Shattered Gift, Broken Engagement

Yuri's expression changed drastically, and Zoey was so terrified she immediately hid behind Lauren.

I stepped forward and blocked Lauren just as she was about to get into the car. "Miss Hayes, can we talk properly about compensation now?"

Lauren flushed with anger, glaring fiercely at me. "Do you have any idea what happens to people who offend the Hayes?"

I laughed and shot back, "Then do you have any idea what happens to people who offend the Keanes?"

She froze, then suddenly seemed to realize something. "You're… you're Harrison Keane?"

I let out a chuckle, my gaze sweeping over her with amusement. "Should I feel honored that you still remember the fiance you once had a childhood engagement with, Miss Hayes?"

Maybe Lauren heard the mockery in my tone, and she frowned slightly.

Zoey instantly jumped out from behind her, shrieking, "What?! You're the broke loser who had that childhood engagement with Lauren?!"

She looked me up and down with disgust before bursting into exaggerated laughter.

"Hahaha! Lauren, your fiance is actually a delivery guy? Someone like him isn't even worthy of shining your shoes!"

Lauren gave me a cold, brief glance and didn't deny it. "Mr. Keane, that so-called childhood engagement was just a joke between our elders. You are not my fiance, and I definitely do not like you. Anyway, for the sake of the friendship between our families years ago, I won't hold today's incident against you. Please step aside."

I actually felt a sense of relief when I heard her say she wanted to cancel the engagement. Marrying such an unreasonable woman would only throw the entire household into chaos.

"Call the marriage off. I have no objection. But the porcelain bowl was our family's betrothal gift to yours. Now that your best friend deliberately smashed it, you must compensate me."

"Are you insane?" Zoey immediately shrieked, "Lauren, he's obviously taking advantage of you! How much could that pile of broken junk even be worth?!"

The surrounding bystanders burst into mocking laughter.

"This delivery guy must be starving for money! How dare he try to extort Miss Hayes?"

"His family must've spent a fortune to score a childhood engagement with the Hayes! Someone like him should check the mirror before having such ridiculous dreams!"

"I heard Miss Hayes has already settled down with Mr. Mercer. This guy is clearly just here to latch onto the Hayes family by any means…"

Instinctively, I looked toward Lauren.

Seeing her make no effort to deny it, I knew the rumors weren't baseless.

Seizing the moment, Yuri shoved me forward. "You hear that? Don't overestimate yourself! A delivery guy like you demanding two hundred million from the Hayes family? Keep dreaming!"

He grabbed my collar and murmured so that only I could hear, "So you're the loser who's engaged to Lauren. Let me tell you this—Lauren's already my woman. I'm the future son-in-law of the Hayes family, and you'll never be."

With that, he shoved me away, then turned to Lauren and pointed at me dramatically. "Lauren, he admitted it! He faked some worthless porcelain to scam us. Why don't we just call the police?"

Hearing that suggestion, Lauren hesitated.

Nonetheless, Yuri kept whispering poison in her ear, "Lauren, think about it. If you don't call the police, who knows if he'll keep using the title 'your fiance' to scam people outside in the future? That would ruin the Hayes' reputation."

At that, Lauren finally made up her mind and gestured for Zoey to call the police.

"So your last name is Keane, huh? Get ready to spend some time in prison!"

Hearing Yuri's provocation, I calmly picked up the most intact fragment from the ground and pointed to the letters carved on its base: Aurelius.

"You'd better hold off on calling the police. Maybe look this up online first."

Yuri scoffed, still full of bravado.

However, the moment Lauren's gaze landed on the porcelain shard, her expression changed dramatically. She suddenly shouted, "Don't call the police yet!"

Lauren snatched the shard from my hand, her slender fingers trembling faintly under the sunlight.

The moment she clearly made out the letters engraved on it, the once arrogant and imposing Miss Hayes suddenly found her breathing turning rapid.