Chapter 219

William waved his hand dismissively, looking completely unconcerned.

The banquet hall was extravagantly elegant, like a dreamland. The entire hall was filled with large arrangements of fresh flowers, and a pristine white lace carpet stretched out at the end of the red carpet. In the center stood two massive cake displays.

The air was thick with the enticing scent of roses, and the room was filled with well-dressed business moguls and political elites.

Samuel, dressed in a white suit that accentuated his tall, lean frame, had a handsome face that was marred by exhaustion and irritation. He stood quietly in a corner, as if the day's festivities had nothing to do with him.

It wasn't until he saw Victoria walk in that the icy facade on his face showed the slightest crack. He stared at her intently, as if she were just out of reach despite being so close.

"I invited her," Hannah said softly, approaching him with a gentle smile. "I thought you should have a proper goodbye."

Samuel's expression darkened, his eyes cold and tinged with anger as he looked at her. "What gives you the right to make decisions for me? I told you, we don't interfere in each other's business."

"But I don't agree with that," Hannah replied, still smiling but with a steely determination in her eyes. "Samuel, you're my fiancé. You need to be completely honest with me. If you still have lingering feelings for your ex, I can't accept that."

"It won't happen," Samuel said, his voice tinged with sadness. He then let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Even if I wanted to, she wouldn't."

Hannah's gaze was intense. "I know you still like her, a lot. That's fine, I can give you time. But I won't tolerate any form of betrayal, even if it's only emotional."

Samuel's lips curled into a slight smile, his eyes narrowing as he spoke through gritted teeth. "I can call off the ceremony anytime before it starts."

Hannah smiled sweetly again. "Of course, you have that right. But I hope you'll consider your father."

She glanced over at Elmer, who looked a bit pale but was smiling happily. "Look how happy he is."

Samuel's brow furrowed, and he bit his lip hard before slowly turning to look at Elmer Has it been a long time since you've seen him this happy?"

Hannah's voice seemed to have a bewitching power, reaching deep into his heart.

Samuel looked away from Elmer and back at Hannah, his gaze turning icy. "Hannah, stop using the same tactics you use on my parents."

Hannah's expression faltered, a flash of panic in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. "What do you mean?"

He paused for a moment before speaking slowly. "I appreciate everything you've done for me, taking care of my parents, keeping them company, making them happy. For that, I'm truly grateful. But..."

His tone suddenly shifted, his eyes filled with warning and distance. "Since I've agreed to our engagement, I won't go back on my word. But don't think you can control me, and don't try to use the people around me to threaten me. I won't accept it."

With that, he turned and walked away, his steps firm and unwavering.

Hannah bit her lip, then suddenly shouted at his retreating back, "You're scared I'll go to her, aren't you? Don't worry, she doesn't care about you at all! You're nothing to her! Don't you get it? You fool!"

Watching the couple on stage, Victoria found herself surprisingly calm, though the occasional glances from the Brown family made her uncomfortable.

She recognized most of the Brown family members. When she had attended Samuel's grandfather's birthday party as his girlfriend, it had caused quite a stir, and Samuel had to apologize to his elders.

Those same middle-aged women were now casting cold looks at Victoria while laughing and chatting loudly.

"I told you, they would break up eventually!"

"Victoria can't compare to Ms. Wright. She's not good enough for Samuel!"

"Exactly! Ms. Wright is from a noble family, she's beautiful, and most importantly, she's very filial! She even got me some special ointment from abroad for my knee pain. It really works."

Victoria didn't mind. She had heard worse over the years.

But William's face was extremely gloomy. He slightly turned his head to glance at Eugene.

"I'm not going," Eugene pretested.

"Should I call your fiancée and tell her where you are?"

Eugene sighed deeply, looking resigned. "Remember, I'm doing this to uphold justice, not because you're forcing me!"

With that, he got up and walked over. "Ladies..."

William raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips.

It was making the best use of resources.

In no time, Eugene had the previously cold and sarcastic women laughing heartily.

Just then, Victoria's name was called from the stage.

She looked up to see Hannah holding a microphone. "Ms. Carter is a mutual friend of Samuel and me. Samuel often praises her talent in painting. Today is our special day, and I wonder if Ms. Carter could paint an engagement portrait for us?"

The spotlight focused on Victoria, and her image appeared on the large screen.

William glanced at her, displeased.

He hated seeing anyone force her, no matter the reason.

Samuel's face darkened, and he strode forward to grab the microphone, but Hannah deftly sidestepped, whispering so only he could hear, "I'm helping her gain recognition. Look at the lively atmosphere, and your dad is so happy. What's wrong with asking her to paint? It could even promote her work."

Samuel's eyes were cold, and Hannah felt a chill run through her. "Hannah, you've gone too far."

She hesitated, then looked away.

In her mind, defending her relationship in this way was justified.

After all, Victoria's award-winning paintings were well-known, and her entanglements with Nora and Bobby were widely discussed. The room buzzed with excitement, and applause erupted.

Victoria lowered her eyes, silent for a moment.

Her phone buzzed with a message from William: [If you don't want to paint, don't. No one can force you.]

Victoria's lips curved into a slight smile.

If it were anyone else, she would have refused without a second thought.

But Samuel was different. She didn't want to ruin his engagement ceremony.

Besides, he had painted so many portraits of her, from the large oil painting when they first met in his studio to the pencil sketch on the snowy mountain and the drawing in the hospital.