Chapter 4

There was a noticeable hint of panic in Casey's tone. After all, I had been repeating myself like a broken record, and my indifference toward Brandon was growing evident. I stared at her and asked, "So, is that my fault now? Did I tell you to mess around with someone else?" I continued in a mocking tone, "I can do it if you want me to save your father. You just have to publicly announce that we've broken up and the wedding has been called off." Casey's eyes widened in shock. She finally realized that I was being serious. After all, I never joked about someone else's life in the past. She stepped forward and stared at me intensely. "Did you fall for another woman, Jace? Did you cheat on me before our wedding?" I smiled thinly. "I can't believe you're trying to criticize me when you're the one getting tangled up with your first love. Just ask yourself, Casey—do you even have the right to?" Casey's expression fell. She took a deep breath, as if thinking it over. She eventually wrapped her arms around me and buried her head against my chest, nuzzling gently. "What happened yesterday was all just a joke, Jace. Please don't take it to heart. I won't hang out with them anymore if you don't like it. Besides, what are you worried about when I've already accepted your proposal?" she said. Casey looked up and leaned in to kiss me. I turned my face away, and my gaze landed on her collarbone. The letters "AL" were tattooed there. I never knew the meaning behind it. I even asked her about it, but she brushed it off irritably. "I just thought the letters looked nice together—they don't mean anything." Back then, I didn't think much about it. I comforted her by telling her that it looked good on her. I lightly slipped my fingertips under Casey's clothes. She stiffened and frowned, instinctively recoiling from my touch. In all the years we were together, I never once touched her—not because I was unwilling, but because Casey didn't want me to. I never asked her for anything out of respect for her wishes. In the end, I failed to detect the disgust that seeped out from her gaze more often than not. I smiled mockingly as my fingertips grazed past the letters. "Andrew Lowell—this must be Andrew's initials." Casey instinctively denied it. "It's not. You're overthinking it." I chuckled. "Have you really not contacted Andrew at all in the years we've been together?" Casey fell into a long slump after Andrew went abroad. At that time, I liked her and couldn't stand seeing her sad, so I did everything I could to comfort and pursue her. I felt as if I had conquered the world when she finally agreed to be my girlfriend. Casey didn't like how I was questioning her—I was probably getting too close to her thoughts. "It's pointless to ask these questions now, Jace." It was clear to me that she was evading the topic. "Don't you think you're filthy, Casey?" Casey's eyes widened in shock. I glanced at her coldly before loosening my grip. She staggered backward, her chest heaving. Casey clenched her teeth before snapping, "You're the one who begged me to marry you back then, Jace! Who would willingly take you other than me? Just take a look at yourself—" I shot her a cold glance. "What makes you think you have the right to look down on me, Casey?" Anger flashed across Casey's face when she saw that I wasn't falling for it. Her phone rang at that moment, and her expression immediately fell as soon as she picked up the call. Casey stared right at me when the call ended, shaking in anger. "Did you ask your father to cancel the investment in Newton Group? "Do you have any idea what this means for our business? If you cancel the investments, the hospital's research projects will be halted. How will Newton Group even survive this?" I crossed my arms and looked at her indifferently. "What does that have to do with me? Now that we've broken up, we should sever all ties for good. "Newton Group's research projects don't even have the government's approval, and yet you keep asking Ranford Corporation for money. I'm just cutting the losses in time." I strayed away from my parents' advice and went into medicine in college. I was merely a figurehead in my family's company. Dad had always supported Newton Group due to my relationship with Casey. But now, I no longer wanted to help them.