Preston had no idea his casual insult would backfire so spectacularly.
The worst part was, he was dead wrong.
Not only did she manage to get close to Dane, but they were holding hands right in front of everyone.
"Take a good look at yourself, and then look at Dane. You really aren't anything special."
"Preston, don't you ever go around claiming I like you again."
"I'd rather fall for a dog than fall for you!"
Preston's face flushed with anger.
He refused to believe Zara didn't like him. When their families discussed the engagement, she had nodded in agreement.
If she didn't like him, why did she agree to the match?
He assumed she was just trying to save face because he was the one who didn't want her.
"I'm not going to stoop to your level!"
Preston told himself he was being magnanimous for the sake of their families' ties.
Little did he know, the moment he publicly declared his intention to break the engagement because he fancied Zoe, whatever ties he had with the Rose family evaporated.
Now, the two families only maintained a superficial peace; behind closed doors, things were freezing cold.
In fact, the Dalton family was absolutely furious about the whole ordeal.
Originally, joining the Rose family would have guaranteed resources funneling toward the Daltons.
Now Preston had ruined everything. The alliance was dead, and they had practically made an enemy out of the Roses.
The eldest and second sons of the Rose family—Zara's father and uncle had no love for their stepmother's lineage. To them, Zoe, the daughter of their stepmother's son, wasn't a real niece.
For Zoe to try and steal a man from Zara, a true legitimate heiress of the Rose family, was practically a death wish.
While the Rose brothers remained polite on the surface, they secretly threw endless roadblocks at the stepmother's side of the family.
Zoe's father couldn't even secure a basic promotion; his career had completely stalled.
He was stuck in a dead-end position, earning just enough to scrape by, no doubt harboring massive resentment.
But Old Mr. Rose wasn't blind. He would never prioritize his stepson over his own flesh and blood.
Furthermore, the Dalton boy had publicly rejected his biological granddaughter. Did Preston really think Old Mr. Rose couldn't tell the difference between true family and outsiders?
Preston actually believed he was at a buffet, free to choose whichever sister he fancied.
It was pure delusion.
Those in the know couldn't help but laugh at Preston for throwing away a diamond to pick up a pebble.
The kicker was, the pebble hadn't even agreed to be with him.
Up until now, Zoe had kept Preston on a string, using him as a backup
as white she hunted for a bigger
prize.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have stared at Dane like he was a piece of prime steak.
The crowd grew intensely curious about Claire's true identity.
Dane had her by his side, treating her with undeniable indulgence.
"Could she be some college sugar baby Mr. Green is keeping on the side?"
"Isn't she a student at The Cabinda University? Why would she do something like that?"
"Who knows? But I'd advise against spreading rumors. Let's see how this plays out." "Agreed. The moment Mr. Green held his hand out to her, I felt second-hand embarrassment for Preston."
"Is something wrong with the Dalton guy's brain? Zoe isn't even half as pretty as Zara."
Zoe caught every word of the hushed gossip.
She was seething.
So what if Zara was prettier? Didn't these men still fall at her feet?
Claire was entirely oblivious to the
whispering erowd; she was most
just curious about who Dane wanted her to meet.
"Kendrick, this is my friend, Claire."
Kendrick hadn't expected Dane to bring a young woman to see him.
Hadn't he just mentioned his own granddaughter to Dane?
Was this Dane's way of rejecting the idea?