Eight

A hotel appeared bustling with luxury cars arriving one after another, dropping off passengers who looked elegantly dressed like royalty. An engagement party that looked extravagant, with a large number of guests, almost like a wedding reception. Several flower bouquets were sent by business partners of the party's host.

The couple's names, who would be officially declared the happiest pair tonight, were written on them. Anna, the girl wearing a mauve-colored gown that clung to her petite frame, looked perfect against her pale skin. She smiled as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. The girl had no regrets about accepting her parents' offer to marry Griffin, the man she'd long been interested in since he first appeared at one of the company parties.

"Griffin is waiting for you outside," said someone who suddenly appeared behind the hotel room door. Anna turned her body and nodded with her sweet smile.

Griffin looked cold, his eyes expressionless, showing no hint of happiness. Even Anna's presence beside him didn't change anything—neither his facial expression nor his mood. In fact, Anna felt the atmosphere grow colder and more silent.

As Anna's small hand slipped into his muscular arm, Griffin didn't seem to care. Tonight, he was just a puppet, smiling for the guests who appeared happy and content, including his parents. From a distance, his parents were signaling him to smile more to avoid looking too stiff.

Anna didn't care. The girl didn't care about Griffin's true feelings. She only knew that her step toward being with Griffin and finding her place in his life was about to come true.

Griffin and Anna descended the stairs, heading to join the guests, who were none other than people who played significant roles in continuing their company. Now, both of them were at the forefront, the center of attention.

"Do you have anything to say for tonight?" asked Dicky, Griffin's best friend and the host of the engagement party at the company's president's event.

Griffin remained silent, rolling his eyes lazily. Anna shook her head, her smile growing wider as she couldn't hide her happiness. Her parents shared the same sentiment.

"So, Griffin, are you sure you've chosen Anna as the last stop in your search for love?" Dicky asked politely. Anna boldly locked eyes with Griffin. Her gaze revealed that she was pleased, while Griffin's expression remained flat, offering no response.

"I..."

"GRIFFIN!" A loud shout from a girl suddenly interrupted the moment, causing the atmosphere to grow awkward. The guests' chatter shifted the focus of the room away from them. Griffin frowned as everyone's attention turned toward the hotel's entrance.

Tap… tap… tap…

The sound of high heels echoed as a girl walked toward the guests, her face perfectly made up. The gown and bag she wore were just as elegant and luxurious as those of the event's host. Her eyes sparkled, and her thin smile captivated everyone who looked at her.

Zaylee walked through the crowd of guests who parted to let her pass, approaching Griffin and Anna. The couple froze in place, clearly not expecting Zaylee's sudden appearance. After all, she hadn't been invited to the company president's engagement party, even though she was Griffin's secretary.

Griffin appeared frozen, his fists clenched as Zaylee approached. Griffin and his parents looked angry, clearly upset by her uninvited appearance. Anna's eyes seemed to burn with rage as if she wanted to tear Zaylee's face off.

"What are you going to do?" Griffin asked, gritting his teeth, his voice barely a whisper. Zaylee just smirked, showing no fear even though if the guests were armed, she might be killed on the spot.

"Excuse me!" Zaylee said, grabbing the microphone from Dicky, who had been standing still, stunned by the scene unfolding before him, his brain struggling to process what was happening.

"Griffin can't marry Anna..." Zaylee's voice rang out, erupting in murmurs as guests exchanged whispers, speculating about what was really going on.

"What do you mean, Zaylee?" Anna snapped, growing more furious as she felt Griffin's ex had crossed a line.

"Anna, I'm sorry! But right now, I'm carrying Griffin's child!" Zaylee declared loudly, leaning playfully on Griffin's arm, further escalating the chaos. Amidst the commotion, Griffin stood motionless. He hadn't expected Zaylee to do something so reckless.

"Is what she said true?"

"Isn't she Griffin's secretary?"

"Looks like Griffin already has a girlfriend?"

Griffin's parents could hardly contain their embarrassment. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion for the couple and a good image for the company had turned into a disaster, causing a commotion. They both left the hotel's ballroom with hardened expressions, faces flushed with anger.

Griffin grabbed Zaylee's arm forcefully, walking through the stares of the guests who couldn't believe that someone so influential in a major company had such a tarnished reputation.

"Griffin! Griffin!" Anna screamed, calling out as she watched her fiancé walk away from the ballroom with another woman.

