Chapter 4
I shifted gears, speaking in a leisurely tone. "Last night, the wind picked up and knocked loose a hairpin from your villa. One of our Gordon family's staff who was out shopping happened to find it."
I looked up, fixing him with a piercing stare.
I said, "I recognize that hairpin. It's the latest design from Verdant's Heritage in Mysticville, named 'Yasmin.'"
"Wouldn't you say that's quite the coincidence, Mr. Castaneda?" I added.
The name "Yasmin" hit Alfonso like a thunderclap.
His face went ghostly pale in an instant.
He stared at me, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
"How... how do you know?" he blurted out.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake and snapped his lips shut.
But it was already too late.
Jennifer, standing off to the side, and all the maids and servants in the hall had heard every word.
Even if they didn't fully grasp what was happening, seeing Alfonso's guilty look and remembering what I'd just said, everyone exchanged meaningful glances.
Jennifer was so shocked she covered her mouth with her hand.
Even she, usually so oblivious, finally understood.
"Alfonso, is what Katherine said... is it true?" Jennifer stammered.
Alfonso's face went from pale to sickly gray, looking absolutely miserable.
He probably never thought that I, always so gentle and obedient, would suddenly turn sharp and reveal a piece of his secret right in front of everyone.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep it together.
He didn't answer Jennifer. Instead, he locked eyes with me, his voice low and tense.
"Katherine, you've got it all wrong," Alfonso said. "Yasmin and I... we're just friends, that's all."
Friends? Seriously? What a joke.
Since when did "just friends" end up in bed together?
"Oh, really?" I shot back, my tone icy. "What kind of friend makes you spend the precious night before your engagement entirely with her?"
"What kind of friend makes you forget what day it is, and forget all about your own fiancée?"
My voice wasn't loud, but every word hit Alfonso like a stinging slap, leaving him nowhere to hide.
His face went dark red, veins popping on his forehead.
"Katherine! Stop this nonsense!" Alfonso barked.
He was so furious and embarrassed that he dropped the pet name and just called me "Katherine."
"I'm here today to bring the engagement gifts, not to be grilled by you!" he snapped. "The marriage between our families is a big deal. Who are you to meddle in it?"
He was already trying to use his status and our families to put me in my place.
It was his go-to move.
Back in my previous life, whenever I showed even the slightest dissatisfaction about him and Yasmin, he'd put on that holier-than-thou attitude and accuse me of being "insensitive" or "jealous and suspicious."
And under his constant pressure, I always ended up compromising, swallowing my pride just to keep the peace.
But I didn't compromise this time.
Watching him lose his cool, I felt a rush of pure satisfaction.
"You're right, Mr. Castaneda. This marriage is a big deal," I said, my voice steady.
I rose to my feet and walked straight up to him.
"Which is why this engagement can't be settled just like this," I said. "I'm calling it off."
I made sure everyone heard me, loud and clear.
The whole hall went dead silent.
Everyone was stunned.
Jennifer nearly passed out from shock.
Alfonso was completely floored. He never expected me to actually call off the engagement.
To him, marrying into the Castaneda family was the best thing that could ever happen to me. I was supposed to be grateful, not even dare to think about breaking it off.
"What... what did you just say?" he stammered, totally stunned.
"I said I'm calling off the engagement," I repeated.
Seeing the shock on his face, a wave of vindictive pleasure surged through me.
"Alfonso, you want Yasmin? Fine. I'll let you have her," I said coldly.
"I don't share her husband, and I refuse to be anyone's shield for their so-called true love. This engagement ends now," I added.
With that, I turned away from him and addressed Grace Rush, my maid who stood nearby.
"Grace, fetch the ledger from my jewelry box," I instructed.
Grace looked momentarily surprised, but quickly answered and hurried off.
Alfonso snapped out of his shock, his face so dark it looked like a storm was brewing.
"Katherine, are you done making a scene?" he barked.
"Calling off the engagement? Have you even thought about the consequences? What about the Castaneda family's reputation? And your own? Do you even care about your reputation anymore?
"If you dare walk out that door today, I swear, before the day is over, all of Eldoraville will hear that you're a spiteful, jealous woman who broke off the engagement for no reason. Let's see how you'll hold your head up after that!"
He'd started threatening me now.
He was throwing my reputation and the Gordon family's honor in my face, trying to scare me into submission.
Back then, I might've actually been scared.