The engagement banquet made headlines.
However, it didn't cause much of a stir, as everyone assumed it was merely a PR move by the Green family.
As always, Brice was left to manage the mess created by Bowen's impulsiveness.
It had happened countless times in the past.
Bowen had the same thought when he received the news alert in the hospital.
He then sent me a voice message, with Rosie's weak cough audible in the background. "Leyla, I knew you would understand the bigger picture. The engagement banquet is just a formality, not important. I'll make it up to you with a grand wedding. Don't be mad. Just wait at home for me. I'll be back in a couple of days."
He sounded confident and seemed to be sure that I was still the pet and would run back at his beck and call.
I remembered the first time I met Bowen.
It was at a gathering dinner between our two families.
My mother was dissatisfied with the way I cut my steak. She poked my forehead and criticized me in front of everyone. "The Yates family spent so much money on your education, and you can't even learn proper etiquette."
I hung my head in embarrassment. I had the urge to disappear into a hole.
I was surrounded by the mocking or indifferent gazes of the elders. But Bowen was different. He casually tapped his glass.
"Mrs. Yates, you cannot criticize your daughter like that," he said with a raised eyebrow and a smile. Then he swapped his perfectly cut steak with mine. "Have this, and let me cut it for you."
In that moment, I, who had never been favored, thought I had found salvation.
Later, I realized it was merely the casual benevolence of Bowen or a way to show rebellion in front of the elders.
His defense of me was just a whim, but I took it seriously.
For this so-called love, I lowered myself to the point of self-neglect.
Thinking back now, it was nothing but a joke.
After the engagement banquet, Brice didn't take me to the Greens' home.
The car drove all the way to the top of the mountain, stopping at the entrance of a secluded estate known as Cloud Mansion.
It was Brice's private place. Even his grandfather had reportedly visited only a few times.
As I pushed open the door, I was stunned.
There were no traces of any women, but sunflowers were everywhere.
The painting in the foyer, the vases in the living room, and even the garden outside the large windows were filled with sunflowers.
They were radiant and vibrant like miniature suns.
I was a bit dazed.
I had never told anyone that I liked sunflowers because Bowen thought they were tacky, only fit to be side characters in a vase.
So I always pretended to like roses.
The butler and the servants approached.
They took my coat naturally with respectful expressions.
"Mrs. Green, dinner is ready."
"Mrs. Green, here are your slippers."
It seemed that they had rehearsed countless times and just waited for me to move in.
The dinner was sumptuous, filled with dishes I loved.
The dishes were light, with little oil, unlike Bowen's preference for spicy and heavy flavors.
Brice sat at the head of the table and spoke little. He methodically cut his steak.
That night, I was arranged in the master bedroom.
The black, white, and gray tones were cold and hard. Yet the style exuded a certain kind of austere allure.
I sat on the edge of the bed and twisted the sheets with my fingers. I was very nervous.
Although I had made the first move on stage, I was still nervous now.
The bathroom door opened, and Brice walked out, wrapped in a towel.
Water droplets traced down his torso and disappeared into the fabric at his waist.
He was drying his hair and let out a low chuckle when he noticed my rigid posture. "You were quite bold kissing me at the engagement ceremony. Why are you so timid now?"
He walked over and got down on his knee by the bed. His gaze was level with mine.
The pressure was immediate.
He asked, "Leyla, do you regret it?"
I bit my lip and remained silent.
Brice reached out, and his thumb brushed over my lips, turning the pale color into a deep red.
"There's no turning back now," he whispered as he leaned in, pressing me down.
