No matter what happened , I would not let her die alone . Yvonne smiled and nodded . Her gaze was filled with hope for her recovery . " I'll get better . Then , we'll spend the rest of our lives together . " The engagement party went ahead as planned . Friends and family arrived with invitation cards in hand . Our parents took the stage and announced the heirs of our respective families . Yvonne and I moved through the crowd with wine glasses to greet the guests . Along the way , I overheard quite a few hushed conversations . They speculated that I had loved Natalie for ten years , and this was all just an act to spite her . They claimed Yvonne was bound to die young , and even if we got engaged , she probably would not live long enough to make it to the wedding . They guessed that I would go back to Natalie as soon as Yvonne was gone . 1/2 Chapter 6 +25 BONUS My face darkened at those words . Yvonne smiled bitterly and tried to calm me down . " Don't get mad . They're not exactly wrong . " Hearing that , I turned to look at her . I was caught off guard by the sorrow in her eyes . Before I could say anything to refute that , Natalie walked into the venue in a stunning couture gown . She stole the spotlight entirely with her dazzling look as if she were the true star of this engagement party . Nothing fueled suspicion like a love triangle . With an entrance like that , the whispers in the room seemed to grow louder . Frank's face darkened in an instant . " Didn't I tell you to keep her at home ? Who let her in ? " As soon as he said that , members of the Shaw family rushed to drag Natalie out . Natalie struggled to break free as she shouted , " Why can't I be here ? Dad , I'm the one who should be engaged liked each other for ten years ! Why should I give him up to Yvonne ? " " You liked each other ? " Frank let out a sharp , disbelieving snort . He turned to me . " Cole , tell us , was it really mutual ? " I had already told Natalie's parents about her relationship with Matthew . So , everything she was saying at the moment was only making things worse for herself . to I said , " Mr. Shaw , I was young and naive back then . Sure , I used to follow Natalie around a lot . But that wasn't love . I was blinded because we were childhood friends . The one she really loves is my younger brother , Matthew . " I searched the crowd and spotted him . Then , I called to him , " Matthew ! Come here ! " Matthew's face went pale . He hesitated , but with every eye in the room fixed on him , he had no choice but to grit his teeth and step into the center of the crowd .