Upon returning home, Kylee told her parents that she intended to break off her engagement with Michael.

To her surprise, her father, James Stewart, did not erupt in anger. Instead, he remained remarkably calm.

He said, "I've long anticipated this day. You've been engaged for three years, but Michael keeps postponing the wedding. You are so useless. Fortunately, I've already arranged another marriage for you. You will get engaged with the son of the Spencer family from Banland, Jerald Spencer. The Spencer family is prestigious with a long history. You must seize the opportunity this time."

Kylee's heart sank. It was said that Jerald was temperamental, with disabled legs.

James always valued interests the most, caring little for Kylee's happiness.

With a bitter smile, Kylee replied, "Fine. I will marry him. But once I get married, I will have nothing to do with the Stewart family."

With that, she returned to her room directly, ignoring James's darkened expression.

As soon as she entered, her phone buzzed.

It was a friend request from an unfamiliar contact, noted with just one word, Spencer.

Seeing the family name, she felt an inexplicable tension within her.

She accepted the request, and almost immediately, a message came through. "I will have someone pick you up a week later."

Kylee was a little afraid when she thought about facing Jerald, who was said to be ruthless.

However, she had agreed to the arranged marriage. So she had no intention of backing out. She simply replied, "Okay."

The following day, a friend asked her to a gathering. She realized that she wouldn't be in undefined for long and decided to attend it.

To her surprise, Michael was also there. A young, delicate woman was next to him. She seemed as fragile as a breeze.

She was Michael's childhood sweetheart, Sonya Wheeler. She had just returned from abroad and was known among their circle as the "delicate and ethereal beauty."

When Sonya noticed Kylee, the former stood up awkwardly. "Michael, I'll sit somewhere else so Kylee can sit next to you."

"Stay where you are." Michael held Sonya's hand tenderly, and his eyes were full of adoration. "This seat is only for you."

His words were a blatant affront to Kylee, his fiancée, and left her dignity trampled.

Many glanced at Kylee with mockery.

Kylee's face turned pale, but she said nothing. She just found an empty seat for herself.

She ate her meal silently while watching as Michael attentively served Sonya with various dishes, wiped her lips, and poured her a drink. Anything she liked was immediately placed in front of her.

His gaze, his expressions, and his every thought seemed entirely focused on her. He spared not a glance for Kylee.

Sonya responded to him with her gaze full of affection. She recounted stories of their childhood together with a smile.

"Back then, Michael and I used to play house. He was so mischievous, using his mom's lipstick to draw on my face, and insisted I be his bride. If I refused him, he'd sit on the floor crying. He said I was his wife. The adult laughed at us on hearing him." She softly punched him on his chest after she said that.

And Michael caught her fist with a soft smile. His eyes brimmed with adoration and tenderness.

Kylee lowered her head. She didn't want anyone to notice her reddening eyes.

She had decided to break off the engagement with Michael, but she still felt so much pain as she witnessed that scene.

Even at their most intimate moments, he never said she would be his wife. When she had once slipped and said he would be her husband, his expression changed, and he shook her off with anger.

He had flinched at the term, as he told her it was outdated.

But it turned out that he only disliked using it with Kaylee because only Sonya was his wife in his eyes.

Her spoon slipped from her grasp, and she awkwardly bent down to retrieve it. "It's closer to me. Let me help you," Sonya offered, bending down.

Under the tablecloth, Sonya's fingers accidentally brushed against Michael's leg.

In that moment, Kylee clearly saw his body tense up. His breath quickened.

Was such a simple touch enough to turn him on?

As Kylee accepted the spoon. Sonya's face flushed, and Kaylee was overwhelmed by the pain, which almost consumed her.

She couldn't stand it any longer and found an excuse to leave early.

In the restroom, she splashed her face with cold water repeatedly, trying to quell the pain in her heart. But she was startled when someone embraced her from behind.

The familiar scent enveloped her.

It was Michael.

He tilted his head and kissed her neck passionately. His fingers deftly unbutton her clothes.

Anger surged through Kylee as she shoved him away. "What are you doing? We've already broken up."

He chuckled, and his hands grew warmer. "Come on. Don't refuse me. I'm really turned on now."

It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over Kylee's head, sending a bone-chilling cold through her body and soul.

Michael was turned on by Sonya, but he came to her to vent his desires.

What did he take her for?

A plaything he could use at will?

A wave of immense humiliation engulfed Kylee. She let out a painful shout and shoved him away with all her might. Then she landed a fierce slap across his face.

Michael's face turned to the side from the impact, and his desire subsided.

He was about to lose his temper when he saw her face, streaked with tears.

She was always strong, rarely crying like that.

His gaze softened, and he reached out and wanted to touch her cheek.

"Michael, why are you here? Weren't you going to take me home?" Sonya suddenly appeared. She looked at Michael and Kylee with a hint of grievance and exclaimed in surprise. "Did I... did I interrupt something?"

Michael immediately retracted his hand, as he didn't want Sonya to misunderstand him. "Of course not. I just came to use the restroom. Don't be upset, Sonya."

