Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Getting Married on the Same Day as the Ex-Boyfriend

The video had been taken a few days before Wendy Winters’s birthday. Vincent Reed had asked her where the best place to propose in Aethelgard was, and at the time, she’d genuinely thought he was planning to propose to her.

She loved the rooftop café at the Nebula Grand Hotel, a popular venue for banquets and celebrations.

After work, Yvonne Sutton had gone there specifically to film a video to show Vincent Reed.

By a stroke of bad luck, she’d run into Wendy Winters having coffee with a friend, and that’s how Wendy ended up in the shot.

"I just heard you asking the manager if they could host a proposal dinner?"

"Is Vincent going to propose to you?"

"Hah. You wish."

"Want to make a bet? My birthday’s in a few days. Let’s see if Vincent proposes to you, or to me."

At the time, Yvonne Sutton had found Wendy Winters’s provocation laughable.

Vincent Reed had asked her, his girlfriend, about it. ’Would he really propose to someone else? There are limits to how much you can insult a person’s intelligence.’

She had ignored Wendy Winters and continued filming the scenery in the distance.

’Above her was a vast, starry sky, and in the distance, the lights of a thousand homes twinkled. And soon, she would pull back her gaze to see the person she loved most. How romantic.’

But then Wendy Winters had barged into her shot again and spouted that bizarre nonsense.

As it turned out, Wendy Winters’s confidence hadn’t been misplaced. It was her own self-assurance that was truly laughable.

Yvonne Sutton took back her phone and looked at Vincent Reed. He was staring intently at the table, as if the phone were still there, the video still playing.

’To think that in Wendy Winters’s eyes, he was just a car. He probably never could have imagined that himself.’

"I only posted a photo, not this video. I’ve already shown you both plenty of decency, so don’t be shameless," Yvonne Sutton said coldly.

Vincent Reed remained frozen in that position for a long time, until Leo Flynn clapped him on the shoulder.

"Vincent, just clear things up for Yvonne. This whole thing will blow over."

At that, Vincent Reed looked up and shot Yvonne Sutton a cold glare, then leaned back against the sofa. He lowered his gaze for a long moment before letting out a laugh.

"So, you actually thought I was planning to propose to you?"

Yvonne Sutton looked at the mockery plastered all over Vincent Reed’s face and said nothing.

"Where did you get that kind of confidence?"

He looked at her again. "I always thought you were pretty down-to-earth. Turns out you’re this clueless. Were you actually delusional enough to think you could marry me and become the Young Madam of the Reed Family?"

"You?"

Yvonne Sutton shook her head. "Before, the only reason I wanted to marry you was because I loved you."

"Hah. You think anyone would believe that?"

"I thought you would."

Vincent Reed grabbed a bottle of liquor, violently twisted off the cap, and chugged several mouthfuls. When he looked at Yvonne Sutton again, a turbulent, complex emotion was desperate for release, but seeing her placid expression, he could only suppress it.

"Delete that video."

Yvonne Sutton took a deep breath and sat down on the sofa. "Fine. But first, I need you to clear my name and guarantee the hospital won’t suspend me."

"I can make sure you’re not suspended, but I won’t clear your name."

"Then there’s nothing to discuss. My account may be banned, but I can register a new one or use a friend’s. Oh, right, someone also suggested I send it straight to the paparazzi."

Vincent Reed picked up the liquor bottle and took another hard swig. "You know, you could just negotiate with me."

"I don’t need to."

"What about your parents’ house? You don’t want that anymore?"

Yvonne Sutton’s expression froze when she heard this.

He was admitting that he had her parents’ house.

"Back then, you had a falling out with your family and had nowhere to go but my place. You said you wanted to start a business to make your family see you in a new light, so I sold my parents’ house and scraped together a million for you."

Vincent Reed nodded. "And that’s why I bought the house back long ago. I was originally planning to give it to you."

"Then why did you hide it from me for all these years?"

"Why?" Vincent Reed thought for a moment. "No reason. I just forgot, or wasn’t in the mood."

"Vincent Reed!"

"Now that we’ve broken up, if you want to just take that house from me for free, you’ve got to give me something in return. I only have this one small request: delete the video, and don’t go online to argue or defend yourself. Just wait for the gossip to die down on its own."

