“Gretchen, can you stop being so difficult? I can call off the engagement anytime before it happens, you know.”

Gretchen replied calmly, “Suit yourself.”

After that, silence hung heavy in the air until Marjorie spoke again. “Gretchen, don’t be mad. I’ll give it back to you soon.”

Later that day, the doorbell rang at Gretchen’s place.

When she opened the package, she found the engagement ring—cut into four jagged pieces as if by wire cutters.

Along with it was a note.

[Gretchen, I promised Bernie I’d give it back to you. So… does this mean you’re not mad at me anymore?]

Before she could process her anger, the doorbell rang again.

It was Bernard, standing outside.

Gretchen’s hands trembled, but she refused to acknowledge him.

But he wouldn’t stop pressing the doorbell.

“Gretchen, open the door. Let me explain.”

Unable to take the noise anymore, Gretchen flung the door open. Bernard stood there, his hair a mess, his face full of impatience.

“I’ll compensate you for it,” he said. “How much do you want? Five thousand? Ten thousand?”

Gretchen closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. “It’s not about the money.”

“Then what is it? Didn’t you go through all this trouble to marry me for money?” Bernard’s voice was dripping with annoyance. “Gretchen, stop playing games. I told you before—you can’t have it all. With me, it’s either money or feelings. You can only pick one.”

Gretchen met his gaze, her face expressionless. “Is that so? Then I don’t want any of that.”

With that, she slammed the door shut.

Bernard stood frozen in shock, but anger quickly took over. He pounded on the door, shouting, “Gretchen, what the hell is that supposed to mean? Open the door and explain yourself! It’s just a stupid ring—why are you making such a big deal out of it?!”

Inside, Gretchen slid down to the floor slowly, listening to his muffled shouting in a daze.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. It was Rheinold.

“Gretchen, Terrence came back early. He’s here with me right now. Do you have time to come over?”

Terrence—Bernard’s older cousin and the key figure in the family business.

He graduated from Harvard with a repurposing for staying out of the spotlight, but it was well-known that he managed more than half of the Golbersteins Co.’s major operations.

The young man was the most important and capable member of his generation, far ahead of everyone else in the family.

Gretchen vaguely remembered meeting him once as a child—a quiet, composed figure.

The invitation caught her off guard, especially since it was earlier than planned. But still, she agreed.

“Of course, Uncle Reinhold. I’m free.”

The old man chuckled on the other end of the line. “Oh, Gretchen, you’ve really got such a great personality— gorgeous and competent! We’re so lucky to have you in our family! Very well, I’ll send a driver to pick you up right away!”

After hanging up, Gretchen began to worry. Marjorie ruined her engagement ring, and her partner’s ring, which she had customized in a rush, was now useless too.

Still, after a moment’s thought, she carefully wrapped the broken pieces of the ring, placed them in a box, and tucked it into her purse.

As she stepped outside, a voice stopped her. “Where are you off to?”

Apparently, Bernard hadn’t left.

He leaned lazily against his car, his eyes scanning Gretchen’s from head to toe. His tone was dripping with sarcasm.

“Got your hair done? Wearing a dress? What, you’re heading to a red-carpet event?”

But Gretchen just ignored him completely, walking straight to the car Reinhold had sent.

Bernard’s smirk faded when she didn’t respond. He opened the car door and slid into the front passenger seat.

“It’s my family’s car. I can ride in it too.”

The driver then looked uneasy. “S-Sir, your father sent me to pick up Miss Marxhausen.”

Bernard snapped, “Wherever she’s going, I’m going too. Got a problem with that?”

With that, the car sped down the road and finally came to a stop in front of the Golbersteins’s Garden Café.

Bernard let out a dry laugh.

“So you’re hanging out with someone but in our café? Are you trying to avoid paying your bill? Whoah, Gretchen, you’re really something!”

Gretchen heard his sarcasm from behind her, but she kept walking. She couldn't deny though that her chest ached with sadness.

‘We’ve known each other for years. Sure, the Marxhausens aren't in the same league as the Golbersteins, but we’re doing just fine.’

‘And yet, Bernard thought she wanted to marry him just for his money.’

‘How ridiculous!’

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the slick spot on the floor. Her foot slipped, and she landed hard on the ground.

Some sticky, wet substance clung to her skirt and legs. Dazed from the fall and still recovering from her injuries, she couldn’t get up right away.

She must’ve looked pitiful slumping there because Bernard’s voice came again, cold and mocking.

“What’s this? Trying to play the damsel in distress now?”

His tone was lazy, almost amused.

“If you ask me, if you wanna get a man’s attention, that trick works better for someone like Marjorie. She’s delicate enough to pull it off. You? You’re too tall and tough—it just doesn’t work.”

Just then, a concerned voice called out. “Gretchen? Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?”

Looking up, she saw Reinhold rushing out of the café to supposedly greet her, his face full of worry.

Beside him was a tall, broad-shouldered younger man.

The man didn’t say anything. Seeing her slumped on the floor, he just stepped forward and helped Gretchen up gently.

He smelled faintly of clean laundry, a light, calming scent that reached her nose. The warmth of his hand seeped through her clothes, steadying her.

That made Gretchen’s face flush.

