My gaze must have been colder than I intended because Victor faltered for a moment.
When we entered the hall, William sat at the head of the table, smiling warmly.
“Mia, you seem to be in quite a hurry. Is something the matter?”
The room was filled with business elites and industry leaders.
I gave a graceful curtsy and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sure you’ve all heard the news by now. Mr. Harlow and Miss
Sullivan–a beautiful tale of a damsel saving a hero. How truly heartwarming. I wouldn’t want to be caught in the middle, causing trouble for everyone and embarrassing myself.
“So, I’m asking you all here today to witness something. I, Mia Grant, am choosing to break off my engagement with Victor
Harlow.”
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Chapter 4
I stood there, poised and unshaken.
Not a breath stirred in the room; the silence was so intense that a falling pin would have rang out like a bell.
It didn’t take long for the entire business world to hear the news.
The much–anticipated alliance between the Harlow and Grant families was on the verge of falling apart.
Victor’s public declarations about marrying the woman who saved his life had already caused quite a stir.
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But today, the Grant heiress, long considered the epitome of class and elegance, made an even bigger splash by announcing, at
her own birthday party and in front of the city’s elite, that she was breaking off the engagement.
Rumor had it that Victor’s expression at the time was priceless.
However, William was furious.
He reportedly slapped Victor across the face in front of everyone.
“Ridiculous!”
Now, standing in my father’s study, I faced his thunderous expression with complete calm.
“Who gave you the right to act so recklessly?” My father’s voice trembled with anger. “Do you have any idea what this means?
How dare you embarrass us in front of the entire business world!”
I stood straight, meeting his glare without blinking.
“This partnership between the families took years of effort to build. Do you think you can just throw it all away? You’ll go to the
Harlows and apologize immediately. Say it was a moment of impulsiveness and poor judgment.”
“I won’t.” My voice was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
“You won’t? And what exactly do you plan to do instead?”
“My decision is final.”
My father took a deep breath, his voice lowering dangerously. “Have you considered the consequences? Do you think any man
will dare to marry you after this?”
I gave a small, unbothered smile. “That’s not necessarily true.”
“You” He pointed a trembling finger at me. “You must be out of your mind!”
With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
I was out of my mind.
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Chapter 4
If not for the lessons from my previous life, I would never have had the courage to do what I’ve done.
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I was raised to be obedient and proper. The idea of publicly breaking off my engagement with Victor would have been
unthinkable. In the past, I wouldn’t have even dared to show my face at a banquet filled with the city’s most powerful business
leaders.
But following the rules hadn’t led to a good outcome.
The Grant family, though a century–old enterprise, could never match the power of the Harlow Corporation.
