[ALERION CITY. EDEN ROYALTY HEADQUARTERS].“So you're saying I received an invitation to attend the engagement party of Loveth Hallfield and Michael Wheeler?” Dean asked with a surprise expression on his face.“Yes Sir, the young lady personally delivered the invitation card herself.” Clarice said. She knew the history between Dean and the Hallfields.*[BYERS CITY – HALLFIELD FAMILY MANSION]The Hallfield mansion was alive with movement.Wedding planners moved in and out with fabric samples. Assistants carried folders stacked with guest profiles. Designers adjusted floral arrangements in the grand hall as if the engagement party were a royal coronation.Matthew Hallfield sat at the head of a long dining table, a printed guest list spread before him.Loveth sat across from him, elegant as always, flipping through a leather-bound planner.“This is not just an engagement,” Matthew said firmly. “It is a declaration.”Loveth nodded. “Of course.”Matthew adjusted his glasses.“The Wheelers

The city of Alerion did not sleep easily that night.Too many powerful people were preparing for the same event.What should have been a simple engagement celebration had quietly turned into something far more complicated.A gathering of rivals.A stage for pride.And possibly… a battlefield for reputations.[HALLFIELD FAMILY MANSION]The dining hall was brightly lit as members of the Hallfield family gathered around the long polished table.Matthew Hallfield sat at the head, reviewing the final guest list.His sharp eyes moved slowly across each name.Loveth sat beside him, calmly sipping tea while pretending not to care about the long discussion.But she listened carefully to every word.Matthew adjusted his glasses.“Everything must be perfect tomorrow night,” he said firmly. “This engagement will determine the future of our family.”Loveth sighed softly.“Grandfather, it’s just a party.”Matthew looked up sharply.“No,” he said. “It’s a statement.”He tapped the guest list.“Bank

Dean sat upright on his bed, breathing slowly as the last fragments of the dream faded from his mind.The ballroom.The chandeliers.The whispers.Loveth standing in that emerald dress.And the entire city is watching him.He rubbed his forehead and exhaled.“So that was a dream…”For a few seconds, he simply sat there in silence. The room around him was dim, illuminated only by the soft light of the bedside lamp.The clock on the wall read 5:12 AM.Very early.But Dean knew he wouldn’t be sleeping again.He swung his legs off the bed and stood up.As he walked toward the large window, he looked out at the quiet skyline of Alerion City. The sun had not risen yet, but the city lights still glittered faintly in the distance.His expression slowly hardened.“A dream, huh…”He remembered the last moment clearly.In the dream, the engagement party had already happened.Everything had unfolded too smoothly.Too perfectly.Dean crossed his arms.“The system is warning me to move carefully.”

The night air outside the Grand Meridian Hotel felt colder than usual.Dean stepped out of the building without looking back. Behind him, the golden lights of the ballroom still shone brightly, but the noise of the party had faded into distant echoes.Philip walked beside him with his hands in his pockets.For a few moments, neither of them spoke.Then Philip finally let out a long breath.“Well,” he said slowly, “that was… brutal.”Dean stopped near the black sedan waiting for them at the curb.Philip leaned against the car and shook his head.“I’ve attended many humiliations in my life, Dean. But what you did there tonight…”He chuckled.“That was legendary.”Dean remained calm.He looked up at the city lights glowing across the skyline.“I didn’t do it to humiliate anyone.”Philip raised an eyebrow.“Oh really?”Dean finally glanced at him.“I did it to close a chapter.”Philip studied his friend’s face carefully.There was no anger.No bitterness.Just quiet certainty.Philip nodd

The cold night air hung heavy over the quiet street.Under the bright headlights of the surrounding vehicles, the situation had changed completely.Just moments ago, the six men who blocked the road believed they had control.Now they were the ones surrounded.Armed security personnel stood around them in a tight circle, their expressions cold and professional. The men moved with quiet discipline, their weapons lowered but ready.The leader of the six men slowly turned his head, looking around at the vehicles that had appeared from the darkness.His earlier confidence had vanished.Philip folded his arms and let out a low whistle.“Well… that escalated quickly.”Dean stood calmly beneath the streetlight, his hands in his pockets.The man finally looked back at him.“You… planned this?”Dean answered simply.“I prepare for possibilities.”Philip grinned.“That’s his polite way of saying yes.”The leader clenched his jaw.“You think this changes anything?”Dean tilted his head slightly.