In the tenth year after I had married in his place, my brother, Thayer Ashford, suddenly returned.

The whole family fell silent as they looked at him.

He yawned as he spoke with careless ease, “I traveled through thirteen countries. I’m exhausted.

“Where’s Seraphina? She should be in primary school by now, right? Why hasn’t she come to see me?”

Seraphina was Thayer’s daughter.

Back then, Thayer had abruptly announced he had a child.

Yet on the very day of his wedding, he staged his own death, leaving behind Seraphina and his fiancée, Isolde Fairchild.

The Fairchilds belonged to the old-money elite of the city.

My parents did not dare offend them, so they decided to package me—fresh out of graduation—and send me to the wedding in Thayer’s place.

Over these ten years, I became a competent husband and a responsible father.

As my parents watched Thayer’s brazen composure, their gazes shifted toward me.

I gave them a faint smile.

“Sera went to Novaforge with Isolde.”

At my words, my brother, Thayer Ashford’s brows drew together, and he spoke with clear displeasure, “Didn’t I say in advance that I was coming home? Didn’t you tell Isolde I’d be back?”

I calmly took a sip of the tea in my hand.

Years had tempered me and I was no longer the invisible younger brother living in his shadow.

My silence completely infuriated Thayer.

He shot to his feet, his voice sharp as it rang out.

“What do you mean by that, Caspian? Don’t forget that the one engaged to the Fairchilds was me.

“Now that I’m back, do you really think you can keep sitting in the position of their son-in-law?”

I glanced at him and smiled.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Isolde and I have a very good relationship.”

Over the years, I accompanied Isolde to countless charity galas and social engagements.

Our reputation as a loving couple had spread throughout our circle.

With the image of a harmonious family, Isolde had earned the favor of many business partners.

Perhaps there was no romantic love between us, but we shared something more steadfast than affection, we shared mutual interest.

That was also the source of my confidence.

Thayer’s expression twisted in disbelief.

“Have you no shame? That’s your sister-in-law!” Thayer shouted.

I set down my teacup and smiled, neither servile nor overbearing.

“No. We are legally married.”

My gaze steady, I rose to my feet, unwilling to continue this farce.

Our parents stood to the side, looking utterly at a loss.

Thayer suddenly strode over and grabbed Mom’s sleeve.

“Mom, Caspian’s gone crazy!

“Isolde and I were already together back in university! If it weren’t for me—if it weren’t for the Fairchilds—how could our company have grown this big?”

Our parents had always favored Thayer.

Yet now, Mom stole a glance at me, her voice soft and uncertain.

“But… you ran away from the wedding. You even faked your death. All these years, you didn’t send a single word.

“At the time, there was no groom at the ceremony. If not for Caspian stepping in, the Fairchilds would have been humiliated. They wouldn’t have let it go and our company would have been finished!”

Thayer’s face stiffened.

“I… I just wasn’t ready to get married back then,” he stammered.

“But I’ve come back now, haven’t I?

“Besides, you know how arrogant the Fairchilds are. They never thought much of us to begin with.

“And I would’ve been marrying into their family. If I’d gone through with it, wouldn’t I have been bullied?”

My gaze turned cold as I asked, “Then why did you come back now?”

Thayer answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Now that the Fairchilds have accepted you, they’ll definitely accept me too. Isn’t this perfect?

“I’ll marry into Isolde’s family now, and they won’t treat me too badly. Sera can finally meet her real father. This is good for everyone.”

With that, he stepped forward in two quick strides and seized my hand, looking at me with earnest sincerity.

“You’re free now, Caspian. You can go and find your own happiness.”

I looked at his eyes without expression.

Those clear, dark eyes carried the innocence born of a lifetime of indulgence and favor, an innocence so pure it was almost cruel.

He believed, with complete certainty, that I was meant to sacrifice everything for him.

I let out a cold laugh and pulled my hand free.

