I picked up a handsome amnesiac, and he was intense and strong, going seven times a night. The day I found out I was pregnant, the man suddenly dropped his usual clinginess, becoming abstinent and composed, and even said— "My memory has returned. I am the CEO of the Vance Corporation. Although you are just a lowly small-business owner, you have won my heart. Come back to the city with me, and I can make an exception and make you one of my top mistresses." I didn't want to be trapped in a gilded cage, so I faked my death and ran away with his baby. ... Five years later, the Sterling family found me. I was the long-lost only daughter of General Sterling. On my first day back in Washington D.C., my dad told me that my ex-husband, the current President of the Vance Corporation, Arthur Vance, had arranged for me to marry his adopted son, the heir apparent. This heir was tall and handsome, just reaching his early twenties. But whether he was good or bad, I didn't want to marry him. If I had been willing to enter their elite circle, I wouldn't have faked my death five years ago. Holding the formal engagement document, I was hesitating whether to fake my death again, when I heard my nanny report— "Oh no, Miss, the little miss is missing!" "The rash on your face has just healed, you shouldn't be exposed to the wind. Put on a veil before you come out with me to look for the child." I hurriedly put on a veil and followed the nanny out of the Sterling estate to look for my daughter, Chloe. Not long after leaving the estate, I saw my daughter sitting on the ground on the street. She was surrounded by two squads of menacing security guards, and standing right in front of her was a familiar figure in a bespoke suit. It was my ex-husband, Arthur Vance. I stopped in my tracks, thankful as I touched the veil on my face. Good, it covered me completely. Faking my death five years ago was essentially fraud. Unless absolutely necessary, I couldn't expose my past identity. It seemed I would have to wear this veil all the time. Arthur exuded a terrifyingly noble aura. He leaned forward slightly, staring at Chloe, and asked: "Whose child are you, daring to block my path?" Five years had passed, and he had completely transformed into a stranger to me. Chloe was trembling, frightened by his imposing manner. I quickly stepped forward, picked up Chloe, and greeted Arthur. I deliberately lowered my head and bowed to plead for mercy: "Mia Sterling of the Sterling family greets you, Mr. Vance." "My daughter didn't mean to cross your path, please forgive her." I intentionally lowered my voice. Arthur stood up straight, his hands behind his back, staring at me. "So you are General Sterling's only daughter? Since you've entered D.C., you should get rid of your vulgar and reckless country habits." "I won't hold this against you this time, but don't let it happen again." He really didn't recognize me, and his words were very callous. I felt a bit unaccustomed to it. I tightened my grip slightly, telling myself that he was no longer the husband who clung to me and spoiled me. After lecturing me, Arthur moved his fingertips and gave a cold order. "Let's go back." The two squads of security guards followed closely behind him. Arthur was the top boss in the business world. Unless there was an accident, it would be very difficult for a regular person like me to meet him. Thinking of that engagement document binding me to his heir, I absolutely could not marry into that family... I gathered my courage, stepped forward, blocked Arthur's path, and knelt before him. Arthur frowned, looking down at me. As our eyes met, I quickly lowered mine, took the engagement document from my sleeve, and handed it to him. "I implore you, Mr. Vance, to revoke the engagement between me and your son!" "As you can see, I am unrefined, a widow with a child. I am not worthy of the noble heir. If he marries me, he will inevitably be mocked..." Before I could finish, Arthur cut me off. "I arranged this marriage. Who dares to mock my son?" He glared down at me coldly. I could hear his impatience, and my palms began to sweat. "Mr. Vance..." "Enough." Arthur waved his hand dismissively and had a guard pull me up. "My word is final. No matter what your reasons are, the engagement is set and absolutely cannot be changed. From now on, what you should be thinking about is how to be a good wife and assist my son." After Arthur finished speaking, he turned and strode away, not even sparing me a second glance. I stared at his tall, imposing back, rubbing my temples, feeling a headache coming on. The engagement is set and cannot be changed? But I've never heard of anything as absurd as a father giving his own wife to his son. Not only did Arthur arrange the marriage between me and his heir, but he also ordered a welcome banquet to be held for me. For a time, my name was on everyone's lips. On the day of the banquet, an assistant from his mansion brought me a gold phoenix hairpin, saying it was a welcome gift from the heir. Having been in business for years, what kind of precious items hadn't I seen? I could tell at a glance that this hairpin was just wood painted yellow. The heir