There was a time Allan would have gladly paid three billion just to be free of Adah. Now, even if he threw in three hundred billion, it wouldn’t be enough to make Ava return to him. The situation was utterly hopeless.

The longer Allan dwelt on it, the deeper his regret became. In frustration, he dug his fingers into his hair, pulling at it roughly. Heartbreak had already stripped him of his polished exterior, leaving nothing but a wreck in its place. Now, he seemed completely unraveled, lost in a spiral of self-loathing.

As Allan’s composure fell apart, Merlin and Manley finally connected the dots and exchanged glances, a wave of sympathy passing between them.

“Unbelievable.” Manley shook his head in disbelief. “Adah, the so-called plain bumpkin, and Elliana really are a perfect pair. Both gorgeous, but they went to such lengths to look hideous. What a bizarre way to bond.”

Merlin chimed in thoughtfully, “Elliana’s disguise made sense. She needed to keep the Jones family and her enemies off her trail. But who exactly was Adah hoping to deceive by making herself look so ordinary?”

The question lingered in the air, and both Merlin and Manley turned to fix their gaze on Allan. Their looks said everything. The truth was clear, and it was obvious that Adah had gone to all that trouble just to fool Allan. She had never wanted anything to do with Allan. To break off their engagement, she had done everything possible to make herself unappealing, certain that it would drive him away.

Allan felt their stares cut straight through him, wounding his pride far more deeply than anything Cole had experienced. Realizing Adah had deliberately made herself unattractive just to escape him felt like a thousand sharp blades tearing into his heart. Was he truly so unbearable that she’d resort to such extremes—hiding behind an ugly exterior—just to get rid of him?

Merlin’s and Manley’s sympathy for Allan lasted only a moment. Just as quickly, they swapped concern for open amusement at his expense.

Allan might have presented himself as a polished gentleman, but underneath, he carried a sense of superiority and a certain coldness. He had always dismissed women who chased after him, finding them tedious and beneath his notice. Through all those years, Ava was the only woman who ever truly held his interest.

? : gν

Now, fate had turned the tables. The very woman Allan had tried so hard to cast aside—his former fiancée—was the one he had hopelessly fallen for. It was poetic chaos. Ultimately, he had earned every bit of it. This disaster was of his own making.

With that in mind, Merlin and Manley didn’t bother to console Allan. Instead, their curiosity about Adah won out.

Manley turned to Merlin and said, “You know, when Allan and I first crossed paths with Ava back in Podgend, she left quite an impression. She was breathtakingly beautiful, incredibly clever, bold, and full of attitude.”

That caught Merlin’s attention. “Spill all the details. I want the story.”

Manley launched into a vivid retelling of the encounter—how Allan had rear-ended Adah’s car, gotten thoroughly chewed out, and even had an expensive watch snatched right off his wrist.

Merlin couldn’t contain his laughter. He shot Allan a teasing grin. “Honestly, I bet she was thinking, ‘Wow, this guy again? I already swindled three billion out of him when we called off the engagement, and now he’s serving himself up on a silver platter. Might as well take the watch as a tip!'”

.

.

.