Tonight, the rain came down like the day Edgar and Silas kicked me out of the car. But this time, things were different.I was standing under the eaves, watching them get drenched. They looked like a total mess, and their suits were all wrinkled.Silas was the first to speak up. "Cecilia! The board fired us, and now, we're blacklisted in the industry! We can't even get a job! How could you do this to us?"I couldn't help but smile at that. They were finally getting what was coming to them.The day I decided to cut ties with them, I didn't just transfer my shares to anyone—I handed them over to our biggest competitor.The competitor became the biggest shareholder, and with all the bad blood between them and Edgar and Silas, the first thing they did was call a board meeting before firing both of them.Edgar's face twisted when he saw me smile. "Why didn't you give us a heads-up? We're the company's top executives. We should've been in the loop about any changes in the equity!"The
I knew people could change, but I never expected it to happen so suddenly. I was about to speak but noticed an umbrella hovering over my head.Vernon stood behind me, his tone gentle as he said, "Are you done? Let's head home."His eyes told me everything—he was afraid our month together couldn't compete with the years I had with Edgar and Silas.Vernon didn't realize how quickly people can change. Edgar and Silas could, and so could I.I took Vernon's hand and turned to Silas and Edgar, who looked like they were in pain. "Promises can be broken. And right now, I'm choosing Vernon."Then, I took Vernon home with me.…The next morning, while doing my makeup for the wedding, I heard that Edgar and Silas had been standing downstairs all night and only stumbled off in the early hours.But I wasn't feeling anything. I was way too excited about the wedding.I was caught off guard when I found out that Vernon, the groom, hadn't made it to the venue yet. Guests were quietly speculati
As soon as I finished speaking, the door to the ward slammed open. Silas Tate and Edgar Linden, missing for the past week, walked in one after another."What's this about a marriage of convenience?" They were fuming, clearly having overheard me talking to Dad.I didn't bother explaining. "None of your business."I grabbed my stuff and was ready to leave, but they blocked me.Silas, always quick to speak his mind, snapped, "Cecilia, what's going on with you? You're the one who said you didn't want a marriage for the family's sake. We went out of our way to back you, offended your parents, and threw away our futures just to stay with you, and now, you're changing your mind?"He gave me an earful.Edgar, who was always gentle with me, stayed silent as Silas went off. "Stop being quiet! You're making us look like the bad guys! You need to explain yourself!"I glanced at Edgar, but he immediately looked away.Things like this used to happen all the time.Silas had a short fuse an
Edgar headed out after handing me the cake.He glanced back at me, my face pale. "Cecilia, you need to think about what you're doing. You can't just throw tantrums all the time."He had a point. I really should think about whether I'd been valuing Edgar and Silas too much over those years.…The trip home from the hospital felt way longer than usual. It felt like Silas and Edgar had always been there for me, ever since I could remember.They were always right with me no matter where I went. I'd never been alone in a hospital for seven days, let alone had to make the trip back home by myself.When I got home and opened the door, all I felt was a cold emptiness, and my heart sank again. Since I left home at 18 years old and moved into this villa, their presence was everywhere I turned.I loved keeping fish and had a huge, beautiful aquarium. I named each of the fish. Silas and Edgar would always tease me for being childish, but they'd still go everywhere to get me the fish I wante
Every word from Silas and Edgar cut right through me, digging into the pain I was already carrying. I had no idea pain could hurt this much. It felt like my heart stopped beating for a second."Cecilia, why are you home?" Lisette froze when she saw me at the door, like I wasn't supposed to be there."I live here. Do I have to check in with you every time I come home?""I didn't mean it that way..." Lisette began crying, looking vulnerable.I tossed her shabby bag at her feet. "Take your stuff—""Ouch! That hurts…" Lisette bent over, clutching her toes.Before I could even react, Silas shoved me hard on the shoulder. "Cecilia, that's too much! You can't toss the bag at her, no matter how mad you are!"I almost lost my balance.Edgar stepped in between us. "Cecilia, if you're mad, take it out on me or Silas, and leave Lise out of this. She's already been through enough."She'd been through enough? What about me?What about when I was up in the mountains, freezing to the point o
Edgar had been quiet for a while. Finally, he said, "Let's get her to the hospital first. If something happens to her, we won't be able to explain it to the Wildes."That was when Silas finally moved to help me up.I could hardly stand in the elevator, so I leaned on him. But he pulled back, looking disgusted, and only steadied me with one hand.As everyone was getting in the car, Lisette didn't hesitate to hop into the front seat. The sign that used to say "Princess Ceci's Seat" had somehow been changed to "Princess Lise's Seat."I closed my eyes, and it started raining outside at some point.We were getting close to the hospital when Lisette suddenly turned to Edgar, her eyes wide with panic. "Ed, I think I left my necklace at Cecilia's place! It was a birthday gift from my dad before he passed away. I need to get it back!"Edgar immediately stiffened. "You left something that important? We've got to get it back.""Then, what are we waiting for? Turn the car around!" Silas exc
