My Fiancé Keeps Sabotaging My Love Life - Chapter 4

Chapter 2.2

She genuinely wondered what delusion made them see it that way. Her brow furrowed as she shot a glare at the man seated across from her.

‘Is he actually enjoying this right now?’

For whatever reason, Axion Valentino looked like he was enjoying every second of the current situation. Evelyn took a deep breath, trying her best to calm down. She set the newspaper, now even more crumpled than it had been in the morning, down on the table and, doing her best to swallow her irritation, asked.

“What… exactly is going on here?”

Axion just tilted his head and replied in a low voice.

“Do I really need to spell it out? Between us?”

“….?”

What was that even supposed to mean? Wasn’t he supposed to be on board with breaking off the engagement?

She had no intention of playing along with his cryptic nonsense, so she let out a deep breath and asked again.

“Are you doing this just to see me lose my mind?”

“Well, that wouldn’t be so bad, either.”

He shrugged and smirked, one corner of his mouth quirking up.

‘I’m no saint, but he’s got a truly terrible personality.’

Narrowing her eyes, she shot him a pointed glare.

“Just tell me. Who’s behind all this?”

If someone else was pulling the strings, like maybe Axion’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Valentino, that was a whole new headache she didn’t need.

‘Did they hear about us breaking off the engagement and, out of anger, decide to leak the wedding story to the papers?’

Of course, Evelyn knew full well that his parents weren’t the type to do something like that.

Axion, looking completely unbothered, replied in a low voice.

“Why don’t you relax your glare? No one else is involved.”

Fortunately, it seemed the wedding announcement was entirely her fiancé’s doing.

That was a relief, but still…

‘Why is he even doing this?’

She felt lost in a labyrinth of questions.

Axion Valentino was a pragmatist, and he would never do anything that didn’t benefit him. Even in the original novel, he’d stoop to any means to achieve his goals, even if he’d failed to win the female lead’s heart.

‘Hmm, I really can’t figure him out.’

After a decade of engagement, Evelyn still had no idea what her fiancé was really thinking. Maybe he actually had some other reason for keeping up this engagement besides the family alliance.

At that moment, a ridiculous thought suddenly flickered through her mind.

‘Could it be… does he like me?’

Her expression stiffened, lips pressing into a thin line. No way, that couldn’t be it. After all, she’d left a terrible first impression the day they met.

“What are you staring at? Can’t you look away?”

“Why don’t you stare at the floor instead?”

Ten years ago, during their first meeting, they’d snarled at each other like a black panther and a snow leopard fighting over territory, even though they were strangers.

But what if…

‘You’re the first woman who’s ever treated me like this.’

Surely he wasn’t about to pull that cliché, right?

‘Ugh, arrogant jerks aren’t my type.’

Evelyn shook her head and looked at her fiancé with a faintly pitying look. Maybe noticing her ridiculous thoughts, Axion’s brow furrowed slightly as he opened his mouth.

“It’s not what you’re thinking.”

At his sharp remark, Evelyn let out an awkward cough.

“Ahem, right? I figured as much. That’s a relief.”

‘If it’s not, then it’s not. Why does he have to look so grumpy about it?’

Her pride stung a little, but she pretended not to care and tucked her hair behind her ear. If nothing else, it was obvious he had zero interest in getting tangled up with her either.

‘If it’s not that he likes me…’

It was more convincing to think he was just using her as a means to get what he wanted. Knowing the Axion from the novel, that honestly made perfect sense.

Patience worn thin by their circling conversation, Evelyn glared at him.

“Axion Valentino. Don’t you think I’ve humored you long enough?”