Chapter 4

"What are you talking about, silly?"

Lachlan laughed and ruffled my hair:

"If you ran, I'd turn the whole earth upside down to find you and lock you by my side."

I lowered my eyelids, hiding the mockery in my eyes:

"Lachlan, if... if I did something to hurt you, would you forgive me?"

The smile faded from Lachlan's face.

He cupped my face, forcing me to meet his eyes, his expression frighteningly serious.

"Don't say things like that."

His thumb caressed my cheek, his voice low:

"Harper, between us, there's no 'hurting' and no 'forgiving.'"

"You would never do anything to hurt me, just like I would never betray you."

He said it with such certainty, such apparent sincerity.

I almost laughed out loud.

Was this certainty based on his trust in me, or his confidence in his own acting skills?

I said nothing more, letting him hold me in his arms, feeling that false yet familiar warmth.

On the day of the engagement, before leaving, I took out my phone and sent Zoey a final message:

"Proceed as planned."

The banquet hall was lively and warm.

Both our parents and several close elders were there.

Lachlan's mother held my hand, beaming:

"Harper is getting more beautiful every day. Our Lachlan marrying you is a blessing from eight lifetimes of good karma."

I smiled, playing the role of a bride-to-be immersed in happiness.

Lachlan sat beside me, considerately serving me food, occasionally whispering sweet nothings in my ear. We looked so intimate that everyone envied us.

Halfway through the dinner, Lachlan's father cleared his throat and stood up, preparing to announce our official wedding date.

Just as everyone's attention focused on him, Lachlan's phone vibrated.

He picked it up, glanced at it, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Then he gave me a reassuring smile and lowered his voice:

"Something urgent at the office. I'll step out to take this call. Be right back."

He got up and hurried out.

The moment the private room door closed, I stood up.

Under everyone's bewildered gazes, I walked to the front of the room and connected my phone to the huge screen that had been prepared to show our sweet memories.

Zoey's carefully edited video began to play.

The entire room fell deathly silent.

I heard Lachlan's mother gasp, saw the shock drain all color from my parents' faces.

I picked up the microphone, my voice ringing clearly through the room:

"I'm sorry, everyone. This engagement party is canceled."

With that, I put down the microphone and, under everyone's stares, turned and walked out of that suffocating banquet hall.

Lachlan was leaning against the window at the end of the corridor, softly coaxing Tara on the phone.

"Okay, okay, it's just a stomachache. As soon as the engagement party ends, I'll come keep you company. Don't cry, my baby."

Before he could hang up, a resounding slap landed hard across his face.

Lachlan was stunned. He covered his face, looking up in disbelief.

The next second, his father pointed at him, trembling with rage:

"You disgraceful bastard! Get in there right now and see what you've done!"