clearly didn't want to marry me either. He deliberately tricked me into wearing it to make a fool of myself, hoping to use the opportunity to break off our engagement. Since I didn't want to marry him either, I reluctantly played along. I put on my veil, deliberately wore the fake gold hairpin, and walked around the banquet. Sure enough, people started making snide remarks. "This is hilarious. Mia Sterling is actually walking around wearing a fake gold hairpin painted yellow. She really is a country bumpkin who hasn't seen the world!" "And wearing a veil, she must be hiding an ugly face!" "The heir didn't even show up to her welcome banquet. He clearly doesn't want to marry this widow. Besides, everyone knows the heir and his cousin, Olivia Chen, are deeply in love." "Olivia is the daughter of the Mayor and a prominent Senator. She is the role model for young ladies in D.C., and she is the only one worthy of being the heir's wife!" I listened to the chatter, the face under my veil perfectly calm. But the young maid beside me was indignant on my behalf: "Miss, you are the only daughter of the Sterling family, the officially appointed future wife. How dare they discuss you like this! Should I go reprimand them?" I shook my head and raised a hand to stop her: "No need. I've been running a business alone with a child all these years; what kind of nasty things haven't I heard?" "Besides, I also want to ruin this marriage." However, just as I finished speaking, Arthur's cold reprimand sounded from behind me. "Mia Sterling, you have quite some nerve." I turned my head in shock and saw Arthur walking slowly towards me. The coldness in his eyes made me quickly lower my head and pretend to step back in fear. Even with the veil on, I was still worried he would recognize me. I needed to stay as far away from him as possible. Arthur gave me a warning look but didn't notice anything unusual about me. I watched him bypass me, walk into the courtyard, and reprimand them in a deep voice. "The gold hairpin on Mia Sterling's head was given by my son, and it came from my private vault. Who dares to say this gold hairpin is fake?" When the big boss was angry, everyone panicked and backed down. "Good evening, Mr. Vance! Please forgive us!" I was about to follow suit, but Arthur raised his hand, gently supported me, and signaled me to stand. His icy gaze swept over the young ladies, his voice cold as iron. "Those who recklessly gossip about my son's marriage are showing contempt for our family's dignity. Go back and copy the code of conduct a hundred times to reflect on your actions!" After giving the warning, Arthur signaled me to follow him. We walked out of the banquet hall one after the other and got into a limousine. Only after sitting down did Arthur look at me squarely. "Giving a fake gold hairpin was my son's fault. I'm taking you to see him so he can apologize to you personally." "But I've said it before, this marriage has been officially set and cannot be changed. Even if you don't want to, you have to hold it in. You must understand that whether it's thunder or rain, it's all a blessing from me." "Pour me some tea." After saying that, Arthur closed his eyes, completely disregarding my wishes. Five years ago, the reason I refused to go back to the city with him was that his attitude after regaining his memory was too arrogant. I am a human being, but in his eyes, I was no different from a cat or a dog. I poured tea for him in silence, lowering my eyes to secretly observe the limousine interior. The teapot was a simple clay pot, the coaster was an old piece of silk from five years ago, and a plate of peach blossom pastries was placed on the small table. These things looked very familiar. I love eating peach blossom pastries, and during the year I lived with the amnesiac Arthur, he often used a clay pot to brew tea for me. I didn't expect Arthur to still be using these items of ordinary people; it was surprisingly rustic. A sense of unease inexplicably rose in my heart. I put down the teapot just as Arthur opened his eyes. He raised his hand, picked up the teacup, and spoke slowly. "When you see my son later, don't be nervous." "He values relationships and has been spoiled by me into being a bit impulsive. I heard from your father that you are five years older than him; it's perfect for you to help me manage him." I clenched my palms and smiled slightly. "I will obey your orders." Seeing his son was fine too. If he was smart, maybe I could cooperate with him to find a way to break the engagement. But I didn't expect that as soon as Arthur and I walked into the heir's private suite, we would bump into the heir holding a woman on his lap, feeding her pastries. "Insolent!" Arthur shouted angrily, scaring the embracing couple so much they jumped up. Arthur strode forward and kicked the heir. "Liam, I ordered you to host a welcome banquet for your future wife, but not only did you not go, you're here in your suite acting all lovey-dovey with your cousin." "Do you still respect me at all?" The cousin, Olivia Chen, rushed to help Liam, her eyes shimmering with tears as she pleaded: "Uncle Arthur, it's all my fault!" "I saw Liam