Fated Villain
Copyright© 2026 by Traverse
Chapter 8: Engagement Night
Lucas answered without hesitation, “Yes, of course I’m willing! My biggest wish in life is to marry you. Why would I ever say no?”
[What’s going on with her? Isn’t she supposed to be the unshakable ice queen, the kind of strong woman who wouldn’t even blink if the sky fell? Why is she suddenly looking so vulnerable?]
[Could it be that she broke down because she can’t be with David?]
Rose had just started to feel touched by his answer, but before even a second had passed, she heard his inner thoughts again.
Her feelings were instantly crushed, leaving only frustration.
This little jerk was still as two-faced as ever.
But it didn’t matter. Even if he was only pretending, at least for now, he had to choose her unconditionally.
Otherwise, just like he said, his character would collapse.
With that leverage, Sylvia wouldn’t be able to steal him away from her.
Meanwhile, after leaving the café, Sylvia finally managed to convince Ivan to come with her to a private hospital.
“I already told you I’m in great health. My heart’s perfectly fine. Why won’t you believe me? Even if you don’t trust me, surely you trust Dr. Rossi? She ran tests on me just a few months ago.”
Sylvia didn’t think there would be anything wrong either, but with matters like this, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“Dad, I had a nightmare where you had heart disease. It scared me so badly I couldn’t sleep or eat. Just think of this check-up as a way to help me rest easy.”
Hearing this, Ivan sighed and obediently went to undergo a full range of tests.
Once all the tests were done, Sylvia anxiously sought out her father’s attending physician, a beautiful young doctor of twenty-eight named Sofia Rossi.
“So? Are the results ready?”
Sofia waved the medical report in her hand. “The results are right here. I’m sure it’s a false alarm. He was perfectly fine three months ago. Developing heart disease all of a sudden? I’ve been practicing medicine for almost ten years and haven’t seen something like that happen.”
She opened the report with a chuckle, ready to tease her, but suddenly froze.
“No way...”
She hurried to the desk and dialed a number.
“Are you sure there’s no mistake in the report you just sent over? Double-check the sample.”
A response came quickly: “Is this for Chairman Morgan’s results? We were also shocked when we saw them, so we double-checked right away. Dr. Rossi, the results are accurate.”
Sofia was speechless.
How could this be?
After a moment of shock, she turned to Sylvia. “Your father has indeed been diagnosed with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease. Fortunately, it’s in the early stages and can be managed through diet and treatment. It won’t be too serious, so don’t worry.”
What?!
Sylvia’s mouth dropped open as she took a step back in disbelief.
That guy’s inner voice was all true.
Which meant she really would entrust all her power and even her life to a man named David in the future?
No. She absolutely would not allow that to happen.
Her eyes filled with a murderous glint as she clenched her fists tightly.
If someone like that really existed in the world...
She would rather strike first and eliminate him before he could become a threat.
At that moment, David had no idea his fate had quietly shifted.
After settling scores with the relatives who had refused to properly bury his parents and had stolen their inheritance, he turned his attention to Lucas.
He didn’t know why, but he felt like this man wasn’t as simple as he appeared.
If he was really just some rich playboy simping after Rose like the rumors said, then why did Yelena treat him so differently?
That woman wasn’t so easily fooled.
As he pondered these thoughts, his phone rang.
It was a call from one of his subordinates.
“God of War, we just got news that Ethan Kang has transferred the money to the West Coast and successfully smuggled himself out last night. His whereabouts are unknown, and the White family’s funds are gone for good.”
“Got it.”
Looks like the White family was about to go bankrupt.
When that happened, Lucas would surely use it to pressure Rose into marrying him.
That would be his cue to swoop in and play the hero.
This time, he would show Rose not only that he could save her, but that he had the power to revive the entire White family.
That way, she wouldn’t have to grovel before the Grey family and distance herself from him.
News of the White family being scammed by the KY Group quickly spread across Su City.
But strangely enough, the Grey family didn’t take the opportunity to kick them while they were down or force Rose into marriage. Instead, it was the White family who took the initiative and asked Lucas to marry her.
In the Grey family villa’s living room, Sebastian Grey looked at James White, who was kneeling in front of him, and sighed in exasperation.
“Master White, please get up. We can talk this out. There’s no need to kneel. This isn’t our first time doing business together, after all. No need to go this far.”
Susanna helped James up and sighed. “It’s not that we’re looking down on you because of money, it’s just that Luckie really doesn’t like your daughter anymore. How about this? We can lend you some money to help you through this crisis, but let’s drop the marriage.”
Off to the side, Rose was stunned. “Lucas doesn’t like me anymore? That’s impossible. Auntie, unless he comes out and tells me himself, I won’t believe it!”
“Fine. Since you won’t believe it, I’ll call him out to tell you in person.”
If she had to choose a daughter-in-law, Susanna would rather pick Sylvia.
At least that girl was open, straightforward, and genuinely liked Lucas. Unlike Rose, who had always looked down on him.
She treated him like a dog, calling him when she needed him and pushing him away when she didn’t.
At that moment, Lucas was lying in his room listening to music.
He had already decided that in order to prevent the plot from veering off course, he wouldn’t step outside until the engagement day. So he had completely embraced the shut-in lifestyle.
Suddenly, the bedroom door was pushed open. He looked up from the bed and saw Susanna walk in. He immediately said, “Mom, I want to eat hairy crab. Can the kitchen make crab roe noodles for dinner?”
“Crab roe noodles, my foot. Get up, the White family is here to propose marriage. Rose is here too.”
What?!
Lucas sat up in shock. “Propose marriage?”
“Yes, the White family is about to go bankrupt. Didn’t you know? Hurry and come downstairs. You need to make it clear to Rose. Otherwise, they won’t let you go.”
[I know the White family is supposed to go bankrupt, but according to the plot, that wasn’t supposed to happen for another four or five days. Why did it happen so fast?]
Still dazed, he took off his headphones and followed Susanna downstairs. Sure enough, he immediately saw James and Rose standing in the living room.
James looked refined and gentle, the type who probably liked calligraphy and antiques.
And he really was that type. He spent all day obsessed with antiques and ignored household matters. Whenever problems came up, he blamed Rose for being incompetent.
But in truth, the most useless one in the White family was him.
Rose wore a white dress, her long hair flowing down. On her fair cheek, there was a distinct red handprint—she had clearly been slapped by James.
Sigh, poor thing.
No wonder she looked like she was about to cry when he saw her two days ago at the café.
Having been swindled so badly by the KY Group, the White family had probably pinned all the blame on her. The past two days must have been rough for her.
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