Adaline POV:

The destruction of my proposal, the careless, deliberate act of sabotage, finally extinguished the last ember of affection I might have secretly harbored for Bradly. It was a cold, hard finality.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, pushing down the surge of grief and anger. Tonight. Tonight was the night I would meet Garrison. My uncle. My future. And I needed to be ready.

A tremor of nerves ran through me. He was, in a way, still my uncle from my previous life, a distant, respected figure. This was all so… new. And terrifying.

I squared my shoulders. I would present myself with poise. Even if I couldn't make him fall in love with me instantly, I would at least ensure he didn't find me repulsive.

I finished my makeup, a mask of calm confidence, and left the office. Just as I reached the underground parking garage, a low moan echoed through the concrete cavern.

My head snapped up. There, in the dim light, was a black car, rocking rhythmically.

I recognized the license plate. Bradly' s.

Through the half-open window, I could see Janell. Her eyes were glazed over, her head lolling back and forth with Bradly' s thrusting movements. He was panting, his body a relentless rhythm against hers.

A wave of nausea washed over me. I felt nothing for Bradly, truly. No love, no jealousy. But the raw, animalistic display still disgusted me. It was crude. Uncouth.

Janell' s head turned. She saw me.

A slow, triumphant smirk spread across her face. Then, she seized Bradly' s head, pulling him into a deep, ravenous kiss. Her moans, thick and guttural, mingled with the wet sounds of their kiss, reverberating in the hollow space of the parking garage.

I fought the urge to vomit. My stomach roiled. I turned quickly, desperate to escape. My own car was waiting. I needed to get to the gathering. Now.

Just as I reached my car, a low groan, followed by a sigh, emanated from Bradly' s car. They were done.

They both emerged, Janell' s face still flushed.

"Adaline! Oh, my goodness, I didn' t see you there!" she chirped, her voice falsely sweet.

Bradly' s eyes, when he heard my name, showed a flicker of embarrassment. But it was fleeting.

I didn' t stop. Didn' t pause. I just got into my car and drove. As I passed them, my gaze accidentally dropped. Bradly' s belt. A scrap of lace, a delicate pair of underwear, dangled from it. Janell' s, no doubt. The disgust solidified into a hard, cold knot in my chest.

I made a quick stop at a shopping center, picking out gifts for the family elders. Something tasteful, a gesture of respect. And for Garrison, something special. A quiet acknowledgment of the path ahead.

When I arrived at the family estate, Bradly was waiting by the door. He strode toward me, a curious mixture of apology and defensiveness on his face. He opened his mouth, but then his eyes landed on the gift box in my hand. His expression shifted, from strained to a satisfied, arrogant sneer.

"So, you went shopping for me, did you?" he asked, a smug glint in his eye. "Good. You' re finally acting sensible."

He reached for the box. I quickly stepped back, blocking his path.

"These aren' t for you," I said, my voice flat.

He lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly. "You saw, didn' t you?" he said, his voice casual, almost bored. "Janell. She' s my wife, you know. My real wife. All of this… it was always meant for her."

He took another drag, then his eyes met mine, dripping with condescension. "If you' d been more obedient, maybe I would have been generous enough to spend a few nights with you after the wedding."

His gaze lingered on me, a lecherous glint in his eyes. Goosebumps rose on my arms. It was utterly repulsive.

I turned to walk away, but his hand shot out, gripping my arm.

"Garrison is coming tonight," he reminded me, his brow furrowed. "Don' t cause any trouble. After dinner, go see Janell and apologize. If you want this wedding to happen, you' ll behave."

He released me, turning on his heel before I could respond, disappearing into the house.

I watched his retreating back, a cold, humorless laugh bubbling in my throat. Soon, he would know exactly whether our wedding would happen.

I walked into the dining room. The elders were already seated, a smattering of polite conversation filling the air. Garrison, however, was nowhere to be seen.

There was an empty seat beside Bradly. I ignored it, walking past him. My destination was a seat near the head of the table, usually reserved for the most respected family members. I sat.

Bradly, seeing my audacious move, stomped over, his face red with annoyance.

"Adaline!" he hissed, pulling out the chair next to mine and sitting down. "That seat is for Garrison! Get back to our assigned seats before you embarrass us further!"

I took a deep breath, trying to tamp down my irritation. I opened my mouth to explain this wasn't his wedding.

But before I could speak, a deep voice, rich and resonant, cut through the quiet.

