Chapter 3

Vincent's entire body went rigid. He stood frozen in place, too stunned to even breathe. His gaze shifted between Samara and Zachary, hoping to see something in their expressions that would clue him in on what was going on.

Samara's hug suffocated him. He could feel the heat from her body seeping through their clothes, but it only made his heart feel colder. He couldn't understand why she was suddenly being so intimate with him. This was nothing like the woman he remembered.

"Ms. Copeland, what are you…" Vincent couldn't help but ask, his voice hoarse and quivering ever so slightly.

Samara slowly released him and stepped back. The raw emotion in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by something far more complicated. She looked at him as though searching for something or hesitating for some particular reason.

"Vincent, can we talk alone?" she abruptly asked, her voice more gentle than Vincent had ever heard in his previous life.

His heart tightened. He had no idea what game she was playing. After glancing at Walt and Zachary, he nodded.

"Alright."

Walt and Zachary were left behind in the living room, both looking less than happy. Zachary's gaze was full of discontent, while Walt appeared anxious. They both watched as Vincent and Samara headed upstairs and disappeared around the bend in the staircase.

Vincent's room was modestly furnished and kept impeccably tidy. Along the walls were bookshelves packed with books and game design magazines.

Samara's eyes roamed over the entirety of the room before landing on the computer. Pointing at it, she asked curiously, "You're still working on that even though you're sick?"

Vincent nodded before walking over to the desk, with the game he was developing still shown on the computer screen. He stood there in silence, looking at Samara as he waited for her to speak.

She stepped closer to the computer and carefully examined the design sketches and code on the screen. Her brows creased thoughtfully. After a moment, she turned back around to face him.

"You want to develop this game yourself?"

Vincent nodded. "That's right. It has always been my dream."

Samara fell silent for a while before saying slowly, "I can help you."

Vincent was stunned to hear her make such an offer to him. He studied her expression carefully, hoping to find an answer to explain her reaction, but her gaze was unreadable.

"Why?" His voice was low and guarded.

Smiling faintly, Samara walked over to the window to stare at the view. In a gentle but firm voice, she replied, "Because I believe in you."

Vincent stared at her from behind, his heart clenching at her words. He couldn't bring himself to trust her so easily, so he chose to refuse her offer without any hesitation.

"Thank you for your faith in me, Ms. Copeland, but I don't need any help right now."

Samara turned around, her smile meaningful as she looked at Vincent. "Don't be so quick to reject my offer. Think about it first."

With that said, she left the room.

Vincent stayed in his room and remained distracted the entire afternoon. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand why Samara was suddenly treating him this way.

Every time he recalled the misunderstandings and suffering that plagued his relationship with her in their previous life, he felt a chill in his heart.

In the evening, Walt summoned Vincent to his study and calmly announced, "Vincent, Ms. Copeland has officially proposed a marriage alliance between the Harpers and the Copelands today. She hopes to have the engagement confirmed as soon as possible, and she specifically wants to marry you."

Vincent's mind went blank.

How was that possible?

In his previous life, they hadn't gotten engaged until three months after they first met. Even then, it had only happened because Mabel had taken a liking to his responsible and steady character. Samara had only begrudgingly agreed to the engagement.

So why had everything changed this time?

Vincent grasped at his wits and shared his plans with Walt. "Dad, I… I've been thinking about studying abroad for a few years. Do you think it's possible… to hold off on the marriage?"

He wanted to delay things for as long as possible.

Walt sighed. He understood how Vincent felt about this situation, but the family's interests—and the alliance with the Copelands—were just as important to him.

"I know what you're thinking, Vincent, but the Copelands are firm about this. Besides, Samara seems very satisfied with you. Our entire family will be benefiting from the marriage alliance with the Copelands."

Vincent said nothing. He knew Walt had a point, but the pain he suffered in his previous life left him with an uncontrollable sense of fear.

He couldn't let this happen. There was no way he could marry Samara.