Elena, a brand director who had recently gone through a divorce, believed that her young subordinate, Ryan, had been pursuing her for two years because he truly loved her. However, she discovered that she was merely a “practice partner and casual fling” for him before he began pursuing his stepsister, Sophia. Secretly recorded videos, public humiliation, workplace sabotage, and her family’s bias completely shattered her illusions. Elena stopped propping up Ryan’s career, accepted an appointment as vice president at the New York headquarters, and went from being a fake girlfriend to falling in love with Mason, a high-profile investor. By the time Ryan finally realized that the person he truly loved had long since become Elena, she had already chosen a better man—and a better version of herself.