“I’m very satisfied with my life as it is. Thayer, you’re the one who needs to face reality.”

With that, I turned and walked away from that loveless house.

I did not know what Thayer felt, but it could not have been good.

Still, I knew in my heart that with his overbearing nature, Thayer would never give up so easily.

I dragged my exhausted body back to the Fairchild residence.

For the past few days, I have been busy with a project, working overtime almost every night.

As I stepped inside the house, I rubbed the space between my brows.

An hour earlier, I had received a message from my parents saying Thayer had returned.

At the time, my body had gone rigid where I stood.

I had always known Thayer would come back one day, but when that day truly arrived, I still found myself caught off guard.

I hung my bag on the rack, then lowered my gaze and saw a pair of high heels placed on the floor.

I paused for a moment, then instantly composed a polite smile.

“You’re back?” a gentle voice called out.

I turned and saw Isolde dressed in a black lace nightgown.

Even in such modest sleepwear, her slender waist and full figure were unmistakable.

Her fair skin and striking features were softened by the warm smile on her face.

She frowned slightly, looking at me with concern.

“Why are you so tired? Haven’t you been resting well these past few days?”

I smiled.

“There’s been so much going on at the company. Did you have fun these past few days? How is Sera?”

Isolde stepped forward and slipped into my arms.

Her face rested against my chest as her slender fingers gently traced my back.

“Sera had a wonderful time, “ she said softly.

“She was so tired she fell asleep already. The only regret was that you weren’t there. Next time, the three of us should go out together.

“I missed you,” she said, her voice tinged with quiet intimacy.

I kissed her soft, fluffy hair, yet my heart felt utterly cold.

I felt something soft brush against my lips.

My body stiffened, my mind filled with Thayer’s words from earlier that day.

I no longer responded to her the way I once had.

Instead, I hesitated, then gently braced my hand against her, putting a slight distance between us.

“I…”

My words stopped halfway, because I clearly felt Isolde’s body stiffen for a brief moment.

I sensed at once that she was unhappy.

After a pause, Isolde smiled and picked up where I had left off, “You’ve been so tired lately. Go take a shower and get some rest.”

She found an excuse for me.

Then she leaned in and placed a light kiss at the corner of my lips.

I nodded and turned to go upstairs.

Behind me, the woman standing in the shadows wore an unreadable expression.

The air around her seemed to solidify, her gaze fixed tightly on my burdened silhouette.

The next day, I went to work as usual.

Just as I exited the residential compound, I saw a familiar figure.

My grip tightened on the steering wheel, my brows knitting together.

Thayer had seen my car.

He suddenly rushed in front of it, forcing me to brake.

The cars behind me began honking furiously.

It was peak rush hour.

Security guards hurried over, trying to pull Thayer away.

But he refused to relent.

Even as they dragged him back, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Caspian Ashford! Stop playing dead! You’re sleeping with your own sister-in-law—have you no shame?”

His shrill voice drew the attention of everyone nearby.

I pulled the car to the side, making sure I wasn’t blocking anyone or any traffic, then stepped out.

I looked at him coldly.

Thayer smiled with satisfaction and ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

He laughed.

“What? Embarrassed? Or are you afraid that once Isolde finds out I’m back, she’ll dump you?”

“Thayer, you’re seriously interfering with my life,” I said testily.

“This is my last warning. Don’t come looking for me again!”

Thayer paid no attention to my warning.

A confident, almost triumphant smile spread across his face.

“Stop pretending. You’re just scared. You’ve lived in my shadow since we were kids—of course you envied me. Wanting to replace me is only natural.”

He paused briefly, then stepped closer, leaning in to speak into my ear.

“Too bad. Someone who steals another man’s spot is always driven out in the end. I’ll wait right here.

“When I see Isolde, I’ll explain everything to her. She’ll definitely forgive me.

“And Sera—she’s my daughter. We share a bond of blood that can’t be broken. You’ll never replace me!”

