Chapter 6

Caleb shot to his feet, disbelief written all over his face.

"Find a way to placate them first. Say Ariana's been exhausted lately and needs a few days' rest. Tell him she'll give a clear response afterward. No matter what, he mustn't pull out his investment."

He didn't even spare a thought for chasing after Selene. In his panic, he dialed Ariana immediately, determined to get answers.

But the only thing that came through the receiver was the cold, mechanical notice, "The person you are trying to call is not available. Please leave a message after the tone."

A surge of anger rushed to his head, leaving him restless and agitated.

He couldn't understand it. How had a woman who was always so considerate become this willful and difficult?

He refused to believe it. Ariana had no parents or backing. She was just a girl from the countryside. If she left him and Emerson City, what better place could she possibly go?

That thought finally eased his chest a little. He decided to deal with Selene first.

A woman like Ariana couldn't be indulged too much. Give her too many concessions, and she'd forget the years they endured hardships together—maybe even start riding roughshod over him.

At the same time, in Horghen City, Ariana sat quietly in the car heading back to the Cooper family home. She had already lost all interest in the Miller Group's affairs, and her phone had long been set to Do Not Disturb.

As the car entered the familiar district where the Cooper residence stood, a dazed look crossed her face.

It wasn't as though she'd never secretly come back to see her parents before. But every time, she'd only dared to look from afar, never approaching. Back then, she'd broken off her engagement for Caleb, making a spectacle of herself. She had been too embarrassed to see her family.

Now that things with Ethan were settled… her parents shouldn't blame her anymore, right?

Hopefully, the Skye family wouldn't blame her anymore, too.

The moment the butler, Gilbert Geary, saw Ariana, he froze—then flashed a delighted, surprised smile.

"Miss Ariana, you're back!"

Ariana nodded slightly, her gaze shifting to two familiar figures walking out through the front gate—her aunt, Carly Cooper, and her cousin, Harper Bailey.

Both of them looked just as startled when they saw her.

"Ariana?"

Ariana felt no affection toward them. Aside from her parents, there was no one in the family she'd ever been close to.

Carly tightened her coat, studying Ariana with a strange look.

"So you're planning to come back? Back then, you threw away a perfectly good marriage with the Skye family for an ordinary man in Emerson City—so ungrateful. Ever since, the Cooper family hasn't dared cooperate with the Skyes out of fear of being targeted. I hear the Skye family is even more formidable now. They practically rule Horghen City."

Harper covered her mouth with a light laugh, her tone dripping with unconcealed schadenfreude. She'd once been painfully jealous of Ariana's 'good fortune'; now she felt nothing but satisfaction.

"Exactly. Even if the Coopers swallowed their pride and apologized, the Skyes probably wouldn't spare them a glance. So what are you going to do now that you're back? You'll have to avoid the Skye family everywhere you go. What if you upset that unpredictable heir of theirs…"

Ethan was the heir to Horghen City's top aristocratic family—handsome, rich, every woman's dream. Harper included. When she'd learned Ariana rejected the marriage alliance, she'd secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"And I heard something about that Caleb of yours. Uncle Arthur's illegitimate daughter, Selene, went back to Emerson City reconcile with Caleb."

She added it deliberately, a pointed jab—implying Ariana wasn't even as good as an illegitimate child.

Ariana paused. She hadn't known Selene was that hidden disgrace from Harper's uncle's family.

She caught the double meaning at once: mockery that she ranked below an illegitimate daughter, and smug certainty that once back in Horghen City, she'd be suppressed by the Skye family—likely unqualified to attend even the most ordinary events. After all, in Horghen City, no gathering was untouched by the Skye family's money or sponsorship.

Ariana let out a soft laugh. She hadn't come back to be bullied.

"If I have the nerve to stand here, it means I have my own reasons for confidence. But I'd love to hear yours. You, Harper, and you, Aunt Carly—what's the real story behind this sudden concern for the Coopers? One minute the Skyes are 'too good' for us, the next we're 'washed up.' So why show up now? Let me guess… business not going so well at the Bailey Group? Is the 'family fund' running a little dry? Came to borrow some money?"

