“I’ve been the heir to the Harlow family since I was a child. Everyone flatters me, curries favor with me. They respect and admire me only because of my status as the Harlow family heir.

“Even you, Mia. If I weren’t the Harlow heir, would you still have feelings for me?”

His words left me speechless at that time.

If he weren’t the Harlow heir, there wouldn’t have been an engagement between us. We wouldn’t have grown up together. How could there even be a question of love?

“But Yvonne, she was willing to risk her life for me before she even knew who I was. How could I not be moved by such pure love?”

For a moment, I almost believed him.

As the heiress of a prominent family, I had always been calculating and pragmatic.

I had to consider my parents, my family, and my responsibilities. I certainly wouldn’t risk my life for anyone on a whim.

But we all overlooked another possibility.

Even if Victor had been unconscious from the car accident, the custom-tailored suit and Patek Philippe watch he was wearing would have been more than enough to show his wealth and status.

Whether he was a trust-fund heir, a business tycoon, or a corporate successor, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Yvonne had made up her mind from the very beginning.

She was going to climb the social ladder, and Victor was her ticket to the top.

“Enough!” Victor suddenly barked, his voice sharp and commanding.

The room fell silent.

Yvonne flinched, her whole body trembling, before cautiously lifting her head to meet my gaze with wide, tear-filled eyes.

Her message couldn’t have been clearer.

She had destroyed my engagement, made me the laughingstock of the city, and now she was consumed with guilt.

If I didn’t speak up, she wouldn’t stop her little act.

Perfect.

I arched a brow and sipped my champagne, silently urging her to continue.

Biting her lip, Yvonne hesitated for a moment before bending down, ready to slap herself again.

Victor strode forward suddenly, and with a loud crash, he slapped the champagne glass right out of my hand.

“Mia Grant, don’t go too far! Have you no sense of decency?”

Victor’s cold eyes burned with anger as he glared at me.

He turned to Yvonne, gently helping her to her feet and brushing his hand over her swollen, tear-streaked face with tender care.

“Mia, apologize. Do it now, in front of everyone, and this matter will be over. I won’t hold it against you.”

I nearly burst out laughing.

Looking back, I was far too naive.

When I uncovered Yvonne’s scheme, I immediately sent Victor a detailed message, explaining everything I had witnessed.

I warned him to be cautious of Yvonne.

The next day, news broke that Yvonne had “died from poisoning.”

But it wasn’t fake this time.

She was really dead.

The media went into a frenzy, claiming she had taken her own life, unable to handle the public backlash.

Victor left me a voice message, “Thank you for the warning, Miss Grant. Anyone who dares deceive me will pay the price.”

And just like that, the matter seemed resolved.

For years, I assumed he had confronted Yvonne and forced her to take the real poison.

After all, he was a man who always sought revenge.

It wasn’t until the moment of my own death that I learned the truth.

The “deceiver” he spoke of?

It was me.

“Mia Grant, did you hear me?” Victor’s voice cut through my thoughts.

“Yvonne did nothing wrong. It was my decision to marry her. I, Victor Harlow, am ending our engagement.”

I stared at him, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

I must have been blind.

All these years, I thought he was a level-headed business genius.

“Emily, the heads of the four leading families are all in the VIP suite upstairs, right?”

Emily blinked, startled, then nodded hesitantly.

Lifting the hem of my gown, I strode toward the elevator.

Victor followed closely behind.

“What are you planning to do?”

“Mr. William and the others came here privately tonight; they didn’t announce their presence.”

Of course, I knew that.