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Semua Bab One Broken Engagement, One Bankrupt Family: Bab 1 - Bab 10

10 Bab

Chapter 1

I had just stepped off the plane and headed straight to the bakery. To surprise my mother, Liliana Lane, I had commissioned a custom cake half a month in advance.But before I could reach it, a figure came charging at me, and the cake went flying through the air, hitting the ground in a ruined mess."Are you blind? Can't you see me standing here?"I crouched down, my hands shaking as I tried to salvage what I could. The cream was already smudged. It was completely destroyed.The woman stomped on my fingers, and I gasped at the sharp pain."You're the cheap woman engaged to Kylo, aren't you? Dressed up like that, who exactly are you trying to impress?"I looked up sharply, instantly understanding what was happening. This was Kylo Winston's childhood friend, Nora Cullen.Before returning home, I investigated the two of them. Marriage required caution, after all. When I discovered their affair, I decided to come back in person and call off the engagement.I never expected her to c

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Chapter 2

I couldn't believe what Kylo had just said. For a moment, I thought I misheard.My voice shook as I told him to repeat himself."I don't know what tricks your mother used, but mine actually listened to her. She even threatened me with the family's future and forced me to marry a woman like you."Kylo glanced at the cake on the ground, then at the cream smeared on Nora's bag. His voice dropped lower. "Nora's bag is a global limited-edition worth millions. You'll pay full price for the damage. As for that slap, I'll make sure you get it back tenfold."I clenched my jaw and spat at his feet. "Kylo Winston, I'm calling off this engagement."Not only that, but I would also make him kneel before Mom and apologize in person.The murmurs from the crowd clearly reached my ears. Kylo's face flushed dark red, humiliation twisting his expression."So she's the rumored fiancee? She actually dumped him?""Guess money can't buy everything. He still got rejected."His eyes went cold as he tri

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Chapter 3

Traffic rushed past me from both directions. I screamed and dodged vehicles, nearly scraping my leg.A truck suddenly swerved around the corner. The driver shouted in alarm when he saw me and jerked the wheel, crashing into the landscaped median.My heart pounded. I couldn't hold back anymore. "Kylo Winston! Do you have no regard for human life? With all these people around, if someone gets hurt, are you prepared to deal with the consequences?"He raised an eyebrow and casually pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills, tossing them into the street. The crowd that had been watching the spectacle forgot all about the danger. They dove into traffic, scrambling for the cash."See that? You're just like them to me. Worthless."He pulled Nora close and kissed her provocatively right in front of me, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Nora, anyone who provokes you will pay the price. Now, anyone who slaps her gets a reward."No.Greed lit up their eyes. They all turned toward me at once,

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Chapter 4

Mr. Winston Senior walked toward me with trembling steps, wiping sweat off his brow. "Ms. Lane, please don't be angry with my grandson. He was blind and foolish. I'll discipline him properly when we get home."Did he think a few empty words could make up for what they did to me?"An eye for an eye. That's the Lane family motto."The two Winston elders were so frightened that they hardly dared to breathe. The fact that the Lane family was the most powerful in Silverlake was a secret almost no one knew. It seemed the time had come to make it public."Diane, don't believe a word she says. She's a fraud. There's no such thing as the Lane family. In all of Silverlake, your family is the one that matters."She kept saying today was her mother's birthday and got into a fight with me over some cheap cake. If she really was the heiress of the Lane family, wouldn't they have sent people to pick her up already?"With every word Nora spoke, Diane's face grew paler. "You said today is her mot

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Chapter 5

Mom's gaze swept across the scene before landing on me, covered in mud and cream. Her eyes immediately filled with tears.She had always protected me fiercely. Growing up, I never faced anything like this. Even the smallest inconvenience would have her intervening immediately.Today's humiliation was unforgivable."Who was it? Who did this?"Her voice was quiet, but the authority it carried was undeniable. Diane broke into a cold sweat, wiping her forehead but not daring to speak."Ha! You must be her mother, right? No wonder they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Look at how you're dressed! You rented a few limos and think you're somebody?"Nora wrapped her arm around Kylo triumphantly, completely ignoring the expressions of everyone around her. She even planted a kiss on his cheek."She's the other woman! Not me! Take your daughter and get lost, or I'll have someone throw you out myself."Mom's lips curved into a cold smile. With just one glance, the Winstons scra

