"Of course I am!" said Claire. As she noticed the man's attitude ease just a fraction, a faint spark of confidence reignited within Claire.

She held his eyes steadily, refusing to waver. "After tonight, Logan and I will be formally engaged. It's only natural that we grow closer… and understand each other better."

Under the moonlight, she looked into his eyes—dark, unfathomable, like an endless sea at midnight. "Let us leave at once," she ordered sharply, "or else—ah!"

Before the threat could leave her lips, powerful hands dragged her from the vehicle and slammed her back against the car door.

"Claire!" Danny shouted as he rushed forward—but Jackson reacted instantly, restraining him and forcing him flat against the asphalt.

"You bastard! Let her go!" Even with his face crushed against the pavement, Danny glared viciously toward the man, roaring his fury.

The man's body heat and unfamiliar scent surrounded Claire. Panic flooded her as she pushed against his chest. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Sensing the tension and fear trembling through her, the man's sharp, slanted eyes narrowed. He slowly raised her chin with one long finger, his movements deliberate. "Do you know how to please a man?"

Her heart pounded violently, yet she forced steadiness into her tone. "I strongly suggest you release me—immediately—or else…"

Before she could complete the warning, the man dipped his head and seized her lips in a domineering kiss.

His aggressive intrusion left Claire's thoughts completely blank. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she froze, too shocked to even resist.

When he finally withdrew, his voice was laced with ridicule. "You don't even know how to kiss?"

The sound of a sharp slap rang through the night the moment his words fell.

Jackson, still pinning Danny to the ground, froze in disbelief, his eyes widening.

He had followed the man, Logan, for almost five years… yet this was the first time he had ever seen anyone dare to slap him. And to think it was done by a woman who looked so delicate.

The force of the blow sent Logan's head jerking sharply to the side. "That was daring," he remarked coolly.

"That was your punishment for crossing the line," Claire said firmly, withdrawing her burning hand. "If you let Danny go and allow us to leave now, I'll act as though this never occurred. But if you refuse… I'll report everything to Logan personally—and believe me, he won't let this slide."

Logan released a low, mirthless chuckle. "You've never even met Logan," he said coolly. "What makes you so certain he'd stand up for you?"

"Of course I have met him!" Claire snapped, frowning deeply. "How else would we be engaged if we hadn't? He fell for me at first sight—that's why he insisted on a swift engagement. He promised to protect me, cherish me, and never allow anyone to wrong me."

She lifted her chin, staring up at the towering man with fierce resolve. "You'd better release us immediately—because once he turns his fury on you, no one will be able to protect you."

Despite her confident tone, her clenched fists betrayed the tension coursing through her.

A heavy silence hung in the air for several agonizing seconds. Then, Logan's lips curved into a faint smirk. "Jackson," he said calmly, "escort them back."

...

Thirty minutes later, Claire was helping Danny into the restaurant lobby when they were promptly intercepted by Harold Dale and Ivy Dale—Danny's parents.

"What happened?" Ivy hurried toward them, concern carved deeply into her expression as she grasped Danny's free arm. "Where have you been? Just look at yourselves!"

Danny clenched his teeth, hesitation flickering in his eyes. "I didn't want Claire to marry that bastard, so I…"

"It was my suggestion," Claire interrupted softly, stepping in to protect him. "I asked Danny to take me out for a short drive. He stumbled while getting out of the car—that's all that happened."

"A drive?" Ivy's face instantly hardened. "You could have gone for a drive any day! Why pick tonight of all nights?"

She pivoted toward Claire, her tone edged with unmistakable disapproval. "How could you act so carelessly at such a critical moment? Every guest has already arrived! If you had failed to appear, what would people have thought of the Dale family?"

Claire bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry. This was my fault."

"Claire, why are you taking the blame?" Danny protested anxiously. He couldn't stand watching her shoulder the blame alone. "This was obviously my—"

"That's enough," Harold snapped, casting a sharp glance at his watch. "The engagement ceremony is about to begin. This is no time to argue over details."

He motioned briskly toward a nearby staff member. "Escort Danny to tend to his injuries and help him change into suitable clothing."

"Claire," he continued, "go backstage and touch up your appearance."

Claire nodded, only to see a tall figure dressed in black step out at that moment. "I'll escort her," the man said calmly.