After a few days of resting at home, I got my first call from my fiancé, Vernon Jorgensen.He had a deep, soothing voice. "Hey, Cecilia Wilde. It's Vernon Jorgensen."Although Vernon and I were promised to each other since birth, we'd never met in over 20 years. I always thought he wouldn't be much to look at and probably wouldn't impress me in other ways, either.If he really were some charming heir from a rich family, he would've found someone else by now, especially after I turned down the idea of our arranged marriage."Hi." I couldn't help but feel uneasy, wondering if he was calling to cancel our marriage of convenience. After all, the gossip about me, Silas, and Edgar had been blowing up in our circles.Vernon caught me off guard when he asked, "Your wedding dress came in at the bridal shop. Want to go try it on today?""Sure. See you later," I said quietly.…I arrived at the bridal shop, but Vernon wasn't there. I was flipping through a catalog on the couch when three
Lisette's expression shifted instantly. When she saw Silas and Edgar instinctively moving closer to me, she suddenly broke down in tears. "I really wish my dad could be here…"Silas and Edgar froze in surprise. They turned back to her."Lise, what's going on?""Why are you thinking about your dad all of a sudden?"They closed in on Lisette, who was sobbing, her cries soft and heartbreaking. "My dad's biggest wish before he passed was for me to get married. I've been thinking how happy he'd be if he saw me in a wedding dress. But sadly, he'll never get to see it…"Her tears seemed endless, streaming down like water from a broken tap.Silas looked devastated, and he frantically wiped her tears. "Lise, please don't cry…"I was enjoying the moment when Edgar whipped around and barked, "Cecilia, apologize to Lise now!"I was stunned, barely able to believe what I was hearing. "Why should I even apologize?"Edgar stepped in front of Lisette, his voice filled with righteous anger. "D
I knew people could change, but I never expected it to happen so suddenly. I was about to speak but noticed an umbrella hovering over my head.Vernon stood behind me, his tone gentle as he said, "Are you done? Let's head home."His eyes told me everything—he was afraid our month together couldn't compete with the years I had with Edgar and Silas.Vernon didn't realize how quickly people can change. Edgar and Silas could, and so could I.I took Vernon's hand and turned to Silas and Edgar, who looked like they were in pain. "Promises can be broken. And right now, I'm choosing Vernon."Then, I took Vernon home with me.…The next morning, while doing my makeup for the wedding, I heard that Edgar and Silas had been standing downstairs all night and only stumbled off in the early hours.But I wasn't feeling anything. I was way too excited about the wedding.I was caught off guard when I found out that Vernon, the groom, hadn't made it to the venue yet. Guests were quietly speculati
Tonight, the rain came down like the day Edgar and Silas kicked me out of the car. But this time, things were different.I was standing under the eaves, watching them get drenched. They looked like a total mess, and their suits were all wrinkled.Silas was the first to speak up. "Cecilia! The board fired us, and now, we're blacklisted in the industry! We can't even get a job! How could you do this to us?"I couldn't help but smile at that. They were finally getting what was coming to them.The day I decided to cut ties with them, I didn't just transfer my shares to anyone—I handed them over to our biggest competitor.The competitor became the biggest shareholder, and with all the bad blood between them and Edgar and Silas, the first thing they did was call a board meeting before firing both of them.Edgar's face twisted when he saw me smile. "Why didn't you give us a heads-up? We're the company's top executives. We should've been in the loop about any changes in the equity!"The
"Thanks for helping me out of that mess." I said.I instinctively scooted away from Vernon as soon as I got in the car. Even though we were about to get married, he still felt like a stranger to me.I thought he'd take me home, but he drove us to a restaurant instead. "Let's grab something to eat first. We can talk later."To my surprise, every dish he ordered was one of my favorites.When I was almost done with my meal, the air was suddenly filled with romantic piano music. Vernon came up to me, dropped to one knee, and held out a huge diamond ring.He looked at me with so much love. "This ring's been waiting for you. I want to put it on you myself."I couldn't believe it. Wasn't this whole thing just a marriage of convenience?Noticing my confusion, Vernon smiled and lowered his gaze. "We were born in the same hospital, and I've been watching over you all these years. I get that it might seem sudden, but I've actually loved you for ages. I'm glad I never gave up, and here we a
