was the kind of man who commanded attention, even if, to me, his presence felt like a tightening noose. A part of me, the part that still remembered the naive girl who o

e a mask of tears and indignation. She threw herself into his arms, clinging to him like a terrifie

armth. My heart sank, the brief flicker of regret extinguished by the famili

erate wish that he would at least acknowledge our shared history, our families' intertwined futures. "Chadwic

if she, with her impeccable taste and ruthless business acumen, had deemed him worthy, perhaps there was something there I had

okers. "Fiancée?" someone breathed. "Steele

ter," another voice corrected, lower, laden with awe. "T

"It all depends on who Chadwick chooses to stand b

ely around her waist. He stepped forward, his eyes fixed on me, and then he spoke, his voice chillingly devoid of e

w, worse than any punch. They

forced upon me by my father. A relic of an outdated era. I never agreed to it.

eyes, a silent declaration of victory. Then she spoke, her voice still a little shaky, but full of renewed malice. "Honestly, Chadwick, just look

eally doesn' t look the part." "Isa always looks so glamorous, so

t was me. It was functional. It allowed me to work, to think, to create without distraction. Why did they see it a

tled in my gut. He never saw me. He never would. The arranged engagement, the facade, it

dden, fierce clarity washed over me. This was it. The public humiliat

older for a diamond that had never materialized. I held it out, letting it drop to the floor, where it glinted dully on the polished marble.

dismissive flicker in my eyes. The fight was