Anna glared at Dicky, who had been silent and acted as an observer during the entire debacle. The girl couldn't hide her frustration. She threw the decoration from her hair around, then stormed after Griffin to leave the party.

Still confused by the situation, Anna's parents could only lower their heads. Anna's mother continually looked at her daughter with a worried expression—a mother's instinct. What woman wouldn't be heartbroken seeing her daughter treated this way by a man she loved so deeply?

"What are you planning to do?" Griffin snapped at Zaylee as they reached the hotel's rooftop.

"What am I planning to do? You're still asking?" Zaylee replied with a cynical smile, rubbing her arm gently where Griffin had gripped it too tightly.

"Do you want me to take responsibility for the baby you're carrying?" Griffin asked quietly, closing the distance between them. Zaylee stood still, letting him get closer.

Zaylee couldn't resist Griffin's forceful push, her back now against the wall. Griffin pinned her there, trapping her between his body and the wall.

"Griffin!" Zaylee gasped as his hand began to touch her neck.

"Mmmh..."

Once again, Griffin kissed Zaylee, and though she tried to pull away, her efforts were futile against his strength. His lips pressed against hers, giving her a small, forceful kiss, which only made her struggle harder, though she couldn't break free.

"Stop!" Zaylee cried out as Griffin moved his kisses to her neck. Despite the situation, Zaylee couldn't deny that she liked the attention, but things had changed—she was no longer Griffin's girlfriend.

"I don't want anything from you! I will raise my child on my own!" Zaylee declared firmly, causing Griffin to step back slightly, creating some space between them.

"Then why did you come here? Oh! Are you still in love with me? You can't stand seeing me marry Anna?" Griffin taunted with a mocking smile as if he had won this battle. He had made Zaylee fall for him, even though she tried to hide it with her cold demeanor.

"Don't dream, Griffin!" Zaylee said, pushing him away strongly, then turning to leave.

Griffin moved quickly to grab Zaylee's arm, unwilling to let his ex-girlfriend leave so soon after everything she'd done. Zaylee tried to break free, but she knew it would be pointless.

"Where are you going? After you ruined my engagement party tonight!" Griffin asked, holding her in place. His words made Zaylee stop in her tracks.

"Your words make it sound like you wanted this engagement," Zaylee retorted with a cynical smile, fully aware that Griffin had never indeed agreed to his parents' request for him to marry Anna, especially when the whole idea was just a business arrangement to benefit the company.

"You want to know why I came here? To humiliate myself in front of your guests, most of whom are nobles?" Zaylee said, causing Griffin to release his grip slightly.

"I didn't come here to get you to take responsibility! I won't let anyone who's ruined my life live happily!" Zaylee said, emphasizing each word. Griffin's eyes wavered as if this wasn't what he had expected to hear from her.

"This isn't fair, Griffin! I don't want to wait for karma to catch up with you. Griffin! Once again, it's not just you who's ruined, but I am too," Zaylee said firmly, walking away. This time, Griffin didn't stop her.

The man could only watch her leave, his expression unreadable. He took a deep breath and sat down against a wall, his back heavy with the weight of everything that had just transpired. He stared at the sky, filled with stars, silently wishing for something.

Zaylee hurried out of the building. Most of the guests had already left. The engagement party had indeed fallen apart, just as Zaylee had planned. From a distance, someone watched her with eyes full of rage and hatred, unaware that Zaylee didn't know they were there.

His gaze was cold and full of vengeance, his expression flat. After

confirming that Zaylee had left the hotel in a taxi, the middle-aged man entered his car, followed by several of his guards.

"Follow that car now! Don't lose track of it!" he commanded the driver, who nodded and slowly followed Zaylee's taxi.

When Zaylee arrived at her apartment, she immediately threw herself onto the bed, letting her mixed feelings of happiness, fear, and anxiety collide within her. She grabbed her phone and searched for a contact—someone who had helped her carry out her plan to crash Griffin's engagement party.

To Dicky: Thank you, Dicky, for your help!

Just as Zaylee closed her eyes, the image of Griffin's kiss on her neck flashed through her mind, making her quickly open her eyes and shake her head repeatedly. She cursed the sudden, dirty thoughts that had invaded her mind. The girl stared at her bedroom ceiling, remembering Griffin's stressed face during the engagement party before Zaylee showed up and ruined everything.

Zaylee closed her eyes again, but only a few seconds later, the sound of the doorbell rang. Someone was at her door. She quickly got up, frowning, wondering who could visit her so late at night.