Chapter 17

At a seaside villa in Raidein city of Fleurkenstein. Roxanne stood in the garden, letting the ocean breeze wash over her. Her older sister, Bridget, handed her a cup of freshly brewed coffee. "It's made from your favorite beans. I even added two sugar cubes, just the way you like it." "Thank you," Roxanne said, taking the cup. She couldn't help but smile with contentment after taking a sip. Everyone in her family knew her tastes and preferences. And when they had heard she was emigrating to where they were, her whole family had shown up at the airport to welcome her. Roxanne's older brother, Ezra Lesterfield, had even turned down a multimillion-dollar project so he could personally help her with her emigration paperwork. The same night she had arrived, her parents—Dillon Lesterfield and Martha Rose—had also thrown her a welcome party and invited everyone they knew. "It feels so good to be home, sis. My family will always be the people who love me the most," Roxanne commented as she affectionately hugged Bridget's arm. Roxanne deeply regretted secretly marrying Brandon and hiding it from her family all those years ago. If she could do it over, she wouldn't lie to or keep things hidden from the people who loved her, especially not for an apathetic man who couldn't even be bothered to look at her. Brandon wasn't worth doing all that for at all. "Why are you suddenly being so sentimental? Of course, we love you the most. You were the one who insisted on staying behind back then and refused to come to Fleurkenstein. You must have been seriously hurt by some scumbag there. Am I right?" Bridget tenderly admonished. Roxanne lowered her head and said nothing. Seeing this, Bridget didn't pry further. Instead, she sighed and said, "You really should listen to us. Whether it's someone you'll date or marry, we should be the ones to vet the candidates for you." Roxanne nodded mutely. In truth, the last thing she wanted right now was for her family to find out about her secret marriage. Changing the subject, Bridget said, "I'll have a makeup artist come to the house shortly to help you get ready. Tonight's your engagement party, so you have to dress to the nines. "The prized scion of the Quinn family turned down numerous proposals from reputable young women because he was waiting for you to come to Fleurkenstein. So, you mustn't disappoint him." Julian Quinn was the heir of the Quinn family. Roxanne had only met him once when she was in her early teens. The Quinns and the Lesterfields had always been close, and Dillon and Martha had always hoped the Quinns would become their in-laws and vice versa. And the moment Roxanne had arrived in Fleurkenstein, her parents had arranged an engagement ceremony between her and Julian. It was done out of worry that she might run back to their home country. So, Roxanne simply agreed with Bridget. "I understand. I'll make sure I dress up nicely and do as Mom and Dad want. I'll marry the person they've selected and have a wedding that everyone has blessed." Maybe she would only be happy in a marriage that had her family's blessing. With that thought, Roxanne made up her mind to push aside all her doubts. That evening, the Lesterfields' villa was filled with guests. Everyone had come to witness the engagement between the Quinns' son and the Lesterfields' daughter. When Roxanne descended the stairs in a red strapless gown, all eyes turned to her, and everyone unconsciously complimented her. "The Lesterfield daughters are stunning. They're both undeniably beautiful." "The Quinns sure are lucky to have caught the Lesterfield family's eye." "The Quinn heir is a one-in-a-million catch too! These two families are a perfect match!" Julian was already waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. His tall figure was dressed in a light gray suit that accentuated his height even more. And although his eyes were slightly narrowed, his gaze was full of warmth as he looked at Roxanne. His heart skipped a beat the moment their eyes met. Holding out his hand to her, Julian said, "I'm so glad you're finally home, Roxanne. I've been waiting for you for a long time." Roxanne hesitated for just a moment before placing her hand in his. On the inside, she was still anxious about her hidden past. However, when she met Julian's gaze, she decided to let go of her anxiety. Then, she walked onto the stage with him. Dillon and Martha beamed as they addressed the crowd. "We're so happy to have all of you here to celebrate our youngest daughter's engagement. We hope everyone here today will offer their blessings to the soon-to-be-wed couple. No objections allowed, alright?" Just as the joke was spoken, a voice rang out from the audience. "I object." Everyone turned in the direction of the voice to see a man walking from the very back of the room toward the stage. The man was Brandon Slewman. Roxanne paled in shock.