Felicia almost gagged at the word "fiancรฉ." Her disdain was evident as she replied, "I'm not picking up trash from a garbage dump."
Stephan chuckled, his usual indifference tinged with mischief. "At least you have good taste." His tone suggested he looked down on Arnold as well.
Felicia was surprised, but the Rolls-Royce had already started moving. Through the lowered window, Stephan leaned lazily against the leather seat, radiating an impenetrable coldness despite his relaxed posture. Every gesture exuded innate authority. Sunlight highlighted his pale complexion and chiseled features.
Felicia was momentarily dazed. She remembered Stephan, the head of the Russell family, was only twenty-eight yet wielded immense power. Arnold was insignificant in comparison.
Felicia reflected on herself. While Stephan was unkind, Arnold was utterly unworthy. Trash like Arnold belonged in the trash can.
After her grumble, Felicia saw Arnold and Kayla's hostile gazes across the street. Speak of the devil. Kayla had fled the Lawson residence in tears after Matthew forced Dexter to agree to Arnold marrying Felicia. The marriage was set; Matthew had clearly planned this for a long time, selecting the wedding date and ordering the invitations on the spot. Arnold and Felicia's names were printed on them.
Kayla, unable to accept this, ran out, with Arnold chasing after her. They ended up outside the villa, where they saw Felicia exiting another man's car. Even a brief glimpse revealed the man's captivating face.
Kayla gasped, momentarily stunned by his appearance, but also delighted at the opportunity to expose Felicia. Sobbing, she pretended to mutter, "Why is Felicia getting out of another man's car? She disappeared this morning, and none of the maids saw her leave. Could she have sneaked out last night?"
Arnold's face darkened. He wondered why Matthew was forcing him to marry such a woman. Clenching his teeth, he stormed toward Felicia, his eyes filled with restrained fury, contempt, and disgust.
"Felicia," he shouted, "didn't you say you didn't want to marry me? Why weren't you here this morning? It's obvious you did this on purpose!"
Felicia was taken aback. She was unaware of the events at the Lawson residence. To her, it was simply a matter of rejecting Matthew's proposal for a marriage alliance and having Kayla marry Arnold instead. Hadn't Dexter and Myra handled this simple task?
Teary-eyed, Kayla thrust a bright red wedding invitation at Felicia. Choking back sobs, she said, "I admit defeat. I'm backing out. Isn't that all you ever wanted?"
Felicia took the invitation and nearly fainted with anger after reading it. Her name was on it, alongside Arnold's, and the date was set.