Everyone knew I was the one Grandpa Hayes had personally chosen for a marriage alliance. Whoever married me was destined to inherit the Hayes family empire. At the engagement party, I stood in my custom-tailored suit, ready to announce the merger of the Hayes and Davies families. But my fiancée, Chloe Hayes, was holding hands with my adopted brother, Blake Miller. She pulled him to the center of the crowd, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. “Blake and I are madly in love. He’s the only man I’ll ever marry.” “Asher Thorne is far too reckless. He’s not fit to lead the Hayes company.” The engagement changed hands; my adopted brother was now the one betrothed to Chloe. Everyone in the room looked at me with pity or scorn. But what they didn’t know was that Grandpa Hayes had picked me to marry Chloe because my mother was the heir to the powerful, discreet Thorne family. One day, I would return to the Thorne family and inherit their legacy. Since Chloe had made her choice, it was time for the Hayes family heir to change as well.
Chloe gripped Blake Miller’s hand tightly, pulling him to a halt in front of everyone. Blake gasped, trying to pull his hand back. “Chloe, sweetie, this isn’t right. Your engagement to my brother was personally set by Grandpa Hayes.” “I’m in love with you, Blake. I won’t agree to marry anyone else.” She held Blake’s hand firmly, her eyes fixed on Grandpa Hayes, who sat in the place of honor. “Grandpa, my heart has always belonged to Blake. I will only marry Blake and have him as my husband.” The guests exchanged glances, filled with sympathy and thinly veiled mockery. Everyone knew that Chloe and I had grown up together, practically childhood sweethearts, and that Grandpa Hayes had internally designated me as his grandson-in-law. But now, Chloe had publicly humiliated me in front of everyone in our social circle. Chloe’s tone was absolute. “Even though Asher and I grew up together, I’ve always seen him as nothing more than a brother. I never had any romantic feelings for him.” “Blake and I are deeply in love; we confirmed our relationship ages ago. In my heart, Blake is the only man I can ever marry. No one else.” Mr. and Mrs. Hayes’s faces paled, and they anxiously glanced at Grandpa Hayes’s expression at the head table. Chloe linked her arm through Blake’s and looked over at me, a hint of sarcasm in her eyes. “Asher, you must know I don’t feel anything for you. You wouldn’t want to force a woman who doesn’t love you into a marriage, wasting your life away, would you?” “Besides, Blake and I are already together. You can’t possibly use Grandpa’s favoritism to butt in and break us apart, can you?” I glanced at them both, then bowed respectfully to Grandpa Hayes. “Grandpa Hayes, since they are clearly in love, how could I possibly stand in the way of their happiness? Let’s grant them their wish.” “I wish Miss Hayes and my brother a lifetime of happiness together.” Chloe’s face flashed with a flicker of displeasure when she heard me say that, but Blake cautiously linked his arm through hers. “Chloe, your marriage to my brother was set by Grandpa. Won’t he be upset about this?” Chloe soothingly patted the back of Blake’s hand, murmuring softly. “Of course not. Grandpa adores me. He wouldn’t get angry with me over *him*.” “Besides, you’re the true son of the Davies family, the heir. This alliance was always meant to be between our two families. Why would we care about an outsider like him?” An outsider? Only my father and Grandpa Hayes knew my true identity. My mother was the heir to the powerful, discreet Thorne family. My father and mother had initially only had a cooperative marriage, and I would inherit the Thorne family in the future, which is why I took my mother’s surname. Moreover, she thought Blake was my father’s biological son? Grandpa Hayes frowned at Chloe’s words. “Chloe, don’t be foolish. Are you certain you want to marry Mr. Miller?” Chloe firmly slipped the ring onto Blake’s finger, then had Blake seal it with a reverent kiss on her forehead. “Grandpa, I’ve thought it through. I will marry no one but Blake Miller in this life.” Grandpa Hayes looked at Chloe with disappointment. If it were simply a matter of switching engagement partners, 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. “Fine, have it your way then.”
