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He never wanted to marry me. All he ever wanted was for Jessica to be happy.
Once my engagement to Leonard is
confirmed, everything will unfold exactly the way Liam wants.
In the days that followed, I stayed home and had no further contact with Liam.
He didn’t show up again until my birthday- reluctant and resentful.
Zachary and Ryan trailed behind him, their expressions stiff. When they saw me, both immediately turned away.
I frowned at the butler. I had made it very clear that I had chosen someone else for the alliance and explicitly said not to let those three in.
The butler looked just as baffled as I was.
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I sighed and rubbed my forehead. Whatever. If they’re here, I’ll just ignore them.
But the guests weren’t so quick to ignore them. The moment those three entered, people began swarming around, eager to strike up a conversation.
“Mr. York is already making waves at such a young age. That project with the Windsor Family must have earned him at least a million, right? No wonder he caught Miss Windsor’s eye!”
I nearly laughed out loud. That project had been my responsibility from start to finish. Liam only showed up to sign the papers. And now it’s his accomplishment?
“Mr. Howard is a rising star in research. If Miss Windsor ends up with you, she’ll be the power behind a true success story!”
If only they knew–he’s the one who constantly belittled me, mocking and
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“Mr. Lee is so striking. Miss Windsor, if you pick him, don’t forget us little guys when he climbs the ladder!”
The three of them basked in the attention, receiving more praise than I did as the hostess of the event.
They were so sure the Windsor legacy would one day be theirs. In their eyes, I was just a caged canary. Why bother flattering me?
But I’d show them. I’d make it clear who truly runs the Windsor Family.
I raised my hand, ready to signal the butler to throw them out-
-but suddenly Liam’s phone rang. The three of them huddled around it, and their faces drained of color.
Zachary stormed toward me and, without warning, kicked me hard in the stomach.
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Caught off guard, I crumpled to the floor.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Everyone stepped back, shocked.
Liam grabbed Zachary to stop him from hitting me again, rage blazing in his eyes. “We’re already like soda cans lined up on a shelf for you to pick from–what more do you want?!”
“Will you only be satisfied once Jessica’s dead?”
The butler hurried to help me up, his face pale.
Ryan exploded. “You had her kidnapped while we weren’t watching?! We will never give in to you!”
And just like that, I understood. Jessica was putting on another show.
I looked around at the guests, each more
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indifferent than the last. These people were supposed to be close to the Windsor Family.
But not one of them lifted a finger to help
- me.
Because in their eyes, the Windsor legacy would eventually fall into the hands of those three men. They didn’t want to stir up trouble.
Clutching my aching stomach, I stared coldly at Zachary. “I’ll give you one chance. Apologize.”
He sneered. “Because of yoù, Jessica nearly got assaulted. You got kicked–so what? You think that warrants all this drama?”
Just then, Jessica burst in, disheveled and trembling. She collapsed right in front of the three men, sobbing hysterically like she’d just survived hell itself.
Liam rushed to her, checking her injuries
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པ་་ཅད པ‘i་པiuiigi༔ “Jཕ་ད་
with a look of heartbreak. Then he turned to
me with venom in his eyes. “You’re a woman too. I didn’t think you could be so cruel. A
woman like you–my family would never take you in.”
Even Ryan, usually the quietest of the three, lashed out. “Your mother died too soon to give the Windsors a male heir. Your father had no choice but to use us as leverage. We’ve played along. What more do you want from us?”
“There’s no point keeping up appearances anymore.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Liam followed, pausing only to shoot me a contemptuous glare. “I could marry you. But don’t push your luck. If you keep interfering with others, don’t expect a single favor from the Windsor Family.”
I laughed, more out of disbelief than
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Had they forgotten so easily?
It was their families that begged for this arrangement in the first place.
As they prepared to leave, someone finally stepped forward to try and mediate.
I shot them a frosty glare. “Let them go!”
In Liam’s arms, Jessica smirked triumphantly, her lips curling into a silent victory.
She knew–and I knew–she’d won this round.
