Chapter 7: Suspicion

Mrs. Rose was taken aback by Bryan's sudden announcement. Everyone fell silent and turned their attention to him. Angeline, who was about to take a sip from her glass, changed her mind and put the glass down, bowing her head, feeling intimidated. "What did you just say?" Mrs. Rose asked. The waiters arrived to serve their breakfast. Angeline was momentarily distracted by the beautifully presented and delicious-looking menu. "Is it not clear enough? It seems you should see a doctor to check your hearing," Bryan replied curtly. This statement clearly infuriated Mrs. Rose and she slammed her hand down on the table. "How can you say that? I arranged your engagement party with Lucy. You should not bring a lowly woman to this morning's gathering!" "I'm the one getting married, aren't I? Didn't you say you wanted a grandchild? Sooner is better, right? I've never attended a meeting like this before, but because there are things you all need to know, I came with my future wife." Bryan turned his gaze toward Angeline, smiling sweetly, and extended his hand. Angeline was extremely nervous, but she slowly accepted Bryan's outstretched hand, which he promptly kissed on the back. This scene surprised everyone as both Angeline and Bryan wore matching couple rings on their ring fingers. Angeline had not realized that the jewelry she wore that day was a symbol of their relationship. Angeline had no idea that the jewelry she was wearing that day was a symbol of their relationship. Mrs. Rose seethed with frustration and could hardly find words to speak. Everyone in the room simply congratulated Bryan on winning his heart. Bryan smiled triumphantly and looked at Mrs. Rose with a mocking expression. "Let's have breakfast now. I'm sure you're all hungry," Bryan said, starting to eat a waffle. Angeline followed suit. Angeline loved the breakfast menu, and she couldn't hide her joy, drawing the attention of Mrs. Rose. As if having a strong instinct, Mrs. Rose began to suspect Angeline, who stood out from the other high-society women. People in the room noticed this as well, even Lucy, who was eating a small piece of her waffle, looked curiously at Angeline, who was finishing her waffles with two large pieces at once. Bryan finished his breakfast and stood up. "We're done here. You can continue with your breakfast meeting. Excuse us," Bryan said and left the room. Angeline was taken aback and hurriedly followed Bryan, even finishing the rest of the fruit juice before rushing to catch up. "Why did you eat so fast? I didn't even finish," Angeline complained as she followed Bryan's hurried pace. As they stood in front of the elevator, Bryan turned around, clearly suppressing his anger. Angeline bumped into Bryan's chest and instinctively took a step back. Seeing Bryan's flushed face and anger, Angeline quickly lowered her head in fear. "Why are you so careless?" Bryan scolded angrily. "I'm sorry," Angeline replied quietly. "Weren't you taught how to eat properly? Why do you have to be so disrespectful?" "What? Lowly? How can you say that?" "Everyone in this room noticed you the moment you walked in. Your every move was watched. And you ruined it the very first day." The elevator doors opened and Bryan stepped inside. Angeline remained silent in her seat. Bryan cleared his throat and brought Angeline back to her senses. She stepped into the elevator, her head still lowered. "Was I too hasty in deciding to marry you? How could you make such a fatal mistake? My God!" Bryan continued to mutter in frustration at Angeline's inadvertent mistake. Angeline was deeply sorry for her mistake. She had been determined to do everything perfectly, but the delicious food had shattered her resolve. "Forgive me. I promise I won't do it again," Angeline said, realizing her mistake. "It's good that you're aware of your mistake. This is the first and the last time. I won't forgive another mistake," Bryan warned sternly. When Bryan arrived home, he didn't get out of the car. He left with his driver, leaving Angeline behind. She watched Bryan's departure with a sense of resignation. During the entire trip, Bryan hadn't said a word to her or even asked her anything. It was as if Angeline was just a puppet to be shown off to the important people in Bryan's life. Meanwhile, Mrs. Rose stayed at the hotel, in the suite she often used. Next to Lucy, Mrs. Rose vented her anger by throwing things around the room. Even Lucy was taken aback by Mrs. Rose's behavior. "How could that insolent child embarrass me like that? Just when I was about to announce your engagement. Yet she announced her marriage first, like that?" Mrs. Rose fumed in anger. "Who is this girl? I've never seen her before. I've followed Bryan everywhere, but he never mentioned her. That's strange," Lucy asked, her suspicions growing about Angeline's sudden appearance among them. "You feel something is wrong too, don't you?" Mrs. Rose replied. "Of course I do. I've been with Bryan all this time and he doesn't even recognize me. But the strange thing is, I've never seen this girl before." Mrs. Rose and Lucy both sensed something was wrong, especially considering Angeline's perceived lack of manners and etiquette. A secretary came in and handed Mrs. Rose a document. "This is information on President Bryan's future bride. Her name is Angeline Felicia, age twenty-five. She has a bachelor's degree in design from California. She is an orphan with no known relatives. Her father was an obscure professor who died ten years ago," Secretary Carla explained. "How did they meet?" Lucy asked curiously. "They met at Angeline's boutique when President Bryan was visiting a client in California a month ago." "A month ago? No wonder they look so awkward as an engaged couple. Are they just pretending?" "Are you sure that's their background?" Mrs. Rose asked, seemingly skeptical of the data. "Yes, we've confirmed it with sources in California-her place of residence, her former campus, everything checks out. President Bryan did indeed visit California a month ago." Mrs. Rose slammed her hand down on the table, still in disbelief but powerless to change the situation. Lucy looked at Mrs. Rose, who seemed to be in deep thought. She seemed panicked and hurriedly approached Mrs. Rose. "What about me? Aunt, you said I was going to marry President Bryan!" "Calm down; I'm thinking!" Mrs. Rose replied.