Chapter 3

Chloe Hayes’s brows immediately furrowed.

“What happened?” Chloe looked at me, her gaze full of quiet scrutiny.

Before I could open my mouth, Leo cut me off again.

He pointed at me, as if I had subjected him to countless injustices, exaggerating the truth several times over.

“Chloe, I know your family looks down on me, but they really bullied me today.”

“Since you and I are engaged, I’m her brother-in-law. How could she lay a hand on me?!”

I was so angry I couldn’t speak, my chest heaved with fury as I pointed at him.

How could someone be so good at twisting the facts?!

I never would have guessed Leo was like this before.

If I had known this would happen, I would have been the first one to object to his marriage with Chloe!

Leo smirked at me triumphantly, then put on a pitiful act as he spoke to Chloe.

“Chloe, you wouldn’t believe how awful they were today.”

“Your parents gave your sister a huge estate, your grandparents gave her all the company shares, and your maternal grandparents gave her a staggering hundred million dollars.”

“Chloe, you’ve worked so hard managing all the company’s affairs, yet you’re valued less than this kid who knows nothing. I feel it’s so unfair to you.”

Chloe’s furrowed brow finally smoothed out.

She glanced at me, then looked at Leo.

“Is that so?”

“And what exactly did *you* do?”

Leo thought Chloe wanted to hear how he had defended her. He suddenly perked up, his head held high with excitement.

“Chloe, of course I spoke up for you!”

“These people, I don’t think they even see you as family. They completely spoil your sister.”

“She just turned eighteen and gets all these things, while you and I got nothing for our engagement!”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed slightly. She stared at Leo, her gaze turning cold.

“So, you’re the one who angered Grandpa to the point of collapse?”

Leo felt a flicker of danger but still tried to explain himself.

“How could that be, Chloe? I would never scold Grandpa. I just said a few things about your sister.”

“Said she was childish, didn’t know how to help you, and only knew how to spend money.”

“Maybe Grandpa thought I was right, and that’s why he fainted!”

“You’re lying!” I finally couldn’t help but shout, my anger completely overriding my reason. I stepped forward, reaching out to hit him!

“You’re a complete liar! You disrespected Grandpa, and that’s what caused his blood pressure to spike and him to faint!”

“I’ll tear your mouth off!”

But Chloe stopped me with a firm hand. She looked at me, her face grave.

“Stop it!”

A prickle of tears burned my nose. I looked at my sister, feeling utterly wronged.

“Chloe, you’re stopping me for *him*?!”

Chloe ignored me and turned back to Leo.

“So, you said bad things about Lily, which made Grandpa angry and caused him to faint, right?!”

Seeing Chloe protect him, Leo mistakenly thought Chloe felt the same way he did—that our family’s kindness to me was favoritism.

He became even bolder.

“Chloe, I was just speaking the truth.”

“Lily just turned eighteen, what right does she have to own so many things?”

“These gifts are more than ten times what we received for our engagement!”

“I think your family doesn’t see you as true kin! *I’m* the one who loves you most in this world!”