Chapter 3

The officer frowned deeply. "If you don't want to marry him anymore, can't you just talk it out and call off the engagement?"

"The wedding's tomorrow," I continued calmly. "I've already spent all the money they gave me. And I don't want to get married."

"How much did you spend?" the officer asked. "You can negotiate and return it."

"Fifteen million."

The room went quiet.

At that point, it wasn't just a generous wedding gift. It was an outrageous one.

The officer insisted that I contact the groom's family directly.

I had heard long ago that my intended husband wasn't exactly known for his patience.

With shaking hands, I took the phone the officer handed me. To my surprise, the man on the other end didn't sound angry at all.

That made sense. This was a business arrangement. We hadn't even met.

Besides, the wedding hadn't been publicly announced, so the impact on Mason Group would be minimal.

"You're certain you don't want to marry me?" the man asked evenly.

I answered quietly, "Yeah."

"Then we'll call it off."

Through police mediation, I was required to return the 15 million dollars to the Masons' account by noon the next day. Otherwise, they would file charges.

I nodded happily.

That night, instead of scrambling to raise money, I spent the entire evening drinking at a bar.

The next morning, I returned home.

The entire villa was buzzing with celebration. The yard was crowded with people coming and going.

Not only were employees from Castillo Enterprises there, but even classmates Hannah and I once knew had shown up.

They gathered around Hannah, showering her with praise.

"Hannah, you just keep getting prettier! Out of our whole class, you're the one who really made it."

"Yeah, we'll all be counting on you to keep us fed in the future."

The employees chimed in, too.

"They say the Mason Group CEO doesn't care for women, but look at our Ms. Castillo. She's got him wrapped around her finger!"

"We'd better stick close to her from now on."

I let out a cold laugh.

Good luck marrying into the Masons. They were still waiting for the 15 million refund.

As they were busy flattering her, someone suddenly noticed me at the door.

"Daphne, what's with the dark circles? Where did you go messing around last night? Today is Hannah's wedding. Even if you're just the housekeeper's daughter, you can't show up looking this sloppy."

My gaze settled on Hannah.

She met my eyes directly and said, "Daphne, you don't seriously think you're the Castillos' real daughter, do you? On my wedding day, you're hanging around like a stray. If you screw things up, who do you think's going to take the blame?"

"What do you mean I'm pretending?" I shot back. "This is my home."

The moment the words left my mouth, laughter erupted.

The guy who had followed Hannah around like a shadow since college sneered openly.

"Daphne, have you no shame?

"Your mom works here as a housekeeper. That's the only reason you get to live in this place. Hannah's been kind enough to give you everything, and now you're trying to impersonate her?

"We've known Hannah for years. Everyone knows she's Mr. Castillo's only sister."

People from Castillo Enterprises joined in, saying they had never even seen me at the company.

One of Hannah's followers laughed knowingly.

"So Hannah arranged jobs for most of her classmates, and you didn't get one. That's why you're barking here like a stray. You're loud, sure, but Hannah only gave you a job paying three grand a month."

Before I could respond, the woman slapped me across the face in a fit of rage.

My cheek burned instantly. I clenched my teeth and glared at her.

"I'm warning you. I'm supposed to be getting married today. Now that you hit me, Mason Group won't let this slide."

"Are you still dreaming?" someone scoffed. "Drank too much last night and haven't sobered up yet? Want us to wake you up with some cold water?"

As they spoke, someone brought over a bucket of icy water. I tried to dodge, but two people grabbed my arms.

The freezing water poured over my head, sending a violent shiver through my body.

Before I could even recover, another slap landed across my face.

Hannah stepped forward and pinched my chin between her fingers. "Feeling awake now? If not, we can add some props."

She smiled faintly.

"Knives, whips, hot tongs. Which one do you like?"