My father, Conrad Watson, made great contributions to the National Aerospace Agency, enough to earn himself a presidential giftware award for his service.

After he passed away, I, an aerospace engineer myself, kept the news private and quietly brought his belongings back with me to Summit City, planning to fulfill his final wish without drawing attention.

And while I was already making the trip, I figured I might as well reach out to Grayson Martinez, my childhood fiancé, and finally talk over the whole wedding situation.

But as soon as I got off the plane, I hardly had time to breathe before his secretary barreled into me and knocked me down.

I scrambled to my feet and looked down at the black military-grade cargo case I had been carrying, custom-built to protect the porcelain the state had awarded my father.

When I saw the gift shattered inside, cracked into pieces despite all that protection, I gasped.

I sucked in a breath, trying to hold it together, but before I could even get a word out, that woman turned on me with zero remorse.

"Are you blind?" the secretary snapped. "You knocked off my earring!"

I stared at her, completely taken aback.

Was she actually being serious?

"Miss," I said, keeping my voice as calm as I could, "let's just be clear. You ran into me, and you broke something that belonged to my father. So, how exactly are you spinning this around to make it my fault?"

She actually laughed like I'd just cracked a joke.

"So what if it belonged to a dead man? It's not worth anything. If it broke, it broke."

Then she gave me this smug little squint and added, "These earrings? They're a global, limited edition. Worth over a million. You really think you can afford to piss off the future Mrs. Martinez?"

I just stood there for a second, stunned.

Then, I quietly took out my phone and called the number Grayson's father.

"Uncle Robert," I said when he answered, "I didn't know the Martinez family had two daughters-in-law."

——

Truth be told, I'd never taken the whole childhood engagement seriously, especially not now that my father had just died. Marriage was the last thing on my mind.

But my mother had a different view.

She kept reminding me how close Uncle Robert and my dad had been, how Grayson was flourishing, and how it would mean a lot to the family if we just set a date already.

Still, it had been over ten years since I'd seen Grayson.

Honestly, this trip back wasn't really about finalizing a wedding—it was about closure.

So I really wasn't ready for how Uncle Robert responded when he picked up the call.

"Who the hell are you? What do our daughters-in-law have to do with you?"

And then—click. Uncle Robert put the phone down before I could even explain.

That's when I realized I had changed my number before flying back home and hadn't told anyone yet. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Grayson's secretary smirking again as if she were relishing the whole mess.

"Thought you had some kind of backup, huh? Coming in all tough," she sneered. "Turns out you've got nothing. Pathetic! Just pay up."

She flicked her hair as if in a shampoo advert, her eyes shining. "These earrings? Tiffany. Global limited edition. Over $2 million. You think selling some bumpkin like you would even cover it?"

Then, the secretary pointed directly down to the floor in front of her, her lips curling.

"Tell you what. Kneel and apologize. If I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll give you a discount."

A crowd was starting to form around us, murmurs passing through them like static.

"Over $2 million? Who the hell is this woman?"

"Right? She broke someone else's stuff, and now she's asking them to pay? Where's the justice in that?"

"Shh, keep it down. Didn't she say she's marrying into the Martinez family? That can only mean one thing, you know."

Hearing the name out loud only boosted her ego.

"In Summit City," the secretary said, puffing herself up, "the Martinez family is the law. Even the cops show us respect!"

She turned back to me with a grin like she’d already won. “So be smart and kneel. Once Mr. Martinez arrives, you'll deeply regret what you said."

She looked me up and down, her eyes lingering on my plain T-shirt and faded jeans, clearly showing her disdain for my unimpressive appearance.

I looked back at the shattered porcelain.

My throat tightened.

It was my dad’s keepsake...

Just thinking about that flooded me with overwhelming grief, anger, and loss.

Right then, I looked back up and met her gaze, steady.

“You’re not just blind,” I said. “You’re also stupid. This whole place is covered with security cameras. They'll show plain as day that you ran into me. I haven’t even raised hell about it, and you’re here demanding an apology?”

I glared at her and sneered, “You expect me to apologize? Dream on.”

Out of nowhere, Grayson's secretary lunged forward and slapped me across the face.

“You bitch! How dare you insult me?”

She was shaking with rage now. “These earrings were a birthday gift from Mr. Martinez yesterday! I still have the receipt. They cost $2.3 million!”

