Chapter 2

The crystal cup in Belen's hand shattered into pieces.

Shards flew everywhere.

"I'm so, so sorry..." Jayde was stunned and immediately crouched down to pick up the shards. Then she hissed in pain.

Lanny quickly pulled her up. He looked at her bleeding fingertips with concern. "Why are you picking up broken glass? I'll ask the servant to clean it up later."

"I'm sorry." Jayde glanced at Belen guiltily. The latter's face was ashen. Jayde said, "I'm really sorry. I accidentally broke your Prestigious Dance Cup."

For those who study classical dance, the Prestigious Dance Cup was the highest honor.

And the cup that belonged to Belen lay in ruins now.

Lanny's brows furrowed slightly as he heard the Prestigious Dance Cup.

He couldn't forget how ecstatic Belen was when she received the trophy. She laughed with tears all night and chattered in his ear for a long time.

He didn't understand dance, but he knew that awards were a form of recognition as a fighter.

"Belen, I really didn't mean to..." Jayde's eyes brimmed with tears as she bent down again to pick up the shattered glass.

The next moment, her collar was grabbed by Belen.

A crisp sound echoed as Belen's hand landed on Jayde's cheek.

A shocking red imprint was left there.

The atmosphere in the spacious living room froze.

"Why are you playing the innocent?" Belen tried to remind herself to stay rational, but the chaos around her and the image where Jayde deliberately bumped into Belen made her furious. "Check the surveillance footage, and we will see if you did it deliberately."

A flash of guilt flickered in Jayde's eyes after she heard Belen's words.

"Enough!" Lanny stood protectively in front of Jayde. He stared coldly at Belen. "It's just a piece of broken glass. Your honor won't disappear just because the trophy is shattered. Is it necessary to be so aggressive?"

Belen lost her words.

She stared at Lanny in front of her and was unable to breathe.

"Jayde didn't do it on purpose. Stop being relentless." Lanny looked tenderly at Jayde's swollen face and was about to slap Belen.

He paused. Blinking his eyes, he slowly took back his hand. He said, "If you dare touch her again, I won't let you off. Get lost."

Belen's eyes burned, and her nose tingled with emotion.

She took a deep breath, dragged her suitcase, and left quickly.

Outside the villa, she realized it was raining heavily.

Belen walked miserably through the rain. She remembered when Lanny had defended her honor at the age of fourteen.

She had won her first major competition in her life that day. She clutched her trophy on the way home, only to be knocked over by a drunken brute.

The trophy shattered on the ground, and the drunk kicked it aside, cursing.

Lanny punched that drunk squarely in the nose.

He carried her on his back. She sobbed as they went back home. He spent the night painstakingly piecing the trophy back together.

Belen could never forget his bloodshot eyes as he proudly handed the trophy to her, saying, "Check it out. You won't find a single trace of breakage."

He had cherished her honor so dearly, but he was now willing to beat her for another woman...

She returned to her rented apartment near campus and was soaked to the bone.

Unfortunately, she caught a high fever from being drenched in the rain and spent two days bedridden.

"Ring-" The doorbell rang.

Before Belen could get up to answer the door, she heard footsteps approaching rapidly.

She weakly lifted her gaze to see Lanny standing over her. His dark eyes were dangerously close to her.

Belen's throat was gripped forcefully by him the next moment. "Where did you hide Jayde?"