"My apologies for being late."

Adaline POV:

Garrison Fletcher stood in the doorway, looking even more formidable than I remembered. He was older, more refined, sharper. The years had sculpted him into something truly powerful, far beyond the boy I' d known.

The entire family rose to greet him, their respect almost palpable. They' d known Garrison and his sister since childhood, since their parents died and Bradly' s grandmother took them in. Garrison' s sister had married Bradly' s father, but Garrison had forged his own path, building a tech empire overseas.

The Hayden family, once prominent, had fallen on hard times over the years. It was Garrison, with his immense wealth and business acumen, who had kept them afloat, investing heavily and safeguarding their fortune. Since Bradly' s mother, Garrison' s sister, had passed, the family' s deference to him had become absolute. They feared his displeasure, terrified he might withdraw his support, the very lifeline of their continued prosperity.

Every face in the room was plastered with a wide, welcoming smile. Garrison, however, maintained an icy demeanor, his expression unreadable. Until his eyes met mine.

A soft, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.

He walked directly to the seat beside me. Bradly, who had foolishly taken a seat next to me, felt the weight of Garrison' s gaze. He squirmed, looking like a scolded child.

I felt a blush creep up my neck. "It wasn' t me," I stammered, trying to explain that Bradly had taken the seat first.

Bradly, however, was quicker. He shot to his feet, muttering an excuse, and fled the room.

Garrison slid into the vacant seat beside me. "It' s a family dinner tonight," he said, his voice warm, a stark contrast to his earlier coolness. "Let' s just relax and enjoy ourselves."

He picked up a serving spoon and gracefully began placing food onto my plate. Then, without a word, he started to peel a shrimp for me.

I leaned in, whispering, "He sat down there himself, not me."

Garrison placed the perfectly peeled shrimp on my plate. He smiled. "I know," he murmured, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Eat first."

Within minutes, my plate was overflowing. Shrimp, peeled. Fish, deboned. He even picked out the spring onions from my dish, knowing I disliked them. Every dish, it seemed, was exactly to my taste.

It was the most pleasant meal I' d had since my rebirth.

Garrison, his eyes twinkling, picked up a napkin and gently dabbed at the corner of my mouth. "Eat slowly," he said, his voice soft.

Just as I swallowed the last bite and opened my mouth to speak, the dining room doors swung open with a dramatic flourish.

"Good evening, everyone!" Janell' s chirpy voice pierced the quiet.

The family turned, their expressions shifting from pleasant surprise to open disapproval. An elder at the far end of the table slammed his fork down.

"You, you illegitimate child!" he spat, his eyes blazing with contempt. He didn' t need to finish his sentence. His gaze was venomous.

Janell' s mother had been my father' s mistress before she married him. To the old-money families, Janell was nothing more than a bastard, a stain on their lineage. She wasn' t supposed to be here. Not at these private family gatherings.

But my father, blinded by his doting affection for Janell, had allowed her to attend, presenting her as the family' s second daughter.

Bradly, however, seemed oblivious to the collective scowl from the family. He pulled out the chair beside him, gesturing for Janell to sit.

"Bradly, are you out of your mind?!" the elder roared, his voice trembling with fury. "How dare you bring an outsider to a family dinner?!"

Janell flinched, shrinking back, her eyes quickly filling with tears. She clutched Bradly' s hand, her lower lip quivering.

Bradly, unwilling to look bad in front of his precious Janell, lifted his chin defiantly. "She' s Adaline' s sister. My sister-in-law. How is she an outsider?"

He then turned to me, his eyes silently pleading, expecting me to back him up.

Instead, he saw Garrison, his hand still holding a napkin, wiping my mouth.

Bradly' s face instantly darkened. He wanted to rage, to shout, but the sheer authority radiating from Garrison silenced him. He couldn' t. So, he turned his furious gaze on me instead.

Garrison, as if noticing nothing, simply smiled, continuing to peel shrimp. He placed another, perfect morsel on my plate.

Bradly slammed his chair against the floor as he sat down, a loud, angry thud that echoed in the room. It was a clear declaration of his rage.

But I didn' t even glance at him. I simply ignored him.

My phone, resting on the table, vibrated. I glanced down. Bradly.

I picked it up, my thumb hovering over the message.

Are you doing this on purpose?

You can do whatever you want, but why drag Garrison into this?

Are you crazy?

Don' t you dare forget who your fiancé is!

Come here now!