The incessant buzzing of the mobile phone, strewn on the bedside table, was unrelenting. In the hotel room, a man and woman's clothing were scattered haphazardly on the floor.
Groggily, Daniella Collins reached for the vibrating device, but a slender arm beat her to it.
"Miss Collins, at last!" On the other end of the line, Emilia Gibson teetered on the brink of sanity due to mounting anxiety.
The entire conference room was on standby for Daniella to initiate the morning meeting. Her absence, a rarity since joining the Collins Group, had everyone on edge. Moreover, Daniella had been unresponsive to her phone calls, further exacerbating the situation. This was bound to set tongues wagging, especially since she'd lost the CEO election the previous day.
Emilia had made countless calls. Just when she was about to give up, the call was answered.
"Thank heavens! Miss Collins, where are you? Everyone is waiting for you to begin the morning meeting."
"She's not coming. She was exhausted last night and can't get up now. Call off the meeting."
A deep, husky male voice resonated from the phone, tinged with annoyance at being roused from sleep. Abruptly, the line went dead.
"H-hello?" Emilia stuttered, questioning what she'd just heard. Why had a man answered Miss Collins' phone?
Everyone in the meeting room shared her disbelief. Was this the same resilient, determined Daniella Collins they knew?
Back in the room, Daniella abruptly tore the phone from Ian Wallace's grasp, snapping, "Who gave you permission to answer my phone?!”
Ian laughed nonchalantly. "I simply didn't appreciate the incessant ringing. I answered it because I wanted to. Do I need someone's approval?"
A surge of anger welled up in Daniella. This was why Ian was infamously known as the smooth, carefree Mr. Ian in the capital.
Sitting up, she glared at him. "I suppose the concept of 'privacy' is lost on you."
Ian, reclining with his hands cushioning his head, squinted his eyes at her, a playful smirk on his face. "You're lecturing me on 'privacy' while standing before me like this, Miss Collins?"
Daniella looked down and hastily wrapped herself in the quilt. Arguing with him was futile!
The question of how she'd ended up entwined with the notorious Ian Wallace traced back to the previous day's CEO election in the Collins Group.
She had dedicated half a year to the company, only to lose by a mere two votes. It was obvious where she had fallen short.
"The election result—I lost to Aidan by just two votes. Those votes were yours and Uncle's, weren't they?" Daniella confronted Erica Thompson directly.
Erica didn't deny it, sipping her tea nonchalantly. "Daniella, the Collins family and the Collins Group will eventually be Aidan's. Why are you even vying with him?"
Daniella laughed bitterly. "A week ago, Aidan's arrogance at the North City bidding meeting led to millions in direct company losses. His poor judgment on another project cost us tens of millions more! Is he truly capable of running the entire corporation? Has there ever been a time when I didn't have to clean up his mess?"
"Do I even need to compete with him? This position is what I rightfully deserve!"
Erica slammed her cup on the table, her tone icy. "Daniella Collins, who do you think you're speaking to?!"
"I'll tell you this: the Collins family and the Collins Group belong to Aidan. As his elder sister, you should support him, not embarrass him at company board meetings or entertain the idea of competing against him!"
Daniella felt a pang of bitterness. Despite expecting such a reaction from Erica, hearing them made her realize that she had overestimated her own patience.
In her family, no matter how accomplished she was, she was always expected to assist her younger brother due to her capabilities. The male chauvinism in the Collins family ran deep. She was naive to harbor any hope, only to wind up in embarrassment.
As she rose to leave, her eyes held a glimmer of disappointment and desolation. "Mother, sometimes I wonder if I am truly your biological daughter."
After saying this, Daniella took a deep breath. "As of today, I'm moving out."
"So? You think you're all grown up now? You're even threatening me?" Erica retorted, showing no remorse or guilt, but rather resorting to guilt-tripping.
"Well, I suppose that's not too bad. It's good to move out and live on your own. Since you're with Owen now, make sure to hold onto him tightly. This marriage mustn't fall through!"
"You should know, the marriage alliance of our families..."
Before Erica could finish, Daniella walked out without hesitation. As the saying goes, there is no greater sorrow than a dead heart. Leaving such a family was no loss to her.
Outside, her assistant, Emilia, saw her exit and quickly helped her into her coat. "Miss Collins, it's raining today; the weather is cool."
As Daniella looked up at the gloomy sky, her heart felt increasingly heavy.
Once in the car, she reclined in her seat and closed her eyes to rest.
Over the years, Emilia had been by her side, understanding better than anyone the hardships she faced. The fact that the Collins family treated their own daughter as a stepping stone was mind-boggling.
However, a sensible assistant never mentioned matters troubling their employer, so she remained silent throughout the journey.
When one thing goes wrong, many things follow. Not long after Daniella got into the car, a series of explicit photos were sent to her phone, seemingly mocking her downfall. The man and woman in the photos were none other than Owen Mills, the man Erica had asked her to hold onto, and the woman he was having an affair with.
Looking at her phone, Daniella chuckled bitterly. "Of course. Misery loves company!"
Losing the election she'd been targeting for half a year, facing her boyfriend's betrayal, and dealing with his mistress' audacity...
"This is just perfect!" she laughed at herself.
She had no emotional attachment to Owen. Their relationship was one of convenience, with minimal interaction outside of work.
She had thought they would maintain basic decency and marry according to their parents' plans. But at the moment...
How frustrating!
Daniella was not one to take things lying down. If Owen Mills wanted to play such a game, he had no right to blame her for fighting back!
After all, he was just a marriage partner. There were other fish in the sea.
For instance, there was Ian, the third son of the Wallace family!
In terms of background, the Wallace family was far superior to the Mills family; in terms of looks, Ian was famously dubbed by the media as the most handsome man; in terms of morals, Ian was a notorious womanizer—if he ranked second, no one would dare to claim first.
At least he was unabashedly notorious, unlike Owen, who sneakily behaved like a scoundrel behind his gentlemanly facade.
Once Daniella made up her mind, she acted promptly.
She went straight to the bar where Ian was, forcefully poured him a bottle of strong liquor, and then carried him back to the hotel when he was drunk.
Who would have guessed, the rascal was merely pretending to be drunk!
She was...
Daniella could hardly move a muscle, feeling sore all over. Everywhere hurt, and frustration welled up within her.
"Ian," she exclaimed, "you are a son of the dignified Wallace family, yet you dared to pretend to be drunk?!"