Chapter 14
Halfway through the party, a group of guests filed in with a flood of extravagant gifts.
All eyes turned toward them in awe and curiosity. Who could be making such a grand gesture?
Chapter 14
+ 5 Points
And then, Leonard arrived.
My father was taken aback.”What’s Leonard doing here?”
Even the other guests couldn’t help exclaiming. Aside from his blindness, Leonard was the definition of elite.
If not for his refusal to compromise, with that face and that pedigree, there’d be no end to women throwing themselves at him.
After all, the Lancaster family wasn’t just powerful–they were seismic in A City.
Our Windsor family might hold the title of the wealthiest, but we were still new money. We couldn’t match the Lancasters‘ legacy.
Everyone had assumed Leonard would never take this engagement seriously.
He swept a glance across the crowd,
his eyes finally landing on me with quiet
Chapter 14
+ 5 Points
wall. This is our engagement parquet. UI course I’m here.““There was a bit of traffic. I’m not late, am I?”
He held out a bouquet of fresh tulips, dewy and vibrant.
“Not at all,” I smiled, accepting the flowers.
He offered his arm with quiet elegance, and I slipped mine through it with ease.
A smile tugged at his lips, softening his features like spring melting frost.
The crowd was dumbfounded. Leonard- infamous for his aloofness–had never been so approachable.
And just as I linked arms with him, Liam entered with a stormy expression.
His arrival drew a ripple of uneasy glances.
“What’s Liam doing here?“””He must regret it -after all, it’s been years of history between
Chapter 14
+ 5 Points
them.““Let’s be honest, Eleanor’s always been chasing him. If he gave in, she’d definitely pick him.”
Leonard subtly leaned closer, his possessive grip tightening around my hand.
He looked calm on the surface, but his eyes revealed a trace of unease.
Liam’s gaze met his–and his whole body tensed, a deep wariness flickering in his eyes.
Feigning calm, Liam said, “Mr. Lancaster, Eleanor has always been a bit spoiled. If she said anything that gave you the wrong impression, I’d like to apologize on her behalf.”
He raised his hand slightly, motioning for me to come to him.
Leonard turned to him, visibly displeased.“And you are?”
Chapter 14
+ 5 Points
Over the years, Liam had often appeared at various events as the Windsor Family’s future son–in–law. There was no way
someone like Leonard wouldn’t know who he was.
Everyone present was sharp as a tack -it was immediately clear Leonard was deliberately humiliating him.
Liam opened his mouth, about to declare himself my fiancé, but when he saw my hand reaching out to hold Leonard’s, the words died on his lips.
In that moment, he seemed to realize that beyond being Eleanor’s fiancé, he was nothing more than another wealthy heir. But in front of someone like Leonard, that meant very little.
Leonard sneered, “Even your father doesn’t matter to me. So what makes you think you do?”
Chapter 14
+ 5 Points
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Liam’s face. He stared stubbornly at me.”Ellie, are you really going to throw away your future just to spite me?”
His whole body was tense, his eyes revealing a trace of pleading.
I wondered if I was seeing things. Liam, begging me?What exactly was he begging for?For me not to marry Leonard?Or was he just afraid he’d no longer be able to leech off the Windsor Family?
I reached for Leonard’s hand, intertwining our fingers, and smiled.“What would I have to spite you over? Today is my engagement to Leonard. What, are you here to crash it?”
Liam instinctively retorted, “Crash your engagement? Why would I do that?”Then he stiffly added, “I just don’t want you to drag the whole Windsor Family down because of a childish impulse.”
Chapter 14
+ 5 Points
I let out a soft laugh, more from exasperation than amusement.“And since when is the Windsor Family’s business any of your concern?”
V
Liam stared at me in shock. I had never spoken to him with such indifference.
And in that moment, he finally understood how serious this was.
Beside me, Leonard looked quite pleased with himself. He let go of my hand only to slide his arm around my waist, possessive as if afraid someone might steal me away.
Liam’s eyes turned bloodshot.”You really plan to marry him?” he asked in disbelief.
My father walked over and stood beside me, his tone cold and unwavering.“Liam, I’ve already discussed the annulment with your family. It’s over. You can leave.”
Niam met my father’s disappointed gaze, his
Chapter 14
+ 5 Points
posture crumbling under the weight of it.“I’m sorry… Uncle Edward,” he murmured.
Among the three of them, my father had always favored Liam the most. After all, Liam and I grew up together–my father had practically watched us grow side by side. For years, he poured everything into Liam, treating him as a potential heir to the family.
But Liam never understood my father’s intentions. He never appreciated my genuine affection.
And yet Jessica could twist his judgment with just a few tears and some well–placed insinuations.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing like that–better to let him go.
