"Sarah, will you attend Henry's and my engagement ceremony?" Charlotte's voice was gentle. "Though you were Henry's former fiancée, he's always considered you like a sister. As your future sister-in-law, I truly hope to have your blessing."

I lifted my gaze to the figure in the distance. There he was, leaning casually against the luxury car, his eyes filled with gentleness. In that moment, my heart found its peace.

"Of course. I sincerely wish you both endless happiness together."

Meanwhile, Henry stood drinking with friends on the terrace, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Emily's group.

He understood their habits all too well. That group had always been Sarah's informants, without fail reporting back to her.

Just like clockwork, whenever a woman appeared in his life, they would immediately alert Sarah, who would then arrive to create a scene. It was this endless cycle that he despised most. Over time, he had gradually distanced himself from female companions.

He expected this time to be no different. That's why he had deliberately scheduled it for the day Sarah left for Silverbrook Haven.

Though the timing wasn't perfect - the engagement ceremony wasn't until seven in the evening. Henry could feel a headache building. After all, once Sarah heard the news, she would likely catch the first flight back - arriving just as the engagement ceremony began.

"Henry, what if Sarah returns to disrupt everything?"

"She's your ex-fiancée after all. She'll probably lose it when she learns you're with someone else."

"Although she's been unusually quiet recently."

"You abandoned her for Charlotte at the altar, yet she barely showed any reaction."

"That's strange - in the past, she would have been beside herself by now."

Henry's wine glass froze halfway to his lips, the sip forgotten as his friend's words sank in.

Sarah had indeed been unusually quiet lately - unnaturally so. This wasn't like her at all. Throughout the years, despite his countless rejections, she had never given up, each refusal only strengthening her resolve.

Now that she was older, she seemed to have developed more patience.

A thought suddenly struck Henry, bringing a soft chuckle as he set down his glass. "Just wait and see. She's never been one to remain silent for long."

"Henry, you think Sarah will come back to cause trouble?"

Henry didn't respond, but internally he was certain. She had always been emotional since childhood.

During her teenage years, she had been obsessed with romantic dramas, trying every cliché move on him. He knew her playbook by heart. This period of quiet was surely just another tactic. He would bet anything that by the time the engagement ceremony started, Sarah would make her appearance.

"Increase security," Henry said, checking his watch. "Don't let any uninvited guests in to cause disruption."

Just then, Emily came running up. "Henry, Sarah's here - her car's at the front gate..."

Henry felt an odd stirring inside before his expression darkened. "She never learns, still coming to make trouble!"

"Henry, what should we do? If she creates a scene, the Crawford family name..."

With a grim expression, Henry strode toward the entrance. "Let's see what drama she tries to create this time!"

Everyone followed his lead. As they were leaving the terrace, Charlotte's soft voice called out.

"Henry."

She stood there in a champagne-colored gown, her hair elegantly styled, her makeup subtle and fresh. Though the engagement ceremony was still hours away at seven, Charlotte maintained her composure despite her internal anxiety.

"Why did you come here?"

Henry paused, his gaze falling on Charlotte's face. She was truly beautiful - the kind of beauty that awakened a protective instinct in others.

She was completely different from Sarah's willful boldness.

Charlotte's humble background had made her somewhat timid, always choosing her words with care.

During his most frustrating times, when Sarah's persistence had worn him thin, Charlotte's gentle nature had easily touched his heart.

Unlike his previous relationships where women actively pursued him, he had met Charlotte by rescuing her from a difficult situation.

Men's hero complex being what it is, his feelings for Charlotte were entirely different from his past casual relationships.

"I heard Sarah's back..." Charlotte's eyes reddened before she could finish. "I'm worried." She bit her lip, lowering her head. "Henry, will we be able to have our engagement ceremony today?"

"Don't overthink it." Henry gripped her shoulders gently, trying to comfort her. "I'll handle it now."

But Charlotte caught his sleeve. "Henry, I'm scared." Her tears began falling rapidly. "I'm afraid you'll regret breaking off your engagement with her..." Her small, fragile figure stood there, looking as if she might shatter at any moment.

"Don't worry Charlotte, Henry never had feelings for Sarah," Emily interjected, a smug smile flickering in her eyes. "She's just a spoiled rich girl who throws tantrums. Henry's been sick of her for ages. She won't succeed."

Emily had never hidden her contempt. Ever since Sarah's engagement to Henry, Emily's once-loving parents had placed Sarah on a pedestal.

