Chapter 3: The Ice King’s Secret

Meanwhile, in the kitchen—

Ethan was stirring the bubbling chicken soup when a lazy voice came from his phone.

"So, how long are you going to keep up this broke guy act?"

"The son of the big-shot Lane family in Silver Hollow, pretending to be a penniless nobody to check out the Madison family’s eldest daughter, but before even meeting your fiancée, you get completely hooked by a little wallflower."

The guy on the other end was Lucas, Ethan’s college buddy from NYU. Ethan rolled his eyes at the phone, but didn’t answer right away.

"Does your precious girlfriend know you have a marriage contract with the Madison family?"

Ethan’s expression was calm, his tone low:

"I will break off the engagement with the Madison family."

His friend was shocked. "No way, you’ve really fallen for her? Who is your girlfriend, anyway? Don’t forget, the engagement between the Madison and Lane families was arranged by your grandparents. If it could’ve been broken, it would have been by now. I heard the Madison family’s eldest daughter tried everything to break off the engagement—crying, making a scene, threatening to run away—and her dad still wouldn’t agree."

Ethan sneered lightly. "She wants to break off the engagement, and so do I. Isn’t that perfect."

"Alright, I’m off to call my wife to dinner."

"Hey, you’re already calling her your wife—has she agreed yet..."

Ethan hung up, his eyes darkening.

He stared at the soup simmering on the stovetop, thinking about Maddie’s laugh, her stubbornness, the way she fit perfectly against his side at night.

"She’ll agree sooner or later."

It’s fine if she doesn’t love him.

He has money. Lots of money.

Loving money is the same as loving him.

Or so he tried to tell himself.