Chapter 41

Edward was fuming. Years of waiting for Diane, coupled with her parents' recent seemingly favorable attitude toward his marriage proposal, had left him simmering. Seeing her shopping with other men only fueled his anger.

Diane emerged in a beautiful dress, her angelic appearance a stark contrast to her food delivery uniform. Even Severin was captivated.

Her beauty held hints of elegance, yet her cool demeanor remained evident. Her maternal nature, however, was more pronounced now.

"How do I look? Does it look pretty?" Diane blushed, slightly embarrassed by Severin's gaze.

"It looks divine! How could it not?" a man's voice interrupted before Severin could answer. "It's almost tailor-made for you, Diane!"

Severin frowned, sensing something was amiss. The man's tone was overly affectionate, suggesting a deeper connection.

"Mr. Edward? Why are you here?" Diane's frown deepened. A bad feeling washed over her; he was not someone to provoke, especially as the scion of a prominent upper-class family. Even the Shanahans wouldn't dare offend him.

Severin turned. "Ah, Edward! Quite the wealthy man, aren't you? Willing to offer a million and a half as her dowry!"

Edward frowned. "Who is he, Diane? Don't tell me he's your new…man. If you didn't want me, I'd prefer you date another wealthy young man rather than…him. Seeing you with him insults me. Are you implying I'm inferior to some poor villager?"

"Garbage, you say?" Severin clenched his fist.

"Oh, is the poor villager feeling feisty? You know who I am, right? Knowing I'm offering the Shanahans a million-dollar dowry for Diane should highlight the chasm between us—a chasm you can't even dream of crossing. Still want to fight?" Edward sneered, adopting a superior posture.

His four bodyguards moved forward, ready for action.

"Severin! Don't!" Diane grabbed his hand, seeing his fist raise.

Severin gritted his teeth. Had he not promised his wife to heed her every word, he would have already pummeled the rich kid. He smiled faintly. "I always listen to my wife. I'm not impulsive!"

Diane blushed, glaring at him. "Severin! Don't say it like that!"

"You're calling her your wife now, too?" Edward's composure faltered, seeing Severin hold Diane's hand and address her as his wife. He glared. "Stay away from Diane. Or you'll regret it."

"I'm afraid I can't." Severin smiled faintly. Don't lower your status by entertaining trash, he thought.

"Stubborn, are we? You'll regret this!" Edward chuckled, suppressing his anger to maintain appearances. "Did he just call you his wife? Didn't you say you wouldn't date again when I asked a few days ago? Why is he calling you his 'wife'?"

The final sentence of the original passage, the advertising blurb, has been removed as it was not part of the story itself. Proper nouns have been capitalized consistently. The story has been cleaned up for better flow and readability, and some phrasing has been tightened. The use of excessive exclamation points has been reduced.