Minnie Cox and May Mason followed me out.

“What happened?”

Minnie glanced at my swollen, reddened knee. Her eyes were cold.

“What's the act this time, Young Mr. Delgado? Trying to guilt Gloria into staying with an injury?”

May had her hands in her pockets. “Solomon, you pulled this same stunt three years ago. Aren't you tired of it?”

“I bet that notebook of yours has the exact angle of the fall calculated too.”

Minnie pressed two fingers to her temple. “Solomon, you've already cornered Jay. All he wanted today was one pocket watch. Did you really have to hurt yourself in public over that?”

“If what you want is face,” her voice was completely flat, “I'll dance the rest of the evening with you. That enough to save it?”

I gritted my teeth against the pain and stood, pushing past both of them.

“Move.”

“Solomon!”

Minnie lost her patience. She seized my arm. “If we hadn't pitied you back then and helped you get your footing, you think you'd even be standing here today?”

I wrenched hard, trying to break free of her grip.

She flung my arm away.

The sound of bone sliding out of joint.

My left shoulder dislocated.

The pain swallowed every sound in my throat.

Minnie's hand froze in midair.

She stared at my arm hanging limp, but her voice stayed rigid. “You had to fight me on this? All so you could chase after a woman?”

I clenched my jaw, right hand clamped over the dislocated shoulder.

Sweat ran down my face and dripped onto the tailored suit.

May's lip curled. “Drop the act.”

“You're Solomon Delgado—the real heir who grew up rough. A little injury like this is nothing to you. Don't expect us to go soft.”

My face was drenched in cold sweat, but I smiled at her.

“You're right. I grew up rough. It doesn't hurt.”

I let go of my right hand. My left arm hung dead at my side.

The smirk vanished from May's face. She turned away, unable to look at my shoulder.

Minnie's voice shook. “I'm calling the private doctor.”

That “suitable match” meant total exile.

She wanted me to marry someone who posed zero threat to the Delgado line of succession.

Either one of Gloria's sworn enemies, or some disgraced heiress living abroad.

The moment I was married off, even if Grandmother wanted to hand the family over to me, she'd have no legitimate grounds left.

Gloria held immense power in Kingsport. Without her approval, no one would dare accept a marriage arrangement with me.

Six in the morning. The emergency wing of the Delgado private hospital.

I'd just come out from having my dislocated shoulder reset when I ran into them in the corridor.

Gloria was helping Jayden out of the car. A square of gauze was taped over his ankle.

He walked unsteadily, brow pinched tight.

Sara Pruitt, Minnie, and May trailed behind, arms loaded with expensive supplements.

“Solomon?” Jayden spotted me and his eyes went red instantly.

His gaze dropped to the sling across my chest. “What happened to you? Was it because I took the pocket watch last night? Are you upset?”

Gloria looked up. The second her eyes landed on my sling, her gaze sharpened.

Minnie stood beside Jayden, her face ashen.

May leaned against the nurses' station, arms folded.

“Getting a wound treated.” I turned to leave.

“Solomon.” Jayden called after me. “I heard Mother's already picked a wife for you? Three days from now?”

The air in the corridor went still.

Gloria's expression darkened instantly. “Three days?”

She closed the distance in two strides. “Solomon Delgado, are you done with this nonsense? When did I ever say I was holding a wedding in three days?”

I stared at the tile beneath my feet and said nothing.

Less than five hours had passed since the conversation in the study ended.

Jayden hadn't just gotten hold of the information. He'd delivered it right in front of Gloria with surgical precision.

“Gloria……”

Tears spilled from Jayden's eyes. “If you really are going to marry Solomon, I'll be happy for you. I just think it's so sudden……”

Something unhinged flickered through Gloria's gaze.

She turned to Sara. “Take him inside for the exam first. Don't let the wound reopen.”