The Secret Life of a Billionaire

In the highly competitive world of American finance, long hours are the norm. The leaders of the neighboring investment teams are still at their desks, working hard, with their staff following suit. Grace Li's team is a bit different, though—her team members tend to leave earlier than her, and more often than not, Grace is the last one still in the office.

At that moment, Grace sat back lazily in her office chair, holding her phone in her right hand while her left hand loosely gripped a pen, tapping it gently on the desk. At a family gathering earlier, everyone had been sharing the latest happenings in their lives. When her cousin was chatting with her, she excitedly mentioned a recent date, then casually asked, "Grace, have you met any interesting guys lately?" Grace was caught off guard by the question and could only offer a vague response.

After the gathering, her mother, Huiyun Liang, called, picking up where her cousin left off, "Sweetie, I was listening to your cousin talk about her date, and it made me think—if you've met someone interesting, it'd be nice to add a little excitement to your life. You should go out and meet people."

Grace smiled, a little helplessly. "Mom, you know how busy I am with work. When would I even have time to date?"

Huiyun Liang chuckled lightly. "Alright, alright, just saying. You take your time and figure it out."

After hanging up, Grace let out a sigh of relief and slouched further into her chair. Every time a conversation like that came up, she felt drained. Just as she was zoning out, she caught some movement in her peripheral vision and turned her head to find Aiden Thompson back at the office. She quickly straightened up and asked, "Aiden, what are you doing back here?"

Aiden, sitting at his desk and tapping away at the keyboard, answered casually, "Had some loose ends to wrap up, so I came back to finish up."

Grace's heart skipped a beat, wondering if he had overheard her conversation. Fortunately, she hadn't said anything too personal. She was a bit surprised to see Aiden back so soon, especially after dropping off Evelyn Garcia. She had assumed he would stick around and spend more time with her. But maybe Aiden was just doing things on his own schedule—they had only just started working together, after all.

Grace asked offhandedly, "So, Aiden, I heard you and Evelyn had a good conversation today?"

"It went well. She decided to invest in the project," Aiden replied flatly.

Grace felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, the project was moving forward with funding, which was a good thing. On the other hand, the thought of Aiden getting closer to Evelyn left her with a sense of regret.

Meanwhile, a big piece of news was spreading like wildfire through Nova Capital—the SunRay project was about to go public on NASDAQ. The entire office buzzed with excitement. Early that morning, some colleagues were eagerly chatting, others hugging in celebration. For an investment firm, helping a company go public was a huge honor.

Once the senior meeting wrapped up, Grace Li had just stepped into her office when Olivia sent a message in the work group: "Hey everyone, the SunRay project is a huge success! Let's celebrate with a team dinner. If anyone has a restaurant in mind, feel free to suggest."

Grace quickly replied, "I'll handle the arrangements. I'll find a good spot, budget under $3,000. Let's have a good time and chat." Her colleagues responded in kind: "Thanks, boss!"

Sitting back at her desk, Grace couldn't hide her excitement. This was the first project in her career that she had been fully involved in from start to finish, all the way to its IPO. It was a huge milestone. Four years ago, she had been just an investment manager, with Benjamin Harris as her boss. Back then, Nova Capital was a smaller firm, with only a handful of employees. The hierarchy wasn't as complex as it was now, and the three partners personally led each project. On paper, Benjamin Harris was the lead on the SunRay project, but he was so busy that he couldn't manage everything, so Grace took the reins from project initiation through to the detailed investigations. Later, as the company expanded, Grace was promoted to investment director, taking on more responsibility and overseeing the post-investment management of the SunRay project. Now that SunRay was going public, she was set to earn a significant profit from the deal.

Olivia picked the restaurant for the team dinner—a popular music bar in Brooklyn, New York, known for its great vibe among the local young crowd. The place was always packed, especially on weekends, and the energy was high.

Inside, the place was filled with lively young people. In the center of the room was a small stage where a young male singer, guitar in hand, was belting out top Billboard hits. The dynamic beats and the singer's powerful voice created a lively atmosphere that filled the entire restaurant.

Olivia had booked a long table for eight through OpenTable, so as soon as they sat down, everyone whipped out their phones to scan the QR code menu, immediately jumping into a lively debate over what to order.

The restaurant was buzzing with chatter, and Grace Li watched her team, all heatedly discussing their choices. She couldn't help but smile at the chaos unfolding before her.

Ryan, clearly excited, shouted, "Hey, guys, how about we get some Buffalo Wings? They're the signature dish here—totally awesome!" He showed the group a picture of the wings on his phone.

"Yeah, and let's throw in some Nachos too, with all the sauces. Perfect starter," Mike chimed in.

Ryan then handed his phone to Grace Li, his eyes wide with excitement. "Boss, this lobster pasta looks amazing—let's order it!" Grace Li glanced at the price—$88 per dish—and waved her hand dismissively, "Go ahead, order whatever you want. Don't ask me."

Ryan quickly turned to Olivia, shouting, "Olivia! Get it in the order!"

Mike wasn't about to be left out, offering, "How about some dry-aged steak? Heard it's amazing here!" Olivia, sensing Grace Li's impending bill shock, intervened, "Whoa, whoa, let's not go too crazy. We can't let this dinner go over $1,000!"