“It takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone. And I heard that you were in a car accident, so you should stay in bed and recover. What if this fall makes your injury worse?”

His voice was deep and magnetic.

Gretchen looked up and realized that the young man looked just like Bernard—sharp brows, blue eyes, striking features—but he carried himself with more maturity and warmth.

“Can you still walk?” he asked.

Gritting her teeth, Gretchen tried to take a step forward, but pain shot through her leg. She stumbled and fell right into his warm arms.

The next thing she knew, he scooped her up effortlessly.

“Don’t push yourself,” he said quietly.

At that moment, everyone’s attention was on Gretchen. No one noticed Bernard standing in the background, his face stormy, fists clenched tight.

Inside, Terrence set Gretchen down on a couch and knelt to check her injuries.

“Does it hurt?” he asked.

When his fingers brushed her skin, she flinched.

“Stay still,” he said firmly, and then he gestured to someone nearby. “Do you have a first aid kit? Bring it here please.”

The receptionist hurried off and returned with a disinfectant, cotton swabs, and bandages.

Terrence disinfected Gretchen’s wound quietly, his focus steady while Gretchen obediently stayed still.

Her mind drifted to the car accident. That day, her leg had been pinned tight by the car door. Desperation to save Bernard had pushed her to grit her teeth and yank her leg free. But the pain had been excruciating.

Compared to that, her new wound was nothing.

“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch,” she said, trying to ease Terrence’s serious expression. She didn’t want to trouble him any more than she already had.

“Even small wounds can get infected. Haven’t you heard of people dying from tetanus because they didn't get diagnosed and treated in time?” he said, his tone calm but firm. “So just stay still. I’ll take care of it quickly.”

Gretchen’s gaze drifted across the room, and her eyes met and locked with Bernard’s.

His stare was cold, filled with disdain and mockery.

With his long legs crossed, Bernard shot Gretchen a pointed look and spoke in a deliberately shrill voice laced with sarcasm.

“Oh, wow, some people have no class to their name, but they sure act like royalty. Dang!”

Reinhold cleared his throat. “This family gathering is a good opportunity to discuss the family’s plans to welcome Gigi and—”

From the shadows, Bernard chimed in. “Dad, you really don’t need to stress over this. The kind of engagement ceremonies we want is nothing like what you’re used to.”

Reinhold’s face immediately hardened. His tone was sharp when he said, “Don’t interrupt me. Wait until I’m done.”

But Bernard wasn’t done yet. He shrugged and kept talking. “I’m just saying, Gretchen and I can figure it out ourselves. You guys don’t need to butt in.”

Seeing his father’s temper on the verge of exploding, Terrence, who had been quietly disinfecting Gretchen’s wound, finally spoke up.

“Looking at Gretchen’s condition, the engagement ceremony might have to be postponed. If she gets hurt again, her recovery’s only going to take longer.”

Reinhold and his wife both nodded in agreement. “Indeed. These formalities aren’t that urgent anyway.”

Unexpectedly, Bernard chimed in again. “Come on, she’s totally faking it! You should’ve seen her at the hospital earlier—she was running like she had wheels on her feet!”

That was the last straw for Reinhold. He slammed his hand on the table and glared. “Bernard! Who told you it’s okay to talk to her like that? Show some manners to your soon-to-be sister-in-law!”

The words “sister-in-law” made Bernard’s face go pale and his mouth wide in disbelief. “Wait… what? Dad, did you just call her my sister-in-law?”

Terrence picked up the conversation smoothly. “Yeah, Bernard. I’m your older cousin, and I’m going to marry Gretchen soon. That makes her your future sister-in-law.”

Reinhold stroked his beard and gave a satisfied smile. “Well, well, this works out perfectly. Gigi, I remember you studied finance, didn’t you? You and Terrence really are a great match!”

Terrence’s gaze softened as he looked at Gretchen. “From now on, Gretchen, you can just do what you enjoy. As for the business side of things, you can take charge if you want, or leave it to me if you don’t. No need to push yourself too hard.”

That warm look in his eyes made Gretchen’s eyes start to sting.

Bernard, however, suddenly shouted, “No, this isn’t happening!”

Reinhold’s bright expression now darkened again. “Bernard! Stop acting like a fool in front of me and your older cousin! This isn’t your place to talk!”

But Bernard still muttered to himself in disbelief. “This is impossible! She was supposed to marry me! Gretchen, say something!”

Gretchen raised her eyes to look at the face she had loved for so many years, a face she had now let go of.

“I’m marrying your cousin. From now on, please address me as your future sister-in-law.”

Suddenly, Bernard grabbed a glass and smashed it against the floor.

“Whoah, Gretchen, you’ve really got some nerve, huh?! You lied to me, and now you’ve tricked my family too! You and my cousin have no connection whatsoever, and yet you’re clinging to him like this? What a shameless slut you are!”

That made Reinhold’s face turn pale as a sheet with fury. “You bastard! Shut your mouth!”

Terrence stood up, his sharp eyes flashing behind his glasses. “Bernard, let me make this clear.”

“I, Terrence, will be engaged to Gretchen in three days. The wedding date will be decided later. You’ll get an invitation. Make sure you show up.”