Thrown to the ground with her bike, Jasmine felt pain spread through her body before her heart froze in shock. A tall man in a tailored suit stepped out of the Rolls-Royce. His polished leather shoes hit the ground in steady steps, each one weighing heavily on her chest. "Jasmine, it's been a long time." She lifted her gaze, lips parting as if to speak. Zachary looked down at her, the eyes that once brimmed with tenderness now holding nothing but an icy emptiness, as though every trace of feeling had been erased. His voice carried no warmth either. "This car is worth 8 million dollars, and repairs will cost another 800,000. How will you pay?" "I... I'm sorry... I don't have that kind of money." He sized her up, and after a long pause, he said, "You have no money? Stay by my side and work until you've paid it back then." Without another word, he opened the back door and shoved her inside. The moment Jasmine got into the car, she realized there was already a woman with elegant makeup inside. Nicole's eyes flickered when she saw Jasmine, though she quickly masked it with annoyance. "Zachary, we're supposed to be going out. Why did you bring your ex-girlfriend? Are you still hung up on her?"

Chapter 1

On her 26th birthday, Jasmine Maddox gave herself an unusual gift—she filed papers to officially cut all ties with her family.

When the clerk asked why, she only said three things—"My parents are gone, and I have no relatives. Two months ago, the hospital diagnosed me with late-stage pancreatic cancer. The doctor said I won't live past the end of this month."

Ten minutes later, the process was finished. As she stepped out of the office, the giant screen in the central square was playing the engagement banquet of the Hudson and Walsh families.

Passersby stopped to watch, full of envy and admiration.

"The CEO of the Hudson Group and the heiress of the Walsh Group—what a perfect match! Look at those flowers. They must have been flown in from Europe. And that diamond ring must be worth millions. Mr. Hudson is spoiling her to death."

"I heard Zachary Hudson came from nothing. Before he met Nicole Walsh, he had a girlfriend who dumped him for being poor. She must regret that