True to his word, Shane repeatedly sent people to disrupt Anthony's life, and the Lake family never stepped in again.Gradually, Anthony was forced into hiding, rarely showing his face in public.Meanwhile, the preparations for my wedding with Shane were in full swing. The wedding was held two years after we met again.People from the northwest and southern cities all came to attend.Just as I stood beside Shane, ready to say "I do", Anthony suddenly burst in. "Wait!" he shouted.I turned around to see him dressed as a staff member, looking at me passionately. "Claire, I know I was wrong. Every day I spent in prison, I regretted impulsively calling off our engagement. That was when I realized I truly love you."He continued, "I don't care if you believe me or not. I dreamed of us getting engaged, marrying, buying a house by the lake, and living a life just for the two of us! That dream felt so real, it was as if I actually lived it. Maybe that dream was telling me that we still h
Shane was briefly stunned. Then, fueled by anger, he truly and utterly crushed Anthony.Back when Anthony was the Lake family's pampered heir, he caused plenty of trouble, all of which was quietly handled.But Shane decided to dig up every one of those past scandals and lay them out before him once more.As a result, every time Anthony left his house, people would follow him. At night, people would even sneak into his home.Both Anthony and Lila were worn out and miserable from all the harassment.Just as they were losing all hope, a man suddenly appeared and offered to help. That man claimed that Anthony had once saved his life and that he was now here to return the favor.The moment Anthony heard that, it went straight to his head. He immediately demanded a house and a car, and that the man provide everything. The house was even registered in Anthony's name, and a housekeeper was hired specifically to attend to their daily needs.There was only one condition—Anthony couldn't
Even though my apartment was only two steps away, Shane and I still stopped at the door for an entire hour before I finally broke free and made it back inside.The moment I stepped inside, I received a message from Shane. He had managed to dig up the latest news about Anthony.After reading the report, I realized why Anthony had been willing to swallow his pride in search of me.Things were not going well with Lila after their marriage.Lila insisted on pursuing her career and refused to go abroad. For the sake of the woman he loved, Anthony fought with his family and refused to leave the country as well.But a home built on love alone couldn't last. They still needed money for daily necessities.The two of them constantly fought over housework as well.Lila was obsessed with maintaining her figure and perfect skin, so she refused to lift a finger around her house. She spent her entire salary on beauty treatments as well.As for Anthony, he had been pampered since childhood, so
As I listened to Shane, I realized that he still carried a bit of insecurity.He felt inferior about having little influence in this region, and even though he had built up considerable success in the mining industry, he still felt unworthy of me."But Anthony is even less worthy of you," Shane said.He continued, "What good is a blind professional dancer anyway? She doesn't have your education, your looks, or your figure. As for family background, she's nothing compared to you. Putting the two of you side by side is just cruel."I couldn't help but laugh in amusement, and that tiny knot of frustration in my heart finally unraveled. I held his hand and said sincerely, "Thank you."He had saved me, both in this life and the last.Shane's cheeks flushed red again. "Claire, I—""You should go back for now," I interrupted.At 26, he was definitely a man in his prime, but I hadn't expected him to be so energetic.After all, we weren't married yet.I stood up and walked towards the
I laughed at Anthony and shot back mockingly. "What makes you think someone who's lost his inheritance will still be respected?"Shane shouted angrily into the phone. "What nonsense are you spouting? I'm the only male heir in the Lake family!"But he wouldn't be for long. He scoffed and blocked his contact without any hesitation.At that moment, he still appeared to be the heir of the Lake family on the surface. But in truth, his parents had already given up on him and had shifted their focus to raising an adopted son who was still in elementary school.As I had expected, right after his wedding, Lake Group officially announced that Anthony had been removed from his position as general manager.Publicly, they said he was going abroad to further his studies.They also conveniently revealed that the Lake family had a younger son.Anyone who mattered knew that it meant that the Lake family had abandoned Anthony. They had sent him away as far as possible.The new heir of the Lake f
Shane then pulled me into his arms, trapping me between him and the seat. He stared directly at my lips, and his face made it obvious that he wanted a kiss.I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.Ten minutes later, both of us were breathless, gasping for air. His smile wouldn't fade, and the bronze tone of his skin made the sparkle in his eyes even more intense. "Claire, I'm so happy."To show his determination to get married, Shane quickly set the engagement party for a month later.By sheer coincidence, it landed on the exact same day as Anthony's wedding, but at locations directly opposite each other.It meant that we would definitely run into them.Anthony received news of our engagement. When he saw the date, he sent a message to me. "Claire, I don't love you anymore. Why must you deliberately pick the same day as my wedding with Lila to have your engagement party? Even if you do this, I won't go back to you."Then he sent another message. "Stop thinking about me