Chapter 2

But to my disbelief, a red exclamation mark popped up.

I let out a cold, angry laugh. We hadn't even finalized the engagement yet, and he had already blocked me.

"How did you sneak in here anyway? Give Miss Thorne her ring back, now!"

A Sterling family maid lunged at me aggressively, but I sidestepped, letting her crash into the bushes.

"I am a guest of the Sterling family. Is this how you treat your guests?" I demanded.

Nadia Thorne sneered, immediately pulling out her phone to FaceTime Julian—my dear fiancé.

His deep, smooth voice answered in less than a second.

"What's wrong, Nadia, babe?"

I listened closely. The voice was actually quite nice, the exact deep baritone I liked. It seemed Grandpa Arthur actually had decent taste in men.

"Julian! Some crazy bitch sneaked into your yard claiming she's an elite guest, and she stole the ring you gave me!"

I cut off her whiny, high-pitched voice to introduce myself, saving him the confusion.

"Mr. Sterling, I am Seraphina Vance. Your fiancée."

There was a two-second silence on the other end, as if he was trying to place the name. Then, his tone turned icy cold.

"Fiancée? Anyone entering the Sterling estate must have an official VIP invitation. Otherwise, they are just trespassers. Call the cops."

Then, his voice softened back into a gentle whisper for Nadia.

"Nadia, don't cry over a stupid ring. I'll buy you a better one when I get back tonight."

My pigeon’s blood ruby was a family heirloom from my parents. There wasn't another one like it in the entire world.

While I was re-evaluating whether this marriage alliance was worth my time, Nadia was laughing so hard she could barely stand. She looked me up and down with sheer disgust.

"You? Your clothes don't even have a single designer brand on them! And you dare call yourself Julian's fiancée? What a joke!"

I had been studying fashion design in Paris, and the clothes I wore were my own custom, unlabeled designs. They were highly sought after by European aristocrats, but obviously, this basic girl couldn't recognize real haute couture.

Annoyed by her drama, I lost all interest in the garden. I turned to leave.

But Nadia blocked my path.

"Didn't you hear Julian? You need an invitation! Didn't you say you're a VIP? Where is it?"

I rolled my eyes, reaching into my coat pockets, but found nothing. Then I remembered Grandpa Arthur saying we didn't need one to enter the Sterling estate.

Seeing my empty hands, her smug smile widened.

"I knew it! You're a fraud! Security! Strip that ring off her finger, tie her up, and throw her out!"

I covered my ring with one hand, stepping back with a cold glare.

A few maids approached me, whispering with fake pity.

"Miss, just give the ring back to Miss Thorne. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died!"

"Yeah, that ring is the token of love between Master Julian and Miss Thorne. They grew up together. If he finds out, he'll ruin you."

"I saw a guy lose his hand last month just because he accidentally spilled wine on Miss Thorne's dress!"

Their warnings only made Nadia's sneer more insufferable.

"Hear that? Kneel down, put the ring back on my finger with respect, and get lost! Or else, your hands will end up just like that waiter's!"