Once Grandpa Hayes gave his word, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This family alliance had invited many prominent business figures to witness the event, and everyone was eager to see how it would unfold. Amidst the whispers, Chloe took Blake’s hand and faced the assembled guests to make her announcement. “Thank you all for coming today to attend my engagement ceremony with Mr. Blake Miller.” The guests’ expressions varied; no one had expected the Hayes and Miller families to make such a public switch. My father, Mr. Davies, hadn’t anticipated this either. His face instantly darkened, and mine wasn’t much better. Yet, I forced myself to stand tall, back straight, and amidst the murmurs, I raised my glass and presented a lavish gift. “Miss Hayes just switched fiancés on the spot. She didn’t give Asher Thorne any face at all.” “Didn’t Grandpa Hayes insist on Asher Thorne being his grandson-in-law? Why did he agree to the change?” “Changing partners on the day of the engagement — that’s truly embarrassing. I wonder what he did to make Miss Hayes take such an drastic step.” The guests’ discussions weren’t quiet. My father glared at Blake, and he didn’t hold back with Chloe either. “By doing this, how much gossip will you subject your brother to?” “And you, Blake, you’re not a child anymore. Acting without considering the consequences, are you trying to slap me in the face?” Blake, chastised by my father, timidly tried to take the ring off to give it back to me. Grandpa Hayes waved him off. He guiltily patted my head and said in a low voice, “Ash, don’t worry. Grandpa Hayes will handle this for you. If you’re willing, the Hayes family has several other excellent young women.” Mr. and Mrs. Hayes overheard Grandpa’s words and simply assumed he was comforting me, so they didn’t pay much attention. What they didn’t expect was for me to point to Harper Hayes, the Hayes family’s illegitimate daughter, who was watching the spectacle from a corner. “Actually, I’ve always liked Harper. I hope Grandpa can approve of our union.” Their gazes fell on Harper, their eyes darting between her and me. Harper was Mr. Hayes’s elder brother’s illegitimate daughter. After her uncle passed away, she wasn’t well-regarded at home and lived a rather difficult life. Since she was still a Hayes by blood, Grandpa Hayes didn’t want others to say the family mistreated her, so he brought her to live with him and raised her personally. My father looked at me in shock, then whispered in my ear, “Ash, Dad knows you’re upset, but she’s an illegitimate daughter. The Hayes family doesn’t value her at all.” I nonchalantly swirled my drink, raising my glass in Harper’s direction. “She didn’t choose to be an illegitimate daughter. I think she’s perfectly fine, and I’m willing to give things a try with her.” Harper’s eyes met mine, her demeanor relaxed. “Since Mr. Thorne likes me, then let’s give it a shot.” Everyone’s gazes on me grew even more meaningful. News of the Hayes family changing partners on the spot spread rapidly through the social circle. The moment the banquet ended, I received a text from my mother. In the private room, my mother, Eleanor Thorne, hugged me tightly, her eyes glinting with displeasure as she looked at my father, Mr. Davies. “Mr. Davies, how dare you let my son suffer such a humiliation?! Do you want to lose your job?” I squeezed my mother’s hand, redirecting the conversation to the important matter. “Grandpa Hayes has found me a new fiancée. Her name is Harper Hayes, and I actually quite like her.” My father wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed again. “She’s just an illegitimate daughter, a peripheral figure in the Hayes family. Why would you choose her?” I looked at my parents’ bewildered expressions and slowly began to explain. “Grandpa Hayes and Grandpa Thorne established this marriage alliance, and I am definitely going to marry a Hayes daughter.” “Although Harper is an illegitimate daughter, she’s the most capable among the younger generation of the Hayes family, and also the smartest and most composed. From a business perspective, she is the most suitable partner for cooperation.”