"I was going to give you a discount," Grayson's secretary snapped, arms folded tight across her chest, "but it looks like that's off the table now. You're paying full price!"

That snapped me right out of my daze.

Without holding back, I slapped her right back across the face.

"Pay it yourself! I'm not giving you a damn cent. If you really think you've got a case, go ahead and call the cops. Be my guest. I don't buy for a second that the Martinez family can cover the sky with one hand."

I could sense the heat flushing my face, but I refused to step back.

Honestly, I hadn't been keeping up with the latest news from Summit City while I was abroad. But now and then, Mom would mention the Martinez family in her calls. It was usually a quick mention, tossed in between updates, but even then, I could tell the Martinez name still carried weight.

From what little I did hear, Grayson had turned into someone big. He was no longer the shy little kid who used to follow me around like a lost puppy. That boy was gone. Now, he was a polished, wildly successful public figure, even at the national level.

He's rich, handsome, and groomed within an inch of his life.

And me? I only came back because of my father. I wanted to bring his belongings home, just as he had asked me to. That was all. I had no interest in reopening anything with the Martinez family.

But here I was on my first day back, within the first hour off the plane, already getting pulled into this circus.

I hadn't seen this coming.

We Watsons may keep to ourselves, but we're not doormats. We don't go looking for fights, but we absolutely won't run from them either.

And I wasn't helpless. I'd been training in martial arts since I was a kid. If this turned into something physical, it wasn't gonna be me who needed a hospital visit.

Sure enough, that slap sent the secretary stumbling right off her high heels. She hit the floor hard and stayed there.

Then, a voice from the crowd rang out.

"The CEO of Martinez Enterprises is here!"

Heads turned all at once.

And there he was, Grayson Martinez.

Tall, model-esque figure with broad shoulders tapering into a slim waist, dressed in a navy suit that seemed tailored specifically for GQ. His hair was slicked back just right, with not a strand out of place. The entire look was polished, almost too immaculate.

If it weren't for the group of bodyguards flanking him, I would have thought I was walking into some kind of high-end photo shoot.

But then his eyes landed on me.

Blank. Detached. Like I was no one. A stranger.

I had just stepped forward to greet him when his gaze shifted to the woman who was still on the ground.

Grayson's brow furrowed just slightly, and when he spoke, his voice was softer.

"Brittany, why are you kneeling?"

She looked up at him as if she'd just been rescued from a burning building. The smug venom from earlier had disappeared, leaving her with teary eyes and a trembling lower lip.

"Grayson, thank God you're here!"

That Brittany woman pointed dramatically at me, her voice trembling as she shrieked, "This bitch was dragging around this giant clunky suitcase, barreled straight into me, and knocked me down!"

A shrill cry escaped her, "My precious Celestial Tears earrings! I'd only worn them for a day, and now look! A huge scratch! And she refuses to take responsibility!"

Then Brittany shot me a glare that could have melted steel.

Grayson's eyes shifted back to me, this time with a flicker of recognition.

"You're Uncle Conrad's daughter. Lucy, right?"

His tone was flat, almost robotic. No warmth. No memory. No emotion.

It was almost like Grayson had totally forgotten about me.

Still, I met his gaze head-on. "Yes, I am."

Behind me, the shattered pieces of my father's ceremonial porcelain still lay broken inside the overturned suitcase. But Grayson didn't give them a single glance.

His focus was locked on Brittany's earrings.

"Tiffany Haute Joaillerie," Grayson said under his breath, like someone appraising fine art. "Global limited edition. Only twelve pairs made."

He leaned in slightly, examining the scratch near her ear, then said coolly, "That scratch is deep. Almost impossible to fix. It's essentially totaled. Brittany wasn't lying. Those earrings are worth $2.3 million. How do you plan to compensate her?"

His voice sounded robotic as if he was stating a mundane fact.

And that was what hit the hardest.

Not once did he ask if I was okay.

Not once did he ask what had broken in my suitcase.

We grew up together. Our families were intertwined for generations, but none of that mattered now.

Grayson didn't care what had happened. He didn't even bother to ask. All he saw was a dollar amount.

Heck, he had already decided I was the one at fault.

And the anger building inside me had nothing to do with earrings or their ridiculous price tag.

It was about him and that condescending attitude of his.

The way he brushed off my father's legacy with a single cold glance.

