1. 48. Engaged No More (Part 1)

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There was an indoor café atop a high-rise building overlooking a vast lake in the city's downtown area. The restaurant is two stories tall, with the entire first floor being an open-concept, bright space that caters to customers by reservation. The second floor is an exclusive private area for secret and confidential meetings.

No ordinary person can afford to reserve the second floor, as a bidding war is held every month to reserve a room for a duration ranging from one month to a full year. Prices continuously increase compared to the previous amount, as these kinds of meeting places are trending among the rich younger generations.

In one of these private rooms, a middle-aged man was reading a file of papers while conversing with someone on the phone. Another middle-aged man stood next to him.

The man sitting at the multi-chair rectangular table was Wang Defu, the father of Wang Haoran. His assistant, who was standing next to him, was reviewing the end report from the private detective Wang Defu had hired to monitor Wang Haoran and the people close to him.

They were currently on the phone with the detective as Wang Defu scanned the evidence that had been emailed to him, though his assistant had printed the documents out of habit.

Zhou Chun reserved the place for Liu Leah to use for a year. Today, three people, including their personnel and family, could come and go from this place for just one day. Besides Liu Leah and her parents, Wang Defu and Wang Haoran were permitted to use this room before, during, and after the dissolution of their engagement for this specific day.

Leah was scheduled to have lunch here, accompanied by Zhou Chun and Zed, but currently, it was one hour before lunchtime. The invitation for the meeting to dissolve the engagement had already been sent by Zhou Chun to Wang Defu as soon as Leah asked Zhou Chun to do so after her hospital discharge.

Wang Defu scheduled an earlier appointment with his son to strategize on preventing the cancellation of the engagement. However, as soon as he sat down to wait for Wang Haoran, the hired private detective contacted him and emailed some confidential files.

The place was equipped with a printer, so the assistant was able to provide Wang Defu with the printed output of the digital evidence. Wang Defu heaved a sigh of relief after reading the papers and speaking with the detective.

He tended to arrive thirty minutes early for every appointment or meeting, so no other people were inside the private room besides them. He is not concerned about the security and privacy of the area since even government officials use this place for off-the-record discussions. Well, according to rumors, anyway.

"Thank you. My assistant will send the promised bonus," Wang Defu said before ending the call.

He handed the papers to his assistant to be stowed away with the other evidence they had received.

"Did you contact the other two agencies to confirm?" Wang Defu asked, not looking at his assistant while enjoying his coffee and gazing at the lustrous lake outside.

They had hired three private detective agencies to monitor Wang Haoran, and the same went for his other two sons.

"Yes, President. They are all reporting the same findings as the one we just received," the assistant confidently replied.

He took out two additional manila folders and presented them like an offering to Wang Defu. After his explanation, he secured all the paper copies in his attaché case and locked it.

Ring– Ring–

The assistant's phone suddenly rang. "Wang Defu's assistant speaking," answered the assistant.

"Of course, I will let him know. Goodbye." This assistant was one of many talented individuals Wang Defu had recruited when he was younger, different from the ones he had dismissed the other day. This assistant and the one from yesterday always covered for each other to ensure that Wang Defu's schedule flowed consistently.

"President, Wang Haoran and Zhao Bolin are on their way here now," the assistant reported respectfully.

"Hmmm."

After a few minutes, someone rang the lobby doorbell. Both men inside looked at the door.

The assistant walked over and pressed the button on the other side of the doorbell connected to the outside. "Who is it?" he asked, then released the button.

"It's us, Wang Haoran and Zhao Bolin," Zhao Bolin's voice was heard, and his face appeared on the small screen attached to the door, which was connected to the doorbell.

Wang Defu nodded at his assistant, who turned around in his direction after confirming the identities of the people behind the door.

Click—

The assistant opened the door from the inside, and he gestured for the guests to enter.

"Come in," he said.

"Thank you," Zhao Bolin replied while Wang Haoran merely glanced at the assistant and walked straight inside.

Standing in front of Wang Defu, Wang Haoran greeted him, "Good morning."

"Good morning. Have a seat," Wang Defu replied, and Wang Haoran complied.

Zhao Bolin stood next to him, mimicking Wang Defu's assistant.