He gently pinched her cheek, and his eyes softened with tenderness.

Sonya broke into a smile. She linked her arm with his and extended an invitation to Kylee as if she were Michael's wife. "Kylee, why don't you join us? I'll have Michael take you home first."

"No, thank you. I'll go back on my own." Kylee suppressed the anger and bitterness in her heart and headed straight for the door.

But it was raining, and it was not easy to get a cab. In the end, Kylee was almost forcibly pushed into the backseat of the car by Michael.

On their way, Sonya chatted animatedly with Michael and occasionally touched him intimately.

He showed no signs of impatience. He kept smiling, and his profile looked gentle and focused.

Kylee couldn't remember when he had looked at her with such affection before.

It had been so long that it seemed like it only happened in dreams.

Kylee lowered her gaze, and her nails dug deeply into her palms, causing a continuous ache.

Suddenly, Sonya's terrified scream pierced the air. "Ah, there's a cat!"

Visibility was already poor in the storm. The car veered sharply, careened out of control, and crashed into the bridge.

It plunged into the river.

They all felt a sensation of weightlessness.

"Sonya!" In the critical moment, Michael instinctively shielded Sonya beside him. He smashed the window open and swam out with her.

Kylee watched his figure leave her and felt her heart being carved out. The pain was excruciating.

The water poured in relentlessly, and she gradually lost her consciousness.

In a daze, she remembered how Michael used to protect her when they first met. As danger struck, he had shielded her, although a large wooden plank struck his shoulder and left it bloodied.

She felt immense guilt, but he endured the pain and comforted her gently. "Kylee, if you keep crying, you won't be pretty. I promise nothing will happen to you. If we are in danger again, I'll save you first."

At that moment, he was like her sun, warming her long-neglected and loveless soul.

She chose to trust him and gave herself completely to him.

But she was about to drown now.

"Michael, can you see me now?" she asked in her heart.

Tears fell into the cold river and disappeared. Her vision darkened, and she lost consciousness.

She awoke again in a hospital, and the smell of disinfectant filled her nose.

"Kylee, are you awake?" Sonya looked at Kylee with concern. She said guiltily, "I'm sorry. You're Michael's girlfriend. He should have saved you first. It's just that I'm too weak."

She coughed lightly, and her eyes were red. She looked so vulnerable.

Michael immediately pulled Sonya into his arms with concern. He acted as her protector. "How can you blame yourself? Whether you are healthy or not, I would save you first. We've known each other for over twenty years. No one is more important than you in my eyes."

It was a statement more shocking than saying "I love you."

Kylee's face turned pale instantly. The love she held for him withered entirely. "I'm tired. Could you both leave?"

Sonya was beaming with happiness. She gently pushed Michael away after hearing his words.

"I'll leave, and you two can talk. Michael, take good care of her, or I'll be against you."

Michael watched her walk away, feeling both comforted and moved. When he turned to Kylee, his gaze was filled with reproach.

"Sonya is kind and considerate. Even though she's not feeling well, she insists on watching you in the hospital room as she is afraid something might happen to you. But you are so narrow-minded and always get jealous. Don't show her your temper, or our wedding will be postponed for more than just a week."

Kylee was stunned for an instant. Then she found it amusing.

How confident could Michael be? She had announced their breakup in front of so many of his friends, but he still thought he could use the wedding to threaten her.

Kylee raised her head slightly and said firmly, "Michael, we have already broken off the engagement."

Her tone was resolute and unwavering.

Michael was stunned. Then he felt unusual irritation rising within him.

He suddenly stood up. "Kylee, I had someone rescue you right after I saved Sonya. What else do you want? Do you really think I'm afraid to call off our engagement?"

Just then, a sharp scream came from the room next door. "Ah, it hurts!"

Michael was jolted. Then he suppressed his anger and said, "Fine, just focus on recovering."

With that, he hurriedly left the hospital room.

In the following days, Michael did not appear in front of Kylee again.

But Kylee often overheard the nurses talking about him and Sonya enviously.

"Miss Wheeler is really lucky. Her boyfriend loves her so much. Even for a slight scratch, he calls the city's best specialists and stays by her side. He does everything she wishes."

"You are right. I even envy her. Look at Miss Stewart. She almost drowned, but her family never showed up here to take care of her. So tragic she is."

"Life deals different hands..."

Endless bitterness filled Kylee's heart. A heavy stone seemed to be pressing down on her chest and making it hard for her to breathe.

Michael had vowed to care for her, but he was now doing that to another woman.

Kylee was left alone to heal and to recover. She silently mended herself.

It was alright. Soon she would leave.

On the day of Kylee's discharge, Michael seemed to finally remember her. He asked her to attend his birthday party.

She didn't want to go. But James insisted she go there because the Stewart family's business still relied on the Powell family, so Kylee couldn't afford to sour relations.

Kylee eventually attended the party. It was bustling with the elite from the social circle in the city.

The moment Michael appeared, hand in hand with Sonya, they instantly became the focal point of everyone's attention.