Mia Grant was standing right near Yates Donovan, so she easily caught the wolf whistle hidden beneath the background music.

Her brow furrowed, and she shot him a glare.

The latter was holding a wine glass in one hand and propping up his cheek with the other. When he saw her look over, he gave her a cheeky grin.

Suddenly, Felix Sinclair glanced sideways, his gaze falling on Yates Donovan.

Meeting his eyes, Yates felt neither awkward nor surprised. He stared back brazenly, raised his champagne flute, and gave a slight nod.

He drained the liquid in his glass in one gulp.

The man had always been open and frank. Even now, his expression didn’t change as he magnanimously offered his congratulations.

Felix Sinclair nodded slightly and calmly withdrew his gaze.

Mia Grant paid Yates Donovan no more mind. She linked her arm with Felix’s and slowly descended the stairs.

The staircase was long, and the lights were blinding. She was wearing stilettos, so she walked with extreme care.

For a moment, all her attention was focused on her feet.

’So many people are watching from downstairs. I can’t afford to make a fool of myself.’

’If I trip and fall, I’ll become the laughingstock of Jynsia’s elite circles.’

Felix Sinclair keenly sensed her anxiety. He gently squeezed the hand she had looped through his arm and slowed his pace, silently telling her not to rush.

Upstairs, Yates Donovan remained in the same position, watching the beautiful couple recede into the distance. The smile on his face slowly faded until it was gone completely.

He’d had a few girlfriends in name only before, just to placate his family.

Aside from the lack of any real feelings, he had given them everything they could ask for. He believed he hadn’t wronged any of them.

He thought everyone understood the arrangement and that they would part on good terms.

But there was always someone whose greed knew no bounds.

They would say they didn’t want money, only love.

’What was my reaction when I heard that?’

Oh, right. He had been leaning back in his car. He froze for a second, then burst out laughing, his whole chest shaking.

His "girlfriend" was in the passenger seat. Unfazed by his laughter, she said with genuine emotion, "I’m not with you for the money! I don’t want money, or a house, or a car! I just want you! Yates, I really love you!"

"Right, right, right," he said, as if he’d just heard the funniest joke of his life.

She thought he was softening and was about to move closer, attempting to use physical intimacy to take their relationship to the next level.

Unfortunately, her descending red lips were met with a cold checkbook.

His face hardened as he pressed it against her. "You need to learn your place. If you try to have your cake and eat it too, you might end up with nothing."

"Now, you can either get out, or take the money and get out. Pick one."

She was just a young woman, not very old, and her eyes instantly reddened. "Am I not pretty? Is there something about me you don’t like? Why don’t you love me?"

He sighed. "Little girl, don’t you think it’s ridiculous to talk about love with someone like me?"

"Is there someone you love?"

"Nope. I don’t love anyone. The only person I love, aside from cold, hard cash, is myself."

"So you don’t have to be too upset. I know I’m perfect; I’m practically in love with myself. It’s not your fault. Look on the bright side. At least you’ll be set for life."

"..."

Before leaving with the check, she had thrown one last, vicious line at him: "Then I hope you never find true love in your entire life!"

"Really?" He’d propped his head on his hand, a ripple of a smile on his face. "Well, thank you for the blessing, then."

"..."

His thoughts snapped back to the present. Yates Donovan gazed at Mia Grant’s back and tutted softly.

The young woman’s curly hair flowed freely. As she descended the stairs, her long locks swayed, dancing wantonly against her exposed back. The stark contrast of black and white was almost painfully dazzling.

Utterly alluring.

He sighed. ’Figures. This is all karma.’

’The curse didn’t work.’

’What a shame.’

「Meanwhile, downstairs.」

Simon Adler’s gaze followed that beautiful figure all the way down until she reached the bottom, steadied herself, and, with her arm linked through the young man’s, offered a sweet smile to the crowd amidst a sea of flowers.

His heart gave a violent lurch.

It was as if he’d been thrown ten thousand meters into the sky, only to plummet back down the instant she glanced his way.

After a single glance, Mia Grant looked away.

The ceremony had already begun.

Mrs. Sinclair was smiling from ear to ear.

Simon Adler’s head began to throb again. He turned to the side and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Simon noticed his distress, quickly took the wine glass from his hand, placed it on a long table, and helped him step aside.

The corner was empty, and the air was fresh, which might help ease Simon Adler’s headache.

"What’s been going on with you lately? Maybe you should leave a bit later tomorrow? We could find a traditional Chinese medicine doctor in Jynsia to give you a proper check-up."

Simon Adler was about to say something when he heard the young woman’s soft, gentle voice from the stage.

She was introducing herself with grace and poise.

Simon Adler glanced over, and as if struck by an idea, he held out his hand to Simon. "Phone."

Simon did as he was told.

He then watched as Simon Adler aimed his phone at the stage and took a picture.

Seeing this, Simon frowned in disdain. "Here, let me do it."

He took the phone and began snapping photos while instructing, "You have to find a good angle when you take pictures. Your finger on the shutter needs to be steady, precise, and decisive, but not careless. See? This right here is the classic ’boyfriend angle.’"

"You should learn. Then you can take pictures for Miss Grant yourself in the future."

Simon Adler’s eyelid twitched. He slapped a hand on Simon’s head, pushed him away, and snatched his phone back. Without even looking, he sent the photo directly to Silas Grant.

Immediately after, he deleted the picture from his own photo album.

Not only that, he also emptied his recently deleted folder.

The series of actions was fluid and seamless, as if he had just made some kind of firm resolution.

Simon shook his head silently and muttered, "It’s easy to delete a photo, but how do you forget a face that’s already been engraved on your heart?"

"..."

Simon Adler let out an exasperated laugh. "Did you leave your brain in the bathroom?"

---

「Onstage.」

Seeing that the atmosphere was right, Mrs. Sinclair smilingly took the microphone and began, "Today, I’m truly grateful to all of you for coming here to witness this moment for these two children." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"From this day forward, Mia will be the treasured darling of our Sinclair Family. And not just because of her relationship with Felix."

"I am so fond of this child, Mia. Even if these two hadn’t ended up together, I would have still wanted to make her a part of our family."

"Mia is a good girl, but she’s been through too much. She has a gentle nature and is always getting bullied."

"When she fell into the sea some time ago, I was scared to death. But thankfully, fortune favors the good, and our Mia came back to us safe and sound."

"Oh, speaking of which, Mr. Wallace is here today, isn’t he? My, my, some of Mia’s official documents and papers still haven’t been updated."

"This is perfect. Since Mia is now one of us, a Sinclair, there’s no need to trouble the Grant Family anymore. I am Mia’s mother now, so these matters should be handled by me."

"Mr. Wallace, I’ll invite you for tea tomorrow. I’ll have to trouble you to put some extra care into this matter."

In the audience, Mr. Wallace gave a dry laugh and silently turned his gaze, along with everyone else’s, toward the Grant Family.

Ms. Hughes had not expected this turn of events.

Before coming, the other party hadn’t mentioned a word about this.

Mrs. Sinclair’s words were diplomatic enough, but everyone present was sharp and perceptive. How could they not understand her hidden meaning?

What Mrs. Sinclair wanted to handle wasn’t just some "so-called" paperwork.

What she wanted, it seemed, was Mia Grant herself—in her entirety.

The implication was clear: she wanted the Grant Family to draw a clear line and sever their ties with Mia Grant.