It was Carsten.

Claire pressed her lips together before falling into step behind him.

That evening, he was dressed in a custom-tailored suit. The sharp cut emphasized his wide shoulders and slender build. An unmistakable air of noble detachment clung to him. Refined, remote, and impossibly out of reach.

There had been a time when merely seeing Carsten—even from behind—had been enough to steady her heart.

She had imagined their engagement ceremony and wedding more times than she could count.

Yet tonight, she stood on the brink of a new chapter of her life—and he was not the man beside her.

"We've arrived."

His low voice snapped her back to the present. Only then did she notice they had stopped outside the backstage dressing room.

"Thank you," she said quietly as she stepped into the room.

The door closed softly with a muted click.

"Claire." Before she could sit down, Carsten reached out and seized her wrist. His brows knit tightly together. "Why did you return?"

His eyes were shadowed with conflicting emotions. "You had an opportunity to vanish. To walk away from everything. So why did you choose to come back?"

Claire turned to look directly at the man she had loved in silence for three long years. The same man who had promised her a future—over and over again. In a calm, unwavering voice, she replied, "Because I made a promise to your parents. And I will never become someone who breaks her word—like you did."

As though stung by Claire's words, Carsten felt his pupils constrict sharply, and he released her at once.

The air in the dressing room turned suffocating, thick and heavy, as though it stole the breath from their lungs.

Claire paid him no further attention. She turned calmly and sat before the vanity, lifting her gaze to the mirror as she adjusted her makeup with deliberate, unhurried precision.

Carsten remained where he stood behind her, silent, his gaze locked onto her reflection.

After a long, heavy pause, he let out a quiet breath. "Claire… I know I've wronged you. I made so many promises…" His voice faltered. "And I failed every one of them."

He hesitated, then raised his eyes to meet hers through the mirror. "Just give me a little more time. Wait for me. I swear—within six months, I'll settle the Dale family's financial troubles. When that day comes, I'll honor every promise I ever made you. I'll make our relationship public… and I'll marry you."

Claire's hands never wavered as she worked, though a faint crease appeared between her brows.

Promises like these—she had heard them more times than she could remember.

From the very beginning of their secret relationship, he had sworn he would go public soon.

She had waited three months. Then six. Then a year. Until three long years had slipped silently by.

And now, when she was on the verge of marrying someone else, he was still making these empty promises.

The compact snapped shut with a sharp click. Claire lifted her chin, her gaze locking onto his in the mirror. "And Daisy Kirby?" she asked coolly. "In six months… will you truly stop worrying about her?"

The name lingered in the air like the edge of a blade. Silence descended, broken only by the faint rhythm of their breathing.

Daisy—Carsten's former lover. Years ago, she had left him behind to study abroad. When she returned, she sought to rekindle what they had once shared.

By then, Carsten had been with Claire for less than a month.

He had rejected Daisy.

That same night, Daisy—driving under the influence—was involved in a car accident that left her confined to a wheelchair for life.

Carsten bore the weight of that night as though it were a life sentence. He blamed himself for everything she endured, and for three long years, he had cared for her without complaint.

Because he feared upsetting Daisy, he never dared acknowledge his relationship with Claire publicly.

Because Daisy's condition was fragile, whether it was an anniversary or a carefully planned date Claire had poured her heart into, he would abandon everything—abandon Claire—without hesitation, rushing to Daisy the moment she called.

For three years, Daisy had been the unbridgeable chasm between Claire and Carsten. No matter how hard Claire tried, she could never cross it.

And now… she no longer wished to.

After a long silence, Claire turned and walked toward the door, brushing past Carsten without a single glance.

Just as her fingers closed around the doorknob, Carsten stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

He began, "I promise—just six more months. I'll care for her only six more months. After that… once you've divorced Logan and returned to the Dale family, I swear I won't concern myself with her ever again."

The warmth of his body pressed against her back. Claire closed her eyes, her voice carrying a quiet, bitter calm. "The last time she had a nosebleed, you left me burning with a fever and told me to drive myself to the hospital—you said it would be the last. And before that, on our dating anniversary, you left me alone in the private room for the entire night, surrounded by flowers and gifts you never even looked at. You told me then that you would never care about her again, too."

