Sidney sighed, fearing Richard had underestimated Tiffany's impact on him.

Garry suggested, "How about we lend a hand? We could try to persuade both sides. It's better than letting things be."

"Not a good idea," Sidney shook his head. "If we meddle, it will only backfire."

"Are we just going to sit back and watch?" Garry asked.

"Yes," Sidney replied.

Garry felt slightly disappointed, but realizing there seemed no better solution, he let it go.

When Tiffany returned to school the following Monday, she arrived early and unexpectedly bumped into Kenneth as she entered the classroom. Kenneth was already bracing himself for a confrontation. Their past encounters had always followed the same pattern: Tiffany eagerly pursuing him, while he dismissively evaded her. However, since Tiffany's personality change, their interactions were different. Instead of affection or admiration, she would confront him or completely ignore him. Over time, he had grown accustomed to this.

He expected Tiffany to scold him, but to his surprise, she didn't lift her head. Instead, she walked past him, returned to her seat, and flipped through an upside-down book.

Kenneth blinked in surprise and blurted out, "Your book is upside down."

"Oh," Tiffany replied, lazily flipping the book right side up. Her gaze remained unfocused, never landing on the text.

Kenneth found this incredibly strange. It was the first time he'd seen Tiffany so downcast. Compared to her usual bold, brash demeanor, her lackluster appearance made his chest tighten.

He couldn't quite place this strange feeling. It was reminiscent of the inexplicable thrill he'd felt when he learned his family wouldn't go through with their engagement. Yet, the girl he truly liked was the kind and pure Melody, who had saved him that night, not Tiffany.

The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. He coldly tossed out, "What's this nonsense? What kind of trick is this?" Then he turned and walked away.

Tiffany remained in this state throughout the day. By the end of the day, even Zoe and Ged noticed something was amiss.

"What's wrong with Tiffany?" Zoe asked.

"I don't know," Ged replied.

She seemed the same—chatting and laughing with them—but her smile never reached her eyes, making her appear indifferent and distant. It wasn't until after school that Tiffany, leaving alone, was stopped by a neatly dressed butler.

"Miss Kelley, Mr. Harper would like to invite you for a chat," the butler said. He was from the Harper family, delivering a message from Kenneth's grandfather.

The butler's demeanor was polite, but his message was clear: Tiffany was expected to go, whether she wanted to or not.

Tiffany smiled enigmatically, surprising the butler with her lack of resistance. "Let's go," she readily agreed. Some matters needed clarifying.

Twenty minutes later, Tiffany was escorted from the car and arrived once again at the Harper family manor. The vast expanse of flowers bloomed even more vibrantly than before, creating a stunning, dreamlike scene.

As the butler guided her into the villa, she saw Romeo engrossed in a chess game, a look of joy on his face. Opposite him sat a tall, slender figure—Richard. He exuded an air of nobility and undeniable authority, his striking features now tinged with a mysterious chill.

Tiffany's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected to see Richard here.

Hearing her approach, Richard glanced up. His gaze was calm and indifferent, as if he were looking at a stranger—calm, unruffled, and unchanged. The relationship they once shared had become utterly icy.

Tiffany fidgeted, suppressing her swirling emotions, and stepped forward. "Mr. Harper, you called for me. What's the matter?"

Fond of her, Romeo immediately set aside the chess game. He called the butler over, picked up a nearby calendar, and pointed to a date. "Take a look and see which day you prefer."

Tiffany frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm preparing for the wedding!" Romeo said with certainty. "I've long considered you my granddaughter-in-law, and you and Kenneth have been engaged for so long. It's time to make it official!"

Tiffany laughed in disbelief. "Mr. Harper, surely you haven't forgotten? I clearly stated long ago that this marriage is off. Kenneth and I are not meant to be."

Romeo, intent on ignoring her, said, "You silly girl, don't talk nonsense. I've never agreed to break off the marriage, so don't bring it up again." He smiled. "Come on, Tiffany, take a look at this date. What do you think?"

Tiffany stood her ground. "Mr. Harper, since you seem to have forgotten, let me remind you again. Kenneth and I called off our engagement months ago. All the wedding gifts from the Kelley family have been returned; we are even."

Romeo was unaware of the cancellation, but it had been a mutual decision. Now that Tiffany was unwilling, there was no reason to force it.

As Tiffany finished, Romeo's expression darkened. A mocking laugh came from Alexia. "Please, stop acting so high and mighty. Marrying into the Harper family is a blessing you've earned. Do you think you're something special?"

Tiffany smiled. "Isn't it true I'm desirable? Otherwise, why would the Harper family be so eager to have me marry in? I've turned down the proposal countless times, yet you still don't seem to understand. If you dislike me so much, maybe you should advise him instead of dragging this on with me."

Tiffany's words were sharp and to the point, infuriating yet irrefutable. She had sought the annulment; the Harper family was unwilling to let go.

"You're" Alexia was furious, but a glance from Romeo silenced her.

Romeo sighed. "If you're worried Kenneth won't settle down, I can assure you he will be loyal and a qualified husband."

Unnoticed, Richard's hand, playing with the chess pieces, tightened when Romeo mentioned the marriage. The aura around him intensified. A sharp crack echoed as he crushed a chess piece.

Unperturbed, Romeo asked, "What do you think of the date I selected, Mr. Hampton?"

The final sentence was edited to reflect the name used elsewhere in the text. The unnecessary website promotion was removed. Several sentences were combined or broken up for better flow and clarity. Word choices were improved for consistency and style.