Everyone knew I was Grandpa Davies’ personal choice for an arranged marriage, a union that would determine the sole heir to the entire Davies empire. At the engagement party, I was dressed in a custom-tailored suit, ready to announce the Davies-Thorne family alliance. But my fiancée, Serena Davies, had her fingers laced tightly with her adopted brother, Marcus Thorne, pulling him to the center of the crowd, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him. “Marcus and I are deeply in love; he’s the only man I’ll ever marry.” “Julian is far too impulsive. He’s simply not fit for the position of a Davies son-in-law.” My adopted brother had become Serena’s fiancé. Everyone’s eyes, filled with pity or mockery, turned to me. But what she didn’t know was that the only reason Grandpa Davies had chosen *me* to marry her was because my mother was the heir to the Sterling family – a reclusive, incredibly powerful dynasty. Someday, I would return to the Sterling family and inherit its vast fortune. Since Serena had already made her choice, it was time for the Davies heir to change.
Serena gripped Marcus’s hand tightly, pulling him to stand firmly before everyone. Marcus gasped, trying to pull his hand back. “Serena, you can’t do this. Your engagement to my brother was personally arranged by Grandpa Davies.” “You’re the one I love, Marcus. I won’t agree to marry anyone else.” She held Marcus’s hand firmly, her gaze fixed on Grandpa Davies, who sat on a raised platform. “Grandpa, Marcus has always been the one I love. I’ll only ever marry Marcus and make him my husband.” The guests in attendance watched, their eyes filled with pity and mockery. Everyone knew Serena and I had grown up together, practically destined for each other in Grandpa Davies’ eyes. But now, in front of everyone in this elite circle, Serena had just publicly humiliated me. Serena’s tone was absolute, leaving no room for doubt. “Even though Julian and I grew up together, I’ve always seen him as nothing more than a brother. I’ve never had any other feelings for him.” “Marcus and I are deeply in love; we’ve been together for a while now. In my heart, Marcus is the only man who can be my husband. No one else.” Mr. and Mrs. Davies’ faces instantly changed, their eyes nervously flicking towards Grandpa Davies’ expression on the main seat. Serena then linked her arm with Marcus’s and looked my way. Her eyes held a distinct glint of sarcasm. “Julian, you must know I don’t have any romantic feelings for you. Surely you don’t want to force a marriage with a woman who doesn’t love you, wasting your entire life, do you?” “Besides, Marcus and I are already together. You can’t possibly think that just because Grandpa favors you, you can butt in and break us up, can you?” I glanced at the two of them, then bowed deeply to Grandpa Davies. “Grandpa Davies, since they are so deeply in love, how could I possibly stand in the way of such profound love? Let them be together.” “I wish Ms. Davies and my brother eternal happiness and a lifetime of togetherness.” Serena’s face flickered with displeasure when she heard me say that, but Marcus cautiously took her arm. “Serena, your marriage to my brother was arranged by Grandpa. Won’t he be upset about this?” Serena patted Marcus’s hand reassuringly, soothing him softly. “Of course not. Grandpa spoils me rotten; he’d never be truly angry with me over *him*. Besides, you’re the *actual* Thorne heir, aren’t you? This alliance was always about our families, so why should anyone care about some outsider?” An outsider? Only my father and Grandpa Davies knew my true identity. My mother was the heir to the Sterling family. My father and mother’s marriage was initially a strategic alliance, and since I would inherit the Sterling family’s legacy, I took my mother’s surname. Moreover, she actually thought Marcus was my father’s biological son? Grandpa Davies frowned at Serena’s words. “Serena, don’t be ridiculous. Are you absolutely certain you want to marry Mr. Thorne?” Serena firmly slipped the ring onto Marcus’s finger, then had him press a solemn kiss to her forehead. “Grandpa, I’ve thought this through. I’m marrying Marcus, and no one else, in this lifetime.” Grandpa Davies looked at Serena with disappointment. If it were merely a change of fiancé, he wouldn’t have thought much of her. But her deliberate choice to humiliate me in front of so many people today proved that she was utterly unreliable. “Very well. As you wish.”