Her gaze lowered as she pried his fingers from her waist, one by one. "Carsten… you were the one who agreed to this marriage with Logan on my behalf. And don't forget—starting today, the world knows I am a woman with a fiancé."

She shrugged him off completely. "Show me some respect."

Pain flickered across Carsten's face. "Claire… what do you mean—"

Before he could finish, his phone rang. It was his exclusive ringtone for business calls. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

They stood so close that the name "Logan" flashed unmistakably across the screen before Claire's eyes.

Carsten frowned, hesitated, then put it on speaker.

Afraid Claire might seize the chance to escape, he locked the door without hesitation and braced himself against it. "Mr. Carter," he greeted.

A lazy, arrogant voice drifted through the line. "How are the preparations for my engagement ceremony?"

Carsten's expression darkened. "The ceremony begins in ten minutes. Everything is in place. I'll have my assistant send you photos and videos afterward."

"Good." Logan chuckled softly. "I trust the Dale family won't neglect my soon-to-be fiancée's feelings—or cut corners—simply because I'm not there."

"We wouldn't dare, Mr. Carter. You have my word."

"I've prepared a gift for her. It will arrive shortly. Make sure she receives it."

"Understood."

Claire frowned as she listened. Perhaps it was her imagination—but Logan's voice sounded strangely familiar, as though she had heard it somewhere before.

After Carsten ended the call, he was about to speak when a knock sounded at the door.

Danny's voice came from outside. "Claire, you're only fixing your makeup. Why is the door locked? Open up!"

Claire shot Carsten a cold look. "Move."

He paused, then silently stepped aside, retreating into a dim corner of the room.

An unspoken rule they had followed for three years: to avoid suspicion, no one could ever see them alone together.

Watching him disappear into the shadows with practiced ease, Claire felt a rush of conflicting emotions—bitter amusement laced with sharp irony.

For three years, her love had existed like a stolen secret.

She inhaled deeply, opened the door, and smiled at Danny. "What is it? Are your parents getting impatient?"

"No." Danny hesitated, lowering his voice. "Earlier in the car… didn't I tell you to contact your boyfriend? To have him take you away? Where is he?"

"He's not coming." Claire's gaze drifted briefly toward the shadowed corner, a faint, bitter smile curving her lips. "We broke up."

"Broke up?" Danny froze, disbelief flashing across his face. "When did that happen? I thought you were crazy about him. You even went so far as to—"

"How's your leg?" Claire interrupted calmly, her gaze dropping to his knees. "It's not too serious, is it?"

Earlier, when the bodyguard named Jackson had forced him to the ground, Danny's knees had taken the worst of the impact.

"It's nothing," Danny said dismissively. His injury was the last thing on his mind.

He tightened his grip around Claire's arm. "That boyfriend of yours… don't tell me he dumped you because he heard about your engagement to Logan, got scared, and ran off?"

Claire hesitated for a brief moment before nodding faintly. "Something along those lines."

"Damn it!" Danny swore under his breath. "What a cowardly piece of trash! Three whole years with you, too spineless to show his face to your family or friends—and now that my family arranged this engagement, he doesn't even have the nerve to come and fight for you? He—"

"Claire." Ivy appeared beside them, her hand closing firmly around Claire's. "Come with me. The ceremony is about to start."

Claire turned her head, casting one final glance toward the dressing room.

It remained eerily silent. Carsten clearly had no intention of stepping out.

At last, the last trace of expectation in her heart dissolved into quiet resignation. She straightened her back and followed Ivy into the banquet hall.

The hall was dazzlingly luxurious, filled with the fragrance of expensive perfume and the soft chime of crystal glasses clinking together.

Nearly every influential figure in Fiklens was present, gathered to witness what they considered a grand joke—an engagement ceremony without the fiance present.

Under layers of thinly veiled scrutiny and barely concealed disdain, Claire maintained a flawless smile, mechanically completing an engagement ceremony whose male lead was conspicuously absent.

Once it ended, Harold and Ivy flanked her on either side, guiding her through the crowd like an exquisitely dressed puppet, forcing her into polite smiles and empty pleasantries.

By the time the last guest departed, night had already fallen deep and heavy.

After changing her clothes, Claire stepped out through the restaurant's main entrance—only to have a sleek black luxury car pull up sharply in front of her.

The window slid down, revealing Carsten's striking, angular features. "Get in," he said flatly.

