Chapter 4: Don't Call Off This Engagement!

The silver-gray Porsche rolled slowly into the garden of a European-style villa. Terrance Lyson craned his neck like an overexcited kid, taking everything in. Then his gaze snagged on the distant mountain ridge, and his brows knit. "Nice place," he muttered, "but it's sitting on a Blade Aura. A family's downfall is only a matter of time…" "Hillbilly, what are you mumbling about?" Liana Lashbrook lifted her chin, smug as ever. "Did our family's luxury scare you stupid?" She looped her arm through Nora Scurr's with exaggerated affection. "Come on. I'll show you what the real world looks like." As they crossed the perfectly manicured lawn, the servants bowed in unison. "Second Miss Lashbrook." But the moment they noticed Terrance trailing behind in a faded plaid shirt, surprise flickered across their faces. Whispers rippled through the line. "Where'd this guy come from? He's dressed like a construction worker…" "Don't tell me he's another one trying to latch onto the family. Ever since the eldest miss built the company up, they've been crawling out of the woodwork…" Up on the third floor, a woman stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, watching with cold eyes. She wore beige loungewear. Slender fingers traced the rim of a teacup, black hair spilling over her shoulders like a waterfall. Disdain sat plainly on her delicate, sharp-featured face. Even in simple cotton slippers, her long legs and graceful curves carried an inborn air of nobility, the kind you couldn't fake. "Don't tell me he's the one… the one I was engaged to…" Joy Lashbrook's red lips parted, irritation threading her voice. She narrowed her alluring, peach-blossom eyes, her gaze cutting down on Terrance like a blade, as if she wanted to strip that tacky outfit off him with sheer contempt. A chill radiated from her, warning strangers to keep their distance, like a winter plum blossom blooming proudly in the cold. This was Terrance's fiancée-Joy Lashbrook. "What was coming finally came…" She murmured to herself, lips pressing into a thin line. Downstairs in the main hall, the three had barely stepped inside when they spotted a well-dressed middle-aged man sipping tea at an unhurried pace. At the sound of footsteps, he lifted his head slowly. His eyes locked onto Terrance like a hawk sighting prey. "Dad!" Liana skipped over and clung to his arm, then jerked her chin toward Terrance. "This is the 'friend' Nora brought. I seriously don't know what she was thinking, hanging out with some hillbilly like him." Sean Lashbrook rose to his feet. Nora quickly offered a polite bow. "Hello, Uncle Lashbrook." "You're Terrance Lyson?" Sean ignored his daughter's teasing and walked straight up to Terrance. "Old Guan's disciple?" Terrance raised a brow. "That would be me. And you are…?" "I'm Joy's father." Sean's tone stayed flat, yet the authority in it left no room for argument. Terrance's eyes lit up. He snapped into a crisp ninety-degree bow. "Father-in-law! Your son-in-law pays his respects!" Sean's face darkened. He lifted a hand to stop him. "Hold it. This isn't the old days. Child engagements stopped counting a long time ago." He looked Terrance up and down, taking in the plain clothes, and his voice eased slightly. "My father did have an agreement with Old Guan back then. But both elders have passed. For the sake of your master's kindness to my father, I can let you through the door. But this marriage…" He paused, letting the words hang. Then his expression sharpened, eyes burning into Terrance. "These days, we value freedom in marriage. A good match matters, but what matters more is mutual affection. If my daughter likes you, I won't oppose it just because you came from the countryside. But if she doesn't want it, I won't force her over a piece of paper." Liana stood there, stunned. Disbelief spread across her carefully made-up face. She grabbed her father's sleeve, her voice shooting up an octave. "Dad! You're not seriously going to marry me off to this hillbilly, are you?" She stomped, cheeks puffed with anger. "I'd rather shave my head and live in a nunnery than marry him!" Sean sighed and shook his head. "Not you. Your sister, Joy." "What? Sis… Sister?!" Liana's jaw nearly hit the floor. In her mind, Joy Lashbrook was heaven's chosen. Tenos's famous business goddess. Her pursuers could line up from South City all the way to North City. And more importantly-Joy was allergic to men. On a normal day, even her own father kept a careful distance. How could she possibly accept this engagement? Terrance, on the other hand, stayed calm. He strolled to the tea table, sat down as if he owned the place, and poured himself a cup. "Uncle