"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zane asked laughingly and reached out to ruffle my hair.

"If you run away, I'll find you, bring you back, and lock you by my side, even if it means turning the whole world upside down."

I looked down to hide the mockery in my eyes. "Zane… i-if I did something to hurt you, would you forgive me?"

The smile on his face faded. As he cupped my cheeks and forced me to meet his eyes, his expression was terrifyingly solemn.

"You're not allowed to say anything like that."

His thumb brushed against my cheek, and his voice was deep and low as he continued, "Sadie, there's no hurting each other between us, just as there's nothing to forgive. You would never do anything to hurt me, just as I would never betray you."

He said it with such conviction and sincerity that I nearly laughed out loud. Was this certainty born from his trust in me, or was he just confident in his acting skills?

I didn't say another word and let him pull me into his arms, feeling that fake, familiar warmth.

…

On the day of the engagement party, I took out my phone right before leaving and sent Renee a final message. "Proceed as planned."

The ballroom was filled with a warm, lively atmosphere. Both our parents were there, along with our closest relatives.

Zane's mom, Lydia Cross, held my hand and smiled from ear to ear. "You're getting more beautiful every day, Sadie. Zane is the luckiest man on earth to marry you."

I smiled and played the part of radiant, blissful bride-to-be. Zane sat beside me and attentively filled my plate, occasionally leaning in to murmur something in my ear. We were so affectionate that it made everyone else envious.

Halfway through the party, Zane's dad, Grant Lockhart, cleared his throat and rose to his feet, ready to announce the official wedding date.

Just as all eyes turned to him, Zane's phone buzzed again. He picked it up and glanced at the screen, frowning ever so slightly.

Then, he flashed me a reassuring smile and lowered his voice to say, "There's a quick emergency at the office. I'll take this call outside and be right back."

He stood and rushed out of the ballroom.

The moment the door clicked shut, I got to my feet and walked to the front of the room under everyone's stunned gazes. Then, I connected my phone to the giant projector screen, which was originally meant to play a video of our sweetest memories.

The video Renee had meticulously edited began to play.

A dead silence fell over the ballroom. I heard Lydia gasp and saw the color drain from my parents' faces in shock.

When I picked up the microphone and spoke, my voice rang clear and steady throughout the ballroom. "Apologies, everyone. The engagement is canceled."

With that, I set the microphone down.

Amidst the sea of shocked gazes, I turned around and walked out of the suffocating ballroom.

Zane leaned against a window at the end of the hallway, coaxing Cassie on the line in a soft voice. "There, there… It's just a stomachache. I'll come straight to you as soon as the party's over. Don't cry, my little devil."

Before he could hang up, a sharp, loud slap landed hard on his face, which left him utterly stunned.

Clutching his cheek, he looked up in disbelief and saw Grant pointing at him, shaking with rage.

"You brat! Get in there right now and look at what you've done!"