Callum collapsed to the ground in terror, trembling all over.

In the elite circles of the capital, stealing from the host, especially a family heirloom, was a crime that would ruin one for life once proven. The Lockwood family would be disgraced along with him.

"It wasn't me! It really wasn't me!" Callum suddenly grabbed onto Sienna's legs. "Sienna! You have to save me! You know I didn't steal anything, right? It was..."

He wanted to tell the truth. Sienna's expression changed drastically. Without any hesitation, Sienna raised her hand and slapped Callum hard across the face with a sharp crack. "Callum! You've truly disappointed me!"

Sienna looked utterly heartbroken, her finger trembling as she pointed at Callum. "I treated you as a friend and kindly brought you to my family's banquet to broaden your horizons. And you... You actually had sticky fingers and stole from my family!"

"I didn't..." Callum clutched his face, staring at the woman before him in disbelief.

"Still making excuses! You were caught red-handed!" Sienna gave him no chance to speak and turned to Dad.

"Dad, I'm so sorry. I misjudged him and brought someone like this into our home. I suggest we call the police immediately, or at least throw him out. The Harlow family should have no further dealings with the Lockwood family!"

The pop-up messages fell completely silent at this moment. Clearly, Sienna was panicking so much that she had forgotten to operate her little high-tech setup.

I watched this spectacle of betrayal and found it deeply ironic.

In my previous life, Callum betrayed me and poisoned me for Sienna's sake. Now, he was being kicked aside like trash by the woman he loved most.

"Wait." I slowly spoke up.

Sienna's whole body stiffened as she looked at me warily. "Violet, the facts are laid bare. What more do you have to say?"

I walked up to Callum and looked down at him. "Just now, Sienna insisted with absolute certainty that I was the one who took it. When the ring was found in Mr. Lockwood's pocket, she immediately called him a thief. She changes her tune awfully fast. Can I reasonably suspect this was a performance you two staged together to frame me? But something went wrong in the middle?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Cold sweat appeared on Sienna's forehead. "Violet, don't make baseless accusations! How could I possibly conspire with an outsider to harm my own family?!"

Dad might be getting older, but he was no fool. His gaze swept between Sienna and Callum before finally settling on Sienna. His eyes held an unprecedented scrutiny and disappointment.

"Enough." Dad's voice was heavy. "Today is a joyous occasion. We shouldn't make a scene. Escort Mr. Lockwood out and notify the Lockwood family to pick him up. As for Sienna..."

Dad paused. "As a daughter of the Harlow family, you chose your friends poorly and nearly wronged your sister. You'll be confined to your room for two hours to reflect on this."

Sienna breathed a sigh of relief. Although she was being punished, at least she was not thrown out. She lowered her head, hiding the venom in her eyes. "Yes, Dad."

Security dragged Callum out. Before leaving, he stared at Sienna, his eyes full of hatred.

Drake walked over while carrying two glasses of red wine and handed me one. He leaned against the railing, his suit jacket fluttering in the wind as he looked at me with a half smile. "That ring just now… You slipped it back into Callum's pocket during the chaos, didn't you? Nice move."

I took the wine glass and did not deny it. "Right back at you. When Sienna tried to rush over and interrupt me, you stepped on her foot, didn't you? Very well coordinated."

Drake let out a soft laugh and clinked his glass against mine. "Looks like we're the same type of people. Violet, I don't care what you've been through before. Now that we're in this together, I won't let you lose."

He tilted his head back and drained his glass, arrogance evident in every line of his face. I looked at him, warmth flooding my chest. In my previous life, I missed out on an ally like this. I would never let go, not this time.

I reached out and hooked my arm through his, pulling him closer. "Don't worry. I won't lose."

Just then, from the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Sienna in a dark corner, glaring at us with pure venom.

Before my eyes, the pop-up messages appeared again.

[Don't fall into Drake Weston's trap so easily!]

[This is all a setup Drake designed for you. At your engagement party, he'll get together with the fake heiress and completely betray you. Callum will be drugged by Drake while trying to protect you and violated by others. You must protect Callum at the engagement party!]

I narrowed my eyes. This would be entertaining to watch.