My words caught Jerome briefly off guard, but he quickly recovered.

"Don't think I'll believe you just because you say that. I know you're just trying to pretend not to care, but don't forget that Lenora truly loves me."

…

Some time later, Emma hosted her birthday party. Mom and Dad were away, so they had me attend the party in their place.

Once I stepped through the Bray residence gates, I ran into Jerome, whom I hadn't seen all day. It turned out that he had arrived early at Lenora's invitation.

He was dressed in a luxury, hand-stitched suit with a brand-new, priceless watch fastened to his wrist. He looked like the prized, true son of the Hatfields more than I did.

When he saw me, he smirked provocatively. "How do I look, Andre? Lenora gave me everything, including the suit and the watch.

"I told her I'm just an adopted son and that I shouldn't accept the gifts, but she insisted. She told me that even if I'm an adopted son, she loves me for who I am, not my identity."

I frowned impatiently and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm.

"Are you jealous, Andre? There's nothing I can do if Lenora wants to pamper me, is there?"

When I tried to pull free, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. "Why did you push me, Andre? Don't you know that I've been sick lately?"

I scoffed. I couldn't believe that a grown man like him was pulling a soap opera move and faking an injury just to stir up some drama.

Since explaining myself would be pointless anyway, I simply kicked him.

Right on cue, Lenora arrived. "Andre! What are you doing? Are you even human for bullying your brother?"

I looked at her, then at Jerome, and chuckled. "The Hatfields are in the real estate business, not the theater. Where's all this performative innocence coming from?"

A loud smack rang out as Lenora slapped me hard across the face. "I won't let you talk about Jerome like that!"

As a sharp sting spread across my cheek, Lenora seemed to realize she had overreacted and stepped toward me, as if to apologize. But on the ground, Jerome suddenly broke into a fit of violent coughing.

"Lenora, I-I can't breathe…"

Right in public, she leaned in close and pressed her face against his.

The murmurs around us grew louder. "Aren't they the Hatfield brothers? They're embarrassingly fighting over a woman in public.

"That's especially the case for Andre. Lenora clearly has her eyes on another man, so why does he keep forcing the issue?"

Lenora glared at me with disgust. "You're shameless, Andre. Apologize to Jerome right now!"

"Me? Shameless and apologize? You two are openly flirting in public, so you're the ones without shame."

She sneered. "That was CPR. Honestly, how did I ever get entangled with such a petty, malicious man like you? That's so troublesome."

Her friends covered their mouths and snickered.

"This won't do, Mr. Hatfield. Lenora isn't some delicate flower. She's meant for bigger things, so some little acting is inevitable."

"If you can't even tolerate your brother today, how will you survive marriage?"

"It's fine. Mr. Hatfield knows how to keep a fish. His devotion could move the heavens."

Amid the mockery, Lenora stepped closer to me and whispered in a voice dripping with disdain, "Grandma will announce our engagement today. If you still want me to marry you, don't forget what I told you.

"After we're married, we'll live our own lives. Don't think about interfering in mine, much less controlling me."

I stared at Lenora in disbelief and couldn't imagine how a wealthy heiress from a distinguished family could say something so absurd.

She mistook my silence for acceptance and continued, "As long as you behave, I'll make sure not to embarrass you in public."

She was utterly convinced that in this lifetime, I would only marry her.

Just then, footsteps were heard from within the house. Emma's personal assistant, Diana Beltran, emerged and asked, "What's all this noise? It's a celebration, and you'll upset Mrs. Bray Senior."

Raven was standing beside her. She was dressed in a mermaid-style gown with her hair elegantly pinned up to reveal her graceful collarbones. She looked completely different from the last time I had seen her.

She walked past the crowd and stopped in front of me before asking, "Andre, are you okay?"

Seeing her reminded me that in my past life, she was the only one who stayed by my deathbed and cried until her eyes were raw and red. After I died, she had gone nearly mad gathering evidence of Lenora's crimes, exposing her embezzlement, and sending her to prison.

The memory nearly brought tears to my eyes, and I smiled. "I'm fine."

Lenora let out a mocking laugh. "Why do you care about him, Raven? He's your future in-law, so you should keep your distance.

"We're not from some ordinary family. Don't make a fool of yourself."

Diana's expression flickered with surprise at her words, but in the end, she said nothing and urged everyone to head inside.

"Mrs. Bray Senior is waiting."

Before we entered, Lenora reminded me again, "Don't forget what I told you, or don't even think about marrying me."

Her eyes held the same confidence and arrogance as always, but unfortunately for her, that smugness wouldn't last long.

Once everyone had gathered in the main hall, Emma appeared with Diana's support. He stood at the top of the stairs and smiled warmly as she waved at me.

"Today's a special day, and I have an announcement to make," she began saying.

After a pause, she continued, "Andre has turned 22 years old. According to the agreement between our families, his future wife will be chosen from among the Bray family's granddaughters. After they marry, his wife will inherit all assets under my name, including my jewelry."

Emma was born into prestige and had spent decades in business. Even by setting aside her remaining assets, the jewelry in her safe alone was worth more than what most people could earn in several lifetimes.

Envy flickered across faces.

"Now, let's invite the young couple to come forward so everyone can bear witness."

Lenora smiled and lifted the hem of her gown as if she was reluctantly stepping up, but Emma stopped her.

The latter extended her hand toward Raven on the other side. "Come up, child. Today must be a special day for you."

The long tassel earrings at Raven's ears shimmered under the lights like ripples across a lake. She gracefully glided to my side and smiled at me.

"I'm ready, Andre. What about you?"