Jade Foster was still lamenting that such a good catch had already been claimed.
Claire ate her meal without a shred of guilt.
The food here was far superior to that upscale restaurant they visited last time, easily rivaling the White family's Hearth & Kettle.
The menus at both places had their own unique flair.
On the other side of the street, Ethan Monroe walked with Cyrus Franklin.
Ethan was genuinely stunned to discover Claire was engaged. He hadn't jotted that down in his observation notes yet.
Wait, if the academic genius was dating, wouldn't it wreck her grades?
Ethan's little diary was about to get a massive update.
Beside him, Cyrus was completely spaced out, nearly walking straight into oncoming traffic.
Ethan had to yank him back by his collar.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Ethan, usually the calmest guy in the room, nearly lost his temper.
Cyrus scowled. "How on earth did Claire end up with Dane?"
"If Dane is engaged, what happens to Latonia?"
He muttered to himself, but Ethan caught the gist.
"Did Dane sign a contract with your family?" Ethan scoffed.
"If not, he has every right to choose who he wants."
"He likes Claire and asked her to marry him. What's so shocking about that?"
In Ethan's eyes, Claire was phenomenal. Dane practically oozed power and dominance, so naturally, a man of his caliber would have impeccable taste.
Wasn't it perfectly normal for an exceptional man to fall for an exceptional woman?
Cyrus still couldn't wrap his head around it. "How could he fall for someone else? Latonia has been devoted to him for years."
"Just because Latonia likes him doesn't mean the feeling is mutual," Ethan countered.
"You can't expect a guy to marry someone just because she has a crush on him."
Cyrus knew Ethan was making sense.
But he couldn't help feeling furious on Latonia's behalf.
The Franklin family had always assumed she was destined to join the Green family.
She had even moved overseas to
study medicine purely to find a c for
kon aldrick, hoping her des care.
would finally win Dane's heart.
Latonia went abroad strictly for Dane?
Of course, only the Franklins believed that narrative.
Dane and Baldrick certainly didn't buy it.
If even Achilles-a renowned
medical professor-couldn't curet
Baldrick why
would anyone believe
Latonia had the skills to do it?
If Latonia actually voiced those
intentions, the Green family wouldet blackmail Content belone
simp
view it as emotional
FindNovel.net
She was truly willing to spin any tale just to secure her spot beside Dane.
Seeing Cyrus looking so depressed, Ethan made sure to walk him all the way back to campus after lunch.
He was terrified the guy would wander blindly into traffic again.
However, Cyrus didn't stay long. He quickly packed his things and headed home.
He needed to find out if Achilles knew about Dane's engagement.
Achilles hadn't expected his grandson to bring it up.
"I know," Achilles said, his expression calm, as if he had accepted the reality long ago.
"You knew?" Cyrus gasped in disbelief.
"Grandpa, you knew, so why didn't you ever mention it?"
He had assumed the older man was completely in the dark.
And that the Green family had pulled a fast one on them.
Achilles let out a heavy sigh. "His engagement is his own business. Why would I announce it to the world?"
"But what about Latonia?"
"She's deeply in love with Dane."
"You know that better than anyone!"
Cyrus's voice carried a sharp edge of resentment.
Why was Dane so blind to Latonia's perfection?
Was a little girl like Claire really better than his brilliant sister?