Once Grandpa Davies spoke, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This family alliance had invited many prominent business figures to witness it, and everyone was eager to see how it would unfold. Amidst the whispers, Serena, holding Marcus’s hand, faced the guests who had come to celebrate and made her announcement. “Thank you all for coming today to celebrate my engagement to Mr. Marcus Thorne.” The guests’ faces showed varying expressions. No one had expected the Davies and Thorne families to pull such a last-minute switch. My father hadn’t anticipated this either; his face instantly darkened. My own expression wasn’t much better, but I forced myself to stand tall, back straight, and in the midst of the chatter, I raised my glass, offering a generous gift. “Ms. Davies actually swapped fiancés on the spot. She’s not giving Julian any face at all!” “Didn’t Grandpa Davies insist on Julian becoming his grandson-in-law? Why did he agree to the change?” “Switching fiancés on the day of the engagement party… it’s truly humiliating. I wonder what he did to make Ms. Davies take such a drastic step.” The guests’ whispers weren’t quiet. My father glared at Marcus and didn’t hold back with Serena. “What you’ve done will subject your brother to so much gossip!” “And you, Marcus! You’re not a child anymore. Don’t you ever think about the consequences? Are you trying to slap me in the face?” Marcus, chastised by my father, timidly tried to take off the ring to give it back to me. Grandpa Davies waved his hand, stopping Marcus. He gave my head a regretful pat and spoke in a deep voice. “Julian, don’t worry. Grandpa Davies will make this right for you. If you’re willing, the Davies family has several other excellent young women.” Mr. and Mrs. Davies, hearing Grandpa’s words, simply assumed he was comforting me and didn’t pay it much mind. To their shock, I pointed to Samantha Davies, the Davies family’s illegitimate daughter, who was watching the spectacle from the corner. “Actually, I’ve always had feelings for Samantha. I hope Grandpa can approve our union.” Their gazes fell on Samantha, darting back and forth between her and me. Samantha was Mr. Andrew Davies’ illegitimate daughter. After Mr. Andrew Davies passed away, she wasn’t well-regarded in the family and had a difficult life. But since she was still a Davies family child, Grandpa Davies didn’t want anyone to say the family mistreated children. So, he took her in and raised her himself. My father stared at me in shock, then leaned in, quietly trying to dissuade me. “Julian, I know you’re upset, but she’s an illegitimate daughter. The Davies family doesn’t value her.” I casually swirled my glass, raising it to Samantha as a gesture. “It’s not like she *chose* to be an illegitimate daughter. I think she’s quite remarkable, actually. I’m willing to give things a try with her.” Samantha’s eyes met mine, her expression relaxed. “If Mr. Blackwood is interested in me, then let’s give it a try.” Everyone’s gazes toward me became even more meaningful. News of the Davies family’s on-the-spot fiancée swap spread like wildfire through the circle. The moment the banquet ended, I received a text from my mother. In the private room, my mother held me close, her eyes glaring at my father. “David, how dare you let my son suffer such humiliation? I think you’re looking to get fired!” I squeezed my mother’s hand, redirecting the conversation to business. “Grandpa Davies set me up with a new fiancée. Her name is Samantha Davies, and I quite like her.” My father wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed again. “She’s just an illegitimate daughter, an outsider in the Davies family. Why would you choose her?” I looked at my parents’ confused expressions and slowly began to explain. “Grandpa Davies and Grandpa Sterling had an agreement about this alliance; I am definitely marrying a Davies woman.” “Samantha might be an illegitimate daughter, but she’s the most capable among the younger generation of Davies. She’s also the smartest and most composed. From a business perspective, she’s the most suitable partner for this alliance.”
