Chapter 1: Have you seen my fiance?

Closia.

R&C Hotel.

Tonight, one of Closia's noble families, the Parfitt family, is hosting a banquet here.

Although the Lawrence family's influence has declined, Joanna Lawrence still attends the party with her fiance, David Benington, as the fiancee of the young master of Benington Group.

It's midsummer.

The Gardenias downstairs are in full bloom, and a breeze brings up wafts of their fragrance.

Having had a bit too much to drink, Joanna Lawrence stands on the balcony outside the hall, soaking up the breeze for a while before her head starts to clear.

Upon returning to the hall, she doesn't see David Benington.

Annie Lawrence, who had accompanied them, is also nowhere to be found.

She searches everywhere, takes out her phone and calls David, but he doesn't answer after a long time.

She then calls Annie's phone, but again nobody picks up after a long time.

Joanna Lawrence looks down at her phone, her face slightly changing.

She suddenly recalls that when David came to pick her up at the Lawrence house earlier tonight, she had gone downstairs after changing clothes, only to see David and Annie talking intimately on the sofa, sitting very close to each other.

Annie even stretched out her arm to embrace David's arm.

Thinking of this, her face turns a little pale.

She asks a waiter, "Excuse me, have you seen my fiance? His surname is Benington, and this is his photo."

Joanna Lawrence turns the photo she took of David on her phone for the waiter to see.

The waiter takes a glance and looks up at her with a somewhat strange expression, seemingly tinged with pity, "Are you referring to this gentleman? I believe I saw him heading that way."

*

In the hotel courtyard.

Under a large tree by the swimming pool.

Warm lighting casts a faint layer upon the ground, as a familiar pair of entwined figures embrace beneath the tree.

"David..."

The woman's voice is soft, gentle, and seductive, her delicate white arms wrapped around the man's neck, as she nestles against him like a vulnerable little bird.

The man seems somewhat wary, glancing around before pushing her away a little.

But the woman quickly closes the distance again.

"David, why did you push me away..."

As David looks over in Joanna's direction, she quickly steps behind cover.

She hears David say, "Annie, you said you had a surprise for me earlier, what is it?"

Annie's voice is as sweet as honey, tinged with a hint of shyness, speaking softly, "David, I'm pregnant."

For a moment, Joanna Lawrence feels as if struck by lightning.

She stares wide-eyed with shock, her face turning deathly pale in an instant.

"What?!" David looks equally surprised, "What did you say?"

"David, I'm pregnant!" Annie rushes into his arms, hugging him with a face full of happiness, "I'm carrying our baby. You'll be a father soon, are you happy?"

David lowers his head, his face a mix of astonishment and furrowed brows, "When did this happen?"

"About a month ago."

Annie leans against David, lifts her head slightly, and casts a glance toward where Joanna is hiding.

With a subtle curl of her lips, a cold glint in her eyes, and a provoking hint of a smile, she continues, "That day, when Joanna went to the film crew for shooting, we did it on the bay window at your place."

A month ago, when she went for the film shooting?

Joanna Lawrence's body sways, and she feels a sudden wave of dizziness.

That bay window at David's house...

She used to love lying there reading books.

At the thought of this, her stomach churns.

Annie says something else, but Joanna can't make out a single word.

Her mind goes blank.

After a while, she suddenly hears David say, "Let's go, it's time to head back. We've been away too long, she might get suspicious."