Chapter 5

Lily's POV

Hearing Sophia's words, Nathan's steps halted abruptly, his expression instantly darkening.

He stared at me intently, his voice seeming to squeeze through clenched teeth."Say that again. What are you planning to do?"

"I'm getting married." I met his gaze without backing down. "Mr. Sterling, if you have time, you're welcome to attend my wedding."

Nathan laughed coldly in anger, stepped forward, and grabbed my wrist, using so much force it felt like he might crush my bones.

"Lily, to force me to make us public, you'd even tell such lies? You think a random excuse will make me give in?"

Ignoring Sophia's attempts to stop him, he forcibly dragged me out of the café and shoved me into his car.

The car doors locked. Nathan pressed me against the seat back, his eyes fierce yet with a trace of imperceptible panic.

"I told you, Susan and I are just acting! What exactly are you making a fuss about? I'll get the best craftsman to fix that watch for you. Stop using marriage to challenge my limits!"

Looking at his enraged appearance, I just felt pathetic.

"Nathan, does acting require you to treasure her like that? Does acting require you to push me into the snow for her sake?"

My voice was very quiet.

He was speechless. After a long while, he irritably loosened his tie."She just returned to the country. She's emotionally unstable. I'm just taking extra care of her. You used to be so understanding. Why have you become so annoying?"

"Yes, I was too understanding before." I laughed self-mockingly. "So now, I don't want to be understanding anymore. I really am getting married. My fiancé is Damien Foster."

At the name Damien Foster, Nathan's eyes narrowed.

The Fosters were New York's most elite family. And Damien Foster was famously unapproachable in their circle.

"At least find a believable lie." Nathan sneered, not believing me at all. "Just stay home and reflect these next few days. When you realize your mistake, then you can come back to the office."

He slammed the door and left, leaving me alone in the villa.

That evening, I sat on the sofa. My phone kept receiving photos from my grandfather. Wedding dresses and wedding venues.

"Lily, Damien says you can choose any wedding venue. Which one do you like?"

I carefully looked through the photos and selected the simplest wedding dress.

Nathan came out after showering. Seeing me focused on my phone screen, he walked over and glanced at it. His expression immediately turned livid.

"Still acting?" He snatched my phone away. Seeing the wedding dress photos on the screen, he roared."Lily, are you determined to make me angry?"

I didn't try to grab the phone back. I just looked at him calmly."Nathan, you already signed the resignation form. And I'm not throwing a tantrum. I really am going home to get married."

Nathan stared blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing as if he'd heard a joke.

"Married? To who? That distant arranged marriage partner?" He grabbed my chin, his eyes confident and contemptuous. "Lily, don't use such pathetic excuses to test my limits. You can't leave me."

He was too confident. So confident he didn't believe I would actually leave.

I knocked his hand away and didn't explain further.

The next morning, I received a string of numbers from my grandfather.

"Lily, this is Damien's private number. You young people should chat and develop your relationship."

I saved the number to my contacts. When entering the label, I paused, then typed in a name.

"Future Husband."

Since I'd decided to marry, I would completely sever all ties with the past.