I pushed myself up from the floor and smoothed my clothes with a cold, defiant expression.

Yves stepped toward me, his gaze sharp and commanding.

"Lucy, I want you to kneel and apologize to Nina for bullying her."

I stared at him, stunned, fury straining at the edge of my composure. Of course—they were such good friends. Always demanding that others kneel. Did they really think they were gods?

My lips curled in a mocking smile.

"Yves, I am your fiancée. You want me to kneel before your friend? Don't you care about your own dignity? We may not have much affection between us, and you clearly side with Nina, but I am not someone you can order around like a servant. And besides, I'm not the one at fault. Why should I apologize?"

At that, Yves's anger doubled. The air thickened under the weight of his presence.

"Even if you're not at fault, you'll still apologize. This marriage exists only because your parents begged for it."

I frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

He gave a cold, gritted laugh. "Stop pretending, Lucy. Everyone knows you're desperate for me—so desperate you'd die to marry me. But I can't even look at you without disgust."

I clenched my fists and drew a sharp breath, denying him flatly. "That's impossible. We met through a blind date. I'm not so desperate that I must marry you."

His voice dropped, heavy with weary finality. "Don't lie. If becoming heir to the family didn't require me to marry you, I'd never give up the woman I truly love."

As he said it, his apologetic gaze shifted toward Nina.

At last, I understood. They were in love… and I was the interloper.

What a ridiculous farce. Had I known he already had someone he loved, I wouldn't have wasted a single glance on him.

"If you don't like me, then don't marry me," I said.

The staff nearby chimed in at once.

"You should be grateful you can marry Yves. Don't be ungrateful."

"Just yield and apologize, then this ends."

"If the wedding falls apart, you'll regret it forever."

I rubbed my temples, exasperated by their hypocrisy.

After a pause, I spoke the truth, so no one could accuse me of shamelessness again.

"Yves, I chose to marry you because you seemed decent. But clearly, I was wrong. I don't have to marry you, and this engagement doesn't need to continue."

The onlookers gasped.

"What? She really doesn't want to marry him?"

"She's pretending, right?"

"Impossible! Yves is perfect. Which woman wouldn't want him?"

"With the Laurent family's wealth and power, she'd never want for anything. She must be a fool."

"Young lady, why not endure this and apologize first? Get the marriage secured, then worry later. A woman without a man can't have much of a future."

Their words left me speechless. What twisted values.

So what if Yves was exceptional? To me, he wasn't. I had simply been blind. And I had never relied on any man for survival.

I had only agreed to this marriage to put my parents at ease. Now that I saw the truth, it seemed wiser to cut my losses.

Yves sneered, unconvinced.

"Lucy, kneel and apologize to Nina, or the wedding is off."

I met his eyes. "Then call it off."

Shock flickered across his face, his expression turning dark. When he realized my determination wasn't a bluff, a trace of helplessness clouded his eyes.

Nina, however, was radiant with joy. Clutching his arm tightly, her voice brimmed with expectation.

"Yves, she doesn't want to marry you. You don't have to marry her anymore."

Yves hesitated. The conflict in his eyes betrayed the calculations running through his mind.

Nina pressed anxiously, "Don't worry, it's not that you refused to marry, it's that she didn't want you. Your parents won't blame you. And besides, you're the only heir. You're clever; you'll inherit the family business no matter what."

Her words swayed him. His gaze cleared with sudden realization. "You're right. I can marry you, Nina."

Then he turned to me, his look filled with disdain.

"A woman like you—pretty on the outside but shallow within—is nothing more than decoration in a household. You'll just be an embarrassment in public."

I forced down the storm rising inside me, turned without expression, and walked away.

I wouldn't marry him. Let him marry whomever he wished—it had nothing to do with me.

Thankfully, I didn't love this man. If I had, my heart would have shattered.

The truth was, it had been my father who first proposed the match, though Yves initially refused. Later, his father learned of my secret work in a classified department, with influence and authority that could benefit the Laurent family's business. Coupled with the existing ties between our families, my father's involvement promised further profit.

Thus, after negotiations, the marriage was settled. The blind date had been for appearances, and I hadn't thought much before agreeing.

Now that the wedding was off, so too was the cooperation between our families. Had I married Yves, my superiors would certainly have bestowed a lavish gift—immense manpower and resources that would have brought his family unprecedented advantage. Losing me meant losing all of that.

Back home, I had just finished bandaging the wound on my arm when a knock came at the door.

Opening it, I found Yves and Nina standing outside with a group of bodyguards and construction workers, their presence oppressive and hostile.

Confused, I frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Yves shot me a sidelong glance, his voice cold.

"My father gave you this villa as a wedding house. Since the marriage is off, get out."

I froze, incredulous. "You're mistaken. This house was bought by my parents, not given by your father."

Nina suddenly burst out laughing, the malice in her eyes plain.

"Lucy, don't cling to what isn't yours. If you get too greedy, you'll choke on it."

My irritation flared; I snapped back, "Then you'll be the first to choke."

Her eyes reddened instantly. She leaned toward Yves, pitiful and accusing.

