Chapter 3

The engagement banquet went ahead as planned.

Since Mr. Perry Sr. was particularly fond of Layla, the event was lavishly organized, with many prominent families and close friends in attendance.

The banquet hall was brimming with glittering jewels, cheerful laughter, and a vibrant atmosphere.

Sean stood at the entrance, greeting guests with a polite smile, though his heart was restless with worry.

Time was ticking, and Layla still hadn’t arrived.

Mr. Perry Sr. approached with a stern expression. “Did you get into another fight with Layla?”

Sean quickly denied it. “No, Grandpa, don’t jump to conclusions.”

“It better be true,” Mr. Perry Sr. snapped, shooting him a glare. “Layla is the granddaughter-in-law I’ve chosen. If anything goes wrong with today’s engagement banquet, you might as well not come back to the Perry family!”

“Don’t worry, there won’t be any problems.”

As they were speaking, Mr. Perry Sr. suddenly lit up with a smile. “Layla!”

Sean followed his grandfather’s gaze and saw Layla approaching gracefully, dressed in a white dress, her high heels clicking softly against the floor.

A weight lifted off Sean’s chest, and a hint of smugness crossed his face as he raised an eyebrow. “So what if she moved out of the villa? In the end, she still came back to me like I knew she would,” he silently remarked.

However, Layla didn’t spare him so much as a glance and walked straight toward Mr. Perry Sr. instead.

“Why are you so late?” Mr. Perry Sr. asked.

“Grandpa, didn’t I tell you?” Sean quickly interjected, answering on her behalf. “Layla forgot something important at the last minute. Going back and forth took a while.”

Seizing the moment, he placed his hand on Layla’s shoulder and said warmly, “Layla, next time, let someone else handle small matters like that. Otherwise, Grandpa might think we were arguing on such an important day.”

His words were flawless, blending a show of affection with a subtle reminder for Layla to behave and not make a scene.

Layla stared at Sean for a long moment but said nothing.

Mr. Perry Sr. glanced between the two, sensing something wasn’t quite right, but on an occasion like this, he didn’t bother to dig deeper.

“Alright, as long as there’s no issue. By the way, someone from the Lucas family will be here today. When they arrive…”

Halfway through his sentence, Mr. Perry Sr. noticed a figure in the distance and immediately broke into a welcoming smile. “Speak of the devil—Mr. Lucas, what perfect timing!”

Sean froze for a moment. “Grandpa actually managed to invite him?” he muttered.

In North City, the Lucas family was the pinnacle of elite households, a top-tier family.

The Lucas family had vast wealth and numerous talented individuals, but none were as exceptional as William Lucas. After completing his education abroad, William returned to take over the family business, rapidly expanding their operations in just a few years and dominating the commercial sector.

Someone like him only appeared in business news, rarely mingling in high-society social circles.

Sean could hardly believe that William Lucas would attend his engagement banquet!

Overjoyed, Sean immediately abandoned Layla and followed closely behind Mr. Perry Sr. to greet William.

Layla relished the moment of peace and decided to grab something to eat. It was better to fill her stomach now than risk going hungry later.

What she didn’t realize was that a pair of eyes had been following her every move.

Standing beside William, Carter scratched his head in confusion. “Uncle William, I feel like I’ve seen that woman somewhere before.”

William cast him a cold glance. “Behave yourself.”

Carter stared, speechless.

Seriously? He was not the kind of guy who used cheesy lines to hit on someone! Goodness, what on earth did Uncle William think of him?

…

Elsewhere, Layla had just taken a bite of cake when she heard Xena’s voice behind her.

“Sis, I’m so glad you came! I thought you were still mad at Sean and me.”

Xena’s voice was sugary sweet, with a deliberate upward lilt at the end, making her sound innocent and playful—what some might call a “baby voice.”

“Sis, the misunderstanding last time was my fault. Sean only listened to me, and that’s why things got blown out of proportion.”

