Chapter 6

Harper was held for three days. Callum didn't even find out until the news of her getting arrested by the police for hooking up in a hotel spread all over Strathaven. At this point, her name was dragged through the mud. Everyone saw her as the one who betrayed him. The Colter family was dead set against him marrying her, but he stood his ground and wouldn't take no for an answer. When he came to pick her up, her face was swollen, and she had blood all over her forehead. Seeing her in such a miserable state, he was heartbroken. "I'm taking you to the hospital, Harper." Callum reached for Harper's hand, but she moved her hand away. Her gaze was cold. "I was set up. Did you find out who was behind it?" He went silent for a moment. When he heard she was in trouble, he had already lost it. He pulled strings at the police station to get her out and had his men investigate the matter thoroughly. The culprit didn't even bother to hide it. When Callum confronted Sienna, she sobbed and admitted everything. Her younger sister was fed up with Harper picking on her and refusing to apologize, so she took matters into her own hands. He didn't say a word for a long time after finding out. Once Sienna began to weep uncontrollably, he conceded and dropped the issue. But when he saw the pain in Harper's eyes, he felt a pang of guilt. After a long pause, he finally lied, "Don't worry. I've taken care of everyone who hurt you." Of course, she saw right through his lies. She smiled, her nails biting into her palms. But the pain was nothing compared to the sharp, suffocating ache in her chest. Someone called out, "Look, it's Harper!" People around started recognizing Callum and Harper. A crowd quickly gathered, and someone suddenly hurled rotten eggs at her. Everyone sided with him, venting their anger on her. One of the onlookers remarked, "She belongs to the street, Mr. Colter. Why do you still want a woman like that?" Another person chimed in, "Looks like the slut has Mr. Colter wrapped around her finger. I heard a bunch of companies cut ties with Colter Group because he insisted on marrying Harper." Someone nearby added, "I heard that too. Colter Group's stock has been going downhill fast." Callum draped his coat over Harper's shoulders. He tried to lead her away, but she just stood there in silence. Harper could tell Sienna was behind this. She tried to stir up enough drama to make Callum give up on marrying Harper. Harper didn't fight it when Callum drew closer again. She played along as he held her in his arms. "Don't worry. No matter what happens, our wedding is still on." In that brief moment, she had come up with a perfect plan to fake her death. She would set herself on fire during the wedding, making it look like she couldn't live with the scandal. Harper wanted Callum to see how much she loved him. She would rather disappear forever than leave a stain on his life. He took her to the hotel so she could clean up and change into fresh clothes before bringing her to the hospital. The doctor applied medicine to Harper's scalp and face before going over what to watch out for. Callum finally felt at ease taking her home. This time, it wasn't the Colter residence, but a brand new villa. He said, "This is our home, Harper. You're the only woman who runs it." After he finished speaking, the butler stepped forward with a group of housekeepers. "Welcome home, Ms. Vaughn." Callum took Harper around for a quick tour, his voice tinged with a hint of regret. "It's a shame we didn't have enough time before the wedding. There's still so much left undone." Noticing she wasn't in the mood, he quickly tried to lighten things up. "But after the wedding, we can decorate it together." One of the housekeepers stepped out respectfully and said, "The silk wedding dress is ready, Mr. Colter. Ms. Vaughn can try it now." Right after she spoke, a few housekeepers came in, carefully carrying a mannequin wearing a silk wedding dress. For a moment, it felt like the entire living room lit up. Seeing this, Callum beamed with excitement and let go of Harper's hand. He took an elegant wooden box from the butler. "You once told me your dream was to walk down the aisle in a silk wedding dress, with all the fanfare and beauty that comes with it, Harper." He dropped to one knee in front of her, offering her the wooden box as if it meant the world. His voice shook with emotion. "I'll give you everything you have ever wanted." She opened the wooden box and found a gilded marriage contract.