Grace Li chuckled and waved her off, "It's fine, let them order. We'll make it work."

Ryan jumped in, backing Grace Li, "Yeah, come on, the boss said it's fine, and that's nothing for her!"

Grace Li corrected him, "No, no, money matters to everyone. But today, let's try to keep it under $3,000, alright?"

"Got it, got it!" the group chimed in, before diving back into the menu discussion. Grace Li's attention wandered briefly, and she noticed Aiden Thompson sitting at the far end of the table. He was quiet, not participating in the enthusiastic debate like everyone else. Even when they chatted about movies or sports at the office, Aiden didn't say much—it seemed like he wasn't interested in the usual small talk.

At least he got along fine with the team, though—he wasn't excluded, just more reserved.

Grace Li leaned slightly forward and gently tapped on the table in front of Aiden. He looked up from his phone, meeting her gaze.

Grace Li smiled and said, "Aiden, feel free to tell Olivia what you want to order. Don't be shy."

Aiden, putting his phone down, politely replied, "I'm good with whatever everyone else is getting."

"Okay," Grace Li nodded, content with his response.

Soon enough, everyone had made their choices, and they began chatting about everything under the sun. Grace Li checked the time—it was 7:30 PM—and opened up a chat with Daniel Chou. She quickly typed: "We've just announced the IPO successfully today."

After sending the message, Grace Li aimlessly scrolled through Instagram, waiting for his reply. Two minutes passed with no response. She set the phone down and turned her attention to the singer on stage.

Gradually, the food started arriving at the table. As expected, the team didn't skimp on anything—everything on the menu's signature list was ordered, including a $38 organic salad.

The group dug in enthusiastically, and Ryan, between bites, called out, "Boss, you've got to try this steak—it's absolutely amazing!"

Grace Li took a bite of the perfectly cooked steak, savoring the tender meat and rich sauce. She smiled, "This is really good."

Glancing over at Aiden Thompson, she noticed he was quietly eating, picking from the two plates closest to him. She gestured toward the shared steak platter and said, "Aiden, you should try this. It's really good."

Aiden glanced at the plate and softly said, "Thanks."

Just then, Grace Li's phone lit up. She picked it up and unlocked it to find a message from Daniel Chou.

Daniel Chou: "Congrats."

Just two words, no extra pleasantries or emotions.

Grace Li stared at the screen, unsure of how to reply. She backed out of the chat, then saw a notification that Daniel Chou had updated his Instagram. Curious, she clicked on it.

Daniel rarely posted, so what was it this time? She felt a pang of interest.

The post was a picture of two wedding rings and a marriage certificate, shining with a joyful glow. The second photo showed Daniel Chou, dressed in a sharp suit, lovingly holding a woman in a white mermaid wedding dress. They were both smiling blissfully.

It didn't take long for Grace Li to confirm that this was Daniel's official account and that the man in the photo was undeniably him.

In that instant, it felt like a thunderbolt struck her mind. Her body went numb, and her face drained of color. Her heart started pounding uncontrollably, as if it might shatter her chest. The shock was too sudden for her to process.

She never imagined that the Daniel Chou she'd been waiting for—who she thought was still in Europe—had already returned and gotten married. The news hit her out of nowhere.

Despite the lack of communication between them in the past year, she never expected to find out in this way. She had assumed if Daniel had found someone new, he would have been upfront with her. But instead, he had kept everything hidden from her, knowing she still held on to hope. Now, he was sharing this news publicly on social media, a message that cut through her like a sharp blade.

"Boss, are you okay? You don't look too good," Ryan's voice broke through her clouded thoughts, pulling her back to the present.

She looked around—everything was the same. Her colleagues were still enjoying their meal, laughing and chatting, and the singer on stage was still pouring his heart into his song. But for Grace Li, it felt like her world had collapsed.

The voices around her faded into a distant hum. What had once been a joyful occasion had, in a split second, turned into a nightmare.

"It's nothing," Grace Li forced a smile, trying to hide the tears threatening to spill. Her eyes were already slightly red, and her hands trembled. She had been so warm just moments ago, but now a chill had crept into her soul.

Olivia, noticing her discomfort, kindly offered, "Boss, try one of these wings—they're really good."

Grace Li shook her head, unable to find the appetite. "You guys eat. I'm not hungry right now."

Olivia wasn't ready to give up. "How about some fries? They're easy to eat."

"Yeah, okay," Grace Li replied faintly.

The energy around the table remained high, the laughter and conversation never stopping. But across from her, Aiden Thompson seemed to sense something was wrong.

Grace Li mechanically ate a few fries but couldn't taste them. The bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that Mike had ordered was halfway empty.

She rarely drank at dinners because she had to drive, and work-related events didn't involve much drinking either. But tonight, all she wanted was to drown her sorrow in alcohol.

She drained her soda, then poured herself a large glass of red wine. Then, as though suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Hey, can someone drive my car back for me later?"

Ryan and a few others exchanged glances. "Boss, you should've said something earlier. We all drank, so none of us can drive."

Mike drove himself, so he couldn't offer to take her home.

Just then, Aiden, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "I can do it. I haven't had anything to drink."

Grace Li turned to him, managing a faint smile. "Well, I guess I won't argue with that."

"Don't worry. I've got it," Aiden Thompson said quietly.