I had just won the Hawthorne Scientific Laureate on the international stage when my father called me back home.

"Bring the betrothal gifts to the Hayes family. That childhood engagement should finally be fulfilled."

Afraid of getting stuck in traffic, I took my modified motorcycle, carried the national heritage porcelain obtained through generations of the Keane family's military merits, and headed toward their house.

Just as I arrived at the community gate, a Porsche suddenly cut across the lane, nearly knocking me over.

A heavily made-up woman, Zoey Mercer, stepped out of the car, raised one sharp high heel, and kicked the top box off my motorcycle.

"You rode this junk motorcycle yet dared block my way? If you dent my car, your whole family won't be able to afford the compensation!"

My heart sank. I quickly opened the case, only to see the entire box of celadon porcelain shattered.

"So you’re just some delivery guy. Think this pile of trash is worth even one of my shoes?

"You even know whose neighborhood this is? It belongs to Kingshore's Hayes family! My best friend’s family developed this place! Believe it or not, I can have you thrown out right now!"

Right then, my fiancee, Lauren Hayes, called me.

"Where are you? My friend just messaged me saying there’s a delivery guy causing trouble at the entrance."

Hearing those words, I froze for a moment. I hadn't expected that this arrogant woman standing in front of me would actually be my fiancee's best friend, Zoey Mercer.

To be honest, I really wanted to lose my temper right then. After all, smashing the national heritage porcelain wasn't something that could be brushed aside with a simple apology.

However, remembering that the late Thomas Hayes had been my father's comrade back in the day, I thought it over and decided to give Lauren a bit of a step down.

"You should come down and take a look. It's better to talk face-to-face."

I didn't know whether I said something wrong or she misunderstood me, but her tone suddenly went cold on the other end of the line. "I'm very busy. I don't have time to meet you. If you're not here yet, just go back."

Then, she hung up right away.

I actually laughed in disbelief.

People in my industry got charged by the minute when they call me, yet she just hung up like that. Fine, then. I'd like to see just how impressive this legendary young lady of the Hayes really was.

"What, trying to call for backup?" Zoey shot me a disdainful look, lifting her chin as if I were something she’d stepped on.

"Even if you summon God himself today, you're a lost cause! Once my best friend, Lauren, gets here, you and your junk motorcycle can say goodbye to Kingshore!"

I narrowed my eyes at her and asked, "Then what exactly do you want so you'll let me go?"

Maybe because I was wearing clothes with no recognizable brand and my motorcycle was unassuming, Zoey assumed I was a food delivery guy.

"How about this—crawl your way in and deliver your food, and maybe I'll consider letting you off."

That arrogant expression of hers finally pushed me over the edge. My face went cold. "I'd advise you to pick up those porcelain shards right now and find a restoration expert. You might still stand a chance."

Destroying a national heritage porcelain was no joke.

However, Zoey burst out laughing in a fit.

"Did you hear him? This delivery guy says he wants to repair his busted bowl, and that it's a national cultural artifact!" She gave a sharp, mocking snort, then lifted her high heel and ground it down hard on the celadon shards until they were completely crushed into powder. "You think I've never seen antiques? Even if it's real, Lauren can afford it!"

Watching her dig her own grave, I sighed and silently took out my phone to record.

"What are you doing?" Suddenly, a man in a uniform rushed over and slapped my phone out of my hand.

"Who said you could record this?" He glared at me fiercely. On his chest, his badge clearly read: Property Manager.

"Yuri, finally! You're here!" Zoey clung to his arm. "This filthy delivery guy scratched my car and tried to secretly record me!"

Yuri Mercer looked me up and down, then let out a cold laugh. "Do you know whose territory this is? If you don't pay up a million today, don't even think about leaving."

"A million?" I actually laughed. "Touching up that Porsche of yours costs eight grand, max."

"In Platinum Court, whatever I say it costs is what it costs!" Yuri was full of arrogance, and Zoey looked even more pleased with herself at his side.

"Do you know who Yuri is? My brother's the future son-in-law of the Hayes family. If you dare offend him, your life is over!"

My eyes narrowed.

Dad clearly said on the phone that the Hayes family had been waiting for me to return to fulfill the engagement. So why was Yuri suddenly Lauren's fiance?

Could it be that Zoey was just bragging?

Since I still hadn't met Lauren in person, I decided to keep observing for now. "As far as I know, Lauren already has an arranged marriage, yet you say you're her fiance. Do you have any proof?"

"You're just a broke loser, yet you want me to show you proof? Who do you think you are?" Yuri kicked over my motorcycle and jabbed a finger toward my face, shouting arrogantly.

"I'm telling you, even if I want to sleep with Lauren, I can. All her money will be mine sooner or later! If you know what's good for you, hurry up and pay. And lick the entrance clean for me, then maybe I'll let you off…"

I finally had enough. I clenched my fist and charged at him.

Just as I was about to smash my fist into his face, a voice cut through the air. "Enough."

…

An impeccably dressed woman appeared in my field of vision.

I recognized her instantly. She was the woman from the photo Dad had sent me. She was Lauren Hayes, the one I had been promised to since childhood.

I had to admit, her looks were exactly my type. However, the contempt in her eyes when she looked at me was impossible to ignore.

"Lauren, finally you're here!" The moment Zoey saw her, she switched to a pitiful expression and pointed at me.

"This delivery guy not only tried to scam me, but he even tried to record me! Yuri came to help, and this dirtbag still tried to hit him! He's practically spitting on the Hayes family's face!"

Lauren didn't even glance at me. Her tone was airy and dismissive. "Don't let a mere delivery guy delay our spa appointment. I already told the driver to bring the car around."

Then she pulled out a checkbook from her bag, scribbled a number, and handed the check to me. "Take the money and leave."