"Darling, did you hear? She cursed me."

Yves's face hardened, his tone sharp and severe. "Lucy, apologize to Nina at once, or I'll make sure you regret it."

I looked at him coolly, impatience in my gaze. "This is a society ruled by law. What exactly do you think you'll do to me?"

He fell silent, his brow lowered, lost in thought—as though weighing how best to deal with me.

Then Nina's lips trembled, and she began to cry, fragile and pitiful.

"Lucy, we're getting married. This is our home. Please, give it back to us."

Yves, distressed, hurried to wipe her tears. "Don't cry. I'll get the house back for you."

Watching the two of them fawn over each other, I felt a sudden wave of disgust.

Yves clearly had someone he loved, yet for profit's sake, he had chosen to marry me. If I hadn't discovered the truth, I would have walked straight into the wolf's den.

Yves was far too skilled at wearing masks.

I didn't want to see his face anymore. Anger twisting my expression, I moved to shut the door.

He caught the motion instantly, thrusting a hand against the doorframe to stop me. His face darkened as he barked a command, "Pack your things and leave! Now!"

A short laugh escaped me, edged with helpless irony.

"How strange. This is my villa. Why should I leave?"

His voice cracked like a whip. "Nonsense! How could your family possibly afford a villa? Don't think that just because the wedding's off, I'll hand this house over to you. This is my family's property. You're not worthy of it."

My expression hardened. "And you're talking nonsense. Looking down on people just because you have money. Are you sick in the head?"

I raised my voice deliberately. "This house belongs to me. If you don't believe it, ask your parents. Stop hovering at my door."

Fury simmered in his face. His hand lifted, ready to strike me, but when he met the cold defiance in my eyes, he froze.

His gaze narrowed. Lips pressed thin, he fell into thought.

Nina seized the chance to interject. "Your parents wouldn't agree to giving a villa to an outsider."

Yves nodded, his tone iron-hard. "Exactly. One way or another, the house must be returned."

The bodyguards he'd brought, seeing I refused to yield, muttered impatiently, "Sir, don't waste time talking. Just throw her out."

"That's right, she's clearly greedy."

"Sir, let's kidnap her and sell her to a foreign country. Then she'll never bother you again."

Yves hesitated, then gave a curt nod.

The bodyguards lunged, grabbing me to drag me away.

If I tolerated this, then I truly would be the world's biggest fool.

With swift precision, I twisted free of their grip, my body as flexible as a snake. My fists lashed out, and in moments, several bodyguards lay sprawled on the ground.

Shock flickered across Yves's face. He had never expected me to fight back.

I met his stare, cold and unflinching.

"So what if you have wealth and power? That doesn't mean you can solve everything in this world."

His expression darkened. Wariness crept into his gaze. After a few seconds, realization dawned.

"So you were hiding your strength all along."

I pressed my lips together and said nothing.

He gave a cold snort, disdain curling his voice. "Then let me show you today—no matter how strong you are, in the face of power and influence, you're nothing. You want this villa? I'll make sure you don't get it."

Turning, he addressed the construction crew with chilling indifference.

"Do it. Level the place to the ground."

Engines roared to life. The crew moved instantly.

Stunned, I stared at him, my voice dropping to an icy pitch.

"Are you insane, Yves? Do you really think you're some untouchable bigshot who can do whatever they want?"

He smiled with arrogant pride. "Of course. You shouldn't have crossed me. I hate disobedient women the most."

Nina's tone brimmed with malice, her words drawn out in gloating delight.

"Lucy, scared now? If you are, kneel and apologize. Otherwise, once we finish tearing down this villa, you'll be the next thing we destroy."

Disgust surged through me. "Shut up, you hypocritical fake-ass bitch!"

I turned back to Yves, my eyes deep and shadowed.

"You'd better not act recklessly. I'm warning you. This villa matters to me. If you destroy it, you won't be able to bear the consequences."

He sneered, eyes venomous. "And who do you think you are? I'll be the judge of what consequences there are."

At that moment, the excavators thundered into motion, smashing walls apart. Half the roof collapsed in a roar of dust and rubble.

I watched in silence, numb.

The villa itself I could afford to lose, but inside it were critical classified documents. This was a disaster.

Nina smirked, "Lucy, kneel and apologize right now."

I stayed silent for a minute, my face a mask of ice. "Do you really enjoy watching people kneel so much?"

She lifted her chin, eyes sparkling with expectation. "Of course."

I arched a brow, then let out a sudden laugh. "Then I'll grant your wish. But the one kneeling won't be me. It'll be you."

She burst out laughing.

"You're so shameless. We've already torn down the villa. Where are the consequences you threatened? And you think you'll make me kneel? Dream on."

Her words had barely fallen when a deafening series of car horns split the air, startling everyone present.

We all turned.

Down the nearby road, more than a dozen luxury cars sped toward us, horns blaring in unison.

They screeched to a halt before my villa.

Doors swung open. Over twenty tall men in black suits and sunglasses stepped out.

One of them strode directly toward me. He removed his sunglasses, revealing a cold, striking face.

His voice rang out, "Who the heck tore down Lucy's house?"