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Chapter 6

Mom didn't move. She coldly pried Diane's fingers off her arm."You knew your son was still involved with Nora, yet you deliberately begged me to arrange this engagement. What, did you think my daughter and I were fools?"Diane's breathing grew labored. Her voice came out hoarse and broken."That's not true! Liliana, you've misunderstood. I have nothing to do with that woman. I've liked Eleanor all along. This is all a misunderstanding!"How ridiculous.When Mom remained unmoved, Kylo turned to me instead."I was out of my mind earlier. Please don't be angry. Why don't we pick a date and make this official?"I punched him square in his hypocritical face.Kylo didn't even get angry. Instead, he turned the other cheek toward me with a placating smile, offering to let me hit him again for symmetry.That was until he heard the audio playing from my smartwatch."Forget about some cake. Believe it or not, I could make today your mother's death anniversary instead.""I don't care w

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Chapter 7

This time, the Winstons completely panicked. They thought I was just throwing a tantrum; they had never imagined that I'd actually call off the engagement.Mr. Winston Senior collapsed. Only Diane remained, clutching the cream-covered Kylo tightly as tears streamed down her face.The stocks hit rock bottom. The combined assets of the Winston and Cullen families couldn't even compete with smaller companies in Silverlake anymore.Nora finally realized who she'd offended. She crawled to my feet, begging me to spare her.I'd investigated her background before returning. She was the daughter of a housekeeper, which explained why she'd always tried to latch onto Kylo. She desperately wanted to escape her origins."What? You're a housekeeper's kid? You lied to me!"Nora trembled violently, clutching her throat as she coughed. "You can't hurt me. I'm carrying your child."The entire scene fell silent. The onlookers hadn't expected this bombshell. They whispered among themselves."They'

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Chapter 8

After dinner, I told Mom about my life abroad.A knock came from the entrance. The butler appeared and announced a visitor. Mom sighed quietly but eventually decided to let the visitor in.Diane entered holding an emerald necklace, her face plastered with a pleading smile. She placed the gift in front of Mom.Pearls, gold bars, property deeds, and even a helicopter purchase contract followed. She piled everything in front of me."Liliana, Eleanor, this is a small token from the Winston family. My son was wrong to ruin your cake. He should apologize and make amends."Mom didn't even glance at the offerings. She refused outright. Diane tried to persuade her using their past friendship, hoping to sway her with memories, but Mom cut her off every time."You were the ones who insisted on attaching yourselves to the Lane family. You enabled your son and let him hurt my daughter. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. Don't come to this house again."She called the bodygua

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Chapter 9

Kylo moved fast. In just three days, he'd completely bankrupted the Cullen family.The Cullens had always been a third-tier family with an unstable foundation. It had taken them ten years to climb to their current position. But bringing them down was child's play."I heard the Cullen estate caught fire in the middle of the night. All their documents burned. Nora's parents died in the fire, and she herself barely survived. But her entire body is covered in burns. She's hardly recognizable anymore."Kylo swooped in and took over the Cullens' assets. He's recruiting people left and right."I drew in a sharp breath. I hadn't expected him to be this ruthless. He'd burned down their whole estate without hesitation.I flipped through the documents, my fingers flying across the pages.Kylo had been thorough. Whether it was witnesses, evidence, or surveillance footage, everything had been destroyed. He'd left no trace behind.But he'd forgotten one thing.Behind the Cullen estate was Si

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Chapter 10

The moment Nora confronted Kylo, I left the cafe. Everything that happened afterward, I watched through the surveillance cameras.Nora's appearance terrified the owner and other customers. They immediately called the police and an ambulance. Paramedics arrived to treat her on the spot.She barely survived.As for Kylo, his shameless confession in the cafe became evidence against him. He was taken to the police station for questioning.With both families in ruins, I reaped all the benefits.Kylo was investigated for murder. The people of Silverlake couldn't accept that he'd done something so heinous. They gathered outside the Winston estate and Winston Group's headquarters, pelting the buildings with rotten eggs.All the times they'd abused their power in the past came to light as well.Mr. Winston Senior slipped on a rotten egg on his way out, falling so hard that he was rushed to the ICU. He remained unconscious in the hospital.Diane was left alone and helpless. All her accou

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