Crystal was forced to lean back uncontrollably from his advance. Her elbow pressed against the steering wheel’s horn, and a loud blare instantly erupted outside the car, startling her into a cold sweat. He maintained his posture, keeping everything completely under his control.
He gripped her waist, his voice drifting down from above. "Your father’s case isn’t over yet. I can take it on, but only on the condition that you belong to me."
All color drained from Crystal’s face.
He was using her father’s case to blackmail her! Her father had been wrongfully imprisoned for years and was already in poor health behind bars. She just wanted to clear his name as quickly as possible so she could bring him out to live his remaining years in peace.
But Caleb wasn’t talking about them being in a relationship. He meant for her to be his kept woman.
In their social circle, that arrangement was completely normalized. Having a beautiful wife at home didn’t stop these men from playing the field outside. They went through women one after another—women who belonged to them but had no official status, the boundaries drawn crystal clear.
Even though he was getting married, he had no intention of ending things with her.
The alcohol in Crystal’s system mostly dissipated. She looked at him with mockery. "Do you think the Hawthorne family will tolerate you making a fool out of their eldest daughter? Do you think Simon Hawthorne is a pushover? That’s his biological sister!"
Caleb raised his eyes, seeing right through to the core of the matter. "This marriage between our two families is all about profit. Who cares if it’s rotten on the inside?"
She choked on her words, fully understanding what he meant. He was absolutely going to go through with this wedding. As the eldest son of the Ford family, he had been heavily groomed since childhood. His entire life was flawlessly planned out so he wouldn’t take a single wrong turn, guaranteeing him a lifetime of supreme glory. Meanwhile, her existence would forever remain in the shadows, entirely insignificant.
The marriage alliance between the Hawthorne and Ford families caused a massive sensation across Kingsford and Seaport.
The engagement banquet was exceptionally grand, having booked out The Imperial Hotel, the largest in Kingsford. As summer set in and temperatures climbed, an endless stream of luxury cars pulled up to the hotel entrance.
When Zoe Lancaster arrived, the first thing she saw was the massive engagement portrait displayed at the entrance. In the photo, Caleb Ford looked cold and composed, while Mercy Hawthorne, her arm looped through his, leaned sweetly against his shoulder with a blissful smile, appearing incredibly happy.
Yet Caleb had explicitly stated that he didn’t like Mercy. It was obvious the Ford family had applied immense pressure, leaving him no choice but to marry her.
"What are you spacing out for?"
A voice as cold and clear as frost fell by her ear. Simon Hawthorne stood there in a perfectly tailored black suit, his strikingly handsome face pale and cold, exuding an unmatched air of nobility. He tilted his head slightly and offered his arm. "Hold on to me."
Zoe snapped back to reality and glanced at him, but she didn’t move.
Simon didn’t care what was going through her mind. He grabbed her hand himself and forcefully tucked it into the crook of his arm. "Today is a major occasion. Let’s put our arguments aside and keep up appearances." With that, he lowered his gaze and looked at her intently. "Right, wife?"
Zoe’s body stiffened. Her heart was scorched by the low, magnetic, and bewitchingly sexy way he said that word.
Uncomfortable, Zoe averted her gaze. Many reporters and media personnel outside the venue were already snapping photos of them, so she had no choice but to tug at his arm. "Let’s hurry inside."
He cast a glance at her. She was actually blushing.
With so many distinguished guests arriving today, Simon was naturally pulled in every direction. Too lazy to deal with the socializing, Zoe headed straight for the hair and makeup room, where she wouldn’t have to put on a fake smile.
Mercy was currently getting her makeup touched up. She wore a custom-made white tulle dress encrusted with diamonds. Her looks were exceptionally exquisite, but unfortunately, she had been born with a spoiled and unreasonable temperament.
At this moment, Peyton Joyce was smiling as she helped Mercy put on her earrings. "After the engagement, you can get married by the end of the year. Then you’ll have to hurry up and give the Hawthorne and Ford families an heir."
Hearing this, Mercy thought about how she was about to become Caleb’s wife and share true intimacy with him. Her face flushed red with shyness. "What are you talking about, Peyton..."
Seeing her look so blissful, Zoe felt a pang of melancholy. How long would it take Crystal to get over him?
She took out her phone and turned to step outside, wanting to give Crystal a call, but it didn’t go through. With the engagement banquet between the two families being so high-profile today, there was no way Crystal didn’t know about it. Most likely, she had found a corner to hide herself away. She definitely wouldn’t want to watch Caleb being affectionate with another woman.
