[Miss Bray, we have confirmed that the recipient of your brother’s heart transplant is not one of the Hewitt brothers.]

Nikki Bray stared at the message for a long time, silent, before finally lifting her gaze to the Hewitt family elders. They looked at her with a mix of pity and regret.

"Since Howard Hewitt and Brad Hewitt both have someone they love, I’ve decided to call off the engagement. I won’t be marrying either of them."

The two elders exchanged glances and sighed.

The Hewitt and Bray families had been close for generations, and Nikki had grown up under their care.

Howard and Brad had doted on her since childhood, competing over who would marry her one day. They were both fiercely protective, treating her like a fragile treasure.

Everyone assumed that, in time, she would choose one of them as her future husband. But three years ago, the Bray family welcomed back their real daughter.

Nikki, once the cherished heiress, was suddenly nothing more than a mistake—a misplaced child who didn’t belong.

——

The mighty phoenix had fallen, reduced to an ordinary bird. Society watched eagerly, waiting for her to crumble. And for a time, she did.

Desperate to hold on to the life she knew, she clung to the Hewitt brothers, reshaping herself into whatever they wanted.

Howard was a workaholic, so she pursued a double degree, studied countless business cases, and molded herself into her perfect secretary and wife.

Brad was wild and adventurous, so she followed him to the mountains and the sea, skiing and diving—collecting bruises and scars along the way.

Howard had a sensitive stomach, and Brad was a picky eater, so she mastered the art of cooking, ensuring every meal was just right.

Even when Brad fell gravely ill six months ago and needed a kidney transplant, she didn’t hesitate. She was a match. Without a second thought, she gave him one of hers.

For three years, she had done everything—above and beyond—without complaint. Even the Hewitt elders couldn’t find fault in her.

Everyone said she loved the Hewitt brothers deeply.

Only Lora Bray, the true daughter of the Bray family, ever looked at her with feigned pity and gentle condescension.

"Sister, you don’t have to do this. Even if you’re not our parents’ biological child, I’ll convince them to keep treating you well. You don’t have to degrade yourself for the Hewitt brothers just to stay in a wealthy family or force them into marriage. That would be too pathetic."

At the time, Howard and Brad merely sneered.

"She’s just afraid of losing her cushy life. To secure a place in the family, she’ll resort to anything—no matter how shameless."

"Exactly. Lora, you’ve been through hardships, so you can’t understand her desperation to cling to a rich family like a parasite."

Their words had struck her like a slap.

She had a sudden, painful recollection of the past—of her real brother, the one who had died in an accident when they were children. The Hewitt brothers had been devastated, crying alongside her.

One had pounded his chest, the other had clenched his fists.

"Nikki is our little sister now! When we grow up, one of us will marry her, and we’ll never let her suffer or cry!"

Their innocent vows had made the adults smile.

"Nikki can only marry one of you. Whoever treats her best will be the one she chooses."

"Then we’ll compete to see who takes better care of Nikki! She’ll pick the best one when she grows up!"

Back then, Nikki’s parents had always been absent, and her real brother had been her world. Their bond had been unshakable.

After his death, she only knew that he had signed a donor agreement, and that his heart had been transplanted into one of the Hewitt brothers.

From that moment on, she had seen them as family, as brothers to rely on.

But in the end, everything she had held onto had been stolen.

For three years, she had been nothing more than a loyal dog to the Hewitt brothers, her existence reduced to a cruel joke in high society.

Only Nikki herself knew—what she cared about was never marriage or a life of luxury.

The only thing that truly mattered to her was the heart beating inside either Howard or Brad’s chest.

That heart was the only connection she had left in this world, the only thing she depended on.

But after three years of relentless pursuit, she was exhausted.

And now, she had just learned that she had made a mistake.

Grandma Hewitt gazed at Nikki with deep affection. Despite the truth of her origins, she had long seen Nikki as her granddaughter-in-law.

Now, with everything ending in such absurdity, how could she not feel distressed?

"Forget it," Grandma Hewitt sighed. "If that’s what you want, we’ll cancel the wedding in seven days. It’s those two foolish boys who don’t realize their blessing. But tell me, child, how can our Hewitt family make it up to you..."

Just then, Nikki’s phone vibrated again.

She glanced down, and her pupils suddenly dilated.

[But I just found out—the transplant recipient is indeed someone in the Hewitt family.]

[It’s Fourth Master Hewitt, David Hewitt.]

David—the enigmatic Fourth Master who had left overseas years ago due to an ill-fated horoscope, remaining unmarried ever since?

An impulse surged within her. Nikki looked up sharply.

"Grandma Hewitt, there’s no need to make it up to me."

"Howard and Brad were never meant for me. But… can I marry Fourth Master Hewitt instead, at the wedding in seven days?"

The two elders of the Hewitt family were momentarily stunned, unsure if they had heard her correctly.

"Child, you must think carefully. Marriage isn’t something to be decided in a moment of anger!"

"Not to mention, Tomas Mueller is technically Howard and Brad’s adoptive father. More importantly, his horoscope is ominous for his spouse. That’s why he’s avoided women all these years—to protect them from misfortune!"

A vague childhood memory flashed in Nikki’s mind.

