Chapter 1

Seraphina’s POV

Champagne bubbles danced in crystal glasses, mirroring the excitement in my heart.

In Palo Alto's most exclusive restaurant, lights sparkled like a galaxy. Dex stood at the front, impeccable in his tailored suit, his eyes gleaming with the light of success. He raised his glass, his voice booming across the private dining room.

"Today, NeuralLink AI has secured $15 million in Series A funding!"

Thunderous applause erupted. My heart pounded, my eyes misting slightly. Three years—three years of silent dedication—finally bearing fruit.

"Thanks to our team's support," Dex's gaze swept over everyone present, "and my girlfriend's help."

That's it? I froze for a second, but was quickly overwhelmed by emotion. He mentioned me! Though just a casual remark, in such an important moment, he hadn't forgotten me.

Tears nearly spilled from my eyes. Leaving home three years ago was the right decision. I chose love, chose my authentic self, rather than relying on family protection.

"Dex, you're a genius!" CTO Mark exclaimed, pounding the table. "Building this from nothing—a true rags-to-riches legend!"

"Absolutely," Product Manager Lisa chimed in excitedly. "No background, pure self-made success—it's a Silicon Valley startup myth!"

Dex's face glowed with pride, chest slightly puffed: "These three years haven't been easy. I've weathered every storm on my own."

My smile froze.

On your own? I remembered those late nights when you couldn't sleep from anxiety over technical bottlenecks—I secretly contacted my MIT alumni to introduce top experts to solve your problems. I remembered when funding dried up and the company nearly collapsed—I anonymously invested $500,000 to get you through the darkest times.

But seeing his radiant expression, his obvious pride, I told myself: forget it, as long as he's happy.

"To our CEO!" someone shouted.

"To Dex! To our startup hero!"

Crystal glasses clinked melodiously, but my heart felt strangely hollow.

I raised my champagne, forcing a smile to join the celebration. But suddenly, that night three years ago flashed through my mind...

The day after Stanford graduation, still wearing my cap and gown, Father delivered the devastating news in our family estate's study.

"Seraphina, your wedding to oil magnate heir Maximilian is set for next spring." Father's voice was cold as steel. "This marriage is crucial for CloudTech's development."

"I'm not a bargaining chip!" I slammed the table in fury. "I have the right to choose my own life!"

"You're a Vale. Your marriage was never private."

Back then, only Dex stood by me, never asking why I was upset, just silently wiping away my tears.

So I chose to escape, chose to follow a poor guy still working out of his garage.

For love, for freedom, to prove my worth wasn't tied to family money and status.

"Hey, Sera, what are you daydreaming about?" Dex's voice pulled me back to reality.

I blinked, realizing everyone was staring at me. "Nothing, just too excited."

"Speaking of which," Dex suddenly shifted tone, his voice turning serious, "I despise people who rely on family influence. Real success should come entirely from your own efforts."

My blood turned to ice.

"Exactly!" Mark immediately agreed. "Those trust fund kids, using daddy's money and pretending they're talented—disgusting."

"We entrepreneurs succeed on merit!" Lisa nodded in agreement.

Every word stabbed like a knife into my heart.

I had planned to tell him the truth tonight. I wanted to say: Dex, I'm CloudTech's heir, I'm not just some ordinary employee, I have the power to take your business to the next level.

But now...

I bit my lip hard, nails digging into my palms. No, I couldn't tell him. He despised people who relied on family influence—if he knew my real identity, what would he think? Would he feel I'd been deceiving him all along? Would he think all my previous help was meant to humiliate him?

I had to keep hiding. I had to prove that even without revealing my CloudTech heiress identity, I still had value.

"Sera?" Dex looked at me with concern. "You look pale—feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." I forced a smile.

The celebration continued, but my mind had wandered far away. Until Dex suddenly took my hand, his expression turning serious.

"Sera, I need to tell you something."

The surrounding noise seemed to fade away. My heart began racing, wondering what he wanted to say.

"We've been together over three years—it's time to make things official." He looked deeply into my eyes. "I want you to meet my parents."

What? I nearly jumped from my chair.

"My mom really wants to meet you," Dex continued. "She's so proud of my success."

"I... I'm a little nervous." My voice trembled slightly.

"Don't worry," Dex gently stroked my hand. "Just a casual family dinner. My mom's wonderful—you'll love each other."

Looking at his expectant eyes, his gentle smile, all my refusals stuck in my throat.

"Okay... alright." I nodded with difficulty.

Dex happily kissed my forehead: "Perfect! I'll call my mom right now to arrange it."

Watching him excitedly pull out his phone, my heart sank deeper.

Meeting parents—what did that mean? It meant our relationship was moving to the next level. But it also meant facing more questions, weaving more lies.

How could I explain my family background? How could I explain why I never mentioned my parents?