The way he responded so dismissively as if everything we once shared had never been.

I felt the rage bubbling under my skin, sharp and bitter.

But I stayed silent, letting out a quiet, dry laugh before finally speaking.

"Mr. Martinez, let's get something straight," I said, keeping my voice calm. "It was your secretary, running through a crowd in stilettos, who knocked over my suitcase. Inside were my father's belongings. And now they're broken!"

I hadn't even finished when Grayson cut me off, clearly over it already.

"Enough, Lucy. I get that you're upset. Whatever was in that case, I'll pay for it. Full price."

He didn't skip a beat before adding, "If that's not enough, I'll triple it. Take it as compensation from me."

I didn't say anything. I just stared at Grayson. He took my silence as agreement and carried on as if this was some boardroom negotiation he'd already won.

"And about that so-called childhood engagement between us? That was just a joke our parents made ages ago. It doesn't mean anything now. These days, it's about aligning family status. Merging resources."

Grayson stepped in a little closer, his voice steady but soaked in judgment.

"Look at you now. Just a low-level employee at some research institute overseas, scraping by on a fixed paycheck. Forget the earrings. Even the outfit Brittany's wearing would take you months of saving and budgeting just to buy."

His gaze raked over me, a single, harsh assessment that spoke of worthlessness.

"You seriously think someone like you with that background and that status is good enough for me? That you deserve to become my wife?"

Gasps broke out around us like popcorn in a hot pan:

"Holy crap! Did he just dump her on the spot?"

"She was actually engaged to Grayson Martinez? Like, the CEO of Martinez Industries?"

"No way! This is like some daytime drama. Total mismatch. Her family must be way below his league."

"Not surprised he doesn't want her. Even his secretary's flashing $2.3 million earrings. Poor thing never had a shot."

Just behind Grayson, Brittany lifted her chin like she was already wearing a crown. Her whole face lit up, smug and satisfied, like she was ready to watch me crumble.

But that girl didn't know me.

The Watsons and the Martinez family have traced their roots back generations. Our families might have lived in different worlds, but we were close once.

My father, Conrad Watson, wasn’t a businessman like the Martinez patriarchs. He was an aerospace engineer, one of the few assigned to classified missions for the National Aerospace Agency. He devoted his life to serving the country, never chasing wealth or social standing.

Because of that, he was awarded one of the nation's highest honors—a presidential gift. That piece of porcelain wasn’t just decorative. To me, it represented everything my father believed in.

Returning to Summit City was supposed to be simple. I came to bring his keepsake home and to end the engagement with the Martinez family formally.

But now, standing in front of Grayson, I felt like I didn't need to do much.

Grayson didn’t want anything to do with me.

In fact, it seemed like he wanted to erase me, convinced I might still try to hold on.

Fine by me.

I didn't owe him a damn thing, not even my pride.

I let out a short, cool laugh and slowly lifted my head. "You're absolutely right, Mr. Martinez. A pair of earrings worth $2.3 million? Not even worth the discussion. I'll pay."

That hit like a rock dropped in a still lake.

Grayson's brow ticked up just a bit.

Brittany froze mid-smirk.

And the crowd? They looked like they were witnessing a meltdown in real-time.

I ignored them. My eyes shifted past Grayson and locked on Brittany.

"Now, let's talk about your precious secretary and what she broke. What's her plan to compensate me?"

Grayson actually snorted as his gaze dropped to the plain black cargo case at my feet.

"That pile of broken porcelain?"

He looked back at me with that same cool indifference and continued, "Lucy, I know this breakup's probably tough to swallow, but let's not turn this into a scene. Don't use this as some excuse to extort us. Even if that case was full of antiques, I could afford it. Name your price. Take the money and leave. Stop embarrassing yourself."

I gave him a slow, measured laugh. "Compensate me? I'm afraid that you couldn't afford it, Grayson."

Grayson blinked and then looked at me like I'd just told him the sky was green.

"I couldn't afford it?"

Behind him, the bodyguards shifted uncomfortably.

Meanwhile, Brittany gave a short, breathy laugh, all mockery.

The crowd kicked up again, their voices growing louder.

"She's completely lost it."

"Did she just say Grayson Martinez can't afford it?"

"Martinez Industries is worth over a hundred billion. Is she for real?"

"She must've finally snapped after getting dumped. Poor girl."