Chapter 2Three Years After I Disappeared, My Boyfriend Got Engaged to the Love of His Life—but My Brother’s Words Shattered Him

Alex Pierce, the rising star of the business world, had just gotten engaged to Lila Hayes, the daughter of a powerful tycoon. The engagement party was extravagant, attended by the most influential figures in Belmont City.

As the night went on, guests toasted the couple, their congratulations ranging from heartfelt to blatantly insincere.

Alex remained cordial, thanking everyone as he scanned the room, his sharp eyes searching for someone.

When he didn’t find what—or rather, who—he was looking for, his expression darkened. With a cold sneer, he broke the silence.

“Where’s Emma Reed? Why isn’t she here? She’s never been one to miss a chance to make a scene. Did she finally grow up and decide to behave, or is she sulking somewhere, planning something big? Or maybe,” he said with a mocking laugh, “she’s too much of a coward to face me?”

The room fell silent.

Every guest froze, their eyes darting between each other. There were those who didn’t know the truth, those who smirked at the drama, and those who looked at him with pity.

Lila, clinging to Alex’s arm, gave him a soft, reassuring smile.

“She’s young,” Lila said gently, her voice sweet and soothing. “Probably off on another one of her adventures. We sent her the invitation weeks ago—maybe she forgot because she’s traveling.”

That only made Alex’s expression darker. His jaw tightened, and his hand gripped his glass so hard it was a miracle it didn’t shatter.

His voice was cold as ice.

“If she doesn’t want to come, fine. It’s better this way. She’d only ruin the evening anyway.”

The tension in the room was suffocating, the silence deafening—until a deep, steady voice cut through it like a blade.

“She’s not coming.”

Alex turned sharply, locking eyes with the speaker.

For the first time in years, I saw my brother, Noah Reed.

The man who had always been stoic and composed now looked at Alex with pure disdain.

“What do you mean, she’s not coming?” Alex asked, his voice faltering for the first time. There was fear in his eyes—fear that he didn’t understand, or didn’t want to face.

Noah’s gaze was unwavering. His words were slow, deliberate.

“She’s dead.”

The glass in Alex’s hand slipped through his fingers, shattering against the floor.

His lips moved, but no sound came out. His throat bobbed as he tried to speak, but all he managed was a hoarse whisper.

“Impossible. This is just another one of her games. She’s always been a liar.”

Noah, clearly irritated, clapped his hands once, the sound sharp and commanding.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

Before Alex could respond, the doors to the ballroom burst open.

A group of men in black suits stormed in, their faces cold and unreadable. Without hesitation, they began smashing everything in sight.

The carefully arranged champagne tower toppled, shards of glass and golden liquid spilling across the floor. The once-pristine venue descended into chaos as guests screamed and scrambled to get away.

The wives of wealthy businessmen, who usually prided themselves on their elegance, were now tripping over each other, slipping on the wet tiles as they fled.

In the middle of the chaos, Alex stood frozen, his brows furrowed in disbelief.

He didn’t trust Noah’s words, but he also didn’t dare challenge them.

Lila, her carefully curated composure slipping, glared at Noah with barely concealed rage.

“What the hell are you doing?” she shouted, her voice shrill. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? This is my engagement party!”

Noah’s smile was cold, his eyes darkening.

“Miss Hayes,” he said, his voice low and menacing, “don’t you know exactly what I mean?”