Before the guard could finish speaking, Vincent cut him off coldly. "Enough. She saved my life. Apologize." He swept his bodyguards with a hard look.

The shift in his tone made every bodyguard tense instantly. Cold sweat formed along their temples. Without another word, they lowered their heads at the same time. "Please forgive us," they said in unison. "We should not have said what we did."

None of them dared question Vincent. Whatever reason he had for concealing his identity, the fact remained that she had pulled him out of danger. That alone made her untouchable.

For a brief second, Brenna simply studied them in silence. "It's fine," she replied calmly. "I was compensated. That settles it. I'll be leaving now."

She had barely taken a step when someone blocked her path. Vincent stood in front of her, tall and unmoving, his presence impossible to ignore.

"You handled yourself well back there," Vincent said, and this time, there was no edge in his voice. "You were brave."

Vincent knew he was supposed to be engaged today to Brenna Fuller, the Walsh family's eldest daughter, who had spent years away from home. People claimed she had suffered a disfiguring injury, that she had only returned to her family last month, and that others often picked on her. Even after coming back, she still kept the last name of the couple who had raised her. The rumors painted her as timid and completely useless, as if she could not do anything right. Yet the woman standing in front of him now bore no resemblance to the incompetent person those stories had described.

"We'll meet again soon, Miss Fuller," Vincent added, his tone steady but layered with meaning.

Brenna wasn't surprised. She had already revealed her identity as Vincent's fiancée, so it made sense for this man to have heard of her and know her last name.

"Nice guess, but I don't want to meet you again," she said lightly, crossing her arms. "And a piece of warning. You should take a look at your watch."

With that, she turned and walked away. She had already been delayed and needed to attend her engagement party.

The guards exchanged confused looks. "That watch is a gift from your grandfather, Mr. Todd," one of them said carefully. "We examined it thoroughly before. There wasn't anything wrong with it."

A crease formed between Vincent's brows. The warning Brenna gave hadn't sounded like a joke. Without pausing to question it, he pulled out a dagger and forced the back of the watch open.

The casing split with a sharp snap. Fine white powder spilled into view from inside.

Vincent's eyes turned cold at once. "Send this to the hospital. I want a full analysis."

Shock rippled through the bodyguards. They had checked that watch carefully before and found nothing suspicious. "Mr. Todd, we truly have no idea what went wrong!" one of them blurted out. They were professionally trained, yet none of them had detected the hidden substance. How had that woman seen through it in seconds?

Vincent's face gave nothing away. "Go accept your punishment."

"Yes, Mr. Todd!" they answered in unison.

By the time Vincent lifted his head, Brenna was gone. The alley looked as if she had never stepped into it.

...

An hour later, Brenna stepped into the hotel hosting the engagement banquet.

Sarah Walsh, Brenna's mother, was already waiting in the lobby. She surprisingly reached out and took Brenna's hand. "You ran back to that rundown place a few days ago without saying a word. I thought you were acting out, so I might've spoken too harshly on the phone."

The engagement between the Walsh and Todd families had been arranged years earlier.

Among the elite, the Todd family's name stood at the very top when it came to influence and wealth.

Yet, rumors painted Vincent as unattractive and morally corrupt. Countless women had suffered at his hands, and very few people had ever seen his face.

Unwilling to sacrifice her cherished younger daughter Noreen, Sarah had brought back the long-lost eldest daughter Brenna to step in as the bride.

Tears clung to Noreen's lashes as she stepped forward, her voice soft and trembling. "Brenna, Mom really does have your best interest at heart. That's why she decided to give the engagement back to you."

A faint, humorless laugh slipped from Brenna's lips as she withdrew her hand from Sarah's grasp. If it hadn't been linked to Noreen's lifelong happiness and the Walsh family's advancement, they probably wouldn't have bothered looking for her at all.

Brenna had no patience left for their carefully staged concern. Turning toward the hotel staff, she spoke with a loud voice. "Please inform Vincent that I'd like him to come out earlier. I'm not feeling well."

Before the demise of the couple who had raised her for years, they had told her to retrieve the biological chip hidden somewhere in Todd Manor.

Unexpectedly, on the day she reunited with the Walsh family last month, they pushed her straight into an engagement with Vincent. If she had to step into this mess anyway, she might as well use it.

Sarah's composure nearly cracked at Brenna's bluntness. She thought Brenna lacked basic decorum. Before she could say a word, a servant had already hurried off toward Todd Manor.

"Mr. Todd, Miss Fuller is requesting that you come out ahead of schedule," the servant reported respectfully.

Vincent was seated inside the study, and his striking features stood out even more in the quiet light. His long lashes cast shadows over his charming eyes. "Let her know I'll join them shortly," he answered calmly.

The servant lowered her head. "Yes, Mr. Todd."

Silence settled back into the room once she left.