Xena reached for Layla’s hand, her expression cautious. “If you want to blame someone, blame me, okay?”

Layla wasn’t having any of it. She pulled her hand away without a word, her face emotionless.

Seeing this, Mrs. Xander frowned. “Your sister is apologizing to you! Is this how you’re going to respond?”

Shane Xander, her second brother, looked equally displeased. “Layla, don’t push your luck!”

“Is there some rule that says an apology must always be accepted?” Layla shot back, her gaze sweeping over the Xander family.

They all stood behind Xena, looking more like her family than hers. She had always been the outsider, the one left standing alone.

In the past, she had desperately tried to fit in. Now? A family she could never truly belong to wasn’t worth the effort. Life was short, and it wasn’t worth wasting it on things like this.

“Besides…” Layla cast a brief glance at Xena. “She owes me far more apologies than just this one.”

Xena was adept at reading people, skilled at manipulating their emotions. More importantly, she had both a greedy heart and a sharp mind.

Layla had long since noticed how Xena deliberately cozied up to Sean, constantly finding excuses for his help.

At first, Sean would complain to Layla, “Why does Xena always have so much going on?”

But over time, his complaints dwindled, and eventually, he began volunteering to help Xena. His heart had clearly shifted.

Layla couldn’t deny it. When it came to playing with people’s emotions, Xena had beaten her outright.

Since she couldn’t win, Layla decided she wouldn’t even try.

Besides, what was the point of holding onto someone’s heart? Would it prolong her life?

As she pulled herself out of her thoughts, the emcee on stage began testing the microphone.

Mr. Xander, assuming the role of a stern patriarch, spoke to her in a low, commanding tone. “Today is your big day. Be sensible and don’t embarrass the two families.”

Layla didn’t reply and instead turned to walk toward the stage.

Shane, frustrated by her lack of response, snapped, “Hey! Layla, don’t you have any manners? Dad is talking to you—”

“Enough,” Mr. Xander cut him off, grabbing his arm. “Stop making it worse.”

Undeterred, Shane turned to Xena with a sneer. “Xena, you don’t need to apologize to someone like her. She thinks she’s special just because she has Xander blood, but honestly, she’s not even worth a fraction of what you are!”

Xena’s voice wavered with feigned humility. “Shane, please don’t talk about Layla like that.”

“And yet you’re always defending her. Does she ever appreciate it? She’s so ungrateful!” Shane scoffed, his voice dripping with contempt. “I honestly wish she’d never come back to the Xander family! Having just you as my sister would have been enough!”

A sharp glare from Mr. Xander silenced Shane, though he was clearly reluctant to back down.

At that moment, Layla’s voice echoed through the speakers, reverberating across the banquet hall.

“Thank you all for attending today’s banquet. But I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.”

Under the light, her white silk dress shimmered softly, highlighting her elegant and poised figure. She stood tall, her beauty cold and untouchable, like a flower on a distant mountaintop.

As the crowd watched in stunned silence, Layla removed the massive diamond ring from her finger. With a slight flick of her wrist, she tossed it perfectly into the top glass of the champagne tower.

“I am unilaterally canceling this engagement. From now on, Sean Perry and I have nothing to do with each other.”

The moment she finished speaking, the room erupted in chaos.

“What? Did I hear that right? Layla canceled the engagement?”

“No way! Has she lost her mind? She’s been groveling for years to secure this engagement, and now she’s giving it up?”

“Unbelievable…”

Voices overlapped in a buzz of disbelief and confusion.

Amidst the chaos, William stood calmly in the center of the room, his cold and imposing presence cutting a sharp contrast to the frantic crowd around him. He remained utterly unbothered, like an island untouched by the storm.

Beside him, Carter suddenly slapped his forehead. “I remember now! She’s the woman we rear-ended that day! The one who ran off after her hospital checkup. She has a malignant brain tumor!”