The edge of the pond was packed with people. Most of them were busy making a fuss over Chloe, asking if she was okay and stuff. Just a couple of youngdies had the thought to grab a towel for Charlotte to dry off. Liam and Dn were the first guys to show up.


    "What happened?"


    Liam nted himself between the two, and with just a nce, a look of disgust crossed his face.


    Water again.


    How many more times was Chloe going to use this trick to hurt Charlotte?


    Liam stopped right in the middle of the two, but his question was aimed at Chloe, his eyes were fixed on Charlotte, though.


    Charlotte was sitting there with tears welling up in her eyes, all pitiful like a drenched little bird, and she just kept staring at Chloe''s hand...


    When Liam followed Charlotte''s gaze, that''s when he saw it-the ring he''d given Charlotte just that morning.


    Suddenly, Liam was fuming, "What are you doing with her ring?!".


    Kind of like he was dealing with kids fighting over a toy.


    Chloe looked just as upset and fired right back, "Hold on, that''s my line, Honey. Why on earth did you give Charlotte the ring?"


    Before Liam could even speak, Charlotte cut in, "I already told you, my dad bought the ring from Mr. Parker. Why would Mr. Parker give me something so fancy for no reason? What, you think there''s something fishy between me and Mr. Parker?"


    That pretty much mmed the door on anything Liam was about to say.


    Given the status between him and Charlotte, they really shouldn''t be caught up in something as suggestive as exchanging rings.


    No one would dare to talk smack about him, and no one would point fingers at him either.


    But they didn''t have any problems chatting about Charlotte.


    Liam hung his head, got it that Charlotte was trying to save his good name, and at the same time, she was looking out for herself. And it was more than that... she didn''t trust him.


    She didn''t think he had her back.


    Liam felt a tight knot form in his brow, his whole body wound up and just couldn''t shake it off.


    "Talk!" Liam snapped, ring at Chloe, "Why''ve you got her ring?"


    That''s when Chloe got it-the person Liam was all protective over was Charlotte.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Suddenly Chloe felt even more put upon. It was Charlotte who had pushed her into the pond! And it was Charlotte who had sneakily passed the ring to her!


    Why did Liam think he could just grill her like that?


    "Charlotte''s the one who shoved me into the pond! She was trying to hold my head under the water, trying to drown me! She''s the one causing trouble!"


    "Shut up!" Liam''s disgust with Chloe only grew.


    Pushed into the water, head held under... weren''t those the exact same dirty tricks she pulled on Charlotte by the hotelke?


    How many times was she going to pull the same nasty stunt on Charlotte?


    "No way, when we got there, Miss Beaumont was just standing in the water all fine and dandy, while Miss Perry here was nearly drowning!" muttered a cousin who was tight with Daniel, under her breath. After thatment, Liam''s frown grew even tighter. To him, Charlotte''s trembling and her knotted fingers spoke volumes of her fear.


    She''d been hurt like this once already, and back then, he couldn''ty a finger on Chloe forck of evidence.


    And when the evidence dide to light, his grandpa''s illness hit, tying his hands once more from acting against Chloe.


    It was a debt he had yet to pay Charlotte.


    "Charlotte pushed me first! She''s venomous, jealous of me..."


    Her self-justifications were abruptly interrupted by a sharp p.


    Chloe''s eyes went wide, her hand instinctively covering her cheek, disbelief etched across her face.


    "You hit me?" She thought incredulously. A fine young gentleman, raised in a grand household, likely never havingid a hand on even an animal, had just pped her?


    In a burst of sorrow and rage, Chloeshed out, "Liam! You struck me! You promised we''d be partners for life, and yet here you are, hitting me! Heartless!"


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    She fell to the ground, her hand on her cheek, her wailing piercing the air.


    "If you''re guilty, just admit it. Why put on such a disgraceful act?" Liam''s voice was frosty as he watched her, "Chloe, remember what I said about keeping your tail tucked away?" He had Chloe''s deceit in his grip now, and just as soon as the family patriarch showed any improvement, he nned to send her spiraling from grace to grit. Chloe''s crying escted into hysteria, uncontroble and frantic.