Across from Vincent, a man with red curls stretched lazily and yawned.

"So your ugly fiancée has quite the nerve," Felix Hewitt said, amusement flickering in his tone. "This morning, when you were pursued by a group of assassins, are you sure you didn't mistake someone else for your savior? Word is that Brenna is timid and easy to push around."

Vincent's expression stayed unreadable. "I am not certain," he replied evenly. "But that woman is the only person who's ever brought color into my world. I'll search high and low if I have to find her."

Felix clicked his tongue in disbelief. "You must have been hallucinating from blood loss this morning. After all, even the doctor said your eyes are still the same."

Honestly, Vincent had harbored the same doubt. Everything he saw still looked drained of color. Yet, the hospital results were undeniable. The substance hidden in his watch was a slow-acting toxin. That meant she had saved him twice already.

His gaze lifted slightly, resolve sharpening in his eyes. "Whether it's her or not, I'll know soon enough!"

Inside the banquet hall, Brenna stood quietly, yet her thoughts kept drifting back to the masked man from this morning. Something about him left her slightly uneasy.

A sudden stir broke out near the entrance. "Mr. Todd actually came!" someone whispered urgently.

The lively chatter died down in an instant. Guests stepped aside, clearing a path without being told.

Curiosity tugged at Brenna, and she lifted her gaze toward the door.

Vincent walked in at an unhurried pace, dressed in a fitted black shirt that outlined his build. His sleeves were casually rolled up, exposing toned forearms that made the look seem effortless rather than staged.

The rumors had painted him as grotesque and unpresentable. The man standing there was anything but. His features were sharp and defined, with deep eyes, a straight nose, and a clean, sculpted jaw.

"Is that really Mr. Todd? He's so dashing," someone murmured in disbelief.

"I've never seen him this close before. He looks like a movie star!"

"Good looks aside, they say he's got a terrible temper..."

"Keep it down. He's ruthless. If you cross him, he won't go easy on you."

An uneasy chill spread through the crowd.

Brenna found herself staring longer than she intended. Those eyes of his felt strangely familiar.

When their gazes met across the hall, something shifted.

For the briefest second, Brenna sensed recognition flicker in his expression. His posture tightened ever so slightly, and surprise crossed his face before he masked it. Was he reacting to her appearance? The heavy burn makeup had fooled plenty of people.

Meanwhile, Vincent felt his pulse spike. He leaned slightly toward Felix and whispered, "It's her."

Vincent's eyes stayed on Brenna without wavering. The longer he looked, the clearer it became that the woman from this morning was not a hallucination.

After the car incident years ago, color had vanished from Vincent's world. Doctors called it trauma-induced damage, and no treatment had restored it. Over time, he had learned to live with endless shades of gray. Yet ever since she appeared, something had shifted.

Felix blinked in disbelief. "You're certain?"

"Yes," Vincent answered quietly. "I see colors around her. A lot."

A fracture seemed to form deep inside him, as if something long sealed away was finally breaking open. Brilliant hues gathered around Brenna like light drawn to a single point. The wine in her glass glowed amber. The dark fabric of her dress caught light in subtle layers. Everything else remained muted and lifeless, but she stood vivid and impossible to overlook.

Felix's tone lost its teasing edge. "Stay here. I'll have someone investigate immediately."

Numerous top specialists had failed to cure Vincent for years. If he really saw colors again, this was a miracle.

A crease formed between Felix's brows as a thought struck him. "So, do you still plan to go through with the engagement?"

Vincent did not take his eyes off Brenna, his tone unwavering. "Of course. I am definitely going to marry her!"

Felix stared at Vincent, stunned. Even if this woman somehow restored Vincent's color vision, marriage was an entirely different matter. What was driving him to decide so quickly?

Before the exchange could continue, Sarah approached with a polite smile. "Mr. Todd, my husband and son weren't expecting you this early. They'll be here soon."

Without hesitation, she nudged Brenna forward. "Why don't you take a proper look at her first? You two knew each other as children. She was meant to be your bride back then, but circumstances separated you. Now that she's returned, it's only natural for the engagement to continue."

She spoke lightly, as if the switch in daughters were a minor detail that required no attention.

Standing nearby, Noreen felt her cheeks heat up. She hadn't imagined Vincent would look this dashing. Regret began to creep into her heart. If she had known he was this cute, she would never have handed him over to that ugly woman Brenna.

Vincent's eyes locked onto Brenna with steady intensity. "Miss Fuller, since this engagement was decided long before we were born, it remains valid."

Vincent felt his interest in Brenna grow. Outside, Brenna looked mild and compliant. This image clashed with the woman he had encountered this morning. This morning, she had stayed composed in front of assassins and even spotted danger hidden in his watch. He couldn't reconcile the two versions of her.

