The Gray family’s bloodline was perilously thin—across eighteen generations, they had produced only a single heir.

My father adopted three girls and made it clear that the family fortune would be passed down to his grandson once one of them bore a child.

Everyone believed that the children born to the three potential brides my father had chosen for me would be the true heirs. Yet, none of them ever looked at me.

I had loved Sherina for years, but all I received were countless disdainful glances from her.

I thought she was just cold by nature, distant from all men. But then I saw her, leaning in the arms of the driver’s son, Warren.

"I promised to marry him only to repay the Gray family for raising me. Once I bear the heir to the Gray family, I will divorce him and marry you. As long as Calum doesn't harm you, I'll give him a few million to live lavishly abroad," she solemnly vowed.

"You are the only man in my heart."

The night before the shareholder meeting, my father asked me who I would choose.

I remembered the evasive glances of the three girls and smiled as I replied, "After all, I am the heir of the Gray family. When it comes to marriage, I must maximize the benefits."

"Let it be Meredith from the capital."

My father furrowed his brows and asked, "Meredith was paralyzed in a car accident five years ago. She not only has impaired legs but also cannot bear children. Are you sure?"

——

Nodding, I spoke softly yet firmly. "In our class, there’s no such thing as true love. Since everything is about benefits, I will naturally choose the one with the greatest advantage, the Hoffman family."

My father's face grew serious. "That's what you say, but didn’t you find anything appealing in the three I selected for you?"

Dad deeply loved my mother, but she passed away from a brain hemorrhage the year I was born.

Unable to accept remarrying, yet knowing that I had never been passionate about love, he feared that I would abandon the Gray family’s future.

So, he listened to the advice of a close friend and adopted three orphaned girls.

He set up a will early, stipulating that no matter which of the three I chose, she would share control of the company with me, suppressing the other board members.

Sighing, I looked at my father. "Although Meredith is paralyzed and cannot bear children, she can still have a child through egg retrieval and IVF. She is the only heir to the Hoffman family. Instead of picking an orphan to support the Gray family, it’s better to choose a strong ally."

My father nodded. "Since the three of them couldn’t keep your heart, there’s no need for them to stay in the Gray family."

If I had only said that it was because Sherina didn’t love me, and I didn’t want to force her, my father would have likely ordered Sherina to kneel before me and demand an explanation.

'What right did a foster daughter have to reject me?'

I didn’t want my father to use his years of kindness to coerce Sherina, nor did I want to force her to marry me, especially not to form a marriage full of resentment.

Moreover, the things Sherina had said had thoroughly chilled my heart.

Leaving peacefully was the greatest mercy I could offer.

As I left the office, Dad gave Sherina a sideways glance.

After politely sending my father off, Sherina turned to me, frowning. "What petty report did you file this time?"

Her eyes were full of disgust and impatience, as if I had committed some unforgivable crime.

Before I could speak, Cherry laughed derisively. "Is it just those words?"

"It’s nothing more than saying the three of us aren’t chasing after him like loyal dogs."

Mariah also sneered. "I say, Calum, the American Dynasty has long fallen. Do you still think a few dirty coins can make you king and have everyone revolve around you?"

The three of them were united in their hostility, using sharp words to sting me.

"If none of you want to marry me, then why hasn’t anyone had the courage to speak to my father?" I asked, puzzled.

Even though my father had hoped to cultivate feelings between me and one of them, to form a marriage, he never forced it.

As long as they said "no," my father would immediately prepare a sum of money to send them abroad to live carefree lives.

In the end, they couldn’t let go of the wealth behind the Gray family.

The most hot-tempered of them all, Mariah, clicked her tongue impatiently. "You talk so nicely, but you know full well that the three of us are living under your roof, just dogs raised by the Gray family. How can we have the right to refuse?"

Sherina’s face darkened as she looked at me. "If you want to choose me, then choose me. I just hope you won't make things difficult for the other two."

Mariah and Cherry were immediately moved when they heard this.

Seeing Sherina’s self-sacrificial expression, I only felt a deep bitterness in my heart.

Before I could say anything, Warren suddenly appeared.

The moment he saw me, he looked as if he were startled, retreating behind Sherina.

He was a grown man, but he acted as though he needed protection from a woman.

Sherina instinctively stepped in front of Warren. "He didn’t do anything. Please, just let him go today."

I looked at them in confusion, only to see that the three women, who should have been on my side, were all standing in front of Warren, as though afraid I might bully him.

They saw themselves as strong women, disapproving of my confident and assertive nature, and instead, they favored Warren, who seemed to fall short in every way compared to me.

Five years ago, when Warren first joined the Gray family, he gave me a watch as a gesture of goodwill.

In return, I gave him a suit worth a hundred thousand. It was meant to be a polite exchange.

But the moment I put on the watch, Sherina snatched it from my wrist.

“How dare you steal something his mother left him?” she shouted, livid.

Confused, I turned to Warren, expecting him to speak up and clarify that he had given it to me voluntarily.

But to my surprise, Warren suddenly knelt with a look of grievance. "It wasn’t the Young Master who took it from me. I gave it to him willingly."

"He’s been nothing but kind to me. He even gave me a suit... I don’t feel wronged at all."

