Chapter 3

Elizabeth brushed the dust off her clothes slowly, her satin robe swaying smoothly like water. The man on the ground pushed himself up, narrowing his eyes slightly as he studied her. His voice was flat and emotionless. "Do you have any idea what messing with those guys actually means?" His flippant tone faded into the air. Elizabeth glanced up, clearly unfazed. "Then let them come," she sneered. "Let's see if they've got the guts." Her smirk vanished without warning. She turned around and walked away, no interest in dragging things out. That retreating figure caught Alexander Prescott's eye, and something stirred inside him. He nudged one of the men slumped at his feet with the tip of his shoe, then pulled out his phone and called his assistant. His perfect features were cold as ice. "Send someone to deal with the guys who tried to jump me. Make sure their bodies end up outside Mr. Lane's house. He needs a little reminder about the kind of trash he's using." "I'm flying back to Capitol City tomorrow. Clean up what's left." "And one more thing—look into someone for me." ... Half a month later. At the Regal Palace Hotel in Axis Center, today was the engagement day of Isabella Kaiser and Victor Lane. A match between old money and corporate royalty. Talk about a power couple. With both families being legends in Capitol City, the event pulled half the city's elite into attendance. Isabella wore a handcrafted designer gown, elegant and elaborate. A sparkling tiara sat on her head, every diamond in it catching the light. And the massive gemstone glinting on her finger? Pure showstopper. Leaning lightly against Victor's arm, she smiled sweetly, her look soft and flawless. As everyone waited for the ceremony to kick off, the hall buzzed with gossip. "Gotta admit, the Kaisers made the right call. Isabella really fits the Lane family. If it had been the other daughter, things would've gone south real fast." "Yeah, I heard the one who disappeared—Elizabeth? Total psycho." "I know, right? Not only does she look rough, I heard she's got zero manners." "Don't even get me started on her mom. People say she's not even Lucas's kid." "Shh... you wanna get kicked out?" Isabella heard the chatter, and her smile only grew, full of quiet satisfaction.That's right, Elizabeth was nothing compared to her! "Miss Kaiser and Mr. Lane truly make a stunning couple," someone seated beside Lucas complimented with a flattering smile. "You're lucky to have such a wonderful daughter." Lucas responded with a modest nod, his gaze filled with pride as he looked at Isabella. Since she'd taken on the Kaiser name, she'd brought him no end of honor. This engagement between the Kaisers and the Lanes was shaping up to be even more perfect than he'd imagined. Up at the front, the emcee held the engagement contract, reciting a string of blessings. The audience clapped along, and both families in the front row beamed with joy. Then suddenly, a loud crash came from the entrance. A gorgeous woman stepped through the doors she'd just kicked open, strolling in like she owned the place. She wore a simple tracksuit, sunglasses covering half her face. Her casually tied ponytail bounced as she walked. She slid off her shades, revealing an utterly captivating face under the lights. Every pair of eyes turned to her, and murmurs began to ripple through the crowd. "She's stunning. Whose daughter is that?" "Tch. Dressed like that? No way she's from a respectable family." Lucas stared, dumbstruck, at that all-too-familiar face, his expression momentarily blank. Swinging her sunglasses lazily in one hand, Elizabeth made her way to the stage without hurry, calmly snatching the mic from the emcee. No one dared stop her. She held it up and flashed a bright, sharp smile. Her eyes locked onto Victor as she said sweetly, "Long time no see, fiancé. How long's it been? And now you're getting engaged...to someone else?" Her voice carried clearly through the sound system, and the room exploded into chaos. "Who the hell is this lunatic calling Mr. Lane her fiancé?!" "Bet she's just one of those crazy fangirls trying to hook up with him. Seen it too many times." "What a disgrace. Bet her family's embarrassed out of their minds right now." The whispers grew louder as more people turned accusing eyes toward Elizabeth. Panic shot through Isabella's chest. She shifted closer to Victor instinctively. In the front row, Sophia Murray suddenly shot to her feet, glaring at Elizabeth with disdain. "Who do you think you are? This is a private event between the Kaisers and the Lanes. You have no business here. Somebody, get her out of here!"