Though they always claimed she was their future sister-in-law, insisting the Crawfords were just being polite for appearance's sake, Emily couldn't stand her.

All these years, her greatest pleasure had been watching Sarah make a fool of herself. Now that Sarah had been publicly jilted and left Silverbrook Haven alone in shame, Emily couldn't be more delighted.

She'd support anyone marrying Henry except Sarah.

Henry suddenly turned to Emily. "Weren't you always close with her?"

"How could I be close to her? I've been hoping you'd break off the engagement." At this point, Emily didn't bother hiding her true feelings anymore.

Her past friendliness had been just to gain trust, to manipulate Sarah into actions that would annoy others. Now that she didn't need to pretend anymore, what a relief.

Emily, not noticing Henry's darkening expression, continued, "Henry, how about this - you stay with Charlotte, I'll go deal with her. Don't worry, I'll make sure she loses face completely."

"What do you plan to do?"

"Have security throw her out! Her parents must be rolling in their graves..."

Before she could finish, a sharp slap echoed through the hall. Everyone froze, especially Charlotte, who frowned as she watched Henry's eyes grow increasingly dark.

"Henry, why did you hit me!" Emily held her face, crying hysterically.

"She was once my fiancée in name." Henry's expression was terrifying. "You should respect her. She carried the title of my fiancée for all these years. When you humiliate her like this, where does that leave the Crawfords' dignity?"

"Why are you defending her?" Emily sobbed. "Didn't you hate her the most? If you hadn't led us in disliking her, how would we have acted this way?"

He fell silent for a long time. Did he really despise her as they said?

But when he first met that girl, their relationship was the closest.

When she fell down, he was the one who carried her to the hospital.

When she was bullied, he was the first to rush to the scene and stand up for her.

Even when she got her first period, he was the one who went to buy necessities late at night.

She saw him as her support, and as she grew up, he became her whole world. He actually liked her dependence on him. When did things start to go wrong? Henry suddenly felt lost.

Charlotte's sobbing brought his thoughts back to reality.

Yes, she was the one who changed first.

After she grew up, she was spoiled by her family until she became uncontrollable. Her personality became increasingly willful, domineering and controlling. She wouldn't let him associate with any girls and would throw tantrums over nothing.

So he grew increasingly annoyed and distant from her, even insisting on sending her to study in Silverbrook Haven despite her tearful protests. He did this only hoping she would grow up and become sensible.

Once she fixed her bad temper, he would go get her. With so many years of feelings between them, how could he truly let go and leave her adrift alone in a strange place?

But now it seemed she hadn't improved at all. She even dared to continue acting willfully at such an important occasion. She was really something - she had barely arrived and already thrown the Crawfords into chaos.

Henry pulled Charlotte into his arms. "Go fix your makeup first, let the makeup artist redo it. I'll come find you after I handle this. The engagement ceremony will start on time, don't worry." Only after wiping away Charlotte's tears did Henry turn to leave.

Charlotte stood there, watching Henry's retreating figure. For some reason, she felt uneasy.

Emily was right earlier. Everyone knew he was cold towards her, yet he slapped his own cousin over a few words about her. Did he really hate her? Or was she still special to him?

Henry walked to the front gate. He didn't see her, only her pink BMW parked there. And standing by the car was her best friend.

Henry's steps suddenly halted, his heart seemed to be pulled down by something. That's when he remembered - before leaving Verdancliff, she had already given this car to her friend.

Seeing him, she immediately walked over. Henry saw she was holding a gift. Her expression was cold as she got straight to the point, "She asked me to bring gifts for you and Charlotte."

But Henry didn't reach out to take it. She frowned, "There's one more thing."

"Speak."

"She left in such a hurry, never got a chance to see you. I've tried contacting you many times but couldn't get through. So I never had the chance to get this back from you."

"Remember that ring she gave you on your birthday? It was a family heirloom from her grandmother."

Eleanor Mitchell said with an unfriendly expression, "Sarah told me this ring was meant for her future husband. It's not appropriate for you to still have it. Could you give it to me? I'll return it to Sarah when I see her in Silverbrook Haven."

Henry suddenly looked down at the understated ring on his ring finger. This morning while changing clothes, he had inexplicably put on this ring. It didn't really match his suit, but he hadn't taken it off. Yet now, looking at this ring, it only felt jarring.