MasukTae frowned. He didn't like the way Harold was speaking to him, but Harold was too blinded by anger to notice."We agreed that day that you would approve their engagement. So what's all this nonsense Damien is caus..."Tae turned to him, his expression stern as he spoke in a low, commanding voice."Watch it."Harold froze the moment he realized Tae was genuinely annoyed. It dawned on him that he had overstepped his boundaries."I'm sorry, Senior Commander. The words just slipped out."Tae raised a hand, signaling him to stop."It's alright. You have every right to be angry," he said, lifting his gaze to Damien on the stage. "He's my grandson, and he'll listen to whatever I say."Harold let out a sigh of relief after hearing those words. It meant everything was still salvageable. Damien simply needed to be set straight by his grandfather.The crowd immediately parted to make way for Tae as he approached from the back of the hall. He stopped below the stage, where Damien could clearly s
Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events. Dimitri and Harold had already grown anxious after Damien's shocking announcement. Desperate to stop him from saying anything further, Harold forced a laugh and said, "What are you talking about, Damien? Isn't it a little too early for jokes?"Although he wore a smile, his entire body trembled with panic. He had spent the evening proudly boasting that he would soon become the Blackwood family's in-law. If Damien publicly declared that he had never consented to the marriage, Harold's reputation would be completely destroyed in front of all the distinguished guests.Meanwhile, Anastasia's heart pounded violently in her chest. She could feel the atmosphere around her shifting. Moments ago, the guests had looked at her with admiration and envy. Now, those same gazes were filled with ridicule and mockery, making her feel as though she were being laughed at from every corner of the ballroom.Unable to bear the mounting humiliation, she slow
Tae's grin widened as he feigned innocence."What do you mean, child?" he asked with a chuckle. "I'm the clueless one here."His gaze shifted away from Damien and landed on Anastasia. A warm smile spread across his face."And who is this lovely young lady standing beside my grandson?" he asked. "Are you his girlfriend?"Anastasia hesitated. Shyness crept into her expression as she glanced at Damien. She had no idea how to define their relationship, but she certainly couldn't tell his grandfather that.With a timid smile, she replied, "I'm his girlfriend."Tae's eyebrows shot up in pleasant surprise."A girlfriend?" he repeated. "Well done, boy. You have excellent taste. She's absolutely beautiful."He gave Damien a friendly pat on the shoulder before gesturing for them to follow him."Now, now," he said cheerfully. "Let's go meet her parents. You can't take someone's daughter without asking for her parents' permission, can you?"His smile never faltered.Damien, however, didn't return
Kristen stood stunned, watching the two of them walk away hand in hand. He turned to Ethan with pity in his eyes, knowing his friend would be completely devastated.He was right. Tears were already streaming down Ethan's face, his eyes fixed on the direction they had gone. Kristen’s heart broke for his friend. Beyond looking like a complete mess from being pushed by Anastasia, Ethan was visibly crushed.Placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder, Kristen tried to lead him away, his voice solemn. "Let's go home."Ethan shoved his hand off. "No, I'm staying!"He stormed off toward Damien and Anastasia. Kristen didn't get angry; instead, he felt even more sorry for him."Ethan, wait!" Kristen called out, but Ethan didn't stop. Instead he followed the direction Damien and Anastasia had gone. By the time he caught sight of them again, they were walking toward the very front of the hall, hand in hand, while Dimitri remained on the podium.Gasps rippled through the room as guests watched Damien esco
Both Ethan and Kristen were stunned by Anastasia's words."My fiancé?" Ethan frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"Anastasia burst into laughter, her eyes gleaming with mockery.Kristen stared at her, barely recognizing the woman standing before him."What did you do, Anna?" he asked sternly. "I told you to let him go. Don't tell me you ignored me."He looked at his childhood friend, desperately hoping she hadn't done something that would hurt both herself and Ethan.Ethan's confusion only deepened."Let who go?" he demanded. "What the fuck are you two talking about?"Anastasia scoffed."As usual, Ethan is completely clueless. You'll find out exactly what's happening when Damien arrives."She turned to leave before glancing back with a sinister smile."Sit down and enjoy the show."She no longer needed Ethan. He had already served his purpose by bringing Damien here. Since Damien had promised Ethan he would attend, she knew he wouldn't break his word.Tonight, her grandfathe
Anastasia walked past her, feeling completely confident. She couldn't wait to put Aileen and everyone else who had ever doubted or insulted her right back in their place. By the time they saw her walking in beside Damien Blackwood, they would all be utterly speechless.A few minutes later, Anastasia had finished getting dressed. She had originally prepared another outfit for when Damien arrived, never expecting she would end up wearing it herself. It was a stunning white dress with elegant black stripes along the sleeves. The moment she looked into the mirror, a proud smile spread across her face."Today's the day," she murmured to her reflection. "I'm finally going to claim what's mine."With renewed confidence, she stepped out of the VIP suite. After all, it was her family's hotel. She could use any room she wanted whenever she pleased.As she walked downstairs, her smile gradually faded. There was still no sign of Damien.Moments later, Harold was escorted into the hall by Monica an
The final bell of the day usually felt like a victory, but for Ethan, it sounded like a death toll. He walked toward the school exit, his stomach tied in knots. He had no idea how he was going to face Damien, let alone ask the man to tutor him. It felt like crawling back to a lion and asking it to
A small smile automatically appeared on Ethan’s face as he relaxed, the heavy thoughts of Damien and the photo finally fading into the back of his mind. He was surprised to see Kai standing there. "Oh, you're here?"Kai nodded. "Yes. I was exercising and needed to... release some stress, you know?
Ethan woke up late, his head groggy from the late-night gaming session Leo had forced him into. Leo reminded him so much of his younger brother, Norman; it had been a long time since Ethan had felt so... human.He rushed to freshen up and was driven to school. As he stepped out of the car, a crowd
Ethan spent the entire day drifting in and out of sleep. The silence of the mansion was a jarring luxury compared to the screaming halls of Metropolis Prison. He was grateful to Damien ,he knew Damien had saved him but the mystery of Damien’s agenda loomed over him like a shadow, he may be naive bu