“What’s more, she’s an illegitimate daughter. If I marry her, the Sterling family becomes her foundation for gaining a foothold in the Davies family. She’d never betray me.” Currently, Marcus Thorne was the toast of the town, flattered and courted by everyone. Countless people rushed to meet and connect with him. After all, a strong alliance between the Davies and Thorne families promised to elevate any industry they touched to new heights. I didn’t have time to bother with such matters. I was focused on completing the tasks my mother had given me abroad. One day, it was Grandpa Davies’ birthday. Marcus specifically sent me an invitation and called me several times, so I had no choice but to go. The moment I stepped through the Davies family’s front door, all eyes landed on me. I showed no trace of awkwardness, simply smiling as I handed my gift to the Davies family’s butler. “Why is Julian here? Didn’t the fiancée get swapped?” “You haven’t heard? Ms. Davies insisted on changing fiancés, and in a fit of pique, he chose to marry that illegitimate daughter from the Davies family.” “Even marrying an illegitimate daughter to get into the Davies family… Mr. Blackwood certainly is desperate.” Just as everyone was buzzing with speculation, Serena made a grand entrance, elegantly arm-in-arm with Marcus. Unlike her usual understated and gentle attire, today she wore a high-fashion couture gown, adorned with several sets of intricate and luxurious jewelry, making her appear dazzling but somewhat vulgar. As for Marcus, his suit alone was incredibly expensive, and the watch on his wrist was worth more than a luxury mansion. He spotted me there and came over, trying to sling his arm around my shoulder in a familiar gesture. “Little brother, it’s wonderful that both of us brothers can be Davies sons-in-law! For the sake of brotherhood, I’ll make sure Serena gives your wife a good boost.” I nearly burst out laughing at Marcus. Even now, he still believed I was desperate to marry into the Davies family. Serena clearly thought the same. In her eyes, I’d gone to any lengths to try and marry her. She looked at me as if I were something utterly disgusting. I couldn’t be bothered with either of them and turned to leave, but then I noticed a beautifully crafted jade pendant around Marcus’s neck. This was the Davies family’s ancestral jade pendant, always kept by Grandpa Davies. I never expected it to be on Marcus. The Davies family heir hadn’t even been formally decided yet. How could this jade pendant be with Marcus? I pointed to the jade pendant around Marcus’s neck, my gaze tinged with scrutiny. “Where did you get that pendant?” Serena showed a flicker of guilt, while Marcus stroked the jade pendant on his neck, his face showing a hint of grievance. “Little brother, this was meant for you originally, but now that I’m marrying Serena, this jade pendant naturally belongs to me.” Serena nodded righteously. After all, in her mind, she was already the undisputed heir, so there was no harm in letting her beloved wear the jade pendant a little early. “This is my Davies family’s ancestral jade pendant. I can let whoever I want wear it. What’s it to you?” After saying that, she looked me up and down with a disgusted expression and took a step back. “Don’t you dare think you can use this to cling to me. I will never like you. My heart belongs only to Marcus.” Serena’s voice wasn’t quiet, and several gazes around us landed on me. “Julian usually seems so dignified, but I never imagined he’d try to steal his brother’s fiancée just to get into the Davies family.” “They’re clearly in love. Why is he still clinging on?” Marcus, his face flushed, gently tugged on Serena’s arm. “Don’t be so harsh on my brother. Once he marries Samantha, we’ll still be family. You’ll have to help them out then.” Serena glanced at me, then affectionately tilted her head back and pinched Marcus’s cheek. “Fine, for Marcus’s sake, I won’t hold it against him. But if you have any improper thoughts about me, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” The two of them were still immersed in their sweet exchanges when a voice suddenly rang out from behind them. “Why would my husband have improper thoughts about you, Serena? You’re being incredibly rude to your future brother-in-law.” Samantha Davies entered, supporting Grandpa Davies. A smile played on her lips, and her gaze towards Serena held a hint of challenge. Grandpa Davies glanced at the jade pendant around Marcus’s neck, his expression darkening.
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