Chapter 4

A vein throbbed at Dad’s temple as he pointed a trembling finger at Eric. “I turned a blind eye to all those women you used to fool around with. But if you bring some stranger into this family, I’m going to kill you.”

Eric laughed. His lips curved upward, but his eyes remained cold.

“She’s hardly some nameless stranger. Her name is Tiffany McCann. She’s an honors graduate from Camford.

“She’s gorgeous, and she has the body of a model. Why can’t I marry her?”

Dad snatched up a glass and made to throw it at him.

Realizing that things were about to get ugly, I hurried over and linked my arm through Eric’s. I gave the inside of his elbow a discreet pinch, warning him to stop.

Then, I turned to Dad in my sweetest voice. “Come on, Dad. You know what Eric’s like. I’ll talk some sense into him.”

I practically dragged him out of the living room in the next moment.

I could understand how Eric felt. As the daughter of the family, I had always been spoiled and indulged. Eric had never been given the same freedom.

His entire life had been planned for him from childhood. His schools, his major, and his future career had all been decided in advance. Every step of his life had been mapped out and placed firmly under our parents’ control.

After graduating from high school, Eric had wanted to spend a few years in the military and prove himself. He signed up without telling the family. Dad had intervened when he was on his way to report for training.

Without even discussing it with him, Dad used his connections and a sizable donation to secure him a place at a prestigious university overseas. He then forced Eric onto a plane and sent him abroad to study finance.

That kind of parental control was suffocating.

Still, sympathy was not going to solve his problem, so I tried to reason with him. “It’s just one woman. Do you still want that development project or not?

“Play along for now. No one is asking you to marry her tomorrow.

“Eric, you’re usually ten steps ahead of everyone. Why are you choosing to go head-to-head with Dad now? Are you stupid?

“Also, no offense, but with the way you’ve been behaving, Amanda might not even want to marry you. Just see her a few times. If she decides that she isn’t interested in you, Dad won’t be able to hold it against you.”

Exasperated by his stubbornness, I decided to spell it out for him once and for all. “You only have to humor one woman. Swallow your pride, play the long game, and pull the rug out from under Dad when he least expects it.

“There’s an easy way out, yet you insist on confronting him directly. What exactly do you gain from that?”

His eyes narrowed slightly as he fell into thought. I knew I had gotten through to him.

Sure enough, Eric went to pick Amanda up from the university as promised on Saturday. I went along with him.

We parked outside the main entrance to the campus. Eric got out and leaned casually against the car, smoking as he waited.

I remained in the back seat, watching through the window. Groups of students crossed the campus, chatting and laughing with youthful energy. It was not long before I spotted Amanda.

She wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Her jet-black hair fell loose to her waist.

The setting sun glowed behind her as she hurried toward us, making her pale face seem almost luminous.

She jogged the rest of the way and reached the car slightly out of breath. Her forehead was lightly damp with sweat.

Her cheeks were flushed. Her bright eyes were fixed on Eric. They crinkled at the corners as she smiled.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Eric flicked the ash from his cigarette and studied her face for a moment. Then, almost as an afterthought, he put out his cigarette.

He smiled too, subtle and knowing, like a hunter watching unsuspecting prey wander willingly into his trap. He looked infuriatingly handsome.

His voice was gentle. “Don’t worry. We haven’t been waiting long.”

To my surprise, the air between them suddenly became almost romantic.

I lowered the rear window and leaned out with a cheerful smile to greet Amanda.

At that time, it never occurred to me that they would actually end up married.