Chapter 209 Let’s Call Off the Engagement

    Sloane stepped into the lobby of ckhawk Training Camp and was caught off guard when she spotted Lucas. He stood beside the head coach, their expressions serious–clearly in the middle of something important.

    The moment she walked in, Lucas’s eyes locked onto her. His usual sharp,posed expression softened just slightly. But when he registered the look on her face, a subtle tension settled in his brow. He quickly wrapped up his conversation and made his way toward her.

    Sloane looked up, her voice calm but curious. “What are you doing here?”

    Lucas offered a faint smile, his tone unusually gentle. “Just had some things to take care of.” He hesitated, his eyes lingering on her face as if trying to read her mood. “You don’t look so great. Did someone upset you?”

    She didn’t answer the question. Instead, she looked him straight in the eye and said tly, “Lucas, let’s call off the engagement.”

    His pupils tightened, and his hand flexed slightly before rxing. He swallowed hard, trying to push back whatever emotion was rising in his chest.

    “Where did thate from?” His voice remained quiet, but there was a faint tension underneath it.

    Sloane pressed her lips together before replying, her tone detached. “The engagement’s brought nothing but problems. My family won’t leave me alone about it, and honestly, the whole point was to help with your condition. That’s no longer an issue. There’s no reason to keep this going.”

    A flicker of sadness crossed Lucas’s face, but he masked it quickly and spoke in a low voice.

    “You’ve really thought this through?”

    She nodded without hesitation. “Yes. I’ve made up my mind.”

    Lucas stayed silent for a moment, then gave a slow nod. “Alright. I’ll respect your

    decision. What do you want me to do?”

    Sloane thought for a beat, then said, “Just make sure the people in Stonebridge know it’s official. That’s enough.”

    “Got it,” Lucas replied quietly. “I’ll take care of it.”

    That evening, the news dropped like a bomb across Stonebridge’s elite social circles–Lucas and Sloane were no longer engaged.

    The news spread quickly, and no one seemed shocked. Everyone had seen iting–it was practically a rumor waiting for confirmation.

    Those who had always envied Sloane were quick to mock her. They said it was only a matter of time before she failed to secure her ce in the Hawthorne family.

    Lucas’s business rivals wasted no time twisting the story, painting him as cold and ungrateful. They reminded everyone it was Sloane who stood by him when he was sick–she was the one who agreed to marry him back when no one else would.

    Social media ran wild. Headlines painted Lucas as cold and ruthless, someone who used a woman when it suited him and cast her aside once he recovered.

    When Sloane saw the flood of headlines and bacsh, a heavy guilt settled in her chest. She hadn’t expected things to blow up like this–definitely not this badly. Thest thing she wanted was to drag Lucas into the mess.

    She grabbed her phone and called him.

    When he answered, she spoke quietly, her voiceced with regret. “Lucas… I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would spiral like this. Those articles–are you okay? Do you want me to do something?”

    Lucas’s voice was still gentle, even reassuring. “It’s fine. I’ll handle it. This isn’t on you, so don’t me yourself.”

    Sloane bit her lip. “But the way they’reing after you—”

    He let out a quiet chuckle. “Let them talk. I’ve been through worse. What matters bis /bthat we made this choice together. You don’t owe me an apology.”

    Sloane paused, then said softly, “Thank you, Lucas.”

    After they hung up, the smile on Lucas’s face slowly faded. He rubbed his forehead, exhaustion washing over him. The meeting he’d just finished had been brutal–hours of crisis management, fighting to contain the damage. He was mentally and physically drained. But before he could rest, Andrew walked in.

    Noticing the fatigue in Lucas’s face, Andrew hesitated for a second but still stepped forward. “Mr. Hawthorne, it’s Madam Aubrey. She’s acting up again.”

    since Lucas woke from hisa, Aubrey had been confined to one of the nly estates under Tessa’s orders. And ever since she found out Lucas had Covered, taken back control of thepany, and had Mason arrested, her havior had only gotten worse.

    Lucas’s eyes narrowed slightly. He exhaled slowly, his voice low and t. “What’s she done this time?”

    Andrew hesitated. “She’s been throwing things. Screaming. She said she won’t stop until she sees you. And… she’s threatening to hurt herself if you don’t release Mason.”

    A sh of coldness flickered in Lucas’s eyes, but behind it, something deeper. Pain.

    His fists clenched slowly at his sides, his knuckles white. His voice came out low and bitter. “Threatening to kill herself for Mason? Of course she is. That’s exactly who she is.”

    Andrew looked down, staying quiet. He knew how bad things were between them. The more Aubrey protected Mason, the more Lucas pulled away.

    But deep down, Andrew also knew the truth–Lucas still wanted her love.

    She had adopted Mason just days after Lucas was born. From then on, it was as if Mason was the only one who mattered. Aubrey’s world revolved around him, while Lucas–well, Lucas never seemed to get even a shred of her affection.

    And after his father died, things only got worse. Aubrey handed Lucas off to the nannies without a second thought, while she personally cared for Mason, saying Lucas needed to “learn to stand on his own.”

    Lucas didn’t speak for a long time. Then his voice came out cold and steady. “Let her throw her tantrum. Mason’s still guilty, and nothing she does changes that.”

    Andrew nodded, then asked quietly, “Should we have someone keep an eye on her? Just in case… she actually does something dangerous?”

    Lucas’s expression shifted, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes–but his voice stayed steady. “Keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn’t hurt herself. The rest… let her do what she wants.”

    Andrew gave a short nod and quietly left the room.

    Lucas leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

    He’d always known she didn’t love him. No matter how hard he worked or how much he aplished, Aubrey’s attention was always locked on Mason.

    When Mason screwed up, their mother always forgave him–no questions asked. Whatever Mason wanted, she gave it without hesitation. But Lucas? He never got so much as a nce of real care from her. Not once.

    For a long time, he believed that if he became strong enough and aplished enough, she’d eventually see him. That one day, she’d be proud. He was wrong. No matter how hard he tried, he had never existed in her world–not in her eyes, and definitely not in her heart.