Chapter 4: Engagement

Haywood didn't get the chance to finish his sentence. Elena discreetly pinched his arm to stop him. "What was that?" Roy asked, sensing that his grandfather had more to say. He looked at him with confusion, while Longfellow, standing nearby, perked up, eager to hear about Elena's true identity. But with Elena's silent warning, Haywood reluctantly swallowed his words. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I've made up my mind about Elena!" he declared, trying to sound confident after clearing his throat. Haywood looked Roy up and down with open disdain. "You're one to talk. Look at you—you're not getting any younger. She’s not even complaining about your age!" Roy knew it was pointless to argue with Haywood, so he turned to Elena, who had remained silent until now. "My words may sound harsh, but they’re the truth." Elena casually picked up a piece of fruit from the coffee table, glanced at Roy, and smiled nonchalantly. "You're right. Judging by your current state, you’re still quite far from being a match for me." The moment Elena uttered those words, the room fell silent. Roy was taken aback by her attitude, scrutinizing her without hiding his thoughts. Longfellow, who had been enjoying the show, was equally surprised. "Enough! What are you two trying to do?" Haywood snapped, irritated by their confrontational stances. "Elena, don’t forget the promise you made to me! This old man has done a lot for you!" he reminded her sternly. Elena fell silent. Seeing her reaction, Haywood turned his glare on Roy. "And you, young man, remember who supported you when you wanted to learn piano!" Roy, too, fell silent. Both Elena and Roy had their reasons to feel indebted to Haywood, leaving them with little room to refuse. Haywood, satisfied with their reactions, let out a smug chuckle. "I know you’re both reluctant, and I don’t want to force you. Just give it a try." Elena thought for a moment. "Fine, then let’s set a time limit. If we’re still not interested in each other by then, we’ll call the whole thing off." "Ten years should do," Haywood quickly suggested. "Why not make it fifty?" Elena nearly laughed out loud in exasperation. Undeterred by her sarcasm, Haywood looked even more enthusiastic. "If you—" "Enough!" Elena interrupted before he could finish. "One month, no more." Haywood frowned, clearly displeased with the short timeframe. "Alright, one month it is." Roy immediately agreed. Both of them were united in their determination to avoid the engagement. With the two of them in agreement, there was little Haywood could do to oppose them. Seeing the stubbornness in both Elena and Roy, Haywood could only sigh in resignation. "Fine, one month it is. After that, we'll arrange your engagement!" "I’m in a hurry, so I’m leaving now," Elena said, checking the time and making it clear she wasn’t interested in lingering any longer. "Elena! Stay for dinner!" Haywood tried to persuade her, but Elena shook her head. "No need. I've been out for a while now," she replied, and Haywood, realizing he couldn't convince her, had to let her go. After Elena left, Longfellow approached. "It looks like she hasn’t been home in a long time. Isn’t she still in school? Can she handle this?" Longfellow muttered, his opinion of Elena dropping even further. "Grandpa Hill, even if you want to find Roy a wife, did you really have to choose someone like her?" he added. "You don’t understand a thing," Haywood retorted, clearly annoyed. Longfellow wanted to argue further, but decided against it. The old man was so fond of Elena that speaking against her might just get him kicked out! "By the way!" Longfellow suddenly remembered something and turned to Roy. "I got in touch with Master Campbell, as you asked!" Roy, who had maintained a stoic expression, immediately perked up. "Really?" Although his expression didn’t change much, it was clear that Roy was pleased by the news. Seeing this, Longfellow couldn’t help but click his tongue. "The only thing that excites you is the piano. You’re only twenty-seven, but you act like you’re forty-seven!" "Stay on topic," Roy said, not in the mood for jokes. Longfellow shook his head. "I didn’t get in touch with Campbell herself, but I did reach someone close to her. According to them, Master Campbell is very busy right now. She can’t take any calls, let alone meet you for a piano duel. They said she’ll notify you as soon as she’s free." Although there was no guarantee when that would be, it was still news. Roy, feeling a wave of excitement, managed to keep his emotions in check. "Good." Meanwhile, back at the Campbell estate, the butler hurried inside. "Madam! Miss Elena has returned!" Mary and Malachi Campbell were in the middle of dinner when they heard the butler’s announcement. They exchanged a glance, puzzled by the news. Before they could question further, Elena entered. She stood at the entrance, removed her shoes, and walked inside. Mary set down her utensils and approached Elena. After giving her a thorough once-over, Mary voiced her confusion. "Weren’t you taken away by soldiers? How did you get back?" As Mary spoke, a thought struck her, and her eyes widened in shock. "Did you escape from prison?" Mary was genuinely frightened by the idea, and Malachi looked equally alarmed. He stood up, fixing a stern gaze on Elena. "Did you really break out of prison?" Malachi was already prepared to disown her if Elena had indeed escaped. Elena, baffled by their reactions, replied, "I didn’t break any laws, and I certainly didn’t escape from prison." "You’re lying!" Malachi’s expression turned cold. "You’d better come with me and turn yourself in!" Elena had no patience for their nonsense. She knew reasoning with them was pointless, so she ignored Malachi and headed upstairs. Malachi, seeing her stubbornness, pulled out his phone and dialed 911. "I’d like to report a crime! My daughter was taken by soldiers a few days ago, and she’s just returned home. I’m reporting her for escaping from prison!"