At the banquet, the Blakely family's patriarch, Archer Blakely, personally announced the engagement date for Ginny and Rick.Sharon did the math in her head—it was set for six months from now.On stage, neither Ginny nor Rick displayed the usual shyness or joy of an impending engagement. Their expressions were indifferent, as if the engagement were happening to someone else entirely.Below, Silas and Scott stood together."Scott," Silas muttered, frowning, "what about Claire? Has she been dealt with yet? Am I really going to get engaged to that lunatic?"Silas had hoped to muddle through, thinking he could quietly slip past scrutiny, but the crowd wasn't buying it. Many were still waiting for him to officially announce his engagement.He assumed that as time passed, attention would fade. Instead, there were still plenty of eyes on him, and occasional whispers fanning the flames of public opinion.Scott said, "We've located her, but she's extremely well-protected. It's very diffi
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