"There are plenty of chairs here. Why does he have to stand like a butler? Now, I have to do the same," Zhao Bolin complained silently, his fake smile transparent to even a child.

Mr. Cao, Wang Defu's current assistant, noticed and immediately read Zhao Bolin's thoughts. Without revealing his thoughts, he smiled politely at the two and remained standing next to Wang Defu.

"Still a child," he silently appraised Zhao Bolin and Wang Haoran.

Wang Haoran had barely settled into his chair when he heard his father say, "Good job."

"You heard?" Wang Haoran asked, his expression questioning.

Wang Defu looked at his son, scrutinizing him for anything unusual.

He smiled and nodded. "Was it induced, or was it because of the accident?"

Wang Haoran looked down, trying to hide his emotions. His fists clenched under the table. Clearly, he was distraught, and everyone in the room had some idea of the cause.

"It was the accident that took their lives."

Hearing this, Wang Defu leaned back in surprise.

"Lives?"

There was a silence in the room for a minute or two.

He sipped the second freshly brewed coffee that Assistant Cao had brought him at some point.

"Do not worry about it. You can have as many as you want with the right person," Wang Defu advised after setting down the cup of coffee. He just could not understand his son. Everything was given to him on a silver platter, but he seemed to be throwing it away.

"Is he taking Liu Leah and me for granted? Did he get everything too easily?" Wang Defu thought.

He then looked deeply at his son. At that moment, he decided what to do about his relationship with Wang Haoran.

Wang Defu sighed. "It was not an easy decision. This is his last chance."

Ever since he learned about Wang Haoran's activities two months ago, Wang Defu had been planning what to do. He just finalized his decision now.

The private room was so silent that a pin drop could be heard if one listened closely.

Click–

Wang Defu had just finished taking a sip of his coffee. "You know what to do when Liu Leah arrives?" he asked nonchalantly while he gazed at the lake.

"Yes, father."

"Hmm, I hope you do the right thing."

Wang Haoran looked up at his father, furrowing his brows as he tried to understand Wang Defu's sudden change in demeanor.

He was confused at this moment. "Is that it?" he wondered.

You couldn't blame him for being confused. Wang Defu had been intense and agitated just yesterday, acting as if he were about to commit a murder, and now he seemed indifferent.

Both Wang Haoran and Zhao Bolin were taken aback. This was the first time they had seen a calm Wang Defu.

Usually, when they met him, he either seemed like a demon about to erupt in anger or appeared disappointed, like a ten-year-old whose ice cream had been stolen.

Beep–

Ding–

Both Assistant Cao and Zhao Bolin's phones buzzed with notifications simultaneously.

"Liu Leah is on her way here," they announced in unison.

They exchanged glances.

"Ahem."

Wang Defu drew the attention of all the men in the room. He took out his phone and silenced it.

"I suggest you all switch your phones to silent before we have lunch," he said.

Everyone took out their phones and silenced them. However, that wasn't all.

Assistant Cao took out three more phones and two tablets.

Zhao Bolin produced four additional phones, two tablets, and a laptop.

Wang Haoran took out one spare phone and the one he used for a video call with Li Mei. The screen was black, but it was still receiving video and sound from Wang Haoran's side. He only silenced it so Li Mei could still hear what was happening in the room, but she could only see the ceiling after the phone was placed on top of the table. All three of Wang Haoran's phones were stacked on the table, with the video call phone on top.

Click–

The door opened without warning from the outside. Zed entered, holding the door open for Liu Leah and Zhou Chun before closing it behind them.

Liu Leah walked in with a smile, nodding at the men inside. She approached Wang Haoran, noticed the stacked phones in front of him, and raised an eyebrow.

Everyone else had tucked away their electronic devices after silencing them, except for Wang Haoran.

Leah then turned her gaze to Wang Defu and greeted him.

After the greeting, she did not sit down but spoke clearly.

"Gentlemen, I am here to announce that I, Liu Leah, will step away from the agreed engagement between the Liu and Wang families," she said, looking Wang Defu and Wang Haoran in the eyes with a serious tone.

"You all know there was no signed agreement for this engagement, but rest assured that all business deals between the two families will continue until the end of their terms. However, I cannot guarantee anything about future agreements."

She immediately turned around and walked away, intending to leave.

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