Chapter 139: Young Miss, the Person Inside Is the Third Young Master
The guests who had witnessed the day’s events all agreed: Jane Lancaster was right to call off the engagement.
The main reason was that the whole affair was just too dramatic. It would likely become the talk—and the joke—of high society for years to come.
If Caleb Lowell had merely stood her up, people might have told Jane Lancaster to just bear with it. After all, it wasn’t as if he didn’t love her. Weren’t three years of deep devotion worth a little forgiveness?
But this was different. Caleb Lowell had jeopardized a major corporate affair—a partnership worth tens of billions.
On top of that, Jane Lancaster had even been viciously berated by the Lowell Group’s elders over it. Who wouldn’t feel wronged? Who wouldn’t snap?
A marriage is supposed to be a union of two families. Caleb Lowell was unreliable, and the Lowell family had shown Jane Lancaster not an ounce of respect.
If Jane Lancaster didn’t fight back now, was she supposed to wait for Christmas?
—
While waiting for her car in the hotel lobby, someone created a group chat—she had no idea who—and added Jane Lancaster.
While she was on the road, Jane Lancaster saw updates in the group chat. Members of the Woods War Family had arrived on the scene quickly.
Quentin Woods’s two sons and three daughters had all shown up, even his youngest son, who was still in college.
Jasper Sterling was truly one of a kind. He said he didn’t know who called the shots in the Woods War Family, so he’d had everyone over the age of eighteen brought in.
Aside from the youngest, all of Quentin’s other children were successful in their own right and considered prominent figures.
They hadn’t wanted to come. Quentin Woods was used to throwing his weight around, and they felt such a minor incident wasn’t worth their time.
But Jasper Sterling had gone directly to their superiors... which left them no choice but to show up.
"Are you insane? Couldn’t you handle a little thing like this yourself?" the youngest son snapped, immediately calling Quentin Woods to curse him out.
After all, he’d been pulled right out of a lecture. How was he supposed to show his face on campus after that?
His other children were equally mortified. They prided themselves on being cultured individuals from an artistic family, yet Quentin Woods’s actions were utterly uncouth.
The issue was resolved quickly. The Woods children paid for the damages and apologized. The looks on their faces as they left were a sight to behold.
Jane Lancaster was happily enjoying the drama and live updates in the group chat when a transaction notification suddenly popped up on her phone.
Jasper Sterling had recovered her compensation money and transferred it to her at once.
Jane Lancaster thought for a moment and sent him a message: ’Money received. Thanks!’
As the car pulled into the courtyard, the last glimmer of the setting sun was about to sink behind the mountains.
The staff of the Lancaster family were surprised, not having expected Jane Lancaster to return so suddenly.
"Miss Lancaster, why have you returned?"
The engagement party is tomorrow. Isn’t she supposed to be staying at the hotel tonight?
Jane Lancaster went straight upstairs. The moment she stepped into her room, she sensed something was off. She immediately stopped Mama Knight’s hand as she reached for the light switch.
The scent diffuser on the table had been moved. Though it had been returned to its original spot, the angle was off by a fraction.
’Don’t tell me there’s a burglar in a mansion this big?’
A faint sound came from the walk-in closet. Jane Lancaster moved toward it. By the dim twilight filtering into the room, she saw a shocking sight.
A man stood before the full-length mirror, the corners of his mouth tugged into a cold, malevolent smirk.
He held a knife, its tip glinting coldly. A red liquid slid slowly down the blade, dripping and splattering onto the floor.
’Blood? Is he a murderer?’
Jane Lancaster backed away quietly, signaling for Mama Knight to get out.
Just as they reached the doorway, the closet door creaked open.
"Caught you~" a strange, chilling voice cooed, like the hiss of a viper, laden with mortal danger.
Jane Lancaster acted instantly, shoving Mama Knight out the door. Without a second’s hesitation, she grabbed a freestanding coat rack and hurled it at the man.
