The very next day, Clara saw Ryan at the business gala she was hosting.
Ryan was dressed impeccably in a tailored suit, while Lily stood beside him in a custom couture gown.
Lily held onto Ryan's arm as they greeted guests around the ballroom like the stars of the evening.
From time to time, Ryan leaned close to whisper in Lily's ear, speaking to her with shameless intimacy. Again and again, he made her laugh so hard she had to cover her mouth delicately. To anyone watching, they looked far more like a couple than Clara and Ryan ever had.
Sensing Clara's gaze, Lily turned around instinctively.
But the moment their eyes met, Lily lowered her head immediately, looking like a frightened child caught doing something wrong.
That single gesture made Ryan step protectively in front of her at once.
The warmth in his eyes vanished completely. What remained was nothing but disgust and caution.
"Clara, what are you doing here?"
To Ryan, the question probably didn't seem strange at all.
Every gala hosted by Hayes Group in the past had been attended by Ryan on Clara's behalf, while Clara herself remained behind the scenes.
She had wanted the entire business world to know one thing clearly. Ryan belonged to her.
Whatever status Clara held in the corporate world, Ryan would share that same status beside her.
But now... he no longer deserved it.
Clara motioned for the event manager to come over and pointed directly at Ryan.
"Why is he here?"
Ryan completely misunderstood her meaning. He immediately shielded Lily behind him even more firmly.
"Why can't Lily be here?"
At that, Lily cautiously peeked out from behind Ryan's shoulder.
She looked fragile and nervous, her eyes already shimmering with tears before anyone noticed.
"Ms. Hayes, I've always attended these events with Mr. Brooks before... I didn't realize you disliked it. I'll leave..."
Seeing Lily look so small and hurt instantly filled Ryan with sympathy.
He grabbed Lily before she could leave and turned on Clara angrily.
"Clara! Lily's the one who's always been by my side at these events! You're the one who never bothered to show up! Lily's been helping you maintain connections this whole time. Do you even know how many contacts she's brought you? And instead of thanking her, you're humiliating her and trying to throw her out?"
Clara glanced at Lily, whose tears hovered dramatically on the edge of falling, and nearly laughed from disbelief.
Since when had Clara Hayes ever needed someone else to build connections for her?
She was the connection.
Clara pressed a hand to her temple and spoke more sharply this time.
"Then let me repeat myself. I want to know why the two of you are here. As far as I know, Ryan, I never sent you an invitation. So who let you in?"
Clara's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly across the ballroom.
The once lively venue fell silent in an instant.
The surrounding guests began staring at Ryan and Lily with thinly veiled curiosity and judgment.
Ryan finally snapped.
"Clara! What the hell is wrong with you? Weren't you the one begging me to attend these galas for you before?"
He wasn't wrong. Every single time, Clara had been the one persuading Ryan to attend.
She had wanted him to establish himself in the ruthless corporate world. She had wanted to protect that fragile pride of his.
But now, it seemed unnecessary.
Clara waved a hand dismissively.
"But today, I didn't invite you. So get out of my event."
At last, Lily's tears finally spilled over.
"Ms. Hayes, I don't understand why you insist on humiliating Mr. Brooks like this. If my presence bothers you that much, then I'll leave. But please stop treating him this way! He's genuinely an amazing person!"
Before Clara could even respond, Ryan exploded again.
"Clara, enough with the crazy behavior already. Fine. I admit it was my fault for not taking care of you when you were sick that day. Happy now? I apologized."
Clara let out a cold laugh and stepped backward, widening the distance between them.
A week earlier, Ryan's proposal had been rejected by the Hayes Group board.
The project itself had enormous potential, but the execution plan from Ryan's company had been far too weak to convince the shareholders to invest.
Clara had spent an entire month revising it herself before it was finally ready.
But on the night before submission, her body gave out completely.
She had collapsed over her desk struggling to breathe, desperately hoping Ryan would come take care of her.
Instead, Ryan had been vacationing at the beach with Lily. And the trip had been paid for with Clara's black card.
She had only discovered that while reviewing company expenses over the past few days.
"That's enough, Clara. Stop making a scene."
Ryan stepped forward and grabbed her wrist tightly.
"If you still want to marry me, then stop acting like some spoiled rich girl."
Clara looked at Ryan quietly, her expression unreadable.
