240 Hidden Promises
He hadn’t expected it–that the scrappy little girl from before had somehow grown into someone so stunning.
“Quick! Get a photo!”
Finished
A reporter somewhere in the crowd shouted, and immediately, the flashes began to strobe like fireworks.
Not just because Eliza was breathtaking, but because Nolan was standing beside her–like a knight escorting . his queen.
Everyone knew Nolan wasn’t someone to mess with in Westbrook.
Not just because of his notorious past, but because he was the head of Westbrook’s Hayes family.
And in Westbrook, the Hayes family held as much weight as the Sue family did overseas.
Tracy’s face turned sour as she realized every pair of eyes was on Eliza.
Eliza… how was this even possible?
She wasn’t the same girl she’d seen at school just yesterday.
Now, Eliza’s face was lit with confidence, her eyes smiling gently with a cool detachment.
In that moment, it felt as if Eliza was looking down at her–from a higher place.
Tracy involuntarily took a step back.
“Thank you all for coming to my welcome banquet,” Eliza said clearly. “I’m Eliza.”
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd.
No one expected the Sue family’s long–lost illegitimate daughter to be this gorgeous.
The moment she walked in, she effortlessly stole the spotlight.
Tracy clenched her fists in silence.
Zayden, standing nearby, immediately picked up on her tension.
“Ms. Tracy,” Eliza said sweetly, walking up with a smile, “thanks for keeping the reporters entertained out here.”
To Tracy, the polite words felt like nothing short of a slap in the face.
She forced herself to stay composed, even as her emotions threatened to break through.
Then Nolan reached for Eliza’s hand and led her toward the banquet hall.
Christian saw the scene from a distance and froze.
It would’ve been fine if it were anyone else-
But Nolan?
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Chapter 240 Hidden Promises
Why was he holding hands with his little sister?
Christian reacted first. He pushed through the crowd, heading straight for them.
They might be close, fine–but holding hands at a public event? It was too much.
Absolutely inappropriate!
Christian shoved his way forward until he caught up with them.
The moment Eliza entered, she had already become the center of attention.
Christian reached her just in time to catch Nolan still holding her hand. His expression twisted with. frustration. “Tristan’s waiting for you up ahead. Come with me.”
“Right now?”
“Now.”
Christian grabbed Eliza by the hand and turned to leave.
Eliza glanced at Nolan. He simply smiled and gave her a small nod.
It was obvious to anyone watching: Christian was doing this on purpose.
Once they reached a quiet corner, Christian finally stopped to make sure Nolan hadn’t followed.
“What are you thinking? Why are you getting so close to someone like that?”
Eliza’s brows drew together. “Someone like what? What kind of person is Nolan?”
Finished
Christian lowered his voice. “He’s a murderer. He’s been to juvie. You didn’t know? That man is ruthless and dangerous. You need to stay far away from him.”
“He’s not a murderer to me,” Eliza said calmly. “And he’s my boyfriend.”
Christian inhaled sharply.
“What?!”
“Since when?” he demanded. “Why didn’t I know about this?”
Eliza stared at him, her voice tinged with confusion. “Why would I report my private life to you?”
After all, she and Christian weren’t related by blood.
They’d only met a few times.
She was closer to Nolan than she was to him.
From where she stood, Christian was overstepping.
“But you’re already engaged!”
The word engaged froze Eliza in place.
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Chapter 240 Hidden Promises
“I’m what?”
“You’re-”
Before Christian could finish, a calm voice cut in from nearby. “He means you’re engaged.”
Henry was walking toward them.
But he didn’t look like the same Henry as before.
Now dressed in a crisp white suit, his air was no longer youthful and warm–it was distant, cold, and commanding.
The kind of presence that made people instinctively keep their distance.
“To be precise,” he said, “I’m your fiancé.”
Eliza’s expression tightened.
Finished
Christian stepped in and murmured, “The Foster family in Westbrook arranged an engagement with your mother long ago. She was supposed to marry into their family. But when the wedding came, she ran. Right at the altar. After that, the Foster family became the laughingstock of Westbrook for a while.”
He continued, “So the marriage was passed down. From her… to you. This was the Rivers family’s debt to the Foster family.”
Eliza looked at them, stunned. “That was her choice. Why are you dragging me into this?”
“Your mother’s gone,” Henry replied. “Unless you want us to go knocking on her grave, you’re the one who’ll fulfill the promise. This marriage was the Sue family’s way of making it right with the Foster family. Why else do you think they were so desperate to find you?”
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