Yvonne Sutton let out a humorless laugh. She had once traded her parents’ house for a spear to help him conquer his territory.

But now that his career was stable, that same spear was being turned to pierce her heart.

And because the attack came from the man who had shared her bed for eight years, it was unerringly precise.

Yvonne Sutton unlocked her phone, deleted the video right in front of Vincent Reed, then took out the one-million-yuan check Wendy Winters had given her and pushed it toward him.

Vincent Reed pushed it back. "I can’t give you the house right now."

"But you just promised..."

"I promised I’d give it to you, but how can I be sure you won’t start spouting nonsense online after you get it?"

"Then when?"

"On the day Wendy and I get married, I suppose. Consider it a wedding favor."

Yvonne Sutton laughed. "A wedding favor for me. How generous of you."

"Don’t mention it."

"So when are you getting married? Is the date set?"

Vincent Reed nodded. "My family is rushing us. The sixth day of the ninth lunar month, about a month from now. It’s supposed to be an auspicious day."

"Fine. That day it is."

Yvonne Sutton picked up a bottle of baijiu, twisted off the cap, and leaned over to clink it against the bottle in Vincent Reed’s hand. "Congratulations."

Then she took several large gulps before walking out, bottle in hand.

Seeing that something was off with Yvonne Sutton, Leo Flynn quickly chased after her. She hadn’t left the bar, though; she’d just sat down at the counter.

"Joshua, you go check on him inside. I’ll stay with Yvonne," Leo Flynn called out to Joshua Hale.

Joshua Hale was busy, but he went to Vincent Reed’s private room anyway.

Leo Flynn sat down next to Yvonne Sutton and asked the bartender for a glass.

"Yvonne, pour me a glass," Leo Flynn said, pushing his own glass toward her.

Yvonne Sutton turned to look at Leo Flynn and smiled. "I want to get drunk tonight."

"Huh?"

"My heart still hurts... so much..."

Her own deep love from the past had wounded her. Deeply.

Leo Flynn pressed his lips together, pulled his glass back, and ordered another bottle of baijiu from the server.

"I’ll drink with you." Leo Flynn clinked his bottle against Yvonne Sutton’s. "Here’s to a happy breakup, Yvonne."

"Thanks. I’ll take that happiness."

When Joshua Hale emerged from the private room, supporting a dead-drunk Vincent Reed, he saw Yvonne Sutton stumbling toward the exit.

He hurried to support her, then glanced at Leo Flynn at the bar, who was already passed out on the counter.

This was giving him a massive headache. He had no choice but to get all three of them home separately.

"Right, Yvonne Sutton, where did you move to?"

"Seacliff Villa."

"Huh? You’re still living at Vincent Reed’s place?"

Yvonne Sutton shook her head, pushed Joshua Hale away, and walked out by herself.

"You’re drunk, let me give you a ride!" Joshua Hale hurried after her.

"No need. Someone’s coming to pick me up."

A gust of cold wind sobered Yvonne Sutton up slightly. Mr. Webb had already gotten out of a car and was holding the door for her.

Just as she was about to get in, Joshua Hale grabbed her arm.

"You’d get into a stranger’s car?"

"He’s not a stranger. He’s Mr. Webb."

Mr. Webb quickly took out his phone and showed him the message Yvonne Sutton had sent him half an hour ago.

After confirming it was from Yvonne Sutton, Joshua Hale didn’t stop her any longer.

He had just assumed Yvonne Sutton had called for a rideshare, but a Bentley seemed a bit extravagant for that.

In the car, Yvonne Sutton rubbed her stomach, which was churning uncomfortably from all the drinking.

Just then, Mr. Webb handed her a warm cup of millet porridge. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Mr. Shaw instructed me to buy this for you, Miss Sutton. He said it can help with the stomach discomfort from drinking."

Yvonne Sutton took a couple of sips, and her stomach immediately felt much better.

Perhaps because the porridge had tempered the effects of the alcohol, she suddenly remembered something.

Half an hour ago, she hadn’t just messaged Mr. Webb to pick her up; she had also sent a message to Wyatt Shaw.

"Let’s get married on the tenth day of the ninth."