Heaven's Last Heir

7: It Wasn't Me

A young man in his late twenties or early thirties stepped out of the car. He was tall and well-built, dressed in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit. A crisp white shirt showed beneath his jacket, paired with a dark silk tie and polished leather shoes.

His dark hair was neatly styled, not a single strand out of place. His sharp features and deep brown eyes gave him an air of maturity and authority, while the expensive watch around his wrist subtly hinted at his immense wealth.

The moment his gaze landed on Alana, his lips curved into a faint smile. He looked every bit like the distinguished man the Rhodes family had been eagerly waiting for.

"You are finally here."

Alana's cold expression from moments ago disappeared completely. She hurried toward him and affectionately wrapped both arms around his.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," the young man said with a smile.

"It's fine. You're here now."

The couple turned toward the hotel entrance. But after taking only a few steps, the young man suddenly stopped. His gaze had fallen on Jordan. Surprise flashed across his face.

"Jordan?" He stared at him for a moment before asking, "You're here too?"

Jordan's outstretched finger slowly curled into a fist. His eyes became frighteningly still. The air around him grew cold.

The man standing before him was the very person Alana had been praising moments ago? The same man who had orchestrated his downfall. The same man who had framed him as a traitor and stolen everything he had worked for.

Jordan's fingers tightened. Six years ago, Thomas had held Alana captive and threatened her life, forcing him to take the blame for crimes he had never committed.

Yet today, that same man stood here as an honored guest of the Rhodes family. Something was terribly wrong.

Jordan couldn't shake the feeling that there was a much deeper conspiracy behind his downfall.

Could Thomas and Alana have been working together from the very beginning? Could the Rhodes family have also been involved?

His fingers dug into his palms again, drawing blood. Every time he thought he had already endured the greatest pain imaginable, reality found a way to hurt him even more.

The look of surprise on Thomas' face quickly disappeared. He calmly walked toward Jordan with Alana still holding his arm.

"Oh..." He stopped in front of him. "Today is the day you were released from prison."

A faint smile appeared on his face. "How could I forget?"

Jordan stared at Thomas coldly. "You're their honored guest?"

His gaze shifted between the couple. "Does that mean the entire abduction incident back then was staged by the two of you?"

If Alana felt guilty, there was no trace of it on her face. She merely snorted. "Hmph. I don't know what you're talking about."

She turned toward Thomas with a sweet smile. "Tommy, don't bother with this lunatic. Let's go inside."

But Thomas shook his head. He looked at Jordan with a fake expression of concern. "How could I do that?"

"After all..." He deliberately paused. "We share the same blood."

A murderous glint flashed through Jordan's eyes. But Thomas continued as though he hadn't noticed.

"Even though he was expelled from our family, he's still my brother. So, of course, I want my dear brother to witness the most important moment of my life."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring box. Alana's eyes immediately lit up. He turned toward her.

"Alana." He opened the box, revealing a dazzling diamond ring. "I came here today to propose to you in front of everyone."

He lowered himself slightly. "Will you marry me?"

Alana's excitement was impossible to hide.

"Yes..." She eagerly stretched out her left hand. "I'll marry you."

A smile appeared on Thomas' face as he took the ring from the box and slowly slipped it onto her finger. The moment the ring settled into place, the two embraced and shared a kiss.

"Aww!"

Cheers erupted from the Rhodes family. Even several passersby who had stopped to watch began applauding.

Grandmother Rhodes looked as though she could barely hold back tears of joy. "What a blessing! For our family to be joined with the prestigious Hallow family..."

Thomas pulled away from Alana and turned toward the young man who had accompanied him.

"Deputy Kane." He gestured toward the man. "Please present the betrothal gifts."

Darius Kane stepped forward. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man in his early thirties, dressed in a perfectly pressed military uniform. Three golden stars adorned his shoulders, marking his rank. Yet strangely, he carried no gifts. He simply stood there.

Seeing this, the Rhodes family members exchanged confused glances.

"Where are the gifts?"

"Yes. Where are they?"

They had expected to be dazzled by extravagant gifts from the current Vesperan Dragon General.

Even Thomas looked puzzled. Just as he was about to ask, Darius spoke.

"General." His gaze shifted between Thomas and Alana. "I heard that Miss Rhodes was previously engaged to Jordan Hallow."

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

"Is that true?"

Thomas' brows furrowed slightly. Before he could answer, Alana hurriedly spoke.

"No!" She shook her head. "That's not true. You must have heard wrong."

Darius' eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you certain?"

"Yes!" Alana nodded quickly. Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something, she pointed toward Alessia, who had been standing quietly at the side.

"The person who was engaged to Jordan Hallow was my cousin." Her voice became more confident. "It wasn't me."

Jordan and Alessia stared at her in disbelief. For the sake of saving her relationship, she was actually willing to fabricate an entirely different story.

Jordan's lips curled into a cold, humorless smile. He had truly underestimated her. Meanwhile, Alessia's face flushed bright red. She looked like a frightened rabbit caught in the middle of a storm.

"That's not—" She tried to speak. But before she could finish, Grandmother Rhodes' stern voice immediately cut her off.

"Alana is telling the truth." The elderly woman stepped forward and calmly affirmed her granddaughter's lie. "The one I betrothed to Jordan was Alessia, not Alana."

She turned toward Darius with a polite smile. "Please don't misunderstand, Deputy Kane."