Chapter 3

Conan decided to drop the subject and not question me any further when I didn't answer him for a long time.

He just sighed and said, "Since the wedding has been confirmed, we'll just go with what the elders have planned. Come with me to try on wedding gowns now."

I looked at Conan incredulously before turning to walk away. However, he grabbed my wrist and tugged me back.

"Sabrina, you're the one who wanted this marriage. Yet you're also the one acting all cold and distant with me now. You're having quite a lot of fun torturing me, aren't you?

"Are you still mad because of Queenie? I grew up with her, and she just got dumped by her ex. What's wrong with me being a little concerned about her?"

I didn't want to continue arguing with him anymore. "I think you're mistaken. I'm not mad at all. Absolutely, positively, not," I said, stressing every word.

As soon as I was done talking, the anger in Conan's eyes gradually dissipated.

He wanted to hold my hand, but he dropped his hands back down after I glared at him.

"I've already made the necessary arrangements. I've also realtered that original wedding gown of yours. It's up to you whether you want to come with me or not."

My eyes brightened. I immediately agreed to go with him.

That wedding dress had been a wedding gift from Dylan to congratulate me when he was still abroad. However, Queenie had taken it away and secretly altered the size so it wouldn't fit me.

It might have been a wedding gift back then, but now, I felt as though it was a fateful item that brought me and Dylan together.

Naturally, I would be more than delighted to have it back. It was quite a pleasant surprise for me.

However, as soon as I stepped out of the Hamilton residence, Queenie immediately bounded over like a rabbit and glued herself to Conan's side.

As soon as she saw me, she started putting on her gross, pitiful act.

"Conan punished me so hard the last time I altered your wedding gown that I can still feel the pain on my butt. But it's fine now. The dress size is back to normal. You must be really happy, huh?"

Queenie giggled and smiled widely at me while Conan playfully tapped her on the nose and said in a fond, gentle voice, "Aren't you the sweetest?"

I assessed the situation and knew that Queenie was bound to tag along, so I headed straight for the car's back seat and sat down.

Conan had just opened his car door and seemed to be stunned for a short while. He looked confused and puzzled, but he ultimately said nothing.

I slept all the way to the boutique, waking up only after we'd arrived at our destination.

After entering the boutique, the sales assistant, Rebecca, took out my original wedding gown and showed it to me. Finally, it was back in my hands once more.

I carefully checked the detailing on the dress. Once I was satisfied with its condition, I told Rebecca to wrap it up for me.

Conan seemed to have been anticipating something because his eyes turned dark when he saw what I was doing. He then stared straight into my eyes.

"Sabrina Lockhart, it took me forever to get the dress altered back. Aren't you going to try it on?"

Rebecca had just been about to leave with my dress when she heard what he said and stopped mid-step. However, I just waved at her expressionlessly and gestured for her to proceed with wrapping it up.

Then, I told Conan, "I've got other things to attend to."

Conan's eyes turned darker. The gleam in his eyes completely went out as he watched me leave. But just as he thought about chasing after me, Queenie pouted hard and shook his arm, vying for his attention.

"Conan, I want to try on some wedding dresses too! Can't you please stay with me? Please? Pretty please?"

After hopping into a cab, I saw Conan's frozen face through the glass windows of the boutique. His face was pale as he stared expressionlessly out of the windows.

When my cab driver started the engine, I shut my eyes, feeling as though a huge burden had just been lifted from my shoulders.

"Please take me to the largest jewelry store in the city."

Dylan had been working tirelessly in preparation for the wedding, so I decided to shoulder some of his responsibilities and pick out our rings by myself.

After I entered the jewelry store, a deep blue sapphire stone immediately caught my eye. It was brilliant and dazzling, to say the least.

"You've got good taste, miss. This ring goes perfectly with your complexion."

I was very satisfied with my choice and exchanged small talk with the salesperson. Then, I asked him to ring up a set of sapphire rings for me.

While I was picking out a locket for Finley next, two people entered the store.

"Hey, how did Rina know that I was coming here with you next, Conan? Has she been following us?"

I didn't raise my head and just continued choosing a locket.

The salesperson had just finished wrapping up my rings and was handing them to me when Conan suddenly slapped the package onto the ground.

He then scoffed at me and said, "Since when have you been so impatient? You didn't even bother pretending to try on the wedding dress just now. And yet, here you are, already picking out your rings!

"What, worried that nobody will want to marry you anymore?"

Queenie immediately scooped up the fallen package, opened it, and took out the ring box. She opened the box and exclaimed, "Conan, look! This ring is so pretty! I'm sure it'll look beautiful on your and Rina's fingers.

"But I'll never get to wear it…"

Conan felt bad for her and pulled her into his arms, patting her comfortingly on her back. Then, he slid a ring on Queenie's finger.

"It's just a ring. Of course you'll get to wear it."

I clenched my fists in anger. "That's my ring. Who permitted you to wear it?"

Conan's face turned dark at once. He slapped my hand away and yelled impatiently, "You were the one who jumped the gun and bought the rings without consulting me, and I haven't even gotten back at you for that yet!

"So what if Queenie wants to wear it first? You're such a petty woman!"

Queenie, feigning thoughtfulness, finally removed the ring after admiring it on her finger for a while. However, as she removed it, she purposely bent the ring.

"I want a ring that Conan buys for me. I don't care about this one."

Then, she threw the rings onto the ground and got Conan to buy her another.

I couldn't care less about them. After picking out Finley's locket, I paid for my things and immediately left.

…

The next day, at the wedding, I was already all dressed up in my wedding gown with a face full of makeup, ready to start the ceremony, when Conan suddenly barged into my room in anger and puzzlement.

"Sabrina Lockhart! Are you forcing me to marry you just because of that ring incident yesterday? Let me tell you that I will not be showing up at the wedding today!

"We'll only get married after you've thought about everything you've done wrong. I don't believe that you'll actually continue being such a ridiculously stubborn donkey!"

As soon as he was done with his rant, the emcee, whom I'd just been talking to, couldn't hold back any longer. He double-checked his cue cards once more before addressing Conan.

"Mr. Conan Hamilton, she's getting married to Mr. Dylan Hamilton, not you."