected to the ultimate humiliation, she flared up in rage, screaming my name: "Chloe Hayes! You really are... Don't even dream about it!" "Julian isn't merchandise! He can't be traded back and forth! He is my husband, the father of my child! You might think everything in this world has a price tag, but not Julian and me!" As she spoke, her voice grew louder, clinging to her moral high ground: "Let me tell you, I will never give Julian up!" "Ask Julian the same question, and he’ll make the exact same choice I did!" "Chloe, you only know how to use money and power to step on genuine feelings. A vile woman like you has no idea what real love is!" Tsk. I hadn't even done anything, and suddenly I was the villain. Faced with her righteous outburst, my expression remained completely flat. I even gave her an amused smile. Tiffany trembled with rage at my nonchalant attitude. Giving me a vicious glare, she slammed the door and stormed out. A few seconds later, my assistant quietly slipped into the room, offering an awkward grin. "Well, Ms. Hayes, looks like I didn't need to escort her out. She left fuming." I shrugged casually. "When you ask someone for a favor, you need to show the proper attitude." "Since Tiffany never learned that, I had to teach her myself." The assistant nodded in understanding, then leaned in closer, curiosity getting the better of her. "Ms. Hayes, that condition you just mentioned... you're not actually planning to force a divorce and take Julian back, are you?" I rolled my eyes as I stood up, heading toward the door. "Stop reading trashy romance novels." "I'm just a little bored lately. Looking for some entertainment." "Draft an offer letter. In my name, invite Julian Vance to become the CEO of Hayes Group's newly established asset management firm. Ten times his current salary, plus core equity. But on one condition—he must voluntarily forfeit everything at Horizon and sever all ties with the Miller family." The assistant immediately caught my drift and sucked in a sharp breath. I turned back, a cold glint of amusement in my eyes. "Tell me... between love and ambition..." "What do you think Julian will choose this time?"Inside the grand banquet hall, crystal chandeliers sparkled, but undercurrents surged beneath the polite chatter. Chairman Miller forced a smile and approached an old acquaintance, only to be completely brushed off. Taking a deep breath, he turned to another corporate executive, but before he could even speak, the man made an excuse about a phone call and walked away. Time after time, Miller tried to strike up a conversation, only to be met with calculated avoidance. Julian trailed behind him, watching his father-in-law’s increasingly pathetic, slumped posture. He couldn't help but murmur: "Sir, let it go. We're losing our dignity here..." Those words instantly detonated a powder keg. Miller whipped around, dumping all his built-up fury right onto Julian: "Dignity?" "The Miller family is about to go belly-up, and you're worried about your damn dignity?!" Miller didn't bother lowering his voice, drawing stares from nearby guests. Julian’s face burned with humiliation. He tried to defuse the situation: "Sir, that's not what I meant. I just—" Miller cut him off with a vicious, low growl: "Shut your mouth!" "You're a live-in lapdog. What good are you other than making useless remarks? If I hadn't swallowed my pride and begged for favors, we wouldn't even have gotten invites to this gala! This is our last shot." "Even if you have to get on your knees and beg tonight, you will get Chloe Hayes to invest!" Then, his tone sharpened, his finger jabbing violently into Julian’s chest as he hissed: "And listen to me! If you try anything funny or disrespect Tiffany in the slightest while talking to her, I swear to God, I'll drag you right back down to the gutter where I found you!" Miller was scolding Julian like a stray dog in plain view of high society. Julian kept his head down, his knuckles clenched white. He repeated the mantra in his head: *Endure it. Just endure it...* Suddenly, a quiet snicker cut through the crowd. *Pfft.* The final string snapping in Julian’s mind was almost audible. He couldn't take it anymore. Julian jerked his head up, his clenched fist rising— "Dad, what are you saying?!" A gentle voice intervened just in time. Tiffany hurried over, slipping between Julian and her father. With one hand, she gently covered Julian’s tense fist, urging him to calm down; with the other, she linked her arm sweetly with Miller’s. She tried to play the peacemaker: "Everyone is watching. Whatever family issues we have, let's talk behind closed doors at home." Seeing Tiffany step in, Miller let out a heavy snort. His anger hadn't faded, but he held back from causing a bigger scene. Tiffany turned toward Julian, lightly shaking his arm. "Julian, Dad is just stressed out. Horizon is going through a tough time. We need to stick together to survive this, right?" With that, Tiffany placed Julian’s hand over her baby bump. "Don't be mad. Think about our baby, okay?" Feeling the curve against his palm, Julian stiffened, looking down with a forced nod. "Yeah." Tiffany smiled in relief and said softly to Miller: "Dad, I think Mr. Davis just arrived. Let's go say hello." Miller nodded with an ashen face. Just as he turned to leave, his eyes suddenly locked onto something. I had just entered the hall, radiating calm authority. Miller shoved Julian hard in the back, hissing under his breath: "Ms. Hayes is here! What are you standing there for? Get the hell over there!" Julian stumbled forward, nearly tripping right in front of me. He looked intensely embarrassed. Before he could speak, I looked up and gave him a bright, dazzling smile. I even reached out, gently straightening his slightly crooked tie. My voice carried clearly across the room: "Julian, that contract my assistant sent you privately... have you thought it over?" "If you come with me, you’ll have to cut all ties with the Millers." That intimate gesture, that familiar call of his name, and the bombshell dropped in that single sentence stunned the entire room into pin-drop silence. Miller froze for a second. Then, realizing what was happening, his face twisted in pure rage. He lunged forward and, right in front of everyone, raised his hand— *Smack!* A resounding slap landed violently across Julian’s face! "You ungrateful bastard! You're already lining up your next meal behind our backs..." "You were secretly planning to abandon us?!" Seeing this, Tiffany abandoned all pretense of being a loving wife. She rushed forward, shrieking: "Julian, how dare you cheat on me!" "Without me, you'd still be a nobody! Back then, you literally barked like a dog at my birthday party just to make me smile! It’s bad enough you're messing around with Chloe Hayes, but you wanted to cut ties with my family?! What about me? What about our baby?!" Julian’s head was thrown to the side by the impact, sharp pain radiating across his cheek. Yet that sting was nothing compared to the overwhelming humiliation of being slapped and degraded in front of the entire city's elite. Julian completely snapped. He looked up, glaring at the father and daughter with naked, venomous hatred. The tension in the air threatened to explode. I leisurely pulled a slim folder from my clutch. I tapped the contract against Julian’s chest, smiling faintly. "Take this and walk with me. Or stay with the Millers and sink with them." "Choose."