Chapter 1

At the engagement party, my fiancée held hands with a young pretty boy and broke off our engagement in front of everyone.

Rosalyn Lockwood sneered, "Landon, being with you suffocates me."

"Only when I am with a young guy like Kayden do I truly feel my heart beating."

I laughed.

Everything she had―was there a single thing not given to her by my family?

Suffocating? Then stop breathing.

Cannot feel your heart beat? Then let it stop!

My younger sister: "Anyone who dares to sign with the Lockwood agency is an enemy of the Mercers!"

My older sister: "Director Cooper, think carefully about the consequences before you hire any Lockwood talent."

My grandmother: "Starting today, cut off all resources to the Lockwood family!"

...

1

On my twenty-fifth birthday, it was supposed to be my engagement party with Rosalyn Lockwood.

Instead, Rosalyn brought Kayden Ross right into the venue.

Watching them act all affectionate made a bitter taste rise in my mouth.

Rosalyn knew very well how much I despised Kayden.

I was a triple-threat A-list celebrity, one of the most sought-after names in the entertainment industry.

Kayden, on the other hand, was just a pretty face scraping by.

Most importantly, he only had a spot because Rosalyn was backing him.

Everyone in high society knew Rosalyn and I were betrothed from birth, an equal match of top-tier families.

Yet, she actually brought Kayden to our engagement gala.

"Rosalyn, why did you bring him here?"

I genuinely could not understand it―was she doing this purely to humiliate me?

Rosalyn smirked, stepped onto the stage, took the microphone, and looked out at the guests.

"Friends, family, and esteemed guests, I am Rosalyn Lockwood. Today was supposed to be the engagement celebration for Landon Mercer and me."

"However, before that, I have an announcement to make."

"Kayden, come up here."

Kayden walked up with a smug smile, stepping directly between Rosalyn and me.

He even nudged me aside.

The two of them were blatantly wearing matching designer outfits.

Meanwhile, standing there, I looked more like an outsider―or a hired emcee.

Kayden linked his arm through Rosalyn's, putting on a sickening display of romance.

Rosalyn smiled brightly. "Everyone, Kayden and I have already pledged our lives to each other."

"As for the engagement between Landon and me, it was just an outdated childhood promise. It doesn't count, and today is the perfect opportunity to call it off."

"This is about my lifelong happiness, and I refuse to live with regrets."

"Of course, Landon and I remain the best of friends, and the Lockwood and Mercer families will always be great partners."

When Rosalyn spoke, she did not consider my feelings for a single second.

She did not respect me at all, declaring this in public.

This was not just a slap in my face; it was a slap in the face to the entire Mercer family.

The Mercers were the most powerful dynasty in this city.

Without our financial backing, the Lockwood family would have gone bankrupt years ago.

Who would have thought they would bite the hand that fed them and humiliate us on such a grand stage?

The moment Rosalyn finished speaking, my mother slammed her hands on the table and stood up.

Rosalyn's mother, Cheryl Lockwood, rushed to smooth things over.

"Mrs. Mercer, please do not be upset. It is just young people's romance, let them handle it themselves."

"Do not worry, the relationship between our two families will not be affected."

"Bullshit! Who do you think you are?" My mother did not give her a shred of face.

My mother walked straight onto the stage and gently lifted my chin.

"Son, do not be afraid. Keep your chin up. With your mother backing you, let's see who dares bully you."

"Now that things are out in the open, we have nothing to hold back."

"Rosalyn Lockwood, you will face every single consequence for what you did today."

Rosalyn shrank back, not daring to challenge my mother directly.

"Mrs. Mercer, this is our personal love life. There is no need for you to interfere, right?"

"Even if the marriage falls through, our business partnership can still continue."

"Besides, I truly love Kayden. Surely you won't be so cruel as to tear true lovers apart?"

My mother let out a sharp, cold laugh.

"Tear you apart? You are not worthy of my effort."

"This banquet hall was booked and paid for by the Mercer family. What gives you the right to stage your cheap romance show here?"

"Since the engagement is off, this is now exclusively my son's birthday party."

"And for this birthday party, not a single member of the Lockwood family is invited."

"You have ten minutes to get out. Otherwise, security will drag you out like trash!"

Unlike me, my mother had a fiery temper.

Besides, the Lockwoods had humiliated her son in public; how could she tolerate that?

Even setting the Mercer empire aside, my mother's maiden family belonged to the elite circle of the capital.

Nobody dared mess with her.

It did not even take ten minutes. Every relative of the Lockwood family scattered in panic.

Not a single one dared to stay.