Daniel frowned, hesitating to accept it. When I didn’t withdraw my hand, irritation flashed in his eyes. He slapped the ring away.
I stared at him in shock, but he only sneered.
“If you don’t want it, then just throw it away.”
I let out a faint laugh of release, turned, and walked away.
“Yes, that’s better. It should have been this way all along.”
For a moment, Daniel’s expression froze. A trace of panic flickered across his face, and he reached out as if to stop me—but Chloe quickly clutched his arm, her voice soft and innocent.
“Daniel, Emma really seems upset. Did Chloe do something wrong?”
Daniel immediately turned to reassure her.
“It’s not your fault, Chloe. You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s the Carters who can’t accept you. In seven days, when their crisis deepens, she’ll come around on her own.”
Chloe’s eyes flickered with worry. “But isn’t that bad? What if it really breaks Emma’s heart?”
Daniel’s confidence was unshaken.
“No, never. Emma and I have loved each other for ten years. Something this small, I can smooth over after marriage. The real question is—don’t you want to live with me, Chloe?”