'More like crashing and burning,' she thought privately. That was probably why Selene was hanging onto Caleb like a life raft.

Then again, maybe it really was true love.

Though she'd lived in Emerson City, she'd never stopped paying attention to Horghen City's business world.

Once upon a time, she'd even dreamed that when the Miller Group grew strong, she'd help it cooperate with the Cooper Group to create a shared glory. Now she saw it clearly—supporting others was never as good as holding power herself.

Mother and daughter went pale, their secret struck dead center.

Harper clenched her teeth, about to snap back—what right did a discarded woman have to sneer at her?

"Ariana, you—"

Gilbert's expression had already turned unpleasant. He was considering how to politely send these uninvited guests away when a Maybach slowly rolled to a stop at the gates of the Cooper estate.

The low, distinctive engine hum approached, carrying an invisible pressure.

"Whose car is that? So noisy! How rude!" Harper turned impatiently, interrupted mid-sentence.

A sleek black sedan came to a precise stop in front of the villa—low-key in design, yet impossible to ignore in its commanding presence.

Harper froze. "Is Uncle Cory expecting a client this late?"

What kind of client warranted such pomp?

Carly cast a casual glance—and then went rigid, her eyes locking onto the luxury license plate—Horghen 1.

That plate was famous across Horghen City, a symbol of supreme power and status.

"No… no way…" Harper finally reacted, gasping. "Mom! Look at that plate—it's the Skye family's car! It's Ethan!"

What was he doing at the Cooper family home? For all these years, hadn't the Skyes and Coopers had zero cooperation?

The car door opened slowly. A tall, impeccably dressed assistant in white gloves stepped out.

His gaze went first to Ariana. He inclined his head politely. Then, those hawk-sharp eyes shifted calmly to Harper, who had just spoken.

"Miss," he said evenly, "you mentioned… noise?"

Harper's face stiffened, her mind going blank.

"Forgive my bluntness," Avery continued, his tone level but each word cutting deep, "as we turned the corner, we could already hear the two of you making remarks that were remarkably loud—and vulgar in their insults. Such language and bearing hardly belong in polite society. If this were to spread, wouldn't it damage the Cooper family's reputation?"

Mother and daughter flushed alternately pale and red.

Before absolute power, they didn't dare retort.

"By comparison," Avery went on, a trace of disdain flickering beneath his composure,

"the slight sound produced by this vehicle—personally tuned by Skye Group's chief engineer to meet Horghen City's highest standards of silence—could be said to exemplify proper etiquette."

The words 'Skye Group' alone were enough to make everyone present—except Ariana—go weak at the knees.

"You're absolutely right!" Carly rushed to smile ingratiatingly. "My daughter… she had a bit too much to drink tonight and spoke nonsense. Please don't take it to heart!"

She regretted it bitterly. If she'd known they were from the Skye family, she would've done anything to make her daughter leave a good impression.

Avery ignored the mortified pair and walked straight to Ariana, bowing respectfully.

"Miss Cooper, Mr. Skye is waiting in the car. Please come with me."

Silence fell all around.

Ariana was a little taken aback.

At this hour, Ethan personally coming to fetch her—what could it be for? A worst-case thought surfaced.

Could he be here to call off the engagement?

With unease in her heart, she followed Avery to the car.

As she watched Ariana get inside, Harper's face twisted as she forced the words through clenched teeth.

"How is this possible…? Why would Ethan invite Ariana out? What could they possibly talk about?"

Ariana hadn't even stepped through the Cooper family's doors and was already being taken away by Ethan. The sudden turn left Harper reeling.

In truth, all their jabs had stemmed from fear—fear of Ariana's return.

Gilbert stepped forward, his tone sharp with disgust. "It's late. Please leave."

Inside the car, silence reigned.

Ethan wore a black turtleneck that day, one hand propping his chin, his sharply defined profile striking in its perfection.

He was… dangerously captivating.

Ariana's gaze hadn't even made it back to safety before he caught her looking. He didn't so much as move, just spoke in an even, uninflected tone.

"Enjoying the view?"