It was as if... she was about to kiss him in the next second!
Riley's eyes flew wide open.
He might be a rich playboy, but he wasn't promiscuous.
In fact, he was a pure and innocent novice when it came to romance.
Being teased at such close range, his face instantly turned beet red.
He leaped back violently, putting distance between himself and Black Jack.
Then, like a damsel in distress, he threw his arms around himself, staring warily at her. "Don't you try anything! I may be heartbroken right now, but my heart belongs only to my goddess! My heart is hers, and my body is hers too!"
Black Jack burst out laughing.
The young men in Elyndor were just too cute.
"Riley!" Mr. Blackwood barked, frowning when he heard him still saying "goddess."
Serena had an engagement with Nicholas, after all. Though it wasn't official yet, having Riley call her 'goddess' over and over could lead to scandalous rumors about her character.
It would be bad for Serena's reputation.
Riley gave Serena a look as if he'd been struck by lightning, still not ready to give up. "Isn't Nicholas's fiancée that girl from the Lancaster family? The one who lost to my goddess... to her, in the piano competition?"
That Isabella girl was always putting on airs as his future sister-in-law and had even tricked him into calling her that many times.
Mr. Blackwood glanced at him, then gestured with his chin. "Just look at who's standing with Serena."
Riley looked over, bewildered. "It's Mr. Lancaster Sr., Mr. Lancaster, and Ms. Catherine... Catherine... huh?"
Oh, right!
Why were all the Lancasters gathered around his goddess?
Catherine found Riley's dazed expression amusing and explained with a smile, "Riley, this is my daughter, Serena."
Their two families were catching up here, and anyone with a bit of sense knew not to interrupt.
Plus, after Mr. Blackwood had just chased Riley around with his cane, no one else was about to approach them.
With no other guests nearby, Catherine made the introduction freely.
"Daugh... ter?" Riley blinked, looking back and forth between Serena and Catherine. "Then... then what about Isabella?"
"She is our adopted daughter," Catherine said with a smile.
So that meant...
That Isabella girl wasn't Nicholas's fiancée at all!
As an adopted daughter, she was never qualified.
The person engaged to Nicholas from the very beginning was his goddess!
It was an even bigger thunderbolt!
Riley's fists clenched and
unclenched, clenched and
unclenched: Still unwilling to accept
it, he persisted, "But... but in the beginning, it was just a marriage between the Blackwood ando Lancaster families never said whe the marriage partner was so... why can't it be me? I'm a Blackwood too!"
As he said this, a spark of confidence returned to Riley.
He quickly looked at Serena, his eyes shining brightly. "Goddess, I don't see a problem with that! It's a marriage with the Blackwood family either way, so why not choose me? I'm telling you, I'm younger than my cousin! You know, men start to go downhill after twenty-five! I'm a prime college guy, and an athlete at that!"
"Besides, my cousin... his personality is cold and weird. In all his life, I've never seen a woman around him. I think he's actually... gay! If you really marry him your life will be
miserable!"