The Proposal

George's face lit up with delight instantly.

He had never liked Erin. To him, she was petty and calculating, the kind of woman who schemed behind every smile. If not for his son's foolish affection for her, he would never have let someone like her step through his family's doors. Now that he saw I was willing to consider his proposal, he was more than pleased.

"Marina," George began warmly, "I can't promise you the world, but there are a few things I can guarantee. First, once you and Mason are married, we'll divide the family holdings. I'll go straight to the notary to make it official—each of my two sons will receive 40% of our assets, and the remaining 20% will be kept for me and my wife to live on.

"Second…" He drew out the word, casting a disdainful glance at Jude before continuing lazily, "Our family values propriety. We would never allow something as shameful as an engagement banquet turning into a scandal between a groom and his fiancee's cousin. And lastly, after the marriage, all property and assets of your household will be placed under the wife's name."

A collective gasp swept through the room. That was no different from handing over the family fortune to the bride. The Eastons, it seemed, were truly willing to go all in for this marriage.

The only ones whose faces turned grim were the Langdons, Erin, and my aunt. George might as well have pointed straight at them and called them shameless.

I nodded quietly after he finished. Others might not know whether he was bluffing, but I did.

In my previous life, after Erin's death, Mason had obediently followed his family's wishes and married another woman. Though he didn't love her, he treated her with patience and respect. Every house deed and property title had been under her name, while his remained empty.

If I were to marry such a man, even if he didn't love me, at least he wouldn't harm me. And with the knowledge I carried from my past life, I wouldn't have to rely on any man completely.

Still, this world was harsh to women. If I didn't marry, my parents would be mocked and shamed for the rest of their lives. It didn't matter what happened to me, but I couldn't drag them down with me.

"All right," I said after a moment. "I'll think about it."

George and his wife Alice froze for a heartbeat, then broke into wide smiles. But Erin, who had been quietly watching the drama unfold, suddenly lost her composure. She turned on George angrily. "Why? That wasn't what you said when I was betrothed to Mason! You said we'd only receive 30%! You never even mentioned transferring the assets to my name!"

George frowned. "From the day you got engaged to Mason, every bite you've eaten and every stitch you've worn came from our family. I made that arrangement because I didn't want you squandering our fortune. Besides, what do you even have over Marina? And yes, I like her better—so what if I'm willing to give her everything?"

Erin's face flushed with humiliation. Tears welled in her eyes as she turned to Mason. "Are you really just going to let them bully your fiancee like this?"

Mason looked at her coldly. "Ms. Zane, you'd better watch your words. We're no longer affianced."

Erin choked on her own breath, retreating into Jude's arms in tears.

While our two families sealed a marriage agreement within a few exchanges, Jude turned grim. He pushed Erin aside and stormed toward me, his voice trembling with rage. "Marina Andell! You're my fiancee! How can you talk about marrying someone else in front of me? Have you even thought about how I feel?!"