Chapter 6

Her hands shook as she scrolled through her contacts and found a number that had sat untouched for years.

The moment it started ringing, she realized how late it was and wanted to hang up, but he'd already picked up.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't be calling this late."

"It's daytime here," Charles Carter replied. His voice was as cold as ever, and he got straight to the point. "I saw the news, Nancy. I'm not here to talk you out of anything."

Silence stretched between them for nearly a minute before Nancy finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not asking you to talk me out of it. Will you marry me?"

Before he could answer, she rushed on. "It would just be on paper. I won't bother you or anything."

"Weren't you in love with Edward?" Charles asked. "Swore you'd never marry anyone else? Called me a pervert?"

Charles cut her off, his tone ice cold. "When you rejected me at twenty, you said the only reason you even looked at me was because I'm Edward's uncle. Remember that, Nancy?"

Nancy's breath caught. After a long pause, she stammered, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called."

"What, you ignore me for years and now you can't take a few honest words?" Hearing her give up so easily made Charles angrier, and his voice turned even colder. "Just wait."

The line went dead.

Nancy stared at her phone, and it finally hit her.

He'd agreed?

Charles was Edward's grandfather's late-in-life son, so he was only a few years older than Edward. He had a cold and solitary personality, but his word was final. If he promised something, he'd never go back on it.

Just like when he said he'd never appear in front of her again, he'd kept that promise for years without showing his face even once.

Nancy didn't sleep all night. She packed her personal belongings and headed downstairs early, suitcase in hand.

She ran right into Edward, who was drinking coffee in the living room.

The moment their eyes met, Nancy quickly looked away, hiding her emotions.

Edward's gaze swept over her, and he noticed her coming downstairs with luggage without saying a word. He stepped forward and grabbed the suitcase. "Where are you going?"

"Home," she said shortly and reached for her things.

Edward frowned. "What home? What's wrong with you now? Are you still mad about what happened the other day? Nancy, you're an adult now. Can you stop acting like a child?"

"Our engagement is off," she said coldly, cutting him off. "From now on, you can do whatever you want and it has nothing to do with me."

The atmosphere fell into silence. After a long moment, Edward's mocking laugh broke through.

"I think you hit your head the other day. How can you say something so stupid? Our families arranged this marriage a long time ago. It was decided the moment we were born. You have no choice but me."

No choice but him.

Nancy suddenly felt Edward was truly filthy.

His body was filthy, and his heart was even nastier.

Nancy didn't feel sad or angry at all. Instead, she lifted her face and asked him, "Is that why you shamelessly humiliate me over and over, turning me into a joke?"

When he saw her red and swollen eyes, Edward froze for a moment. "That's not what I meant. Nancy, don't cry. I'll clear things up online."

So he knew about all the cruel comments online.

He reached out to wipe her tears, but Nancy stepped back without a word. "I'm not marrying you," she said. "Give me back my things."

Edward frowned. "Nancy."

Nancy snapped her head up and screamed at him. "I told you to give them back!"

Red veins crawled across her eyes, and her face twisted with rage.

Edward had never seen her like this. He froze for a moment, and his expression darkened as his lips pressed into a tight line. "No," he said.

Edward's tone softened, and he bent down to press his forehead against hers, the way he used to when they were kids. He said quietly, "Nancy, you don't look good. I've been neglecting you lately and I'm sorry for that. Let me make it up to you today."

Lily's voice drifted down from the staircase, small and shaking with tears. She asked, "Uncle Edward, did you and Nancy fight because of me?"

Edward froze mid-motion, looking like a fool caught in the act. "Lily, why didn't you sleep in?"

His eyes dropped to her bare feet, and he frowned. He stepped right past Nancy and headed upstairs, reaching out as if to carry Lily, but stopped himself halfway.

Instead, he shrugged off his jacket and laid it on the floor. "Come on, step on this. You can't afford to get cold right now."

Lily obeyed without a word and placed her feet on the jacket.

Nancy grabbed the handle of her suitcase and turned to leave, but Sunny, the parrot perched on her shoulder, suddenly spread his wings and took off. "Uncle Edward!" he squawked. "Be gentle! There's a baby in there! Slow down, take it easy!"