Chapter 4 LET'S BREAK THE ENGAGEMENT

"You silly girl, why didn't you wear the dress I sent you? Are you trying to embarrass this family in front of our guest?"

This was the first sentence Eira heard the moment she walked into the main hall, and of course, it was from her ever-loving mother, Vera.

Eira lowered her head to hide the sneer that formed at the corner of her mouth; before she established herself, she didn't want to show off her fangs. It was a bitter truth, but right now, she was as easy to squash as an ant if the Croft family wanted to act against her.

"No, Mother, I wouldn't dare. I tried it on, but I must have mishandled it; it tore on my way here, so I had to change to something else. Apologies!" Eira timidly said, bowing her head in fear as she used to.

"Really," a flicker of displeasure and disappointment flashed through Vera's eyes as she said sourly. She was with Lara on her plan and wanted to see Eira mess up in Paul's presence.

Still not satisfied, Vera opened her mouth once more. "How could you be so dumb? You ruined such a perfect outfit! Do you know how much that outfit cost? Go back and wear it; the maids will fix it ...enough, Vera!" a hit on the mahogany desk followed by a stern voice resounded.

"Vera, stop this stupidity right now. I told you to get her good clothes; where were your eyes? Quickly get her something decent to wear from Lara's closet, and ensure you get her some decent clothes next time." Jake said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"But honey," Vera tried to argue, but Jake's dark glare shut her up. Immediately, she had no choice but to pick a suitable outfit for Eira.

"Follow me," Vera called out to Eira, her voice as sour as aged vinegar.

"Go on, darling. Go and change into something more appropriate, but darling, try not to ruin your clothes next time. Is that alright? I will give you some money for clothes later." Jake smiled at Eira, who nodded happily on the surface, but inwardly, her sneer almost extended to her eyes.

Jake's good daddy act was simply mind-blowing-no wonder he could fool Eira in her previous life. The pace at which he changed sides could put a seasoned backstabber to shame. He was obviously with Vera and Lara on the plan, but the moment he noticed the plan had messed up, he conveniently exonerated himself and even found a way to blame Vera; not only that, but he could even find a way also to blame her and then finally, give her empty promises of new clothes which would never come true-a triple kill method.

Eira smiled warmly as she hopped away with Vera, harboring disdain for Jake in her heart; his stupid tricks would not work on her this time.

As soon as Eira and Vera left, the smile on Jake's face evaporated as a dark light flashed through his eyes. "She seems different," he muttered as she watched Eira departing back.

"Her steps seem more confident; her back is arched well, her face exudes stunningly, and her words are so fluent. Is she really Eira?" Jake frowned, his hands forming a fist.

This era was a stark contrast to the previous era when he was as timid as a mouse and could never speak without glitching or stammering some incoherent words that made him suspicious. Can someone change so much after such a day?

Just as Jake was still pondering, the butler signaled Paul's arrival. Immediately, he tossed Eira out of his mind and personally welcomed Paul.

Who was Eira? Was she worthy of him being suspicious? He thought as he left gingerly.

Unfortunately, in a few years, he would regretfully wonder why he made such a stupid choice now and why he didn't choose to be more careful.

"Here!" Vera came into the room ten times bigger than Eira's room and went straight to the wardrobe; with quick hands, she shoved clothes aside as she looked for the ugly clothes Lara had.

To her disappointment, Lara had no ugly clothes at all, and with a sour face, she picked a light flowery gown and left with it. Eira was waiting outside the room as she could not come anywhere close to Lara's room.

With a glare, she tossed the cloth at Eira before she left to meet her husband; the plan was a total failure; they had to think of something else before Paul came.

Eira smiled, paying Vera no heed as she looked at the soft, flowery dress in her hand. This was her first time touching such good quality clothing, which was smooth and good.

Without much ado, she put on the dress; despite her malnourished figure, the dress still looked good on her, hugging her body tightly.

As Eira twirled around, making the gown spread like a sunflower, her mouth could barely close. She looked forward to Lara's dumbfounded expression when she saw her with her gown. "It would be such a funny sight," Eira said amidst her choked laughter.

"Welcome, welcome." Jake and Vera smiled warmly as they welcomed Paul, who sauntered in like he owned the house.

Next to Paul was a petite and cute lady with dimples on her two cheeks; she had a gentle disposition and looked like a saint. That was, of course, Lara, the younger sister.

Without acknowledging Vera and Jake's greetings, Paul went straight to the head seat, sat down, and even pulled Lara to sit on his lap.

Despite the obvious disrespect, Jake and Vera had no expression except joy; Vera was so close to shouting out in happiness, and Jake was smiling from ear to ear.

You have to know Paul was the only son of the Stoneheart family, one of the four great families in the state. Before, the Croft family was among them, but not anymore, as they were kicked out due to their poor state. To make it back up, they needed to hold on to a big thigh, which was Paul.

Paul, a legitimate only son, was sure to take charge of the Stoneheart family in the future; whoever was lucky to be his wife was sure to be the future Madam Stoneheart. Compared to that chance and honor, his(Jake's) dignity meant nothing to him; he could even call Paul daddy if Paul wanted.

"Where is she?" Paul shouted coldly, his eagle eyes staring coldly at Jake. He had long been displeased with this engagement, but he had no choice as it was a pact by his grandmother and the Croft's grandmother.

As a junior, he couldn't be so brazen as to call off a pact made by people from the previous generation, no matter how displeased he was. He was prepared to marry Eira as a decorative wife while he fooled around until Lara came to him, and he thought of another plan.

He could just marry Lara instead of Eira; after all, Lara was more fun and an intelligent woman who could give him so many pleasures, and he would still obey his grandmother's wishes, the classic killing two birds with one stone move.

"Where is....right here." Eira's voice interrupted Jake. Instantly, all eyes were drawn to Eira, dressed in a flowery red gown. Her hair was let down but was held by a small rope that was not even noticeable; her straight white legs shone like the sun as it naughtily contrasted with the booming red gown on her body.

In an instant, the same thought flashed in everyone's minds. "IS THIS EIRA?"

Just as everyone was flabbergasted, Eira dropped a bomb on them again with her words. "ARE YOU PAUL? IF YOU ARE, LET'S BREAK OUR ENGAGEMENT!"