I looked down. 50,000.

I almost laughed out loud. "Miss Hayes, you didn't even ask what happened, and you're already trying to pay me off?"

Only then did Lauren lift her eyes to me. Her gaze was cold, like she was looking at an insect. "People like you… All you want is money, isn't it? This is more than enough for you to last a few extra years."

A chill ran through me. At that moment, I saw my fiancee's true colors.

"Lauren, why waste time talking to this trash?" Yuri cut in smugly. "Take the money and get lost. Stop being an eyesore."

I held the check between my fingers and suddenly smiled. "Sorry, Miss Hayes. This amount doesn't even cover a fraction of the national heritage porcelain you owe me."

Lauren frowned slightly, impatience flashing through her eyes. "How much do you want?"

I slowly held up two fingers.

"Two million?" She let out a cold laugh, like she'd expected this all along. "Fine. Think of it as charity today."

I shook my head.

Zoey let out a sharp shriek. "Are you insane? You filthy broke loser, you want twenty million? You think that busted bowl was made of gold?!"

I shook my head again. Then, under their stunned gazes, I spoke, "Two hundred million."

Silence fell instantly.

Lauren's hand froze mid-air, as if she had just heard the joke of the century. "Do you even know what you're saying?"

I nodded lightly. "And that's only because your last name is Hayes. Otherwise, you'd be paying much more than two hundred million."

If this blew up and certain people in my family found out, no amount could save her.

Probably because she had never been provoked by someone she saw as beneath her, Lauren finally lost her temper. With a frigid expression, she wrote another check and threw it at me.

"Fine. Here's another fifty thousand. Take it and disappear! Otherwise, I'll make sure you can't survive in Kingshore!"

Yuri immediately waved the security guards over. "What are you standing there for? Drag this arrogant punk out of here!"

Several guards rushed forward to grab me. I stepped aside, grabbed one of the guard's wrist, and sent him flying with a kick.

In the blink of an eye, three guards were lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

Yuri's expression changed drastically, and Zoey was so terrified she immediately hid behind Lauren.

I stepped forward and blocked Lauren just as she was about to get into the car. "Miss Hayes, can we talk properly about compensation now?"

Lauren flushed with anger, glaring fiercely at me. "Do you have any idea what happens to people who offend the Hayes?"

I laughed and shot back, "Then do you have any idea what happens to people who offend the Keanes?"

She froze, then suddenly seemed to realize something. "You're… you're Harrison Keane?"

I let out a chuckle, my gaze sweeping over her with amusement. "Should I feel honored that you still remember the fiance you once had a childhood engagement with, Miss Hayes?"

Maybe Lauren heard the mockery in my tone, and she frowned slightly.

Zoey instantly jumped out from behind her, shrieking, "What?! You're the broke loser who had that childhood engagement with Lauren?!"

She looked me up and down with disgust before bursting into exaggerated laughter.

"Hahaha! Lauren, your fiance is actually a delivery guy? Someone like him isn't even worthy of shining your shoes!"

Lauren gave me a cold, brief glance and didn't deny it. "Mr. Keane, that so-called childhood engagement was just a joke between our elders. You are not my fiance, and I definitely do not like you. Anyway, for the sake of the friendship between our families years ago, I won't hold today's incident against you. Please step aside."

I actually felt a sense of relief when I heard her say she wanted to cancel the engagement. Marrying such an unreasonable woman would only throw the entire household into chaos.

"Call the marriage off. I have no objection. But the porcelain bowl was our family's betrothal gift to yours. Now that your best friend deliberately smashed it, you must compensate me."

"Are you insane?" Zoey immediately shrieked, "Lauren, he's obviously taking advantage of you! How much could that pile of broken junk even be worth?!"

The surrounding bystanders burst into mocking laughter.

"This delivery guy must be starving for money! How dare he try to extort Miss Hayes?"

"His family must've spent a fortune to score a childhood engagement with the Hayes! Someone like him should check the mirror before having such ridiculous dreams!"

"I heard Miss Hayes has already settled down with Mr. Mercer. This guy is clearly just here to latch onto the Hayes family by any means…"

Instinctively, I looked toward Lauren.

Seeing her make no effort to deny it, I knew the rumors weren't baseless.

Seizing the moment, Yuri shoved me forward. "You hear that? Don't overestimate yourself! A delivery guy like you demanding two hundred million from the Hayes family? Keep dreaming!"

He grabbed my collar and murmured so that only I could hear, "So you're the loser who's engaged to Lauren. Let me tell you this—Lauren's already my woman. I'm the future son-in-law of the Hayes family, and you'll never be."

With that, he shoved me away, then turned to Lauren and pointed at me dramatically. "Lauren, he admitted it! He faked some worthless porcelain to scam us. Why don't we just call the police?"

Hearing that suggestion, Lauren hesitated.

Nonetheless, Yuri kept whispering poison in her ear, "Lauren, think about it. If you don't call the police, who knows if he'll keep using the title 'your fiance' to scam people outside in the future? That would ruin the Hayes' reputation."

At that, Lauren finally made up her mind and gestured for Zoey to call the police.

"So your last name is Keane, huh? Get ready to spend some time in prison!"

Hearing Yuri's provocation, I calmly picked up the most intact fragment from the ground and pointed to the letters carved on its base: Aurelius.

"You'd better hold off on calling the police. Maybe look this up online first."

Yuri scoffed, still full of bravado.

However, the moment Lauren's gaze landed on the porcelain shard, her expression changed dramatically. She suddenly shouted, "Don't call the police yet!"

Lauren snatched the shard from my hand, her slender fingers trembling faintly under the sunlight.

The moment she clearly made out the letters engraved on it, the once arrogant and imposing Miss Hayes suddenly found her breathing turning rapid.