Chapter 2

Jonathan walked toward me. He was tall, poised, and strikingly handsome—more commanding than in his photos. He skimmed me in disdain before fixing his gaze on my face. "This is our engagement party. What embarrassing stunt are you pulling here?"

I broke free from the security guards' grip, stood up, and let out a cold laugh. "Isn't the situation clear enough? Tell me, Jonathan. Is having your security rough me up at the entrance your idea of courtesy? Do you even know what your secretary just—"

He cut me off with a frown before I could finish. "Enough of this! You show up late to the ceremony, refuse to come inside, and act crazy at the door. If my security doesn't restrain you, should they just let you run in and bite the guests like a rabid dog?

"My time is valuable, and you've just wasted it. You're a worthless, stupid orphan. I don't know why my dad insists I get engaged to you."

The guests who had stepped out to watch the drama glanced at me while whispering under their breath. All those condescending looks made me feel like a clown on display.

I felt like my time was wasted, too. I'd spent ages getting ready and had even taken time off work—time that could've been spent pushing a fresh round of data for my new experiment.

"What a coincidence. I think my time was wasted, too. Since neither of us is impressed with each other, let's just call off the engagement," I said evenly.

Jonathan narrowed his eyes at me, clearly not expecting this. "Are you threatening me? Playing crazy in front of me isn't enough. Now, you're threatening to call off the engagement to cause a scene? You think that'll intimidate me?"

I suddenly felt at a loss for words when I saw the look on his face. I felt helpless. It was as if human language wouldn't reach his brain.

Beside him, Linda leaned into him, her body soft and pliant. "Mr. Ford, if she's causing such a fuss at the engagement party, imagine what she'll do after you're married. She'll wreak havoc!

"Just now, when she found out I was your secretary and that I'm somewhat attractive, she flew into a jealous rage and tried to hit me. If the security guards hadn't protected me, she would've gotten her way."

Jonathan stared at me incredulously. "Linda has been my secretary for two years and has handled countless matters for me. Do you think she's just an airhead like you? What do you have to be jealous of?"

I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. "I'm curious to know why you think I'm just an airhead, but are you going to believe her words so easily? She was the one who—"

He cut me off again. "If I don't believe Linda, am I supposed to believe a raving lunatic like you?"

Linda raised a hand to cover her smug smile. She blinked, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Mr. Ford, my heart goes out to you. You're already an important figure in Javron, yet you still have to be constrained by your father and forced to marry a lunatic."

Jonathan had only taken over Ford Group two years ago, and his father, Arthur Ford, still interfered in company affairs. He had accumulated a lot of anger and resentment because of Arthur's constant meddling.

At Linda's words, the tension thickened.

Jonathan growled, "You'd better apologize and make amends, Sophia. Otherwise, even my dad won't be able to get you out of this."