The man was Luke Larson. The infamous playboy of the capital had actually shown up at my doorstep, all on his own.

Without even looking up, Luke lazily said, "Ms. Forrest, what do you want as an engagement gift? Would you like my sincere heart?"

I stopped in front of him and scrutinized him judgmentally. Luke was indeed better looking in person than in photos. However, he was also even more arrogant and unserious.

"I want the port that the Larsons own in the southern part of the city," I answered.

The moment the words left my mouth, Luke immediately sat up straight. His frivolous smirk instantly vanished, and his gaze turned sharp.

He stared at me for a few seconds. Then, he suddenly grinned.

"Deal," Luke said.

He stood and brushed dust off his suit. "But let me remind you that this foster brother of yours is not someone to be taken lightly. Watch out, he might just ruin our engagement party."

It seemed Luke knew more about Jim than I had thought. Just then, the sounds of an argument came from the direction of the pavilion.

"Why didn't you tell her the truth, Jimmy!" Anne cried heart-wrenchingly. "You only made me pretend to be your woman because you were trying to protect her!"

My heartbeat abruptly quickened. I had never heard Jim's explanation, nor had I ever been interested in it. But in that moment, Anne's words pricked viciously at my heart like a needle.

Jim's voice was harsh and laced with pain. "I've already said this matter is over! There's no longer a future between me and her!"

I was the one who had walked away from him, so why did it hurt so much to hear him say that? Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to stay composed.

Luke watched me with amusement. "Hear that? A classic guilt play. Too bad—it doesn't look like you're buying it."

I ignored him and walked straight toward the pavilion. Stopping at the edge, my gaze dropped toward Anne's round, pregnant belly. She was at least seven to eight months along. If things really were as she said—that it was all a charade…

When I spoke, my tone was calm and almost detached. "You took your act all the way and even had a child. You really threw yourself into your undercover mission, Jim."

Jim paled. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Anne burst into tears again, and her delicate sobs made my stomach churn. She pulled out her phone and tapped on some photos.

"In truth, Jimmy has always loved you, Cecilia," Anne choked out.

Then, she "accidentally" dropped her phone. The screen showed a few screenshots from her social media.

Last year, on Valentine's Day, Jim was photographed in a penthouse suite passionately kissing Anne. He even gifted her a diamond ring worth tens of millions.

And at the same time, I had broken ties with my family and was penniless. I lived in a dilapidated rental and barely ate. Even when I had been hospitalized for appendicitis, I had lain alone in that sterile ward.

My expression stiffened. It turned out all those days I had struggled through had been a complete joke.

I turned to Luke, who had followed behind me. Forcing my voice to sound casual, I asked, "Is there something you know that I don't?"

Luke paused. Then, his gaze became meaningful. "I only know that the person who assigned Jim to go undercover was my father."

My heart skipped a beat.

"And that woman he brought back." Luke lowered his voice before continuing, "Her file's completely blank. She's not the informant mentioned in his official reports at all."

His words sent a jolt through me, but outwardly, I remained composed.

My relationship with Luke had started as a simple transaction. But it was shifting into something far more complicated and nuanced.

I began to reevaluate this seemingly frivolous playboy.

It was the night before the engagement party. I had just finished showering and was applying body lotion in front of the mirror when the bedroom door violently burst open.

Jim stumbled in. He reeked of alcohol, and his eyes were bloodshot. When he saw me dressed in nothing but a thin bathrobe, his gaze instantly burned with desire and desperation.

"Cece!" Jim cried.

Then, he rushed up to me. He grabbed my wrist with such force that I grimaced. His warm, alcohol-laced breath hit my face when he continued.

"Don't get engaged! Please just believe me one more time!"

Jim's voice was hoarse and filled with despair. Tears streamed down his cheeks and dripped onto the back of my hand.

I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened. His nails practically dug into my skin. His voice shook as he cried, "The huge debt and ruined reputation were all an act!"

Jim's thumb gently brushed over my pulse as he continued, "It was all to draw out the person who killed my birth parents! That person is hiding among the Forrest Corporation's top executives!"

With my wrist still tightly gripped, he dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against my stomach. I could feel the tremble of his breath through my thin bathrobe.

"I couldn't drag you into this! Anne and the child were just part of the cover!" Jim added. Doubt flickered in my heart as I took in his anguished expression.

I waited and longed for him for three years… Was it really going to end like this?

But then, images flashed through my mind. First were the intimate photos from Anne's social media. Then, it was memories of my lonely nights on a hospital bed.

My hand froze midair and slowly clenched into a fist.

My icy tone and every word sliced into him like a knife. "Three years ago, I would've believed anything you said. Now, every word that comes out of your mouth makes me sick."

Jim's face turned ghostly pale. His gaze was full of disbelief and agony.

He staggered forward and tried to get close again, but I reached over and pressed the emergency button by the bed.

"Guards!" I called.

Two guards immediately rushed in and restrained Jim. When they saw I was only wearing a bathrobe, they quickly averted their eyes.

"How should we handle this, Ms. Forrest?" one of the guards asked.

I turned away and hugged my arms tightly across my chest, refusing to look at Jim.

"Throw him out," I ordered.

Jim thrashed against the guards. His voice cracked with despair as he yelled, "You can't do this to me, Cece! I did it to protect you! I love you!"

His voice was cut off when the door closed. I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands still trembling slightly.

The next morning, the makeup artist dressed me in the custom black gown Luke had prepared for our engagement party. My reflection looked pale, but my eyes were resolute.

As soon as the car pulled out of the Forrest family estate, I received Dad's urgent call. He was clearly agitated. "Bad news, Cecilia! Jim is missing! He took the modified off-road vehicle from the garage!"

My heart clenched. My grip tightened around my phone. What was Jim going to do?

Luke spoke up from beside me, sounding unbothered. "Relax. I arranged a little surprise on the road for him."

I turned to him. He was casually adjusting his cufflinks.

"What did you do?" I questioned.

Before Luke could answer, the shriek of crashing metal and police sirens sounded from behind us. Luke's phone rang. He answered and put it on speaker.

The voice on the other end was tense. "Mr. Larson, the target vehicle has broken through the roadblock and is speeding toward the banquet hall! It's like he's gone mad! He's already smashed through three roadblocks!"