So, Vivienne’s heart belonged to someone else—not me.
I stared at the large red letters on the wall: "CONFIDENTIAL AREA – NO ENTRY." The sign reminded me of my boundaries—of what I couldn’t afford to do. I clenched my fists, suppressing the urge to flip the table in front of me.
I had a clearance-bound contract tied to a national defense project. I couldn’t risk a public altercation.
“Have your people dismantle everything—now—or I’ll call security,” I warned coldly.
Isolde’s expression twisted with spite. Without a word, she unclipped the leash of her Tibetan Mastiff. The beast snarled and lunged.
I dodged and slammed my boot into its side. The dog yelped, crashing into a cabinet before retreating to a corner, whimpering.
“You hit my dog?” she shrieked, charging at me with clawed fingers, nearly scratching my face.
Before I could react, security guards burst in.
But instead of stopping her, they grabbed me.
“Stand down!” I barked, flashing my ID.
The security captain gave me an apologetic smile. “Mr. Lennox, Miss Quinn said you harassed her. We’re just following protocol.”
The hallway was already packed with spectators, whispering among themselves:
“Isn’t that the guy marrying the Hale family’s eldest daughter? I thought he was some scientist—why does he look like a stray dog?”
“You didn’t hear? He’s an orphan. The old man picked him up, raised him, sent him to the Westbridge Defense Academy. If not for that, he’d be begging under a bridge somewhere.”
“Tsk… and Vivienne is worth billions. You really think she’s marrying this nobody willingly?”
“Maybe the Hale family got duped.”
“Look—Miss Quinn is her best friend and the daughter of Avondale’s second-richest man. This guy dares touch her? He must have a death wish.”
“If I were him, I’d just put up with the insults. Marrying into the richest family in Avondale, getting a mansion and a fortune... who wouldn’t swallow their pride for that?”
Isolde soaked in the attention, hands on her hips, grinning like a queen. Her blood-red nails jabbed at my chest.
“Kneel and apologize,” she said, loud enough for the crowd. “Do that, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened. Otherwise—get ready to be humiliated tomorrow in front of every guest at your wedding.”
I reached for my intercom to call base security—but before I could press the button, a sharp pain exploded at the back of my neck.
Everything went black.
“Throw him out,” I heard her say as I lost consciousness.
---
When I came to, I was lying next to a fire hydrant in the corridor. My body ached. My neck felt like it had been branded with fire. I gritted my teeth and tried to push myself upright, fingers scraping against the cold floor.
Standing over me was Sebastian Quinn.
He was flanked by suited bodyguards, his expression composed but menacing. The faint glint of cruelty behind his gold-rimmed glasses gave him away.
“Mr. Lennox,” he said, voice low, “I don’t think hitting my sister is something a gentleman does.”
He stepped forward and crushed the back of my hand with his polished leather shoe.
I hissed but forced myself to sit upright, blood and dust smeared across my sleeves.
“Who started it—me, or your sister?” I shot back.
Sebastian smirked. “Doesn’t matter. She’s my sister. Scaring her is enough reason.”
He turned to his men. “Hit him.”
They moved fast.
I moved faster.
I grabbed Sebastian by the arm and yanked him in front of me as a human shield. The bodyguards froze.
“I’m Vivienne’s fiancé,” I said sharply. “Do you Quinns really want to go down in history for beating the nation’s top defense scientist on the eve of your sister’s wedding?”