He kowtowed to me, and the scene made the three women teary-eyed, reminding them of their own dependent situation.

"Even if you are the Young Master of the Gray family, you have no right to force someone to give you their mother’s keepsake!" They spat angrily.

"The watch may not be worth much, but its significance far surpasses any suit worth tens of thousands. You need to give Warren his watch back!"

"You’re just as domineering as always, thinking only of your own happiness and not caring about anyone else’s feelings."

I immediately changed my expression, but thought it might be a misunderstanding. I hoped to resolve it through conversation.

I suppressed my anger and handed the watch back to Warren, but when he reached out, he fumbled and dropped it.

The watch shattered instantly, and he glared at me, shouting, "Since Young Master would rather destroy it than return it to me, why bother pretending to be generous?"

Sherina, who had always disliked seeing the poor being bullied, immediately threatened with a cold face. "You need to apologize to Warren right now, or I’ll cancel the engagement!"

At that time, I had already confessed my love to Sherina and had promised to marry no one but her.

Sherina used this as leverage to force me to apologize to Warren.

I was young then, too afraid to risk losing the woman I loved by defending myself. So I could only lower my head, and apologize with bloodshot eyes.

That apology lasted a full five years.

From that moment on, whenever Warren saw me, it was as if he were a mouse seeing a cat—he either knelt or cried uncontrollably.

But I hadn’t done anything...

I coldly looked at Sherina. "If you’re really afraid I’ll bully Warren, then keep him tied to your waistband at all times."

Although my words were sarcastic, Sherina furrowed her brows and asked, "Are you threatening me? What do you want to do to Warren?"

Mariah clapped her hands and pointed at me. "Are you planning to use the fact that the three of us gave the vast starry sea to Warren as an excuse to bully him?"

Cherry glared at me coldly. "You have everything, but Warren has never had anyone celebrate his birthday. All he has is that vast starry sea, so why keep holding onto it?"

My eyes chilled. "Vast starry sea?"

The Vast Starry Sea is an underground oceanarium that has been under construction since my birth.

On the southeast side, there was a section of top-tier imperial green jade, and through the shimmering sea water, it reflects a beauty like that of the cosmos.

Half a year ago, the project was nearly complete, and my father handed over the final phase to Sherina. She was tasked with unveiling the Vast Starry Sea at my birthday banquet, a month from now.

But now, this gift that was supposed to be mine had become Warren’s.

I looked at Sherina—she was responsible for the completion of the project. Without her approval, no one could enter the unopened oceanarium.

Sherina grew uncomfortable under my gaze, turning her head in frustration. "Warren has spent his life in the countryside, struggling to make a living. He’s never truly seen the stars. I’m just fulfilling his one wish. Besides, the oceanarium still belongs to you, doesn’t it?"

"Stop making excuses. If it makes you happy, I’ll announce our engagement at your birthday banquet. Will that satisfy you?"

Looking at Sherina’s patronizing expression, I almost believed I was the one who had been adopted.

Yet no one in the room seemed to notice anything amiss; instead, they all sympathized with Sherina.

"Why should you make such a sacrifice? Calum is unreasonable, domineering, and malicious. Marrying him is worse than becoming a nun." Cherry scoffed.

"Now, I’m afraid Calum will be so pleased, he won’t know what to do with himself. His long-held wish is finally coming true." Mariah rolled her eyes.

"Miss Sherina, please don’t throw away your happiness for me. I’ll kneel before Young Master Calum if I must. I’ll be his servant, and I'll do anything he wants..." Warren muttered.

My throat went dry as I squeezed out a reply. "I won’t marry you."

Sherina raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Mariah and Cherry exchanged glances, clearly afraid I would say I wanted to marry one of them.

Being so utterly rejected by the three people I grew up with, I was afraid that if I didn’t walk away then, I might end up doing something I would regret.

I turned to leave, but Warren grabbed my wrist. His eyes were red, and once again, he knelt before me with a look of humiliation.

"Please, don’t make things hard for Miss Sherina. The three of them were adopted by your family, and their status is already lower than you. If you’re upset about the oceanarium being given to me, and you want to complain to Mr. Gray, I’m willing to apologize to you."

He began kowtowing loudly, and soon, his forehead was red and bleeding.

Sherina hurriedly helped him up, glaring at me with fury. "You say you won’t marry me, but when the time comes, will you really not choose me? What’s the point of bullying Warren to get back at me?"

"Aren’t you just trying to find an excuse to complain and push Warren away?"

I looked at Sherina coldly. "I don’t understand what you’re saying, but rest assured, I will never choose you to be my wife."

I thought Sherina would give up after this, but to my surprise, she grabbed me by the arm.

"If you won’t choose me, who will you choose? Cherry or Mariah?"

"Mariah wants to go abroad for art studies, and Cherry yearns for freedom. Haven’t you already ruined my life? Do you want to ruin theirs too?"

Sherina took a deep breath and continued, "If you promise not to make things difficult for Warren, I’ll marry you. Just stop causing trouble, okay?"

Her eyes were filled with exhaustion, as if I had tortured her for a long time.

I looked at Sherina deeply. "Everything will be as you wish."

She was afraid I would bully Warren, and even more unwilling to marry me.

Once I marry Meredith, all her worries will be resolved.