I am the sole heir to the Grant family fortune, but I am a woman. Everyone whispered that the three foster sons my father raised to be my potential husbands were the true heirs. They certainly acted like it; they never once gave me the time of day. I tried to get Kian’s attention a hundred times, only to be met with a hundred looks of contempt. I thought he was like that with everyone, until I saw him with my own eyes, kneeling before the chauffeur’s daughter, Jenna, and swearing an oath. “I only agreed to marry her to repay the Grants for raising me,” he vowed. “Once I’m in control of the company, I’ll marry you and give you the world. As long as she doesn’t hurt you, I can even give Cora a few million to disappear abroad.” “You,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, “are the only one I’ll ever call my wife.” On the eve of the annual shareholder meeting, my father asked me to make my choice. I thought of the three of them, of their averted gazes and dismissive smirks. I smiled. “I am the Grant heir, after all,” I said. “My marriage should maximize our family’s interests.” “I choose Alistair Thorne.” My father’s brow furrowed. “Alistair Thorne? He was paralyzed in that car accident five years ago. He’s a paraplegic, and they say he’s… impotent. Are you sure?” … My voice was soft, but my resolve was iron. “In our world, there is no such thing as true love. Since it’s all about business, it only makes sense to choose the most powerful ally. And that is the Thorne family.” My father’s face was grim. “That may be true, but of the three young men I chose for you, you don’t fancy any of them?” My father had loved my mother deeply. But she died of a cerebral hemorrhage the year I was born. He couldn't bear to remarry, yet he couldn't bring himself to entrust the entire Grant empire to me, a woman, alone. On the advice of a friend, he adopted three orphaned boys. He’d amended his will long ago: whichever one I chose would co-manage the company with me, a united front against any dissenting board members. My father loved me, but that love didn't conflict with his firm belief that a woman couldn't run a corporation of this size on her own. I looked at him. “Alistair may be paralyzed and unable to perform his husbandly duties, but I can have his child through IVF. He is also the sole heir to the Thorne fortune. Instead of choosing an orphan to prop up our family, why not forge an alliance with a powerhouse?” My father nodded slowly. “If those three couldn't win your heart, then there is no longer a place for them at Grant Industries.” If I had simply told him that Kian didn't love me and I didn’t want to force it, my father would have dragged Kian before me and demanded to know what right an adopted son had to refuse me. I didn’t want him to use years of kindness as a weapon. I didn’t want to coerce Kian into a miserable, loveless marriage. Besides, the words I’d overheard had frozen my heart solid. A clean break was the greatest mercy I could offer. As I left the office, my father shot a sharp glance at Kian. After respectfully seeing my father off, Kian turned to me, his brow creased in a frown. “What did you tattle to him about this time?” His eyes were full of disgust and impatience, as if I’d committed some heinous crime. Before I could answer, Evan scoffed beside him. “What else? The usual complaints, I’m sure. That we don’t include her, that we don’t worship the ground she walks on.” The third, Leo, chimed in with a sneer. “Honestly, Cora, this isn’t the dark ages. Do you really think a little money makes you a princess everyone has to bow down to?” The three of them stood united, their words like daggers. I was genuinely confused. “None of you want to marry me. Why has not one of you ever said so to my father?” My father, for all his traditional ideas about my future, was not a tyrant. If any of them had said no, he would have given them a generous sum and sent them abroad to live their lives freely. But in the end, they couldn't let go of the Grant family’s wealth. Leo, always the most hot-tempered, clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Easy for you to say. You know perfectly well we’re nothing more than the Grants’ charity cases. The lap dogs you raised. What right do we have to refuse?” Kian’s face was dark as he looked at me. “If you’re going to choose me, then choose me. Just don’t make things difficult for the other two.” At this, Leo and Evan looked at him with profound gratitude. Seeing Kian’s expression of noble sacrifice, a bitter taste filled my mouth. Before I could say anything, Jenna appeared. The moment she saw me, she flinched and ducked behind Kian as if I were about to strike her. Kian instinctively shielded her. “She hasn’t done anything. Just leave her alone today.” I looked at them, bewildered, only to find all three of my supposed protectors standing guard in front of Jenna, terrified I might hurt her. Five years ago, when Jenna first arrived at our home, she gave me a hairpin. As a welcoming gift, I gave her a ten-thousand-dollar bracelet in return. But when I reached for the box of pastries on the table, Kian slapped my hand away. “That was a memento from Jenna’s mother! You’d steal that from her