Chapter 4

I said, "You've never shown up at a single parent-teacher conference."

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, "And now, you're kicking me out for some liar you've only known for six months."

Andrea's face went ghostly pale.

Cole opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Cole, I'll remember that slap."

I said while looking at each of them, "From now on, none of you will ever take anything from me again."

As I turned away, Kara's phony sobs sounded behind me.

I didn't look back.

That last bit of warmth in my heart was gone.

Reporters swarmed the Preston family's front door, shoving cameras and microphones in my face. "Ms. Preston, did you just push Ms. Hayes down the stairs?"

A person asked, "Is this a case of love turning to hate?"

Another asked, "Is it true the Preston family is cutting you off?"

Flashbulbs went off like crazy.

No need to guess. Kara was definitely behind this.

Then, a black sports car tore through the crowd and screeched to a halt right in front of me.

The door swung open, and Ryan stepped out, his black shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

He strode straight over, slung his arm around my shoulders, and said coldly to the cameras, "My girlfriend's tired. Move aside."

The reporters were all stunned.

Someone finally snapped out of it. "Mr. Martin, are you and Ms. Preston..."

Ryan kept his arm around my shoulders and flashed a smile at the cameras. "Let me introduce her properly. This is my fiancée, Trix Preston."

With a wave of his hand, the trunks of nine sports cars parked by the curb all popped open at once, flooding the street with red roses.

On the hood of the car in the center, a massive arrangement of roses spelled out "Trix."

Ryan said, looking down at me with a soft, loving gaze, "We've been together for three years. I was planning to make it public soon, but apparently, some people thought nobody wanted my girl."

Just then, the door to the Preston family's villa swung open.

Cole stepped out, helping Kara, her eyes swollen and red from crying. only to be greeted by a jaw-dropping flood of roses covering the entire street.

He clenched his fists, glaring at Ryan's arm draped over my shoulders, unable to hide his fury.

Everyone in the city knew Ryan was Cole's arch-nemesis. He always outplayed him in business, and on the racetrack, Ryan had never lost to him.

Cole's voice shook, panic written all over his face. "Trix! You and him... when did this start?"

He always kept his cool around me, but now looked completely shaken, his eyes rimmed red.

He took a step forward, but Ryan's bodyguards stepped in to stop him.

I didn't answer. I just lowered my head and fiddled with the ring Ryan had just slipped onto my finger.

It was a three-carat pink diamond, catching the light with a brilliant sparkle.

Cole's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice rough and strained. "You did this on purpose, didn't you? Of all people, you chose him..."

"What else was I supposed to do?" I finally looked up at him. "Find someone worse than you, so you could keep thinking I'd be begging for scraps without you?"

He stumbled back, and when Kara tried to steady him, he shoved her away.

I'd seen that look before.

It was the same look of betrayal he had three years ago, when he thought I was out with someone else.

I took the bouquet Ryan handed me, breathed in its scent, then turned and, in front of everyone, tossed the flowers right at Kara's feet with a smirk.

I gave her a brilliant smile. "Sister, you want the man I've already been with, so you might as well take the flowers I don't want either."

Kara's expression soured instantly.

The reporters went wild, their cameras clicking nonstop.

Ryan chuckled softly in my ear. "Feeling good?"

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek, whispering, "Pretty good. Let's go, my fiancé."

The crowd instinctively parted to let us through.

At the hilltop villa, Ryan was patching me up.

His hand shook as he swiped a cotton swab soaked in antiseptic across the corner of my mouth.

"I should've come sooner," he said, his voice hoarse.

I said, wincing as I touched my swollen lip, "Nah, your timing's perfect. If you'd shown up any earlier, they wouldn't have finished their drama yet."

He set down the cotton swab and gently cupped my face. "So, how do you want to play this?"

I unlocked my phone and pulled up three files.

Ryan read through them and grinned.

I said softly, "I want them on their knees, begging for my forgiveness."

The press conference was set for three days later.

Ryan sent out the invitations himself, and the title alone was enough to blow everyone's mind.

It read: [Major Collaboration and Personal Announcement from the Martin Group]

The venue was packed.

As Ryan led me onto the stage, he took the mic and announced, "First, the Todd Group is entering into a major strategic partnership with Ms. Preston."

He paused, turning to me with that bright look in his eyes. "Second, we're engaged."

The room went dead silent for a split second, then all hell broke loose.

"Mr. Martin, when did you and Ms. Preston get together?!" someone shouted.

Ryan pulled me close, his arm around my waist, grinning like he owned the place. "Three years."

"And what about Cole and Kara?" someone else called out.