Without bothering to look at him, Claire turned and headed toward Danny's car.

Danny glanced at her curiously once she got in. "Did you and Carsten have a fight? You always used to ride with him."

In the past, Claire had never chosen his car whenever Carsten was driving. It was a habit he had long since accepted.

"No." Claire turned toward him, a soft smile touching her lips. "I just suddenly realized today how good you are."

Danny stiffened. A faint, awkward blush crept onto his face as he coughed and looked away. "So you finally noticed my good qualities? But don't get any funny ideas—I don't date people I'm too familiar with."

Claire chuckled quietly, tilting her head as she studied his sharp profile. "Danny, just hypothetically speaking—if we were together, but I had to constantly consider my ex-boyfriend's feelings, to the point where I couldn't make our relationship public… would you accept that?"

Danny rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "If you cared that much about your ex, why would you even be with me? And keeping things secret? That kind of humiliation? I couldn't tolerate it. Not a chance."

Claire smiled, though a trace of desolation flickered in her eyes.

The humiliation Danny claimed he could never endure… she had borne it quietly for three entire years.

Back at the restaurant entrance, Carsten sat motionless in his car, staring in the direction Claire had disappeared, his expression unreadable.

So lost was he in his thoughts that he only snapped back to reality when the cigarette between his fingers burned down to his skin.

...

When Claire returned to the Dale residence, a servant hurried forward, presenting her with an elaborately wrapped box and informing her that it had been sent by Logan.

The moment it settled into her hands, she noticed its unexpected weight, solid and unyielding.

Inside her bedroom, she set the box aside without ceremony, leaving it untouched on a storage shelf before washing up and slipping beneath the covers.

Logan's gift held no appeal for her—not even enough to spark curiosity.

Morning arrived with the shrill ring of her phone, tearing her from an uneasy sleep.

"Claire." Addison Blake's voice came through the line, careful and subdued. "Are you… managing alright?"

Addison, Claire's bestie, was among the very few who knew the truth about Claire and Carsten.

"I'm fine," Claire answered softly, eyes fixed on the ceiling above her. "It doesn't hurt the way I thought it would."

There had been a time when she believed losing Carsten would destroy her completely.

But now that the end had truly come, all she felt was a hollow stillness—an absence where pain should have been.

"You're lying to yourself," Addison said bluntly. "I took today off just for you. Get up—we're going shopping. I'm paying for everything."

Claire sat up, swinging her legs off the bed as she turned on the speakerphone. "Then I'll make sure to take full advantage," she replied with a faint laugh.

After washing up, she made her way downstairs.

The Dale family was already gathered in the dining room, the breakfast table neatly arranged and waiting.

The moment Ivy spotted her, she beckoned warmly. "I was about to send someone upstairs. Come, eat while it's still warm."

Claire had scarcely settled into her chair when Carsten, seated across from her, wordlessly pushed a plate of fried eggs in her direction—the kind she used to like best.

"Well, look at that," Danny said lazily, arching a brow. "Carsten suddenly remembers how to be considerate. Let me guess—the Carters wired money into your company this morning, right after the engagement ceremony?"

Ivy shot him a sharp glance. "Claire has been part of this family for years. She has already become a real Dale to us. Is it so strange for your brother to show concern?"

Danny scoffed, unimpressed, "I just don't recall him ever being this thoughtful before. Funny how it starts the moment she's engaged to someone else."

Without a word, Claire nudged the plate back across the table. "Thanks. But no need," she said evenly. "I don't eat this anymore."

Danny's barbed remarks hadn't drawn so much as a flicker from Carsten.

But Claire's simple refusal wiped the color from Carsten's face in an instant.

"Claire," Ivy said gently, clearly attempting to smooth things over. "Logan called earlier. He wanted to know whether you liked the gift he sent last night."

Claire's lashes lowered, her expression unreadable. "I haven't opened it. It's still in my room."

Harold's brows knitted together at once. "You didn't even open it? That was a gift Mr. Carter personally prepared for you."

Without hesitation, Ivy motioned for a maid to go upstairs and retrieve the box.

After breakfast, with Ivy insisting, Claire finally opened the gift in front of everyone.

The instant the lid was lifted, the atmosphere in the room shifted, and every face went unmistakably pale.