Caleb strode toward me. He was tall, with the sharp, striking features of a man born to power—even more imposing in person than in photos. His disdainful gaze raked over my gown before finally landing on my face. "This is our engagement party. What do you think you're doing, making a scene out here? It's humiliating."

I wrenched myself free from the guards' grip, stood up straight, and sneered. "Isn't it obvious enough? Tell me, Caleb. Is having your security guards rough me up at the door your idea of hospitality? Do you have any idea what your assistant just—"

He cut me off with a frown before I could finish. "Enough! You're late, and now you're causing a scene at the door. Or should my security have just let you in to start biting my guests like some rabid dog?"

"You've wasted my valuable time. I have no idea why my father is so insistent on this engagement with a pathetic orphan like you."

The guests who had come out to watch the commotion started pointing and whispering about me. Their condescending gazes made me feel like a clown on display.

He wasn't the only one whose time had been wasted. I'd spent hours getting ready, even postponing a crucial data analysis—time I could have spent refining my algorithm.

"What a coincidence. The feeling is mutual. Since we clearly can't stand the sight of each other, let's just call off the engagement," I said calmly.

Caleb narrowed his eyes, clearly not expecting me to say that. "Are you threatening me? Making a scene wasn't enough, now you're trying to threaten me by calling off the engagement? You think that'll scare me?"

The look on his face filled me with a sudden wave of futility. It was like talking to a brick wall—a very smug, conceited brick wall.

Beside him, Tiffany practically melted against his side. "Oh, Mr. Vance, if she dares to cause such a fuss at the engagement party, imagine what she'll be like after you're married. She'll turn the world upside down!"

"Just now, the moment she realized I was your assistant, she saw my face and went wild with jealousy. She tried to hit me! If security hadn't protected me, she would have."

Caleb stared at me in disbelief. "Tiffany has been my assistant for two years and has handled countless matters for me. Do you think she’s just some pretty trophy on your arm? What right do you have to be jealous of her?"

I smiled, but the smile didn't reach my eyes. "I'm curious why you're so quick to believe her word, yet you assume I'm just a trophy? She was the one who—"

He interrupted me again. "Should I believe a lunatic like you over Tiffany?"

Tiffany raised a hand to hide her triumphant smirk. She blinked, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh, Mr. Vance, my heart breaks for you. A man as prominent as you, being controlled by his father, forced to marry a lunatic."

Caleb had only taken over Vance Industries two years ago, and his father, Harrison Vance, still interfered heavily in the company's affairs. He had built up a lot of resentment over Harrison's constant meddling.

At Tiffany's words, the atmosphere grew even more tense.

Caleb growled, "You'd better apologize and make this right, Willow. Otherwise, not even my father will be able to save you."

I understood now. Tiffany was less Caleb's capable assistant and more someone who knew precisely how to flatter him. She knew exactly which buttons to push.

He thought I was just a pretty face, probably because she'd been whispering poison in his ear. In that case, I might as well play the part.

I glanced at him, feigning helplessness. "And how would you like me to make it right?"

Caleb scoffed. "Call my father and tell him you're the one who wants to call off the engagement."

I nodded readily. "Fine."

With that, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts.

Caleb shot me a surprised glance, his lips tightening. "You'd better think this through. Once you make that call, the wealth and power of Vance Industries and the Vance family will have nothing to do with you."

I didn't respond, instead finding Harrison's number and dialing.

"That's not enough! I want her to bow and apologize to me in front of everyone!" Tiffany shrieked, her voice turning shrill. "Mr. Vance, I've worked for you for so many years, and everything I have, I've earned. I can't accept the way she humiliated me. If she doesn't apologize, I will never forgive her!"

A bitter laugh almost escaped me. The security guards were standing right there. Who was humiliating whom? I asked, "Tiffany, do you think everyone here is blind? You think they'll believe your twisted version of the truth? You ordered security to rough me up and even tried to hit me, and now you're claiming I'm the one who humiliated you."

Caleb stepped forward, shielding Tiffany behind him. "You must have provoked Tiffany. She was only defending herself. If you have any decency, you will apologize to her now. If you refuse, I'll have security escort you out."

He glanced at the security guards, who glared at me, ready to act on his command.

"I can assure you, Willow is extremely well-mannered. If you ask me, you and your assistant have just proven how shameless you both are."

A smooth, refined voice sounded from behind Caleb. It was Jasper Sterling, the CEO of Sterling Dynamics. He approached with a disarming smile, the small mole beneath the corner of his eye glittering under the lights.

Sterling Dynamics was Vance Industries' biggest rival, their businesses overlapping in many areas.

Jasper had taken over his family's business early on and had run it exceptionally well—so well that he and Caleb had always kept a respectful distance to avoid direct conflict.

But because of my AI algorithm, Vance Industries' latest "Prometheus" project had started to pull ahead of Sterling Dynamics.

Caleb was surprised to see Jasper at his engagement party. Then, his brow furrowed in displeasure. "Mr. Sterling, you've got a lot of nerve. Not only crashing your rival's engagement party, but now meddling in my private affairs."

I stood there in equal shock. I stared at Jasper's broad back as he stood protectively in front of me.

We had worked together once before, and it had been a pleasant collaboration. What I hadn't expected was that after the project's celebration dinner, he had suddenly tried to kiss me. It had scared me so badly that I fled back to my university lab that very night.

I had licensed this particular algorithm to Vance Industries solely because Alistair and Harrison were friends of several decades.

I never thought Jasper would still be willing to stand up and protect me like this.