“Besides, since she’s an illegitimate daughter, if I marry her, the Thorne family will be her sole foundation within the Hayes family. She certainly won’t betray me.” Currently, Blake Miller was being flattered and courted by everyone in our circle. Countless people rushed to meet and connect with him. After all, a strong alliance between the Hayes and Miller families would undoubtedly elevate their respective industries to the next level. I had no time for these matters. I was focused on completing the task my mother had assigned me abroad. One day, on Grandpa Hayes’s birthday, Blake actually sent me an invitation and called me several times, leaving me no choice but to go. The moment I stepped through the Hayes family’s front door, all eyes fell on me. I showed no hint of awkwardness, smiling as I handed the gift to the Hayes family butler. “Why is Asher Thorne here? Didn’t the engagement change?” “You don’t know? At the time, Miss Hayes insisted on switching, and he, in a fit of pique, chose to get engaged to that illegitimate daughter of the Hayes family.” “Even marrying an illegitimate daughter just to get into the Hayes family—Mr. Thorne certainly isn’t afraid to go to extremes.” Just as everyone was buzzing, Chloe Hayes appeared, grandly linked arm-in-arm with Blake Miller. Unlike her usual understated and gentle attire, she was wearing a haute couture gown today, adorned with several sets of elaborate, luxurious jewelry, making her look ostentatious but also a bit tacky. And Blake? His suit alone was worth a fortune, and the watch on his wrist was comparable to the price of a luxury mansion. He spotted me there and came over, trying to sling an arm around my shoulder in a familiar gesture. “Little brother, it’s wonderful that both of us brothers can be sons-in-law of the Hayes family! For brotherly affection, I’ll definitely ask Chloe to help out your wife.” I almost laughed at Blake. Even now, he still thought I cared about marrying just *any* Hayes daughter. Chloe seemed to think the same thing. In her eyes, I’d gone to extreme lengths to try and marry her, and she looked at me as if I were something dirty. I couldn’t be bothered with these two and turned to leave, but then I noticed a jade pendant of excellent quality around Blake’s neck. This was the Hayes family’s ancestral jade pendant, always kept by Grandpa Hayes. I never expected it to be on Blake. The Hayes family heir hadn’t even been confirmed yet, so how could this jade pendant be on Blake? I pointed to the jade pendant on Blake’s neck, a hint of scrutiny in my eyes. “Where did that pendant come from?” Chloe showed a fleeting moment of guilt, while Blake caressed the jade pendant on his neck, looking slightly wronged. “Little brother, this was originally meant for you, but now that I’m the one marrying Chloe, this jade pendant naturally goes to me.” Chloe also nodded self-righteously. After all, in her mind, she was the definite heir, so letting her beloved wear the jade pendant a little early was perfectly acceptable. “This is my Hayes family’s ancestral jade pendant. I can let anyone wear it I choose. What does it have to do with you?” After saying that, she looked me up and down with disdain and stepped back. “Don’t you dare try to use this to cling to me. I will never like you. My heart belongs only to Blake.” Chloe’s voice wasn’t quiet, and several gazes around us fell on me. “Asher Thorne usually seems so refined, but I never thought he’d be so desperate to latch onto the Hayes family that he’d even try to steal his brother’s fiancée.” “They’re clearly in love. Why is he still trying to cling on?” Blake’s face flushed red, and he gently tugged at Chloe’s arm. “Don’t be so harsh on Asher, sweetie. Once he marries Harper, we’ll still be family. You’ll have to help them out then.” Chloe glanced at me, then affectionately tilted her head and pinched Blake’s cheek. “Fine, for Blake’s sake, I won’t hold it against you. But if you have any inappropriate thoughts about me, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” As the two of them were still basking in their loving display, a voice suddenly echoed from behind them. “Why would my husband have inappropriate thoughts about you, Chloe? You’re being very rude to your future brother-in-law.” Harper Hayes entered, supporting Grandpa Hayes. A faint smile played on her lips, and her eyes held a hint of challenge as she looked at Chloe. Grandpa Hayes’s gaze fell on the jade pendant around Blake’s neck, and his expression darkened.
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