"What are you doing here?" one of the men asked awkwardly.


    "Just thought I''d join the fun. Am I not wee?" Yvonne settled into an empty armchair, reached for a bottle on the table, and poured herself half a ss of red wine.


    "You''re... wee," the man stammered, before wisely shutting his mouth.


    Yvonne swirled the wine in her ss, her sly, almond-shaped eyes sweeping over the men. "Cat got your tongues? Why so quiet all of a sudden?"


    A dead silence filled the room. No one spoke. Only Matthew watched her, his gaze cold and hard.


    "Fine. If you won''t talk, I will," Yvonne said, taking a sip of wine. Her eyes, filled with scorn, locked onto Matthew.


    "When the Gonzalez Corporation went bankrupt, you were wandering the streets like a stray dog. Not one of these good-for-nothing friends of yours gave you the time of day, and your precious first love, Queena, avoided you like the gue. It was me, the soft-hearted fool, who took you in.


    Even a dog, after all these years, would show some gratitude. But an ungrateful bastard like you only knows how to bite the hand that feeds it!"


    The room was silent for a moment as the men exchanged uneasy nces.


    The man who had been jeering the loudest finally spoke up, defending Matthew. "Look, Yvonne, you helped Matthew out when he was down, it''s true. But he also got engaged to you. Everyone knows Ms. Spencer was his first love. Forcing him into an engagement with you-wasn''t that just you holding a favor over his head?"


    Yvonne''s captivating eyes turned to him, her gaze dripping with disdain.


    "Zachary Smith, isn''t it? I hear your family''s business is in trouble, and you''re arranging a marriage with the Lee family to get a bailout. I''ll be sure to repeat what you just said to them. That way, after they''ve helped you, they''ll know you think the Lee heiress marrying down is just her lording a favor over you."


    "You wouldn''t dare! Yvonne, you''re fucking asking for it—" Zachary, his weak spot exposed, exploded in fury. But before he could lunge at her, a loud crash echoed through the room.


    Matthew had mmed his wine ss down on the coffee table.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Matthew''s voice was low and menacing as he red at Zachary. "Is it your ce to discipline my woman?"


    No matter what, Yvonne was still his fiancée. No other man had the right to touch her.


    "Matthew, I... I just lost my temper for a second. I wasn''t going to hurt her," Zachary stammered, immediately backing down.


    Matthew then turned his cold gaze on Yvonne. "And you! What''s gotten into you today? Don''t think this engagement makes you the o guaranteed future Mrs. Gonzalez!"


    "Nothing''s wrong with me. Maybe I''ve juste to my senses and I''m ready to dump your sorry ass," Yvonne retorted with a sneer. She stood up. "After your mother''s party is over, I''ll contact you to discuss breaking off the engagement. A friendly tip: you might want to call yourwyer in advance."


    With that, she turned and mmed the door behind her.


    The sound reverberated through the stunned silence. Matthew''s face was a thunderous mask of fury.


    "What was that all about? How dare she talk to Matthew like that? Is she not afraid he''ll actually leave her?"


    "She must be crazy. I don''t believe for a second she''d actually break up with him."


    "It''s probably just a game, ying hard to get. She''s madly in love with him. She''d never really leave."


    "But she seemed serious... What if she''s really going to dump him?"


    The men whispered among themselves, but their discussion was cut short by a violent crash. Matthew, in a fit of rage, swept his arm across the coffee table sending bottles and sses shattering to the floor.