Everyone in the living room had their own agenda. Only Serena, heart pounding


    with dread, rushed after Calvin to the hospital. A chill seeped into her bones.


    She''d just let the rest of them tear each other apart like wild dogs-Calvin didn''t


    deserve to be caught in this mess.


    Outside, Serena kept her head down, fumbling for the doctor''s number on her


    phone as she hurried forward-only to collide with a solid, familiar chest.


    "Grandpa''s just having one of his old episodes. It''s not life-threatening. Don''t be


    afraid," Hugh said gently, steadying her trembling arm.


    Only when he saw the panic in her eyes start to fade did he nce toward the


    living room. His face turned cold at the sight of the schemers still lingering inside.


    "You''ve already got what you wanted. Or would you like me to have someone


    show you out?"


    A heavy silence followed. That was clearly a dismissal.


    Howard and Rachel hadn''t managed to secure a wedding, but at least they''d


    gotten the engagement party they wanted. Knowing better than to push their luck,


    they left quietly.


    Eric and Melissa went to rest, leaving only Sarah and Cole behind.


    Hugh took Serena''s hand and walked toward the door, barely sparing Cole a


    nce.


    "Handle your own engagement. Serena and I won''t be attending another one.


    We''ve got no interest in putting on a second show."


    Serena couldn''t agree more. Anything involving Cole''s side of the family was just


    exhausting. Without realizing it, she leaned into Hugh''sforting warmth.


    "I really hope Grandpa''s okay."


    "He will be," Hugh assured her. "Let me take you home. You need rest."


    And with that, they left.


    Sarah clung to Cole''s arm. "Cole, even if it''s just an engagement party, it still


    makes us official, doesn''t it?"


    But the next moment, Cole gripped her jaw and forced her to look up.


    Sarah''s eyes widened in rm.


    "This is what you wanted," Cole said, cold and deliberate. "Now that you''re in the


    Larson residence, you''d better behave."


    ...


    Ten dayster, Sarah and Cole held avish engagement party to make up for the


    botched first one.


    The Jansen family had nned to


    keep Sarah''s pregnancy under


    wraps for the sake of appearances,


    but Eric couldn''t stomach the


    humiliation of being ckmailed.


    The night before the engagement


    party, he quietly leaked Sarah''s


    prenatal checkup photos


    By the time the engagement party rolled around, gossip was already flying.


    "I bet Sarah saw Serena marry into the Larson family and got jealous. So, she


    seduced Cole, got pregnant, and forced the engagement."


    "Exactly. Who in the elite circle throws two engagement parties? What, are they


    afraid people might forget what happened on the ind that night?"


    "God, how shameless. I couldn''t


    bring myself to say it out loud. And


    they didn''t even try to hide it-acting


    like lovesick teens right in front of


    everyone."


    A group of women giggled cruelly.


    The men shook their heads. There was a saying that people should settle down


    before they rose.


    But Cole had jumped the gun. He had no real job, no career, and was still a


    glorified errand boy at Larson Group. He wasn''t exactly husband material.


    Sarah heard the whispers from inside and felt like she couldn''t breathe. She didn''t


    even bother greeting the guests.


    Instead, she stayed in her room, taking carefully posed, glowing selfies-ready to


    post them and collect likes and praise.


    "Hmph! You''re all just jealous I made


    it into the Larson family. No one''s


    blessing me? Whatever. I''ve still got


    my besties. They''d kill to be in my


    shoes."