Shattered Gift, Broken Engagement

"Harrison, where did you get this?"

I kept my hands in my pockets and answered calmly, "Of course, it came from my dad. It was originally a family heirloom. We planned to use it as your betrothal gift."

I paused, then let out a soft chuckle. "But it seems that won't be necessary anymore."

Lauren didn't say anything. She just stared tightly at the porcelain shard, disbelief filling her eyes.

I knew she had already realized the piece was extremely valuable.

After all, the Hayes family built their fortune in the antique trade. As the eldest daughter, there was no way she didn't recognize the weight behind the name "Aurelius".

"Lauren, what is it? Why are you wasting time with this scammer?" Still clueless, Zoey impatiently whipped out her phone. "We should call the police and have him arrested first. Let's see if he dares act cocky then!"

Yuri stepped forward, flattering Lauren with every word, "Lauren, nobody in Kingshore has ever dared speak to you like this. He needs to be taught a lesson today!"

Nevertheless, Lauren completely ignored them. Her gaze moved repeatedly between the porcelain shard and me, her expression turning sourer by the second.

Finally, she forced herself to speak, "This porcelain… It might be real."

"What?!" Zoey shrieked, her face instantly losing all color.

"No way! It has to be fake!" She jabbed a finger at my face. "Lauren, look at him! He's a delivery guy! How could he possibly get a real antique?!"

Lauren couldn't believe it either, but she trusted her eyes. "I'm not mistaken. I've rarely seen pieces this fine, even in my father's collection. It's the real deal."

A heavy silence fell over the entire crowd.

As everyone stared at me in shock, Yuri suddenly chuckled cockily. "Lauren, he's got you fooled! I bet he's a thief!

"If his family had any real wealth, would he show up on a junk motorcycle? I know exactly what happened. He must've stolen the porcelain from some rich family while delivering food. Giving it to you as a 'betrothal gift' is just to cover up the crime!"

He sounded so convincing that even I had to laugh.

I didn't expect Lauren to actually believe him.

"I heard you've been abroad these years," she said, looking at me with disdain, her posture dripping with condescension. "So this is what you've been doing? Stealing antiques? Harrison, if you turn yourself in now, it's not too late."

This time, I really couldn't help laughing. "You want me to turn myself in? Sure."

I immediately pulled out my phone and started dialing. Just as I said my name, Yuri snatched the phone away.

"This thief stole an invaluable antique and offended Miss Hayes! Come arrest him immediately!" He hung up and tossed the phone back at me smugly. "Get ready for prison, loser!"

I glanced at Lauren with a faint smile, unable to hold back. "Miss Hayes, your taste in men is truly impressive. Imagine liking someone like him!"

Lauren's face stiffened, and she was about to snap when the crowd suddenly erupted into chaos.

A line of police cars came speeding in with flashing lights, but even more shocking were the three black armored vehicles following behind them. The bold characters "Special Operations" glinted in the sunlight.

The crowd instinctively backed away.

The leading police car screeched to a stop right in front of us. The door swung open, and stepping out was none other than Grant Jacobs, the Chief of Kingshore Police himself.

Seeing who arrived, Yuri's eyes lit up. He puffed up proudly and raised his voice for everyone to hear. "See that? One phone call from the Hayes, and even Chief Jacobs came personally! Let's see who dares disrespect the Hayes now!"

Before he even finished bragging, Yuri hurried forward, fawning shamelessly.

"Chief Jacobs, perfect timing! This delivery guy stole a priceless antique and tried to extort the Hayes family. You—"

Before he could finish, Chief Jacobs strode right past him, heading straight toward me.