An hour before the engagent party began, guests were already arriving at the venue. Derek and Justin stood by the entrance, greeting each one with practiced smiles.
"See? I’m right," Justin said, glancing at his cousin. "What would you even do without ? Good lord. If I didn’t check on you, this would’ve been a disaster."
Still smiling for the guests, Derek shot him a sideways glare. "Fine, fine, you got it. You’re right. You don’t have to rub it in my face."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Justin shook his head mockingly. "Yeah, keep that smile. You’ll be wearing it till the night ends."
Derek’s jaw twitched slightly. He’d thought he only needed to show up once the event started — not stand here greeting every guest himself. anwhile, lissa was set to arrive later, just before the party officially began.
Why was he the only one doing the hard labor? It was his day too!
"Had I known this would happen, I’d have told the organizers to skip this part," he muttered under his breath, still forcing a grin. "What a bother. I just want to go back to my room and wait until it starts."
Justine studied his side profile, curiosity deep in his eyes.
"Derek, tell honestly," Justin finally said. "Do you even want to be engaged?"
"Who told you I didn’t?"
"You."
"When did I ever say that?"
"You didn’t," Justin shot back, "but your actions are saying it loud and clear. Look at you. You’re not even interested. Greeting guests while the bride-to-be gets ready is a tradition here in Novera. You probably didn’t know that, but I’m sure lissa has sent you a list of things that need to be done. She’s been very hands on in the preparation, despite that she’s filming. She’s even here the day before, while you only went to your hotel late last night. But if you cared, you’d have looked it up."
"It’s just an engagent party," Derek hissed. "The wedding’s what matters."
"It’s not ’just’ an engagent party." Justin shook his head. "If anything, it’s more important than the wedding. The wedding’s just a formality."
They paused as another couple approached. Both plastered their best smiles and offered polite greetings before the guests moved inside. As soon as they were gone, Derek turned back to him.
"What kind of logic is that? Engagents are temporary. Weddings are official — they unite families. How is this more important?"
"Because," Justin said evenly, "today’s the day everyone sees that the chairman has officially accepted lissa into the family."
He leaned closer. "If this engagent goes badly, don’t expect anyone to show up at your wedding. Derek, your love story — no matter how romantic it feels to you — looks very different in everyone else’s eyes."
And he wasn’t wrong. Derek might have idealized his love with lissa, but everyone knew this engagent had originally been ant for soone else. Most people attending were here not for love, but to observe — to see how the Youngs and the Lancasters would interact, and whether the cracks would show.
Add to that the fact that the chairman’s initial opposition had gone public, this event wasn’t just a celebration, it was a spectacle.
"It’s politics," Justin murmured under his breath. "So now let ask you: what exactly are you expecting from your engagent — the engagent of Chairman Lancaster’s only direct grandson?"
For once, Derek fell silent.
What was he expecting?
His brows furrowed as he stared off in thought.
I just want it to be normal.
Not "normal" by common standards — it would, of course, be grand — but free of politics and drama. A simple celebration of his love for lissa. That was all he wanted.
But Justin’s words lingered:
"Your love story — no matter how beautiful it is in your eyes — is different from others."
It reminded him of what Celestine had told him just days ago.
"Say..." Derek began, turning back to Justin. "What do you think about this engagent?"
"I’m happy for you."
"No, I an..." Derek frowned. "You said people see it differently. So be honest. What do you really think?"
Justin rubbed his chin. "That’s a tough one. I’m biased — you’re my cousin and best friend. And honestly, I’ve seen Lola’s horrible taste in fashion, so I get why you picked lissa over her."
He looked Derek squarely in the eye. "But if I pretend I never knew Lola before — if I only saw what the public saw — I’d say... you two did her dirty."
"You—"
"Hey!" Justin raised both hands, backing away. "You told to be honest!"
"I did, but what do you an ’did her dirty’?" Derek snapped. "She got herself pregnant by so nobody while we were engaged!"
"But no one knew that," Justin said simply.
Derek’s face flushed with anger. He gritted his teeth while Justin cautiously patted his shoulder.
"That’s why this engagent matters," Justin said calmly. "Most of NL Group will be here — the investors, the partners, their families. The n might not care, but their wives? They rember. And they talk."
He leaned closer again, lowering his voice. "Won are terrifying when it cos to gossip, Derek. That’s why you greeting the guests, and lissa focusing on her presentation, is important. If people see you both confident and happy tonight, it could turn the tide."
He smirked faintly. "Do this right, and what everyone once called a scandal might just turn into a story about how love conquers all."
Derek didn’t answer, but his frown softened slightly. For once, Justin actually made sense. No matter how he spun it, this wasn’t just any engagent — this was the engagent of the Lancaster heir.
Whether he liked it or not, tonight mattered. Not just for him and lissa, but for both families.
So, with that realization, Derek straightened up and welcod the next wave of guests with renewed enthusiasm.
Little did they know, however, that a living nightmare was already on her way — ready to make the night far more morable than anyone could have imagined.
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