was in a bad mood, so I personally made osmanthus pastries to comfort him..." "You have no right to speak here." Arthur didn't even spare Olivia a glance, warningly staring at Liam, who was kicked half to the ground. "Liam, listen to me—" "You can choose not to be the heir, but Mia Sterling will definitely be your wife!" Liam's face turned deathly pale. His lips moved, but he couldn't say a word. Olivia's face was even paler, not daring to interrupt again. Under my veil, my expression wasn't good either. After this incident, it would be even harder for me to reject the marriage. Arthur had people take Olivia away, then looked down at Liam from a superior position. "I'll give you one more chance. Apologize properly to your future wife, and don't make me angry again." After saying that, Arthur flicked his sleeves and left. As soon as Arthur left, Liam endured the pain to stand up and walked towards me, pointing his finger. "Mia Sterling, did you deliberately call my father here!" "You country bumpkin, is tattling all you know how to do?" As he spoke, his finger accidentally snagged my veil. Seeing my face clearly, Liam suddenly froze, a look of amazement appearing in his eyes. He muttered in surprise: "No wonder my father insists on giving you to me as my wife, you look so much like his late wife..." I frowned, bent down, picked up the veil, and put it back on. Only then did Liam regain his previous resentment. He clutched his stomach and glared at me. "Mia Sterling, don't think that just because you're pretty and look like his late wife, I'll fall for you. I only have my cousin Olivia in my heart!" I took a step back and said coldly: "I don't know the late wife you're talking about, and I'm not interested in her." "If you don't want to marry me, then figure out a way to make your father revoke the engagement." "I sincerely wish you and your cousin a happy life together." After saying that, I walked out of his suite. Unexpectedly, I ran into Arthur again at the estate gates. I frowned and clenched my hands. Was he taking this marriage between me and his son a bit too seriously? He carelessly rubbed a jade ring on his thumb, looking at me sideways, and asked: "How did the chat with Liam go?" I bowed to him and shook my head. "I am just a country businesswoman who has been making a living with my daughter these past few years. My temper is fiery. I don't have the gentle and virtuous nature of high-society ladies, nor have I learned how to please men. I can't control Liam." "Since Liam has someone he loves, why don't you let them be together?" Arthur's hand, which was rubbing the jade ring, suddenly stopped. His cold, sharp eyes swept over me, clearly dissatisfied with my answer. "Mommy!" A childish voice suddenly broke the tense atmosphere. My daughter, Chloe, jumped off the carriage and ran towards me. I quickly caught her. Just as I steadied myself, Arthur suddenly strode over and snatched the scented sachet from Chloe's waist. "Where did you get this sachet?" His slender hands gripped the sachet tightly. His majestic and cold face was rarely agitated; he had lost his usual composure. But this sachet wasn't very precious. I embroidered it myself, and the stitching was even crooked and ugly. I didn't know what Arthur was doing. I hugged the frightened Chloe tightly and lied casually. "My daughter picked this up in the woods outside the city when we returned to D.C. I saw she liked it, so I let her play with it." "If you want it, Mr. Vance, I can just give it to you." Who knew that after hearing this, Arthur immediately ordered the guards behind him. "Send people to the woods outside the city immediately. Dig three feet into the ground if you have to. Search for traces of my late wife, Mia!" Mia was the name I used when Arthur and I got married. I was his late wife? I froze completely, pinching my palms. Feigning calmness, I hugged my daughter and got into the carriage heading back to the estate. When Arthur regained his memory back then, didn't he act all high and mighty and say I was just a lowly small-business owner? Could it be that now that I'm "dead," I'm no longer lowly, and I can be honored as his wife? Pressing the veil against my face, I felt that things were getting increasingly complicated. After taking my daughter back to the General's estate, I told my dad about Arthur looking for me. My dad patted my head comfortingly: "Don't worry, before you returned to D.C., I already erased the traces of your business activities over these past few years in advance. He won't be able to find you for now." "Take this time to think carefully about your future. If you insist on not entering that family, I will risk the 300,000 troops in my hands to protect you." "I lost you for so many years, I've let down your deceased mother. I can't let you down again..." I gripped the handkerchief in my hand tightly, my eyes uncontrollably moistening. "Thank you, Dad, but you don't need to worry about me." "A cat has a cat's way, a rat has a rat's way. I've made some capable friends in the business world over these years. If the big boss insists on forcing me into his family in the end, I'll just fake my death again." I took