too?” he’d roared. Confused, I looked at Jenna, expecting her to explain that she had given it to me willingly. Instead, she burst into tears and dropped to her knees. “Miss Grant didn’t steal it! I gave it to her! She’s been very kind to me, she even gave me this bracelet. I’m not upset, really!” She began kowtowing, banging her head on the floor. The sight of it made the three boys see red, reminding them of their own precarious positions as outsiders. They rounded on me. “Just because you’re a Grant doesn’t give you the right to force someone to give you their mother’s dying gift!” “That hairpin might not be worth much, but its sentimental value is something your stupid bracelet can’t compare to! Give it back to her!” “You’re as selfish and tyrannical as ever. You don’t care who you hurt as long as you get what you want.” My face paled. I thought it was all a misunderstanding, something we could clear up later. Swallowing my anger, I held the hairpin out to Jenna. But as she reached for it, she fumbled, and it shattered on the marble floor. She bit her lip, then screamed at me, “If you were just going to destroy it, why did you have to put on such a show?!” Kian, who always saw himself as a champion of the oppressed, turned on me, his voice cold as ice. “Apologize to Jenna right now. Or I’ll call off our engagement.” At that time, I had already confessed my feelings to Kian, told him he was the only one I would ever marry. He used that as leverage, forcing me to bow to Jenna. I was too young then, too afraid of losing him to defend myself. So I lowered my head and apologized through burning tears. And I had been apologizing for five years. Ever since that day, whenever Jenna saw me, she would act like a mouse seeing a cat, either dropping to her knees or bursting into tears. And I had done nothing. My face hardened. I looked at Kian. “If you’re so worried I’m going to hurt her, why don’t you just chain her to your belt?” It was a sarcastic barb, but he took it literally. “Is that a threat? What are you planning to do to her?” Leo slapped his hands together. “I know what this is about! It’s because we gave the ‘Ocean of Stars’ to Jenna for her birthday, isn’t it? You’re just using that as an excuse to bully her!” Evan’s eyes were cold. “You have everything, Cora. Jenna has never even had someone celebrate her birthday. It’s just an aquarium. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” My blood ran cold. “The Ocean of Stars?” The Ocean of Stars was a private, subterranean aquarium that had been under construction since my birth. Its most stunning feature was a wall of flawless, imperial green jade that, when viewed through the shimmering water, created the illusion of a cosmic nebula. It was set to be completed six months ago. My father had entrusted the final stages to Kian, tasking him with presenting it to me at my birthday gala in one month’s time. And now, my gift had been given to Jenna. My gaze fell on Kian. He was in charge of the project. No one could have entered the unopened aquarium without his permission. He looked away, a flicker of guilt in his eyes before it hardened into anger. “Jenna grew up poor, working her whole life just to get by. She’s never had a chance to properly see the stars. I just wanted to grant her one wish. Besides, the aquarium still belongs to you, doesn’t it? Stop being so unreasonable. Fine. I’ll announce our engagement at your birthday party next month. Are you happy now?” He looked at me as if he were bestowing a great charity. For a moment, I almost thought I was the one who had been adopted. But no one else seemed to see anything wrong. In fact, they all looked at Kian with sympathy. “Why would you make such a sacrifice? Cora is spoiled, cruel, and selfish. Marrying her would be worse than becoming a monk.” “She’s probably over the moon now. She’s finally getting what she’s wanted for years.” “Oh, Kian, please don’t throw away your happiness for my sake!” Jenna sobbed. “I’ll get on my knees, I’ll kowtow to Miss Grant, I’ll be her servant, I’ll do anything…” My throat was dry. “I’m not going to marry you,” I managed to say. Kian raised a skeptical eyebrow. Leo and Evan exchanged a look of alarm, terrified I would choose one of them instead. Being so despised by the three people I had grown up with… I was afraid if I stayed a moment longer, I would break down in tears. I turned to leave, but Jenna grabbed my wrist. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she, once again, fell to her knees before me. “Please, don’t make things hard for Kian. All three of them were taken in by your family. They’re already in a difficult position. If you’re angry because they gave me the Ocean of Stars and you’re going to tell your father, I’m willing to apologize. I’ll beg for your forgiveness.” She started banging her head on the floor again, her forehead quickly turning red and starting to bleed. Kian pulled her up, his heart aching for her, and glared at me. “You say you won’t marry me, but let’s see you stick to that! What kind of game is this, pretending to back off just to torment Jenna?! You’re just trying to find an excuse to tell your father and get her thrown out, aren’t you?” I looked at him, my voice cold. