The engagement day was today, and it was held at the Viggo mansion.
The whole place had been decorated beautifully—white roses along the railings, fairy lights in the trees, elegant table settings that caught the evening light just right. Nothing over the top. Just enough to make the estate feel warm and celebratory.
A huge photo of Daniel and Riley was placed at the entrance. The one that had been taken at the entrance of Rusty Spoon and started the dating rumors weeks ago, since there was no other picture of them together to use. It stood there like a welcome sign, impossible to miss.
Guests arrived dressed elegantly, stepping out of sleek cars in gowns and tailored suits, their voices bright with excitement. The air was lively. Reporters lined the sides of the main hall, cameras rolling, capturing everything for the live broadcast. Since the engagement had been announced so suddenly, only a few guests had been invited—close family, essential faces, no random plus-ones.
At the front of the room, beneath an arch of white roses, sat a small velvet couch. Cream-colored. Elegant. Made for two.
Riley sat alone on the left side, looking glamorous and elegant, her smile wide and genuine. Her white gown pooled around her like water. Her eyes sparkled. She looked like a girl who was about to get everything she'd ever wanted.
The whole family was seated around her—the Viggos on one side, the Sabels on the other. Grandma Sabel sat in a chair, her walking stick in her hand. Grandma Viggo sat across from her, old and sharp and watching everything. The few guests filled the other seats, holding glasses of champagne, waiting for the main event.
Chairman Viggo sat with Olivia beside him, his expression calm but expectant. He signaled to his assistant, Josh—a middle-aged man in a crisp suit who had been with the family for years.
"What's taking that brat so long?" the chairman asked.
Josh hesitated a little. "We've been trying to reach his phone, but it's not going through." He paused. "Maybe he's stuck in traffic."
Chairman Viggo nodded in agreement. He checked his wristwatch. He should be here soon, he thought. He turned to Olivia. "Go keep your daughter-in-law company."
Olivia smiled and left her seat, making her way to where Riley was seated. She sat beside her, patting her head gently.
"Your fiancé will be here soon," Olivia said softly. "He's probably just stuck in traffic."
Riley smiled and nodded. "Yes," she said.
Olivia smiled back before returning to her husband.
An hour passed.
Still no Daniel.
The MC—a famous guy named Marcus Sterling, brought in by the Sabel family—had been doing his best to keep things lively. He'd made jokes. He'd quizzed the guests. He'd told stories and interviewed a few people and done everything in his power to fill the growing silence. But now, an hour in, he was running out of ideas. He stood off to the side, checking his notes, frowning slightly.
Grandma Sabel looked at her friend, wondering what was going on. Her fingers tapped against her walking stick. Her eyes kept drifting to the entrance.
Grandma Viggo was also at a loss. Even she didn't know why her grandson was running late. That bothered her more than she wanted to admit. She called Josh over and sent him to go with a few guards, ordering them to go to Daniel's penthouse and get him here—even if they had to use force.
She looked pissed. And maybe a little sad. She had loved Daniel since he was born, had never really punished him for anything. But now it looked like she might have to. She silently prayed he would obey without putting up a fight.
After seeing that the guards had gone to get Daniel, Grandma Sabel relaxed. When he got here, she would get an explanation out of him. One way or another.
Riley also relaxed her tense muscles. She thought maybe he really was stuck in traffic. But then again, he was Daniel. He was traffic. Getting stuck was... she pushed the thought down.
He'll be here soon, she told herself. He has to be.
The guests, though, were starting to exchange suspicious looks amongst themselves. Nothing loud. Nothing certain. Just quick glances, raised eyebrows, whispered questions between spouses. They couldn't say anything yet—not for sure—but the energy in the room had shifted.
Something was off.
The people sent to get Daniel came back an hour later.
They reported he wasn't home.
"What?" Chairman Viggo stood up abruptly from his chair, his face darkening.
Josh stepped forward. "We even broke into the house," he said. "But he wasn't in."
"Then where the fuck is he?" Chairman Viggo asked.
Josh stared down at the floor, indicating he didn't know.
"Find out where he is at this moment," the Viggo chairman commanded. "Now."
Josh bowed and left quickly.
The guests who had been suspicious earlier started to whisper amongst themselves. The words spread through the room like fire through dry grass.
What's going on?
Did Daniel Viggo actually leave her alone on her engagement day?
This is such a disgrace.
He clearly doesn't love her. She's just forcing herself on him.
Who cares if she's the granddaughter of the Sabel? Daniel still wouldn't want her.
The words reached Riley's ears.
She was fuming inside—but she kept a tearful face on the outside. Her lower lip trembled. Her eyes glistened. She looked at her grandmother with those teary eyes.
Grandma Sabel saw this and turned to her friend. "What's going on with your grandson?" she asked, anger evident in her voice. It was true that they were friends—had been for decades—but her grandson had made her precious granddaughter cry. She wasn't going to be idle about that.
Grandma Viggo didn't know how she was going to explain what she didn't understand herself. She turned to her handmaiden, Abigail. Abigail understood immediately. She pulled out her phone and dialed Daniel's number.
It disconnected immediately.
Again.
And again.
Grandma Viggo stood up to address the guests. Her voice was steady, but there was something heavy in it.
"Everyone!" she called out. "We are sorry to waste your precious time today."
She apologized before turning to her friend. "Don't worry," she said quietly.
But Grandma Sabel was done with apologies. She pounded her stick on the hard ground angrily—the sound echoing through the silent room.
"This is outrageous," she said.
She waved to Riley. "Let's go."
Then she turned and left, her people following behind her. Riley rose from the couch, her white gown trailing behind her, and walked out with tears streaming down her face, not looking back.
The main hall emptied quickly.
Guests filed out in clusters, whispering amongst themselves, their excited energy from earlier replaced with awkward tension. Reporters packed up their cameras, the live stream cutting off as the last of the Sabel party disappeared through the entrance. The string quartet had stopped playing. The champagne glasses sat half-full on tables. The fairy lights still blinked, but they seemed sad now—like decorations at a party no one wanted to be at anymore.
Soon, everyone was cleared out.
Only the Viggos remained.
Grandma Viggo stood in the middle of it all, shaking with anger. Her hands trembled at her sides. Her jaw was clenched so tight it looked like it might crack. Eighty years she had lived. Eighty years of navigating power and politics and family drama. And now her own grandson had humiliated her in front of everyone.
Olivia saw how angry the matriarch was and moved quickly. Her expression was soft and concerned as she slid her hand under Grandma Viggo's arm.
"Mum, please sit down," Olivia said gently. "Calm down. You shouldn't be standing for a long time—it'll take a toll on you."
She helped guide the older woman back into her chair, patting her shoulder like a devoted daughter. Olivia felt a quiet satisfaction inside—this was her moment, looking like the caring one while Daniel was out there fucking everything up—but her face showed nothing but concern.
She glanced at Chairman Viggo, hoping for some sign of approval. He wasn't looking at her. His eyes were fixed on the entrance, waiting.
Just then, Josh came back.
He stepped into the hall quietly, but everyone noticed. His face was pale. His shoulders were tense. He looked like a man who knew he was about to deliver bad news and was already bracing for the fallout.
He saw everyone's faces—Grandma Viggo's fury, Chairman Viggo's cold anger, Olivia's worried expression—and wondered if he should even speak. Maybe he could pretend he hadn't found anything.
But the chairman saw him hesitating.
"Speak," Chairman Viggo commanded. His voice was low, but it cut through the silence like a knife.
Josh swallowed hard.
The room went completely still.