Rosalind Rowan’s eyes lit up, and she hurried forward. "Donovan, you’re here!" Donovan Xavier didn’t look at her, nor did he respond. Ian Xavier, sitting on a rosewood chair, glared at him. "Rosalind is talking to you. How can you ignore her?" Donovan Xavier ignored him as well, walking to the side, pulling out a chair, and sitting down with a lazy posture. Seeing this, Caleb Xavier picked up the dragon-headed cane beside him and moved to strike Donovan’s legs. Jane Zane hurriedly stopped him, smiling. "It’s been so many years, and our Donovan is still just as handsome!" Donovan Xavier offered a polite smile. "Hello, Mrs. Zane." Ian Xavier took a sip of tea and looked at Jane. "I think the eighth of next month is a good day. Jane, what do you think?" "I actually think the second is even better," Jane replied. As the two of them spoke, Donovan Xavier grew puzzled. "Hmm?" Rosalind Rowan, sitting nearby, watched him cautiously. "Donovan, my uncle and my mother are discussing a suitable date for our engagement." "What!" Donovan’s brow furrowed instantly. "I don’t agree!" As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere turned frigid. Jane Zane pursed her lips. "Donovan, do you think the engagement is too soon? I..." Donovan Xavier spoke bluntly, "It’s not about being too soon. I never even considered getting engaged to her, let alone married." "Since Mrs. Zane is here today, I’ll be direct. I don’t like Miss Rowan, and I want this engagement annulled!" The moment he finished, Ian Xavier smashed his teacup toward Donovan, and it shattered on the floor with a sharp crash. Tea soaked the fabric of his expensive suit, but Donovan Xavier’s expression remained placid. He calmly reached out and brushed away the wet tea leaves. Read complete version only at novel~fire~net He lifted his gaze, scanned everyone in the room, and repeated, "I want the engagement annulled." "Miss Rowan is beautiful and generous. She deserves to be treated by someone better." Hearing this, Rosalind Rowan’s eyes immediately reddened, her voice choking as tears welled up. Jane Zane immediately embraced her, forcing a smile. "Donovan, this isn’t something to joke about." "This engagement was arranged years ago. How can you just annul it on a whim?" Donovan Xavier’s brow darkened. "It must be annulled, whether it can be or not. I didn’t agree to this engagement, and I will never recognize it!" A surge of rage filled Caleb Xavier. "I think you’ve been completely bewitched by that woman with the surname Qin! Rosalind is a wonderful girl—gentle, capable, beautiful, and sensible." "The Xavier and Rowan Families have been friends for generations, and our statuses are equal. With you and Rosalind together, it would be sealing the alliance between our families!" Jane Zane chimed in, "That’s right, Donovan. Mrs. Zane knows that Rosalind has only just returned, and you two haven’t developed feelings for each other yet." "But feelings can be cultivated. Our Rosalind is sweet and well-behaved. If you spend more time together, I’m sure you’ll grow to like her!" Donovan Xavier’s declaration was absolute. "I will never like her." "How can you be so certain?" Caleb demanded. "Look how beautiful Rosalind is!" Donovan was silent for a moment before his dark eyes lifted to glance at Rosalind Rowan. "The woman I like can stir a reaction in me with a single glance." "But as for Miss Rowan, one look is enough to leave me completely uninterested, without a trace of a response." His face ashen with fury, Caleb Xavier shot to his feet and slammed his hands on the table. "What is this nonsense you’re spouting? How could the Xavier Family have produced such a worthless disgrace!" His words were intentionally cruel and deeply disrespectful. Rosalind Rowan’s face cycled between pale and flushed as tears streamed down her cheeks. Caleb’s blood pressure spiked, and his steps became unsteady. He coughed up a mouthful of blood on the spot. Everyone around them was terrified. Pushing people aside, Caleb Xavier gripped his dragon-headed cane and advanced on Donovan, intending to strike him. The butler reacted in a flash, grabbing him. "Old Master, you can’t strike the Young Master!" Caleb glared furiously at Donovan. "You... you! Get to the ancestral shrine right now! I’m going to enforce family law!" Donovan Xavier nodded, stood, and straightened his slightly wrinkled suit. He then walked out, heading directly for the shrine. 「Ten minutes later, at the Xavier Family Shrine.」 Donovan Xavier knelt outside the main entrance, his expression cold, his posture ramrod straight. Caleb had said that his presence inside would disturb the peace of the ancestors, so he was made to kneel outside. A light rain was falling, and a cold wind swept through, soaking his hair and suit. The ever-proud and untouchable Donovan Xavier now cut a pathetic figure. Suddenly, a whip struck hard across the man’s broad, firm back. The pain was intense. Donovan gritted his teeth against it, sweat beading on his forehead from the agony, yet his posture remained rigidly upright. Caleb Xavier held a short black whip, his eyes red and his hand trembling as he gasped for air. This is my grandson. Every blow I land on his back feels as if it strikes my own heart. "I’ll ask you again, do you still want to annul this engagement?" Donovan’s reply was decisive. "Annul it!" Another lash landed fiercely on his back, tearing through his suit and revealing the black shirt beneath. Pinned by the pain, Donovan clenched his fists, veins bulging on his arms as his body slumped to the ground. A second later, he struggled back into his upright kneeling position. "Do you still want to annul it now?" Caleb asked. The whip lashed down again, striking his back with malicious force. The fabric was now in tatters, and his back was torn open, revealing bloody welts. Staring at the gruesome wounds, Caleb tightened his grip on the whip, his voice thick with anger and heartache. "I ask you, have you realized your mistake yet?" Donovan forced the words out through the pain. "I’ve done nothing wrong." "Are you determined to annul the engagement?" Another whip fell upon his back, harsh and merciless. Caleb inhaled sharply, his anger peaking. "Donovan Xavier, it seems you’re determined to infuriate me to death today!" "What’s so great about that woman with the surname Qin that you must have her?" Donovan trembled from head to toe in pain. Propping himself up with his hands, he once again forced his back straight. The rain was still falling, and each drop that landed on the raw wounds felt like salt, an agony that made him wish for death. He lowered his gaze to the string of agarwood Buddha Beads on his wrist. His knuckles tightened, and a hint of tenderness softened his gaze. He spoke, his voice clear. "Yes. It must be her." "I think you’re beyond saving!" Caleb pointed at him, his heart aching as rage consumed him. He raised his hand, and the whip fell again. "Today, I’ll see just how stubborn you can be!" "As long as you annul the engagement, feel free to hit me!" "Fine! You said it!" Caleb was so infuriated that he coughed up another mouthful of blood. "Today, on behalf of the Xavier family ancestors, I will teach you, this unfilial descendant, a lesson!" With that, the whip fell again and again, landing on his spine. The pain was so excruciating it felt as if his very bones were being torn apart. As expected of his own grandfather. His strikes were ruthless. Donovan Xavier closed his eyes, his brow furrowed tightly. His body, slick with cold sweat, was on the verge of collapsing. He stared at the string of Buddha beads on his wrist, clenched his jaw, and used every last bit of his strength to straighten his back one more time.