Just as the meeting was about to end, Kenji arrived.

The two sons of the Reed family had inherited their father's appearance and manner, with Kenji, the younger son, even standing out among his peers in his early twenties. He had inherited his mother's talent and was already making a name for himself in the research field.

Kenji stood before the elders, expressing regret for his late arrival with both humility and elegance.

Scarlette gazed at Kenji, her thoughts wandering back to their first encounter years earlier. This man, three years her senior, had stood tall above her, his striking appearance having once made her constantly speak of marrying him.

But how did Kenji react at that time? He hadn't responded. Instead, he had simply twisted his lips in disdain. Yes, disdain.

When Scarlette was a young girl, she didn’t fully understand the meaning of his response, thinking he was simply reserved. Now, as an adult, she wished she could create a time machine, return to that year, and give this arrogant jerk a firm kick.

“Kenji, this is Scarlette," Jaida said with a warm smile. “It's been years since you two last played together, hasn't it?”

Kenji turned his gaze toward Scarlette.

Scarlette held back her complaints and flashed a charming smile.

"Kenji."

From the very beginning, Kenji harbored nothing but disdain for Scarlette. The arranged marriage had planted the first seeds of resentment, but that was merely the beginning.

Unlike the demure young ladies of their social circle who carried themselves with quiet grace, Scarlette burst with almost manic energy, her voice constantly chirping away like an untamed magpie. Her lack of social graces only made matters worse.

Kenji still remembered the incident at that child's birthday party—

Scarlette had swept in wearing an outfit so magnificent that it reduced the birthday girl to tears, and Scarlette had worn her triumph like a crown.

Every single thing about Scarlette seemed precision-engineered to scrape against Kenji's nerves. Even now, as she sat there wearing a smile as sweet as fresh cream cake, her eyes sparkled with what he knew to be pure artifice.

Kenji couldn't bring himself to return even a fraction of that sweetness, managing only the barest nod of acknowledgment.

To Scarlette, this was just another example of his insufferable arrogance.

Once the formalities concluded, Ellis extended a courteous dinner invitation to Caden's family, as protocol demanded.

It wasn't until they were safely ensconced in their car that Jaida finally let her carefully maintained facade crumble. “Such a wonderful young woman, and now we'll lose her to another family," she sighed heavily.

When Scarlette had casually mentioned her college romance, Jaida had felt her carefully constructed plans crashing down around her.

Kenji cast a sideways glance at his mother. “Indeed, the cancelation of the engagement should warrant a celebration.”

Jaida was speechless.

Later that evening, Kenji‘s phone buzzed with an invitation from a friend to christen a newly opened bar. Riding high on the wave of his newfound freedom, he readily accepted.

By the time Kenji arrived, twilight had painted the sky in deep purples. He'd shed his daytime propriety along with two buttons of his crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal well-defined arms. The bar's intimate lighting caught the angles of his face, transforming his usual reserved demeanor into something more dangerous and alluring.