out a bone whistle, blew it to summon a carrier pigeon, and issued a million-dollar bounty for a faked death operation. In the afternoon, someone accepted the request. We agreed to use a bone flute as a signal; whenever I needed it, I could call them directly to my door to help me fake my death. My tense heart finally settled down a bit today. But I hadn't been happy for long before an etiquette instructor from Arthur's mansion suddenly arrived at the General's estate in the evening. She kept a straight face, standing straighter than a ruler. "Mr. Vance specifically sent me here to teach the future daughter-in-law the etiquette of noble ladies and the arts of the boudoir, to learn how to please a man." "He said he wants to see results within three days and hopes you will cooperate." Using the excuse that my rash hadn't healed, I kept my veil on. The instructor was very strict. If I deviated even slightly, the ruler came down. Three days later, I felt like my legs and waist no longer belonged to me. But Arthur came to the General's estate in person. He stood by the moon gate where I was practicing, his hands behind his back, looking indifferently at me wearing the veil. "How is your learning going? Have you changed your fiery temper?" "Let me see the results today." I secretly moved my aching thighs and touched the veil on my face. I always felt a bit uneasy; Arthur paid too much attention to me, this 'future daughter-in-law'. I had shared a bed with him for a year. Given his sharpness, the longer we interacted, the more likely he was to recognize me. I had to find a way to send him away and minimize contact with him. So, I looked at Arthur, deliberately put on a frivolous posture, and said bluntly— "As for the arts of the boudoir, how do you want to see the results? Shall we take off our clothes and go to bed?" "Insolent!" Arthur was so angry his face turned pale. He ordered the instructor to drag me out of the General's estate. "Mia Sterling, talking back to me won't do you any good." "I'm taking you to my son's place. If you don't want to be punished, use what you've learned these past few days on Liam to change his opinion of you." Saying that, Arthur got into the limousine. After lifting the curtain, he turned around, frowned, and said with disgust: "You ride in the car behind." After saying that, he sat inside and closed the curtain. I was actually relieved. If he was disgusted by me, he wouldn't pay too much attention to me. That was for the best. I obediently went to the car behind. When we arrived, his son's attendants frantically tried to stop us, saying Liam was taking a nap. But Arthur coldly pushed open Liam's bedroom door, went in, and bumped into another colorful scene— Liam was holding Olivia in his arms, the two of them disheveled and kissing intimately. I immediately looked away and lowered my head. Arthur instantly called for people in a dark voice. "Somebody! Take Olivia away and give her poisoned wine!" Olivia was so scared her face turned deadly pale. Liam panicked too. He knelt down, shielding Olivia behind him, and spoke incoherently in his anxiety— "Dad, Olivia and I truly love each other! You loved your late wife deeply, which is why your position beside you is still vacant, but now you're forcing me to marry someone I don't love." "Even if I'm not your biological flesh and blood, you shouldn't play favorites. Since you value the General's estate so much, why don't you marry her yourself?" "Shut up!" Arthur kicked Liam hard. "You two are having an illicit affair, without shame, and you think you're in the right?" Liam was kicked so hard his mouth bled. But maybe he truly loved Olivia; he actually got up and kowtowed repeatedly. "If you refuse to bless Olivia and me, and insist on putting her to death, why not kill me along with her!" Olivia collapsed beside Liam, also kowtowing. "Uncle Arthur, Liam and I are deeply in love. I beg you to bless us." "I swear, I will never covet the position of his official wife. As long as I can stay by Liam's side, I'm willing to be a servant..." The two of them kowtowed over and over again, their foreheads bleeding. Arthur neither agreed nor refused. Instead, he turned around and asked me word by word. "Mia Sterling, you are the future daughter-in-law. What do you think?" If Arthur was determined to kill these two, he wouldn't have asked me. I pretended to sigh: "Since Liam and Miss Chen are so deeply in love, why not help them achieve their wish?" Liam seemed useless, but Olivia was the daughter of the Mayor and the Senator; they would definitely want their biological daughter to be the official wife. If they made a move against me, I could take the opportunity to leave D.C. After I spoke, Arthur ordered someone to take Liam down and lock him up, and sent someone to escort me back to the estate. After returning to the estate, I discussed the fake death plan with my dad. My dad agreed and even assigned a squad of personal guards to cooperate with me. And as I expected, the next day I received a formal invitation from the Senator, specifically asking me to bring my daughter to her garden party.
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