Adelaide's POV:
The city blurred past the car window in streaks of gray and neon as I drove back toward the Hale estate.
My hands gripped the wheel so tightly my knuckles ached. Every mile felt heavier, like the car itself was dragging me toward whatever fresh hell waited at home.
Dad’s text still burned in my mind — “Well done… Tyler’s family are asking this scandal to be fix by arranging a marriage.”
And I kept replaying it on loop, wondering how my life had gone from a rooftop proposal to a business transaction in less than twenty-four hours.
My phone connected to the car’s Bluetooth and Andrea’s voicemail started playing automatically. Her voice filled the silence, soft and worried:
“Addie… it’s me. I’ve been trying to reach you all day. I saw the video. I’m not mad, I just… I
