Chapter 4

I didn't expect Michael to show up so suddenly. I was a bit surprised, but seeing him there gave me more confidence.

"Michael, this is between me and Nancy. It's none of your business. Don't think so highly of yourself." John was even more arrogant than I'd imagined, acting like he didn't take Michael seriously at all.

Sure enough, after John said that, Michael's gaze unconsciously fell on me.

There was some doubt in his eyes, along with a hint of disappointment that was hard to detect.

I could see Michael's emotions and immediately understood he had misunderstood the situation.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, I quickly waved my hands and hurried to deny it. "John, I've already made myself very clear. Michael is my fiancé. Compared to him, you're the one who has nothing to do with this."

Living my life over again, the most important thing was not getting involved with John, this scumbag.

In my past life, I ended up dying miserably because I misjudged people. In this life, I absolutely wouldn't allow that tragedy to happen again, so from now on, I had to avoid all unknown risks.

Perhaps seeing my firm attitude, Michael's mood improved slightly, but he still kept a cold face while staring at John.

Hearing me defend Michael, John's face darkened, but he didn't plan to give up. He continued with those fake words trying to win me back. "Nancy, I really love you. Are you in some kind of trouble? Tell me, I'll help you."

After saying that, John looked at Michael with resentful eyes. "It's him, isn't it? Michael is forcing you, right? Nancy, let me teach him a lesson."

Without giving me a chance to answer, John swung his fist and charged forward. His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was filled with undisguised anger.

If I hadn't experienced my past life, I might have actually believed what John was saying. Unfortunately, I wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

The moment John swung his fist, Michael reacted first. He stepped forward to shield me behind him and grabbed John's wrist with one hand.

"There should be a limit to your recklessness, Mr. Brown. Don't forget, this is my and Nancy's engagement party. She's my fiancée. If the Brown family doesn't want to stay in Emerald City anymore, you're welcome to try." As Michael spoke, his tone was light and casual, as if he were talking about something as trivial as nice weather, but his words made me feel an invisible sense of pressure.

Facing Michael, I clearly saw some hesitation creep into John's eyes.

Obviously, although the Brown family was considered wealthy, compared to the Johnson family, they were far from being in the same league.

John naturally understood this too. Offending Michael over me was clearly not worth it.

No matter how unhappy he felt inside, John could only swallow his emotions and apologize to Michael. "Mr. Johnson, I was impulsive. I'm sorry."

Even though John apologized, Michael didn't even look at him properly. Instead, he held my hand and asked gently, "Are you okay? Did he scare you? I'm sorry I came late."

Seeing Michael like this, I was lost in thought for a moment. I couldn't help but recall what he said before he died in my past life.

When exactly did he start loving me?

"Mr. Johnson, I'm really sorry about today. I know I was wrong." Before I could answer, John spoke up again from the side.

"Get lost." Michael's voice suddenly turned cold, and his expression took a sharp turn for the worse. If his hand wasn't still holding mine tightly, I would have thought the previous moment was an illusion.

John didn't dare say more. After apologizing a few more times, he left in a hurry.

But as he was leaving, I noticed his eyes filled with hatred.

I was too familiar with that look.

But before I could think deeper about it, Michael moved closer to me.

"Are you okay? Let me take you home." His gentle and considerate voice pulled my thoughts back.

Looking at his handsome face and his careful, gentle movements, some subtle emotions arose in my heart.

Since I wanted to change things in this life, my top priority was to improve my relationship with him.

"Michael, thank you for just now. Let me buy you dinner."

Hearing my words, Michael's eyes showed some disbelief, and he confirmed with me again. "What did you say?"

I understood that because of my previous attitude, he still had doubts about me, but I didn't mind. After all, we had plenty of time ahead.

I smiled in response and took the initiative to hold his hand back, showing my attitude.

"I didn't eat much at the engagement party earlier. I'm so hungry now. Will you have dinner with me?" I deliberately softened my voice and put on a pitiful look.

Under this approach, Michael quickly gave in.

He agreed readily, and his ears turned a bit red.

I chose a restaurant in a nearby mall. This choice had a little ulterior motive—after all, a romantic atmosphere helps warm up feelings.

Accompanied by the gentle music, I spoke softly, "Michael, since we're already engaged, we need to gradually get to know each other. What do you think?"

Hearing my words, Michael's hand holding the knife and fork paused for two seconds, then he raised his hand to signal the waiter. "Get the manager."

This sudden move left me a bit confused.

Soon, the restaurant manager was brought over.

As soon as he saw Michael, he immediately changed his attitude, bowing and scraping. "Mr. Johnson, what can I do for you?"

Michael raised his hand, turned his gaze to me, and introduced me seriously, "This is the future Mrs. Johnson. You understand what to do, right?"

As soon as he said this, the manager's eyes immediately became more attentive when looking at me, and he responded repeatedly, "Understood, Mr. Johnson. I'll make it clear. Mrs. Johnson's future visits will all be free of charge."

I didn't expect Michael to suddenly announce my identity. From his attitude, it seemed as if we were already together.

This kind of blatant favoritism couldn't help but move and surprise me.

And because of this, I became more certain that this relationship was worth cherishing and maintaining.

After we finished eating, Michael personally drove me home.

Before I could get out of the car, I saw an uninvited guest at my front gate.

After seeing clearly that it was John, my expression darkened, and I instinctively looked to see Michael's reaction.

I never thought John would cling to me like a lapdog. After all, previously I had been the one in that role.

Michael's reaction was unexpectedly calm, as if he hadn't seen anything.

For a moment, I couldn't make up my mind, unsure of what Michael was thinking.

Seeing me get out of the car, John came toward me desperately.

"Nancy, were you forced to get engaged to Michael? Come with me, I'll treat you well." John grabbed my wrist, continuing to pester me relentlessly.

And this action instantly ignited the dissatisfaction in Michael's heart. "Let go. I said, don't harass my fiancée again."

I saw Michael walking over, his whole body radiating a dark mood, his face as cold as ice.

But even with Michael's appearance, John didn't let go. Instead, he gripped my wrist even tighter.