Chapter 183: Truly Fell in Love With Her

With all misunderstandings cleared up, Harrison regained his usual calm and wisdom. Still, he wasn’t happy about Frederick’s engagement to Claire today.

“I don’t have a choice, Harrison. All these years, we still haven’t found my mother’s whereabouts. Do you think I have any options when it comes to Nathan?”

“Unless I actually win the presidential election and take control of Nathan’s power base, I’ll never have a choice in this life.” Frederick let out a bitter laugh. He didn’t want to be engaged to Claire either.

Harrison stood silently by the second-floor window after hearing Frederick’s words, watching the crowd swirling through the courtyard below, saying nothing more. Frederick, too, fell into silence.

After what felt like an eternity, Harrison spoke again.

“Alright.” With just that single word, he turned and left.

“Harrison, thank you.”

Chapter 183: Truly Fell in Love With Her

The friend’s unwavering support over the years, given without any thought of turning back.

Finally, the engagement between Frederick and Claire was announced at the party.

“What a perfect match they make!”

“They’re truly made for each other—both from such good families!” The banquet hall buzzed with well-wishes from every corner. The scene was picture-perfect, filled with warmth and celebration.

Yet, both Frederick and Claire, the stars of the show, were lost in their thoughts. Standing on stage, Claire felt dizzy as the congratulations washed over her. It was the moment she’d dreamed of since childhood, but never did she imagine it would come about like this. She knew Frederick had a thousand reasons to get engaged to her, but not a single one of them was love. Though she’d steeled herself for this when the moment actually arrived, she wasn’t as strong as she’d thought she’d be. Her fists were tightly clenched as she fought back the hot tears threatening to fall.

Chapter 183: Truly Fell in Love With Her. Ha, no!

It was just the sudden realization of a long-held dream that made her feel this way. It was like how some people spend their whole lives dreaming of owning their own home. Or how wealthy collectors desperately chase after that one limited-edition figurine that’s no longer in production. When that dream finally comes true, they’d probably exactly feel like she did now.

As for Frederick, his mind kept circling back to Harrison’s confrontational questions from earlier. He looked at Claire beside him, repeatedly asking himself one thing: Had he genuinely fallen in love with this woman? What a joke—as if that could ever happen! He had never liked Claire since childhood, and even more so after she caused Anna’s death.

Ever since Harrison saw Anna’s photo on Frederick’s phone and analyzed everything with him, he’d been scanning the party for any sign of Arthur. But Arthur never showed up, not even once.

The party finally wrapped up around ten that night. Frederick, Claire, Nathan, Jane, and all the other guests filtered out of the venue.

Not far away, Arthur reclined in the back of a black SUV, silently watching as everyone departed one by one.

“Sir, why didn’t you attend the Prescott family’s party? Elizabeth’s birthday celebration is a significant event—surely all the bigwigs from both business and political circles would be there,” Shawn asked from the driver’s seat, clearly puzzled.

“Did the Titan family show up?” Arthur’s thoughts immediately went to them.

“No, they didn’t.” Shawn shook his head.

“Well, there’s your answer. Right now, we’re in the same boat as the Titan family. Besides, sometimes it’s better to be an outsider than a player—gives you a clearer view of the whole game, don’t you think?” Arthur said with a slight smirk.

The Prescott family had lost their position as Kingstown’s wealthiest four years ago, which naturally diminished their influence.

“Alright, let’s go.” Arthur watched Frederick get into his car. Once most people had left, he instructed Shawn to drive away. Frederick hadn’t noticed Arthur, nor had he spotted the black SUV.

Once inside his car, he stared out the window with a dark expression.

Chapter 183: Truly Fell in Love With Her. State of mind.

Upon returning to the Halfmoon Manor, he headed straight for the wine cellar. Looking at Anna’s photo on his phone, he drained bottle after bottle, leaving empties scattered across the floor. After who knows how long, Frederick stumbled to his feet, stepped through the mess of bottles, and made his way to Claire’s room. Claire was already asleep when the door burst open with a bang, startling her awake. Before she could react, Frederick pinned her down.

“Frederick… how much have you had to drink?” The overwhelming smell of alcohol made her recoil.

“If I truly fell in love with you, would you be with me?”