Chapter 4

With a nasty flick of her wrist, she splashed her red wine right at me.

Mason reacted instantly. He stripped off his suit jacket and wrapped it around me, taking the wet splash entirely on his back.

On the grand stage, Carter stood proudly, his arm wrapped around Tiffany, who was gently stroking her flat stomach.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today is not just our engagement. I have another incredible piece of news to share."

"Tiffany is pregnant with the Miller heir! We’ve already done the ultrasound—it's a boy!"

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. Carter looked down at me with a smirk.

"Unlike some useless women who can't even produce a proper heir and treat a useless girl like a treasure."

Lily, sitting comfortably on Mason’s strong arm, pointed at Tiffany’s stomach.

"Empty."

Carter’s face turned the color of raw liver. He slammed the microphone onto the stage.

The screeching feedback silenced the entire ballroom.

He stormed down the stage, raising his hand to slap Lily.

"You little brat! I’m going to tear your mouth apart today!"

His hand was caught mid-air.

Holding Lily securely with one arm, Mason gripped Carter's wrist with his other hand.

With a sickening *crack*, Carter screamed and fell to his knees.

Tiffany screamed, rushing forward in her gown.

"Security! Where the hell is security! Beat these bums to death! I’ll take the blame!"

Suddenly, the massive crystal chandelier overhead made a strange creaking noise.

Lily tugged at Mason's collar, pointing backward.

"Back."

Mason took a massive step back, pulling me with him.

The next second, the giant chandelier came crashing down. Glass shattered and flew everywhere.

A sharp piece of crystal sliced right through the front of Tiffany’s dress. To everyone's shock, a white foam pillow rolled out from her skirt.

The room fell into a dead silence. Everyone stared at the wine-stained pillow on the floor.

Carter forgot about his broken wrist, his face turning pale.

The guests began to whisper, mock laughter spreading through the room.

"So the pregnancy was fake? He was just bragging about a baby boy. This is hilarious."

"The Millers have completely embarrassed themselves. This isn't an engagement, it's a circus."

Carter kicked the foam pillow away, turning on Tiffany with roaring fury.

"You lying bitch! You tricked me! You said you were carrying my baby! What the hell is this!"

Tiffany pointed a trembling finger at us, trying to shift the blame.

"Carter! It’s them! They brought their curse into this room! They ruined our luck!"

"The moment that brat said 'Empty,' my stomach started hurting! She’s using black magic!"

Carter’s bloodshot eyes locked onto us, his face twisted with pure hatred.

"Yes! It’s you! You little jinx! Ever since you were born, my life has been hell!"

"Security! Break that brat’s legs! I’ll make sure she never walks again!"

Dozens of security guards carrying batons surrounded us.

Holding his broken wrist, Carter barked orders frantically.

"Beat them! I’ll pay for whatever happens! They are not leaving this building alive!"

Mason shielded me behind him, adjusting his hold on Lily.

"Close your eyes, Avery. Cover Lily's eyes too. Don't worry. Count to ten, and I’ll take you home."

I closed my eyes, and the sound of heavy thuds, groans, and bones snapping filled the air.

"One, two, three..."

When I opened my eyes at ten, the floor was covered with groaning security guards.

Mason calmly patted the dust off his sleeves and held Lily close.

Suddenly, a group of police officers burst into the hall. Carter’s expression changed instantly to one of victimhood.

"Officer! Right here! This thug just assaulted my security team and ruined my party!"

The lead officer frowned and pulled out handcuffs.

Carter whispered something into the officer's ear, and the officer’s expression hardened.

"I’ve already had the security footage deleted," Carter whispered to us with a smug grin. "No one can prove it was self-defense. Walk."

Just then, Mr. Sterling, the most powerful real estate tycoon in the state, walked into the lobby. Carter immediately rushed over to him.

"Mr. Sterling! You're just in time! These lowlifes are causing trouble on your property! They even beat up my guards!"

Mr. Sterling walked right past Carter and bowed slightly to Mason.

"I was just in the security room and happened to retrieve the backup hard drive," Mr. Sterling said calmly, handing the drive to the police officer. "I wanted to see who dared to start trouble on my property."

"This video shows everything very clearly. Mr. Miller initiated the assault and ordered his men to break a child's legs."

Carter’s smug smile froze.

The police immediately shut down the venue.

As we walked out of the hotel, we saw Carter crouching by the curb, answering a phone call. His face was ghostly pale.

Lily looked back at Carter’s green silk tie. She pointed at the back of his head, then pointed at Tiffany, who was whispering to another man in the shadow of the parking lot.

"Cheat."