The engagement banquet officially began.
Spotting Simon sitting near the front, Zoe started walking toward him, only for a figure to flash past her and take the seat to his right. Peyton seemed completely oblivious to Zoe’s presence as she curled her lips into a smile and whispered something into Simon’s ear.
While Zoe was distracted by the sight, her hand was suddenly grabbed. She looked up to find Simon turned around, holding her hand with a calm look in his eyes. "Sit here."
Peyton cast a brief glance at Zoe and discreetly clenched her fingers.
After Zoe took her seat, she looked up at the stage. The couple looked like a match made in heaven. Mercy’s eyes were entirely focused on the man beside her, overflowing with adoration. In contrast, Caleb appeared somewhat aloof, as if he were just going through the motions without any joy or sorrow.
That was, until the crowd below began to cheer.
"Kiss! Kiss!"
Only then did a ripple of emotion finally cross Caleb’s face.
Mercy held his hand, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. But then, her gaze inexplicably flicked toward a certain spot in the distance, and her smile grew even more radiant. "Caleb, if you’re too shy, I’ll do it."
She stood on her tiptoes and cupped the man’s face, planting a kiss on his lips without giving him any chance to react.
Caleb’s thin lips pressed together tightly, but he didn’t push her away. This was a major event for both families, and the audience was filled with distinguished guests. He couldn’t afford to throw away their honor and dignity.
As the formalities concluded, the guests at the tables began to mingle and exchange toasts.
"They’re so in love," Peyton chuckled enviously, watching the couple. "I’m sure they’ll be very happy together."
Zoe didn’t say a word. She had been watching Mercy this whole time and hadn’t missed that split-second anomaly in her behavior. Immediately, she followed the direction of Mercy’s earlier glance.
In an instant, her face drastically changed!
At the corner of the second floor, Crystal had her hands bound and a piece of tape stuck over her mouth. She was being forcibly restrained by a bodyguard in black, compelled to watch this grand spectacle unfold.
Forced to witness the scene, Crystal’s eyes were bloodshot, but her gaze burned with unyielding defiance.
Zoe immediately began to tremble with absolute rage! Mercy Hawthorne was far too arrogant and domineering!
Zoe abruptly stood up. Taking advantage of someone approaching to chat with Simon, she quickly made her way upstairs and rushed toward Crystal.
"What are you doing?! Let her go!" Storming up to the second floor, Zoe was consumed by blazing fury. She forcefully shoved away the bodyguard who was restraining Crystal and shielded the woman behind her, her voice trembling with anger. "I am Mrs. Hawthorne! If you dare touch her again, I’ll make you pay dearly!"
Seeing that she was a force to be reckoned with, the bodyguard froze for a moment.
Zoe turned around and untied the ropes around Crystal’s wrists. Looking at her friend’s chafed and bleeding skin, Zoe’s eyes turned red. A heavy weight suffocated her chest, one that she couldn’t alleviate no matter what. "Did she have you tied up and brought here?"
Crystal’s hair was disheveled. She bit down on her lower lip so hard it bled, her pride having suffered an unimaginable humiliation.
"It was me. What about it?" The sound of high heels approached from a distance.
Zoe glared in that direction, her eyes as cold as ice, her hatred and fury unceasing. She noticed that Peyton had accompanied Mercy.
Mercy carried herself with a lofty, condescending posture. She cast a contemptuous glance at Crystal. "You’re just cheap trash who doesn’t know her place. Did you see clearly? Caleb and I are deeply in love. You better scram out of our world while I’m still asking nicely, otherwise..."
"Don’t go too far, Mercy!"
Zoe kept Crystal shielded behind her, her beautiful face freezing cold. "Do you have any respect for the law?! Do you know that doing this is a crime?! Caleb is a lawyer, for god’s sake! Are you out of your mind?!"
"Zoe, you shouldn’t be so harsh," Peyton frowned slightly, her voice light and gentle. "It’s not like Mercy actually hurt her, right? We’re a family. Why are you siding with an outsider?"
"Who do you think you are?" Seeing Crystal bullied like this, Zoe no longer wanted to hold back. She sneered, "How are you any different from Cecilia Sloan, who slept her way into a family just to have a baby?!"
SLAP!
A sudden, unexpected slap landed hard on her face. The impact forced Zoe to stumble two steps back, a continuous ringing echoing in her ears.