He clearly hadn’t expected that. He was struck by the rack but immediately grabbed hold of it, trying to wrestle it from her.
Jane Lancaster let go instantly. With his hands occupied, she pressed her advantage, rushing forward to land several kicks. As he dodged, she suddenly dropped into a crouch and swept his legs out from under him.
She took a few blows in the process, but she finally brought him down.
CLANG! The knife fell to the floor.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Jane Lancaster snatched the knife and pressed it to his throat.
Night had fallen. The garden lights switched on, and their dim glow reflected in her eyes, which in that instant were terrifyingly cold.
The blade pressed against his artery, and she could almost hear the frantic rush of his blood.
Just as Jane Lancaster began to apply more pressure, frantic knocking erupted at the door.
"Miss Lancaster, that’s the Third Young Master in there!"
"Chase, are you all right?"
The door burst open with a BANG. Mama Knight flicked on the switch, flooding the room with light, but by then, Jane Lancaster had already shoved the knife into Adrian Lancaster’s hand.
She then stumbled backward, looking up at the doorway with an innocent, bewildered expression.
The manager took one look at the scene and thought, ’Oh, this is bad!’
Adrian Lancaster had just finished his shower. He’s a clean freak and won’t let the staff clean the bathroom, so he was cleaning it himself. The manager couldn’t believe a mishap like this had happened in just that short time.
"I’m so sorry, Miss Lancaster, are you all right? Did Chase scare you? Please forgive us. He just wrapped up his last role and is still having a little trouble getting out of character."
Mama Knight helped Jane Lancaster to her feet. "Oh, it was just Third Brother. You scared me to death! I was wondering how a murderer managed to sneak into our house."
Adrian Lancaster looked up at his sister, his heart still hammering in his chest.
Jane Lancaster offered a hand to help him up. "I’m so sorry, Third Brother. I didn’t hurt you, did I?"
The manager chimed in, "Of course not! A delicate woman like Miss Lancaster?"
He took the knife from Adrian Lancaster’s hand, explaining with a nervous laugh, "It’s just a prop from the film set. The blade is coated in red syrup, not blood. Look, Chase even got some on his neck."
Jane Lancaster offered, "Shall I wipe that off for you, Third Brother?"
"...No, thank you." Adrian Lancaster quickly dodged away.
Jane Lancaster could only give up, disappointed.
They both knew perfectly well that the mark on his neck wasn’t from syrup. It was from real blood.
’He can’t accept it, can he? He wanted to scare me, but I turned the tables on him instead.’
Adrian Lancaster lowered his long lashes. Things were getting interesting. ’Could he actually be hearing his sister’s thoughts?’
Suddenly, a clamor of footsteps echoed from downstairs, followed by Alvin Lancaster’s voice calling from a distance.
"Jay! Just calm down! Caleb Lowell wants to talk to you!"
The sound of heavy footsteps grew closer. Alvin Lancaster rushed in, panting, clutching a phone in his hand.
"Chase, you’re back?" Seeing his brother, his face lit up with pleasant surprise. He rushed forward and pulled him into an enthusiastic hug.
Adrian Lancaster frowned instinctively, put off by the smell of sweat.
A split second later, however, a smile spread across his face. "Second Brother, long time no see."
Alvin Lancaster thrust the phone at Jane Lancaster. "Jay, at least hear Caleb Lowell out."
He still felt that calling off the engagement was too rash a decision.
It was heartbreaking to think of them throwing away such a deep connection.
"Jay?" Caleb Lowell’s anxious voice came through the phone.
Jane Lancaster took the phone and immediately ended the call.
Adrian Lancaster had never seen his sister humiliate Caleb Lowell so thoroughly. "What happened?" he asked.
Alvin Lancaster whispered, "Jay wants to call off the engagement. Eldest Brother is already on his way home."
Adrian Lancaster considered this for a moment. "Did Caleb Lowell cheat on her?"
If not, why else would things have escalated to the point of breaking off the engagement?