?Chapter 379:


    “We’ll call off the engagement!” Bartley said coldly, as if shutting a door that would never open again.


    He wasn’t offering room for debate; he was stating a fact. Without hesitation, he made it clear that there was no future for them.


    Elora stepped back, her face registering nothing but disbelief. Her wide eyes struggled to process the information, filled with a mix of shock and sadness.


    “No! You don’t get to decide this on your own. Our engagement isn’t just about us—it’s a union between our families. Your parents would never let you throw it all away so easily.”


    Her voice was firm, but there was an underlying desperation, as though she was trying to convince herself as much as him.


    Since childhood, she had never met anyone as maic and graceful as Bartley. She had fallen deeply in love with him, and the thought of a life without him felt empty and lifeless.


    Bartley looked at Elora, observing the tears streaking down her cheeks, yet his eyes remained devoid of sympathy.


    Her beauty and sadness would have made most men rush to her side, but Bartley wasn’t like most men. He stood unfazed, even looking irritated.


    “I forgot to tell you,” he said tly. “Our family partnership has been falling apart for a month now. My parents fully support my decision to call off this engagement.”


    Elora’s face drained of color as she took a quick step back, shaking her head in disbelief. She covered her ears, as if trying to block out his words. “No! This isn’t real. This can’t be happening!”


    Katelyn watched from the side, her face a mix of concern and something harder to read. She was growing more convinced that Elora’s mental state was unraveling, and Bartley’s harshness was likely the trigger.


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    Bartley’s voice was cold. “Stop it. You’re embarrassing yourself. Don’t make this worse.”


    With that, he turned and walked away, not even sparing her a nce.


    Elora’s face drained of color as she stumbled after him, her voice cracking. “Bartley, wait! Please!”


    Lise’s head throbbed with a dull, constant pain. Why did she always end up with useless allies, no matter where she went? The crowd, once eager for easy money, now…


    The crowd seemed lost, their eyes slowly shifting toward Lise. “Does Princess Elora’s promise still hold?” someone asked, breaking the tension.


    Lise clenched her teeth. “Are you all idiots? You really think you’re getting paid? Get out of here! There’s not a cent left for any of you!”


    There were a few murmurs of protest, but soon enough, they hurried off, clearly sensing more trouble if they lingered.


    Katelyn stood off to the side, calm and unaffected by the chaos. Ever since Bartley had shown up, she had remained cool and detached.


    As she watched Lise struggle, Katelyn let out a softugh. “Lise,” she said, her voiceced with amusement, “I can’t tell if you’re more pathetic or funny right now.”


    Her words hit hard, and Lise’s anger red, especially with Katelyn looking at her like she was some kind of joke.


    How dare she?


    “Katelyn,” Lise hissed, her voice low with fury, “don’t get toofortable. One day, I’ll crush you so hard, you’ll never bounce back.”<fnc63d> Updates are released by ?ovelFind</fnc63d>


    But Katelyn barely reacted. Her eyes stayed cold and distant. “Talk to me when you can actually make that happen,” she replied, her voice calm.


    To Katelyn, Lise was nothing but a joke.


    She had no patience to waste on her, so Katelyn turned and walked away, letting the frantic screams behind her fade into the background. A cold smirk crept across her face as she left.


    By the time she sat back down, her steak had cooled, untouched on the te.


    Vincent nced at her, noticing something off. “Did something happen?”


    “Just a small issue,” she said, waving it off. “It’s taken care of.”


    Katelyn wasn’t interested in talking about it.


    For her, work was more important.


    Vincent, picking up on her mood, didn’t push. They finished dinner quietly and then headed back to the hotel.


    Tomorrow was the banquet—an event that might hold even bigger surprises.


    Katelyn was ready to unwind. After sorting through documents on herptop and organizing her work, she got up to take a shower. But just as she was about to head to the bathroom, a knock came at the door.


    Her body tensed immediately, the memory of thest incident still fresh, like a shadow that wouldn’t leave her. She kept her eyes fixed on the door, not moving, as something slid beneath it. Slowly, almost cautiously, a card appeared.


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