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. But rest assured, I will not be choosing you as my husband.” I thought that would be the end of it, but he grabbed my arm. “If not me, then who? Evan? Leo? Leo wants to study art abroad. Evan craves freedom. Isn’t ruining one of us enough for you? Do you have to destroy their lives too?” Kian took a deep, steadying breath. “If you promise to leave Jenna alone from now on, I will marry you. Just stop this, okay?” His eyes were full of exhaustion, as if I had been tormenting him for years. I looked at him, truly looked at him. “You’ll get your wish,” I said softly. He was afraid I would bully Jenna. He didn’t want to marry me. Once I married Alistair Thorne, all his problems would be solved. I didn't see Kian again until the day of my birthday gala. He showed up with a grim expression, Evan and Leo trailing behind him, looking equally displeased. I frowned at my assistant. I had specifically told her that since I was announcing my engagement to someone else, there was no need to invite them. She just shook her head frantically, mouthing, I don't know, they just came on their own. I sighed and decided to ignore them. The other guests, however, were more than happy to greet them. “Mr. Shen, you’re a true prodigy! I hear that project you landed last month is set to make millions. No wonder Miss Grant only has eyes for you.” That was a project I had negotiated. Kian just signed the papers. “Mr. Lu, you may have a temper, but you have a strong sense of justice. Miss Grant will surely be safe with you.” I snorted. Leo was the one who bullied me the most, who looked at me like I was a viper he wanted to crush under his heel. “And Mr. Chen, you’re so handsome and talented. Miss Grant couldn’t go wrong choosing you either. In any case, we look forward to working with you in the future.” The three of them moved through my birthday party as if they were the hosts. I was about to put a stop to the charade when all three of them simultaneously looked down at their phones. Before I could react, Leo’s face contorted with rage. He stormed over to me and slapped me across the face. My head snapped back, the force of the blow nearly sending me to the floor. The entire ballroom fell silent, guests shrinking away from the scene. Kian clenched his fists, stopping Leo from hitting me again, but his own voice was a low growl of fury. “We’re already here, displayed like products for you to choose from. What more do you want? Do you have to drive Jenna to her death?” I was utterly confused. Evan, seeing my expression, sneered. “While we were gone, you had the audacity to have someone kidnap her. I’m telling you, Cora, you won’t get away with this!” And just like that, I understood. Jenna had pulled another one of her stunts. The guests were all my father’s friends or business partners, yet not a single one of them stepped in to stop me from being assaulted. My blood ran cold. They must have been certain the Grant fortune would not fall to me, so they didn’t dare offend the three men they believed would be their future bosses. I clutched my stinging cheek and stared at Leo. “Apologize.” He glanced at my reddening eyes and sneered. “Jenna was nearly violated. You got a little slap. What’s there to cry about?” On cue, Jenna came running in, weeping, her dress torn in a way that suggested the worst. Kian immediately stripped off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her, then turned a look of pure loathing on me. “You are as manipulative and calculating as ever. I would never marry a woman like you!” Evan, usually the quietest of the three, stepped in front of Jenna protectively. “Your mother couldn’t produce a male heir, so your family brought us in as tools. We’ve accepted our fate, but still, you’re not satisfied. Fine. There’s no need to keep up this pretense of peace anymore.” He turned and walked away, showing no regard for the Grant family’s reputation. As he left, Kian threw one last arrogant statement over his shoulder. “I’ll marry you. But you will be nothing more than a figurehead. If you want me to protect the Grant empire, you’d better learn to behave.” I laughed. Had they forgotten? Without me, they never would have been adopted by the Grant family in the first place. As the three of them started to leave, some of the guests finally tried to intervene. But I cut them off, my voice sharp with command. “Let them go!” Jenna shot me a triumphant, provocative glance, as if she had just conquered the world. I stood there, silent, until my assistant whispered frantically, “What do we do now? They’ve all left. Who will you choose?” The guests were murmuring amongst themselves. “A woman has to marry eventually. If the three men who know her best won’t have her, who will?” I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, then smiled as I raised my wine glass to the crowd. “Honored guests, as you all know, tonight is not only my birthday celebration, but also my engagement party.” A face appeared on the giant screen behind me, handsome and severe. A collective gasp went through the room. “Isn’t that Alistair Thorne, of the Thorne family?!”
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