    Chloe was at a loss. Why did Liam distrust her so?


    It felt as though Charlotte could effortlessly spin the smallest web and ensnare herpletely.


    Just then, from afar, an aged voice cut through the chaos.


    "What''s this disturbance marring a good celebration?"


    There was Keh, propped up by an attendant, his face a grim shade of gray, coughing as he moved closer to the heart of the turmoil.


    As Keh''s gaze settled on the disheveled, weeping Chloe on the ground, a sh of anger crossed his eyes.


    No matter his personal feelings towards Chloe, she was presently the Parker family''s granddaughter-inw. An affront to her was an affront to the family''s honor.


    "Why just gawk there? Help her up and get her into fresh clothes!" Kehmanded with a furious tone.


    The servants scurried forward, eager to assist Chloe, but she was insistent, rooted on the ground amidst her sobs.


    "Grandpa! My heart is shattered. Why doesn''t my husband trust me? Why does he let others torment me?"


    "Liam!" Keh''s ire rose as his eyes caught sight of Charlotte, also in distress. His voice thundered with impatience, "Are you going to leave your betrothed on the cold ground? Scoop her up and take her inside!" Liam was a statue, his expression cold, his back ramrod straight; he didn''t budge an inch.


    There sat Charlotte on the ground, trembling, her eyes swimming with tears that pleaded and spoke of her hurt.


    Keh, witnessing her pitiable state, felt a surge of irritation, "Dn! You too, get your girlfriend out of here!"


    Dn was far morepliant than Liam. At themand, he quickly bent down, intending to lift Charlotte into his arms.


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    Yet Charlotte, as if deaf to Dn''s intentions, kept her eyes locked on Liam, silently challenging him to show the same care towards Chloe.


    This unflinching stare threw Liam''s emotions into disarray.


    Keh mmed his cane down, his face turning a shade of crimson, his body starting to crumble like a house of cards. Servants scrambled to his side, themotion swelling. "You''re trying to kill me, is that it?" Keh batted away Liam''s approaching hand, his eyes clouding over with anger as they slowly shut, "Get your wife and leave, now!" With a jaw clenched tight enough to crack a walnut, Liam pivoted towards Chloe. As his hands reached out to embrace her, he threw a fleeting nce over his shoulder. Charlotte sat motionless, her earlier look of hope reced with a hollow gaze-a marite devoid of spirit, her eyes void of emotion, yet her whole posture radiated defeat. "Dn." The name fell softly from her lips as she feebly held out her arms to Dn, her plea simple yet profound, "Help me."


    At that moment, Liam felt an invisible grip tighten around his heart, a blockage so intense it left him breathless.


    She watched, her eyes wide as he made his choice, favoring Chloe. Could she be thinking that his embrace was an endorsement of Chloe''s side of the story?


    Might she feel that he was once more aligning himself against her, reinforcing the divide between them?


    It echoed the bitter truth she had once voiced-they were on opposing sides.


    "Liam!" The sharp rebuke from Keh jolted Liam from his thoughts. Submissively, he dipped his head, and Chloe, with a gleeful quickness, looped her arms around his neck. Her gaze slid over to Charlotte, smug. It was utterly...exasperating.


    Liam''s grip on Chloe was rough, lifting her without finesse or care for her pained yelps,pletely indifferent to herfort.


    "You see, you''re always too rough," a scolding voice rang out. "Chloe will be your wife; you should cherish her..."


    Liam''s response was just as curt, slicing through the air, "Got enough energy to nag? Perhaps you''re not as ill as you im." Keh inmed with vexation, was poised to counter, but the words died in his throat.


    His grandson was too clever, and Keh''s frequent appearances had already seeded doubts in Liam''s mind.


    Should Liam uncover the truth behind his feigned infirmity, the consequences...


    Keh dared not let his thoughts wander further and chose instead to feign a faint, his eyelids fluttering closed in a dramatic pretense.


    However, this time Liam did not linger. Seizing the moment of Keh''s copse, he silently set Chloe aside and departed alone.