Lashbrook, I came a long way," he said, taking a slow sip. "And you weren't even going to offer me tea?" He tasted it like a connoisseur. "My master saved Grandpa Lashbrook's life back then. Your family's successful, sure. If you don't want to acknowledge this engagement, I get it. But your hospitality…" He tilted the cup, meaning clear. "This is pretty shabby, isn't it?" Sean snorted, eyes hard, deliberately refusing to answer. He had wanted to give this country kid a proper warning. Instead, Terrance sat there steady as a rock, not the least bit eager to curry favor. Sean lifted his own cup and took a sip, his sharp gaze never leaving Terrance. Nora sat quietly to the side, eyes lowered, hands still, acting as if she'd turned into a piece of decor. Liana remained frozen in shock, lips parted, unable to accept that this dirt-cheap-looking guy might actually become her brother-in-law. "It's true I came from the countryside," Terrance said, crossing one leg over the other, tea still in hand. "But what did country folks ever do to you?" He suddenly pulled a yellowed marriage contract from his jacket and slapped it onto the coffee table. "I came planning to call it off. People date freely these days." Then his tone shifted, a sly glint flashing in his eyes. "But your attitude annoyed me, so I changed my mind." He dragged the last words out on purpose. "I hear the Lashbrook family has been making waves in Tenos lately. You care about your reputation more than anything, right? So tell me… what happens if people find out the Lashbrook family went back on its word, looked down on the disciple of the man who saved your father's life just because he's from the countryside…" "You!" Sean's face turned iron-blue. His teacup slammed onto the table with a heavy thud. He never imagined this seemingly honest rural kid could have such a sharp tongue. A few sentences, and Sean was backed into a moral corner. Liana finally snapped out of it and burst in, furious. "Dad! He's obviously threatening us!" She glared at Terrance like she wanted to bite him. "And you think you're worthy of my sister?" Terrance calmly refilled his own cup, a faint smile tugging at his mouth. "Whether I'm worthy isn't up to you. It's up to your sister." He flicked his gaze toward the upper floor. "Right, Miss Lashbrook?" The Lashbrook family was at the height of its power in Tenos. Even big shots from politics and business treated them with respect. Being dismissed like this by a country boy made Sean's temples throb with anger. "I didn't expect a mountain bumpkin to have this kind of nerve." A cool, clear voice drifted down from the spiral staircase. Everyone turned. Joy Lashbrook descended at an unhurried pace. With each step, her long legs appeared and vanished beneath silky lounge pants. Her breathtakingly cold beauty showed no ripples of emotion. "Sister…" Liana started, but one look from Joy shut her up instantly. Joy's eyes stayed on Terrance. The disgust in them deepened by the second. This hillbilly actually dared to stare at her like that. His eyes spun shamelessly, roaming without restraint. He even swallowed, bold as day. And it was true. Terrance was completely captivated. The woman before him outshone any celebrity on television. Skin like snow. Features painted to perfection. Even plain loungewear looked regal on her. Her aloofness made her seem like an immortal untouched by the mortal world, yet the pressure she carried was so strong it made people hesitate to meet her eyes. Even Sean unconsciously held his breath. *This engagement can't be called off. No way. Absolutely not.* Terrance made the decision on the spot. A beauty like this, he had to marry her and bring her home. Just the sight of her refined profile and slender figure from a distance made his heart race. Joy felt his scorching stare. Her brows drew tight, the chill in her eyes sharpening. "I can acknowledge the contract," she said. "And I can marry you." Her voice was ice-cold when she continued. "But I have one condition." "Name it, wifey!" Terrance beamed instantly, eyes crinkling into a happy slit. "…" The living room fell so silent a pin drop would have sounded deafening. Sean nearly dropped his teacup. Liana made an exaggerated gagging face. Nora pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed, thinking Terrance's skin was way too thick. Still, the three of them steadied quickly, because they knew Joy all too well. The Lashbrook family's eldest miss, the one allergic to men, didn't make empty demands. Whatever condition she proposed would definitely make this hillbilly back off. Liana even started looking forward to it, practically giddy as she waited for Terrance to embarrass himself.