Chapter 312

Ethan Carter kept his lips pressed into a thin line, brows deeply furrowed as he sat there, thinking in silence for a long time. “Dad, let me say it again — I’m not getting engaged to Mara Hawthorne.” His tone was firm. “If no one’s willing to come with me, I’ll go to the Hawthorne family by myself and end the engagement.” “You go to the Hawthornes and call off the wedding? You wanna try that and see what happens?” Amelia Carter snapped, voice sharp. “If you didn’t like Mara in the first place, why did you let her get pregnant? Now that she’s carrying your child, you better step up and take responsibility.” She paused, then softened her tone slightly, trying to coax him. “Ethan, your father and I are doing this for your own good—and for the family's sake. Think about it. Mara’s got everything — looks, manners, intelligence. You marry her, and the whole Hawthorne family backs us. That’s something most people can only dream of. Why are you throwing that away?” She grabbed his hand gently