The woman clinging to his waist whimpered, covering her face with her hands. “I… I was so scared, but if you apologize, I might forgive you.” Her trembling voice was accompanied by exaggerated sobbing. As her boldly exposed chest pressed against his arm, causing a slight bounce, the man’s expression briefly softened before he hastily composed himself and continued.
“No matter the circumstances, since you are at fault, I will demand compensation. For wasting the precious years of my life—those of me, Nick Charmant—during our long engagement, the sin is great! Though I have appreciated your father’s help, I will now refrain from further business relations with him!”
The graduation party, attended by not only graduates but also current students, had over 200 participants—a large-scale event. The attendees whispered among themselves.
“Has Lord Nick taken over the Charmant estate?”
“No, the head of the family is still his father, who is alive and well. And there is an elder brother, isn’t there? Nick was supposed to marry into the Lavidge family.”
“Then does that mean something happened to both his father and elder brother?”
“If he’s claiming authority over business decisions, it must be so.”
Engagement annulments at graduation parties weren’t uncommon. Historically, this trend began when a royal prince once chose to marry a woman of common birth, declaring his love in a dramatic public setting. Since then, such events have become opportunities for individuals to boldly pursue so-called “forbidden love.”
Yet, the murmurs among the crowd were not sparked by the engagement annulment itself but rather by the peculiar implications of Nick’s statements.
“Could the head of the family have passed away suddenly? For both him and the eldest son to be gone at the same time… could it have been murder?”
“I heard there have been some shady dealings in the family’s business ventures.”
“It seems the Charmant family has made a lot of enemies.”
What could have been a routine engagement annulment spiraled into a wider controversy due to Nick’s words.
Although this was a student event, it was the graduation party of a noble academy. Many attendees were connected to the management of their family estates or businesses. Always mindful of their family’s interests, the young nobles exchanged whispers and speculations.
“This is alarming. I’ll need to advise Father to reconsider our dealings with them.”
Nick and Muir, the woman at his side, nervously glanced around, noticing the growing unease in the room. As they began picking up bits of the murmurs, their faces turned red, and their expressions stiffened.
“My father and brother are alive and well! How dare you suggest otherwise?” Nick shouted, turning in a circle to glare at the crowd.
“I’ll remember the faces of anyone who dares speak such disrespectful words! We are the Charmant family. Don’t think you can conduct business with the Eastern Seas without us!”
The murmuring ceased as his angry voice echoed through the hall, leaving the sound of his labored breathing hanging in the air.
Sensing the situation escalating, Emma finally spoke.
“I don’t mind the annulment of our engagement, but I don’t believe I’ve done anything to warrant such accusations. As for the lady at your side, I have no acquaintance with her. Could there be some misunderstanding?”
“Don’t play dumb! You harassed her and now refuse to apologize! The thought of ever being engaged to someone as gloomy as you makes my skin crawl!”
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