David wasn’t the youngest son of the Hewitt family in Seattle—he was born into the Hewitt family in the capital. Though not much older, he held a high status within the family. To counteract his ill fate, he had been adopted into the Seattle branch.

With no plans to marry or have children, he had taken Howard and Brad from a side branch under his name, becoming their adoptive father in title.

Nikki remembered the past—how, as a child, she had been playing hide-and-seek when Brad accidentally locked her in the basement.

It was David who had rescued her, holding her gently in his arms, his warmth soothing her fears.

Her gaze cleared with resolve.

"Grandpa Hewitt, Grandma Hewitt, I’ve made up my mind."

She wanted to return the Bray family to Lora and give her the Hewitt brothers she had chased for so many years.

But the one thing she could never let go of—the only thing she had ever truly cared about—was her brother’s heart.

Nikki only wanted to protect it. Forever.

"As long as Master Hewitt is willing, I want to marry him. And I will never let him down."

After leaving the Hewitt estate, she had yet to receive a response from David himself.

But for the first time in years, Nikki felt at ease.

Perhaps some things were never meant to be held onto.

The identity of the Bray family’s daughter wasn’t hers to claim.

And neither were the Hewitt brothers she had grown up with.

When her phone rang, her heart trembled.

She hesitated, fearing it was David calling to question or reject her.

For a moment, she was too afraid to answer.

"Miss Bray," the voice on the other end said, "the wedding dress you designed is ready. It has been airlifted to your home."

Nikki froze.

The wedding dress—she had designed it herself a year ago, commissioning a top designer to craft it. Now, at last, it is finished.

Back then, she had dreamed of marrying one of the Hewitt brothers, sketching each detail with love and anticipation.

Now, that dream felt like a distant illusion.

With mixed emotions, Nikki hurried home.

The moment she stepped inside, she was met with a dazzling sight.

Before her stood a figure cloaked in a flawless white veil—radiant and pure.

Brad’s voice rang with sincerity and admiration.

"Lora, you look breathtaking. It’s impossible to look away…"

Howard stood in front of Lora, his eyes gently and stunningly covering her.

"Well, Lora looks beautiful tonight."

Lora was weak and the gorgeous wedding dress didn't fit her well, but the shy and blushing smile on her face was indeed moving.

Nikki watched the scene in silence until the three of them noticed her presence.

"Sister?"

Lora met her gaze and couldn't help shaking, as if she was very scared.

Nikki tightly grasped the phone, her palms burning: "This is the wedding dress I designed. Who gave it to you without my permission?"

Howard's face sank first: "It's just a wedding dress. Lora likes it, so she wears it."

Brad also mocked: "You have occupied the magpie's nest for so many years, and Lora has suffered so much for you. What's wrong with wearing your wedding dress? It's worthy of being a fake, so petty."

Nikki's eyes dimmed fiercely.

Even though she was used to being called a fake, she couldn't help but feel a tight pain in her heart when Brad, who used to favor her the most, said this to her face.

Brad looked at the wedding dress, but said casually: "When did you design it secretly? Tsk, are you so eager to marry me or my brother?"

Howard's eyes were cold: "I heard that you went to grandma's house today to cancel the wedding, but you regretted it in the end? Nikki, you have been spoiled since you were a child. How long will you play this trick of playing hard to get?"

Nikki originally thought that the decision to change the groom today was a bit impulsive.

At this moment, she had no regrets.

Fortunately, Grandma Hewitt agreed with her, and everything would be made public on the wedding day.

She slowly pulled the corners of her lips and looked at them: "The wedding will indeed not be cancelled, but I am not going to marry either of you."

Brad seemed to have heard something funny.

"Oh, you changed your tactics again? Everyone in Seattle knows that you, a fake, have been chasing us for three years just to marry into the Hewitt family. If you don't want to marry us, do you want to be our stepmother? Hahaha!" Lora pursed her lips and said righteously: "Sister, a forced marriage will not have a good result. Since Brother Howard and Brad have no feelings for you, you shouldn't force them in the name of the elders." Nikki smiled: "Yes, you are right. I regret not listening to my sister's advice earlier. So can you return the wedding dress to me now? I will wear it when I get married to someone else in seven days." Howard stared at the bitter and resolute expression in her eyes and frowned. Nikki seemed to be wronged today. Suddenly, Brad exclaimed: "Lora, why did you faint?!" Lora seemed to have suffered a great injustice. Just when she was about to untie the wedding dress, she fainted on the ground. Howard didn't have time to think about it anymore, and quickly picked her up. When he passed by Nikki, his eyes were as cold as ice:

"You know that Lora has been living away from home since she was a child and has poor health.. Why do you want to provoke her again and again?"

Brad also looked anxious and cold, and he grabbed Nikki's hand without saying anything and rushed to the hospital together.

"Is there something wrong with the kidney you donated at that time? Why did Lora's health get worse and worse after the transplant? If she is hospitalized again, this time, Nikki, you'd better be prepared to donate another kidney!"

He was very strong, and Nikki's hand was pulled so hard that it hurt.

But in the great shock, she could no longer feel the pain.

"Brad, what did you say?"

Half a year ago, she clearly donated her kidney to him...