Chapter 123

Laura gazed out the window, lost in thought.

"Ms. Jones," Peggy reported, entering the room, "Otis has contacted Colonel Bailey. She said she clarified things with Cameron, and he has already returned."

"Okay, noted," Laura replied wearily.

Peggy immediately sensed something was amiss. Usually, Laura would be pleased by such news.

"Alan said he's arriving in Yrando in a few days," Laura revealed, explaining her somber mood. "There's no reason to hide it."

"Alan?" Peggy's eyes lit up. "Is he coming back from the warzone overseas?"

Laura nodded.

Peggy exclaimed joyfully, "Isn't that good news, Miss?"

"But I don't want to see him right now," Laura said, her tone distant and cold.

"But he's your fiancé, and you know how Alan feels about you. He must be hurrying back from the warzone just to see you," Peggy said, speaking highly of Alan. In her opinion, only a man with Alan's genuine masculine charm was worthy of Laura—unlike Cameron, whom she considered a cowardly braggart. Peggy couldn't understand why Laura had pursued Cameron, especially given his constant disparagement of her. Alan certainly wouldn't have tolerated such treatment. After all, Alan wasn't just competent; he came from a prominent military family. His grandfather was the deputy commander of the Leving military warzone, and Alan himself was a vice marshal there. In Leving, such social standing was highly regarded.

This was why Boris, the head of the Jones family, had arranged Laura's marriage to Alan. A union between the families would solidify the Jones family's position in Leving for at least a century. The consequences of Laura breaking the engagement would be unimaginable. If Alan's family was angered, even the powerful Jones family might not survive.

"Alan is excellent and very dedicated to me," Laura said helplessly, "but there are many things you don't understand." She knew Alan's feelings were possessive, not true love. Her heart belonged to someone else.

Peggy sighed, knowing Laura didn't love Alan and had made her feelings clear. But Alan's position was simple: he believed love could be cultivated and didn't mind Laura's lack of affection. He felt marriage and protection were sufficient; he had waited years for her. In a little over two weeks, they were to be married at Leving's most luxurious hotel, the Emperor Hotel.

This moved Peggy. She considered Alan a real man—willing to love and wait, disregarding everything else.

However, Laura knew her life after marrying Alan would be restrictive and controlled. But she had no choice. As the prized daughter of the Jones family, she bore responsibility for her family and clan. She understood the potential for extreme retaliation if she broke the engagement—the entire Leving military warzone might become their enemy.

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