His eyes glued to her, he added, "What matters is whether you agree to this arranged marriage."

He silently decided that if she refused, he would find another way to keep her close. He needed answers for why he saw colors around her.

Brenna blinked once, expression neutral. "I'm fine with it. As long as you don't mind a fiancée with a ruined face."

Truthfully, the engagement worked in her favor. What unsettled her was Vincent's reaction. When he looked at her, there was no trace of disgust. If anything, his gaze glinted as if he'd stumbled upon something incredibly precious. She couldn't help but shiver a bit. Must be her imagination. The makeup was deliberately grotesque. No one in their right mind would find it appealing.

Vincent remained composed. "Your appearance isn't an issue. The Todd family doesn't measure people that way."

When Vincent remembered the rumors that Brenna had suffered mistreatment in the Walsh household because of her appearance, his expression darkened as he turned toward Sarah. In a low and threatening voice, he said, "This is supposed to be an engagement ceremony, yet your family could not even provide Brenna with a proper dress. Have you truly sunk so low, or do you think so little of the Todd family?"

Brenna lifted a brow slightly. They weren't close enough for him to defend her, were they?

Sarah's smile tightened. "You've got it wrong," she hastily said. "We did prepare something suitable. Brenna just wasn't comfortable wearing it."

Sarah carefully avoided mentioning that Brenna had run away from home two days ago. No one expected her to walk back in on the engagement date itself. There hadn't been time to arrange anything.

Standing nearby, Noreen quickly produced a formal dress. "I prepared this for you, Brenna. But you didn't seem pleased when I showed it to you before." Her voice trembled slightly. "It's designed by Hayley Watson. I waited a long time to secure it. I know you resent me, but we're still family..."

A ripple of surprise moved through the crowd. Hayley Watson was internationally celebrated, and even her simplest designs started at eight hundred thousand.

Sarah grew anxious. "Brenna, tell everyone the truth," she urged. "You refused to wear it. Don't let Mr. Todd misunderstand."

Under the weight of countless stares, Brenna let out a quiet laugh. "You want me to tell the truth? I doubt you're ready for that." She tilted her head and examined the gown in Noreen's hands. "If I walk in wearing this poor imitation, that would be the real embarrassment for the Walsh family."

Gasps spread through the hall. An imitation?

Vincent's gaze darkened. "Miss Walsh, I'd appreciate a clear explanation."

Noreen's pulse thudded in her ears. "I..."

Noreen couldn't fathom it. There was no way a rude bumpkin like Brenna could know how to distinguish a real piece from a fake one, was there? She steadied herself, forcing moisture into her eyes. "I bought it from the authorized boutique," she said softly. "Brenna, how could you accuse me like that without proof? This is clearly authentic..."

Before she could finish, Brenna cut in. "Hayley's pieces aren't easy to copy. If you're confident it's real, let's have Hayley confirm it herself."

Sarah's patience snapped. "Enough! Brenna, stop making a scene here!" she said sharply. "Hayley isn't even in the country. She's on a private retreat and not taking any appointments. Do you think she can be summoned just because you ask?"

Even the Walsh family had no access to someone of that status.

Hearing this, Noreen relaxed slightly. She softened her voice with a hint of sympathy. "Everyone, please don't be upset with Brenna. She's lived in a backwater town for years and hasn't seen any fine garments. It's understandable if she can't recognize high fashion."

"Fine garments?" Brenna let out a short laugh. "I may have lived simply, but at least my taste isn't questionable."

"You!" Noreen's composure cracked for a moment.

Before she could form a retort, Brenna had already taken out her phone. "Hayley might be resting," she said evenly, "but she'll answer when I call."

A faint curve lifted at the corner of Noreen's lips. "You're not planning to grab some random person and pretend she's Hayley, are you? Then claim you were fooled?"

Her words had barely settled when the video call connected. The screen lit up with the image of a woman with short hair and sharp features.

The moment the woman saw Brenna, her face brightened. "Brenna, you finally decided to call me? I've been trying to drag you out for dinner forever..."

A ripple of shock spread across the hall. That was really Hayley on the line! She belonged to one of the most powerful and wealthy families, and her designs were in such high demand that many wealthy women would have given anything just for a chance to see her, let alone own one of her signature pieces.

On top of that, Hayley was known for keeping her distance from others. Yet judging by her tone, she and Brenna seemed to share a close friendship.

"They look close," someone whispered. "Hayley talks to Brenna like family."

Several guests exchanged stunned looks.

Felix stared at the screen, disbelief written all over him. He clearly remembered hearing that Brenna had grown up somewhere remote and obscure, with little access to high-end fashion, let alone being acquainted with a globally renowned chief designer.

Felix leaned toward Vincent and whispered, "Dude, can you believe this? That ugly-looking woman... I mean, Miss Fuller, actually knows Hayley!"