I said nothing and turned back to my car.

This time, Thayer did not stop me.

In the rearview mirror, I saw him watching my car with a faint smile on his lips.

A chill ran through my entire body.

Thayer had been favored since childhood.

He had never followed rules, and whenever things didn’t go his way, he threw tantrums like an overgrown child.

I took a deep breath, forcing my mind away from him.

Over the years, I had painstakingly built both my marriage and my career.

If we divorced, it wouldn’t just affect me—Isolde’s interests would suffer as well.

She still had a way out.

For me, there was no one but myself.

I sat in my office, my thoughts drifting far away.

Back in elementary school, every winter and summer break, Thayer loved to grab a basketball and run wild.

By the time school started again, his homework remained untouched.

Afraid the teacher would scold him, he would try to pass off the work I had done as his own.

My parents had a convenient excuse: my grades were excellent.

Even if I didn’t turn in my homework, the teacher would never blame me.

Thayer was different.

If he didn’t do his homework, the teacher would certainly reprimand him in front of the whole class.

For a boy, that would be utterly humiliating.

To protect Thayer’s reputation, I redoubled my effort.

From then on, every holiday, I sensibly prepared two sets of homework.

In high school, Thayer started dating early. He pursued the campus beauty with dramatic flair, got into fights, and kept on the good side of every teacher.

Although his grades were poor, his outgoing personality naturally drew many friends.

From childhood onward, every whim of his had someone to catch him when he fell.

I, on the other hand, had to live cautiously, weighing every step I took.

In college, he met Isolde at an off-campus music festival. They performed at a small bar and formed a temporary band.

Over two months, while I hustled through part-time jobs to cover tuition, they threw themselves onto the stage, letting youth and recklessness spill freely.

I had assumed that after graduation, I would save enough money to finally escape my family.

Until that night, when Thayer returned home late, reeking of alcohol.

My parents woke in the middle of the night, cooked a meal for him, and changed his clothes.

The entire household revolved around him.

Then, drunk and slurring, he said something that shocked everyone: He was going to be a father.

For a long while, the house fell into an eerie silence.

My parents fumbled, panicked by the sudden news.

Meanwhile, I worked tirelessly during the holidays, hopping between jobs to save for university.

The laziest person in the house, surprisingly, was Thayer. He had no awareness that his life was about to change.

To cover up the scandal, my parents insisted he stay home, shut indoors.

On the other hand, my family had already arranged the marriage with the Fairchilds.

Once the baby was born, a paternity test would confirm the lineage, and then the wedding would take place.

Everything had been agreed upon carefully. The Fairchilds, pressed by circumstances, had no choice but to accept the arrangement.

If the scandal had leaked, the Fairchilds' reputation would have been destroyed, even affecting their company’s stock.

The night before the wedding, I took the train home, a journey of over four hours.

But the next day, Thayer disappeared.

The house was left with only Sera and the Fairchilds, their faces dark and tense.

Isolde glared, and my parents stood awkwardly, unsure how to act. Their gazes slowly shifted to me.

Mom seemed to grasp at a lifeline.

“We still have another son! He’s never even dated! Let him make it up to you!”

Dad quickly echoed her.

“Right! Caspian! Come on! Your brother’s gone. At this point, you have to step in!”

I froze in place, my mind still trying to process it.

Before I could react, my parents grabbed my hands, pulled me toward the changing room to put on a suit.

I struggled with all my strength, my heart sinking to the depths.

Anger and disbelief swirled together.

The first twenty years of my life had been spent under Thayer’s shadow. Now, my adulthood was expected to be sacrificed for him.

Grief filled me. My nose tingled, eyes burning.

It was the first time I truly broke down.

“Why?” I shouted as I pulled my hands free.

“Why should I take responsibility for his recklessness? This is his problem, not mine!”

At my words, Dad struck me sharply across the face.

“That’s your brother!”