Lisette's expression shifted instantly. When she saw Silas and Edgar instinctively moving closer to me, she suddenly broke down in tears. "I really wish my dad could be here…"Silas and Edgar froze in surprise. They turned back to her."Lise, what's going on?""Why are you thinking about your dad all of a sudden?"They closed in on Lisette, who was sobbing, her cries soft and heartbreaking. "My dad's biggest wish before he passed was for me to get married. I've been thinking how happy he'd be if he saw me in a wedding dress. But sadly, he'll never get to see it…"Her tears seemed endless, streaming down like water from a broken tap.Silas looked devastated, and he frantically wiped her tears. "Lise, please don't cry…"I was enjoying the moment when Edgar whipped around and barked, "Cecilia, apologize to Lise now!"I was stunned, barely able to believe what I was hearing. "Why should I even apologize?"Edgar stepped in front of Lisette, his voice filled with righteous anger. "D
After a few days of resting at home, I got my first call from my fiancé, Vernon Jorgensen.He had a deep, soothing voice. "Hey, Cecilia Wilde. It's Vernon Jorgensen."Although Vernon and I were promised to each other since birth, we'd never met in over 20 years. I always thought he wouldn't be much to look at and probably wouldn't impress me in other ways, either.If he really were some charming heir from a rich family, he would've found someone else by now, especially after I turned down the idea of our arranged marriage."Hi." I couldn't help but feel uneasy, wondering if he was calling to cancel our marriage of convenience. After all, the gossip about me, Silas, and Edgar had been blowing up in our circles.Vernon caught me off guard when he asked, "Your wedding dress came in at the bridal shop. Want to go try it on today?""Sure. See you later," I said quietly.…I arrived at the bridal shop, but Vernon wasn't there. I was flipping through a catalog on the couch when three
Edgar had been quiet for a while. Finally, he said, "Let's get her to the hospital first. If something happens to her, we won't be able to explain it to the Wildes."That was when Silas finally moved to help me up.I could hardly stand in the elevator, so I leaned on him. But he pulled back, looking disgusted, and only steadied me with one hand.As everyone was getting in the car, Lisette didn't hesitate to hop into the front seat. The sign that used to say "Princess Ceci's Seat" had somehow been changed to "Princess Lise's Seat."I closed my eyes, and it started raining outside at some point.We were getting close to the hospital when Lisette suddenly turned to Edgar, her eyes wide with panic. "Ed, I think I left my necklace at Cecilia's place! It was a birthday gift from my dad before he passed away. I need to get it back!"Edgar immediately stiffened. "You left something that important? We've got to get it back.""Then, what are we waiting for? Turn the car around!" Silas exc
Every word from Silas and Edgar cut right through me, digging into the pain I was already carrying. I had no idea pain could hurt this much. It felt like my heart stopped beating for a second."Cecilia, why are you home?" Lisette froze when she saw me at the door, like I wasn't supposed to be there."I live here. Do I have to check in with you every time I come home?""I didn't mean it that way..." Lisette began crying, looking vulnerable.I tossed her shabby bag at her feet. "Take your stuff—""Ouch! That hurts…" Lisette bent over, clutching her toes.Before I could even react, Silas shoved me hard on the shoulder. "Cecilia, that's too much! You can't toss the bag at her, no matter how mad you are!"I almost lost my balance.Edgar stepped in between us. "Cecilia, if you're mad, take it out on me or Silas, and leave Lise out of this. She's already been through enough."She'd been through enough? What about me?What about when I was up in the mountains, freezing to the point o
Edgar headed out after handing me the cake.He glanced back at me, my face pale. "Cecilia, you need to think about what you're doing. You can't just throw tantrums all the time."He had a point. I really should think about whether I'd been valuing Edgar and Silas too much over those years.…The trip home from the hospital felt way longer than usual. It felt like Silas and Edgar had always been there for me, ever since I could remember.They were always right with me no matter where I went. I'd never been alone in a hospital for seven days, let alone had to make the trip back home by myself.When I got home and opened the door, all I felt was a cold emptiness, and my heart sank again. Since I left home at 18 years old and moved into this villa, their presence was everywhere I turned.I loved keeping fish and had a huge, beautiful aquarium. I named each of the fish. Silas and Edgar would always tease me for being childish, but they'd still go everywhere to get me the fish I wante
As soon as I finished speaking, the door to the ward slammed open. Silas Tate and Edgar Linden, missing for the past week, walked in one after another."What's this about a marriage of convenience?" They were fuming, clearly having overheard me talking to Dad.I didn't bother explaining. "None of your business."I grabbed my stuff and was ready to leave, but they blocked me.Silas, always quick to speak his mind, snapped, "Cecilia, what's going on with you? You're the one who said you didn't want a marriage for the family's sake. We went out of our way to back you, offended your parents, and threw away our futures just to stay with you, and now, you're changing your mind?"He gave me an earful.Edgar, who was always gentle with me, stayed silent as Silas went off. "Stop being quiet! You're making us look like the bad guys! You need to explain yourself!"I glanced at Edgar, but he immediately looked away.Things like this used to happen all the time.Silas had a short fuse an