In all my twenty-six years, I'd never met anyone so brazenly arrogant.

"Say that again? What was it you wanted me to say?"

"Are you deaf? 'I'm an ignorant bitch.' Don't you understand English?"

A chilling smile spread across my face. "Oh, I understand perfectly. And since you're so aware that you're an ignorant bitch, you can get the hell out of my sight."

Hailey instantly realized she'd been played. She shrieked and lunged at me.

Pathetic. I was a Krav Maga expert. Did she really think her clumsy lunges would scare me?

I snapped out a sharp sidekick, sending Hailey sprawling to the ground with a pathetic yelp.

The people around us stared at me in horror. "Oh my God! How dare she hit Miss Hailey!"

"If Mr. Croft finds out, he'll tear her apart."

"Not even God can save her now."

Their chatter was meaningless to me. The Croft family only had its current power because of my mother's backing. In New York, there wasn't a single person who could truly frighten me.

I slapped my black card on the counter again and ordered the clerk, "Ring me up."

With trembling hands, the clerk took my card and hastily boxed the dress.

I picked up the box and turned to leave.

But Hailey scrambled up from the floor and blocked my path. "Don't you dare leave!"

I brandished my fist in her face. "What? You want another round?"

Hailey flinched. I sneered and headed for the exit.

Just then, a black Lamborghini purred to a stop at the boutique's entrance. A foot shod in a custom leather shoe emerged from the car.

God, the sight of his perfectly sculpted ankle alone made my heart skip a beat.

My gaze traveled up, and my breath hitched.

He was easily six-foot-three, with broad shoulders and long legs. And that face—it was a masterpiece, with sharp, chiseled features that were flawless from every conceivable angle.

Hailey immediately scrambled over to him, sobbing out her version of events.

"Grayson, baby, she stole the dress I wanted, and she hit me..."

So, this was my fiancé.

I'm a sucker for a handsome face, and Grayson’s was checking every box. For a face like that, I could almost forgive his rudeness on the phone.

I put on my most charming smile. "Hello, I'm Cassia. Your fiancée."

No wonder my mother said I'd be satisfied with my arranged fiancé. She knew me too well.

The crowd of onlookers gasped.

"What! She's Mr. Croft's fiancée!"

"A fiancée versus a girlfriend? The fiancée is definitely the real deal. No wonder she's so bold!"

"Not necessarily! It all depends on who Mr. Croft really wants!"

Grayson’s gaze fell on me, his tone hostile. "Don't flatter yourself. This marriage was my father's idea. I never agreed to it."

Hailey immediately linked her arm through his, leaning against his shoulder and shooting me a triumphant smirk.

"With a face like that, how could you ever think my Grayson would be interested in you!"

Someone in the crowd quickly chimed in, "Exactly! If Mr. Croft marries anyone, it should be a socialite from a family of equal standing. Why would he marry some nobody!"

"The way she's dressed, they wouldn't hire her to clean toilets at Croft Tower!"

I didn't consider myself a world-class beauty, but I was a long way from ugly. How had I become so hideous in their eyes? The way these sycophants changed their tune was nauseating.

I announced to Grayson in front of everyone, "Grayson, go tell your father I'm calling off the engagement. It's you who isn't worthy of me."

My mother had mentioned that his father, Arthur, had moved heaven and earth to arrange this marriage. If he found out his own son had sabotaged it, he'd never let Grayson off the hook.

The thought cheered me slightly. I couldn't be bothered to argue with these fools any longer and turned to leave.

But now that her backup had arrived, Hailey blocked my path again.