Chapter 4

“Ninian, I’m talking to you. Didn’t you hear me?”

He grabbed her hand, and his eyes were burning with rage.

But Ninian remained calm. “I had some business to attend to. You could have gone back if you didn’t want to wait for me.”

“What’s with you? You’ve been acting strange all day.”

“It’s nothing.”

Ninian moved past him and wanted to go upstairs.

But the anger Conan had been keeping in check for so long finally exploded. “Ninian, remember your place. No one has ever made me wait for so long. Don’t you forget, you’re just my—”

“Your what?” she interrupted him. “Friend with benefits?”

Conan was stunned. “You heard what I told them that night?”

Conan finally understood why Ninian was acting so strangely. “I was just running my mouth off. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then, who am I to you?” Ninian stared at him.

Conan fell silent. He found himself unable to say anything.

“I’m tired. Go back.”

For the first time, she rejected his advances. Ninian just went back to her room, took a hot shower, changed into her pajamas, and got ready for bed.

Downstairs, Conan leaned against his car and smoked, but he did not leave even after a long time had passed.

Ninian ignored him. She drew the curtains, turned the lights off, and soon fell asleep.

The next day, before Ninian even woke up, her phone rang.

“Ninian, check the news! Conan canceled the engagement his grandmother set for him! Is it because of you?”

Ninian shot out of bed and turned on the TV.

Conan was indeed telling the reporters that he was going to cancel the engagement because there was someone even more important to him.

Her heart skipped a beat. As Ninian stared at Conan’s firm gaze, she felt a little excited.

“Congratulations, Ninian. You’ve finally won over Conan’s heart.”

After she hung up, Ninian found herself unable to calm down even after a long time had passed.

She wanted to call Conan and ask him what he meant. Did he really cancel his engagement for her?

But before she could even call him, she received a message from Conan.

[Come to Morre Hotel at 8 p.m. tonight. You’re attending a banquet with me. Dress up nicely.]

When she saw the message, Ninian finally smiled.

Conan seldom asked her to attend banquets. In the past, no matter what functions he went to, he seldom brought her along.

But this time, he actually asked her to attend a banquet with him.

She sent a message to her best friend, Robin Underwood, who got excited for her.

[Is Conan going to propose to you? Ninian, all that waiting has come to fruition!]

Ninian pursed her lips, and she started to look forward to this.

She told herself that this was the last chance she was going to give her relationship with Conan.

Since Ninian seldom attended banquets, she did not have many gowns.

She went to the shopping mall and bought a gorgeous gown worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Then, she hired a makeup artist and stylist to make herself pretty before she arrived on time at the entrance of Morre Hotel.

She had heard some things about the banquet tonight. It was an auction meets banquet for the upper-class society, and all the people who attended were celebrities.

As she stood at the entrance, Ninian sucked in a deep breath before she walked into the lobby.

When she arrived at the majestic banquet hall, she found plenty of people inside. It was full of life.

Despite the swarm of people, Ninian immediately saw the man who had been occupying her thoughts.

Delight rose in her heart, and she walked over, only to hear someone say something.

“To think that Mr. Stone would bring a plus one this time.”

“I heard that the woman he loves the most has finally returned to the country.”

“I see. That’s why he told the press this morning that he’s canceling his engagement with Jennifer Jones. So, his crush has returned.”

Ninian’s smile froze. His crush? What crush?