The winter sun cast a soft glow on him, making him look almost gentle. It was hard to believe someone who looked so kind could do something so cruel.Ondine stopped walking and looked up at him, a thousand unspoken words swirling in her mind. She felt a bitter sense of injustice. Why was her genuine affection being trampled on like this? Why could he, a man of immense wealth, so shamelessly spend her hard-earned money and watch her work herself to the bone? How could he say he loved her while passionately kissing another woman?noveldrama"I really know I was wrong. Please don't ignore me," Ellis pleaded, his face a mask of contrition. "I'll never stay out that late again. I'll check in with you wherever I go, okay?""Okay," Ondine said, forcing a small smile."You're the best, babe." He leaned in to kiss her cheek.She turned her head away. "There are people around.""Then we'll find a place with no people next time," he said with a wink."My mom is waiting for me. I have to go," Ondine said."Okay, babe. I'll just grab something from the cafeteria. Do you want to have dinner together tonight?""I have to work." She paused, then added casually, "Finals are coming up, and I have to find time to study, but I'm really short on cash right now." She looked at him, her tone light and teasing. "It would be great if you suddenly became rich. Then I wouldn't have to work three jobs."Ellis stiffened. After a moment, he said with what sounded like deep sincerity, "I promise I'll give you a better life one day."Ondine smiled."Go to hell," she thought, the curse echoing silently in her mind for the first time.Seth had just finished a meeting when his friend, Elton Fulton, called to invite himto lunch. The Fulton Group headquarters was just across the street from the Thorne Group building, and Elton often sought him out for meals.In the restaurant, while Elton was discussing a business project, Seth's gaze drifted to a couple at a nearby table and stopped Ellis was sitting acros from a woman with a cascade of wavy hair. From the back, it was clearly not Ondine. They were close enough for Seth to overhear their conversation. "So, I hear you have a girlfriend at the university," the woman said.From Seth's angle, he could see the smug, careless smile playing on Ellis's lips. "Yeah, well, you hada boydend when you were abroad, didn't you?" "I broke up with him before I came back," the woman replied, her tone sharp withannoyance. "When are you going to break up with that Ondine girl?"Seth's brow furrowed, his expression darkening."When I get bored of her," Ellis said with the same casual air. "But you know, pretending to be poor is actually pretty fun. At least this way, I know she's not with me for my money." "So you don't want to break up with her?" the woman pressed.A sly grin spread across Ellis's face. "What's wrong? Are you jealous?"The woman didn't answer."Relax, babe. I'm just playing with Ondine. Once I've had my fun, I'll come back to you." Content originally comes from find~novel~net"Seth?" Elton waved a hand in front of his face. "What are you looking at?"Seth pulled his gaze away, his lips pressed into a thin, hard line. His face was grim."What's wrong?" Elton asked, confused. "Who pissed you off?""Nothing," Seth said coldly. "Let's just eat."