“Who else would marry you but me?”

Damian found this amusing. “Is it Caesar? Are you truly unaware of his reputation with women? For years now, any woman who gets near him ends up dead. You actually want to be the devil’s bride?”

My parents had selected two fiances for me from childhood.

One was Damian, the globally renowned CEO of Aegis Corporation.

The other was Caesar, a formidable figure who controlled the entire underground arms trade.

Everyone knew of Caesar’s brutal nature. He was not only ruthless in his dealings with men but also showed no mercy to women.

It was said that those who provoked him would either be thrown into the sea as shark food or buried in his backyard garden.

No one in the upper-class circles of the entire Northern City wanted their daughter to marry such a ruthless monster.

I replied with utter indifference, “I’d rather marry the devil than marry you.”

After I said that, I turned and left.

Seeing my resolute attitude, Damian was in disbelief. A sense of panic washed over him.

He instinctively blocked my path and demanded, “What’s that supposed to mean?!

“Are you still hung up on Alice and me? I already told you I’d marry you! What’s with the attitude?”

Damian frowned and said irritably, “Annie, my patience has its limits. If you keep being this willful, don’t blame me for publicly rejecting you when the time comes.”

Even at that point, he still thought I was throwing a fit.

He remained in denial that I was the one rejecting him.

I scoffed and was about to speak when Alice suddenly stepped in.

“Damian, Ms. Moretti, what’s going on? Are you two fighting because of me?”

She looked at me guiltily and continued, “This is all my fault. I never should have accepted this ring. Here, I’ll give it back to you right now, Ms. Moretti.”

As she spoke, she took off the pink diamond ring from her finger.

Damian looked at her heartbreakingly and stopped her. “Someone gifted that to you. Why should you give it to her? Besides, you love that ring. Alice, you’re just too nice for your own good. That’s why she walks all over you like this.”

“It’s okay,” Alice said in a pitiful voice. “I’m just a maid in Ms. Moretti’s house. I’m used to doing what she says since I was a kid. And it’s her birthday party. I don’t want to ruin her night.”

Alice walked towards me with the ring. “Let me help you put it on, Ms. Moretti.”

Out of Damian’s line of sight, her face lit up with a gloating smile. She leaned in and whispered in a low, taunting murmur.

“See that, Annie? What does it matter that you’re the heiress of the Moretti and Carter families? Your precious Damian only wants me. He’s the one who put this ring on my finger. And you? You’ll just be wearing the things that I discarded!”

The next second, she gripped my wrist. Her sharp nails almost dug into my flesh.

I gasped and instinctively pushed Alice away.

A triumphant flash of cunning crossed her eyes. She then let out a sharp cry and collapsed to the floor.

“Ah!” she cried out in feigned shock. “Ms. Moretti, I was just trying to put the ring on for you. Why would you push me? Do you really despise me that much?”

Damian immediately rushed forward and held Alice in his arms.

He glared at me angrily and rebuked me, “Annie, you’ve gone too far! I know you’re spoiled and enjoyed bullying your maids, but I never thought you’d dare lay a hand on Alice in front of all these people! Apologize to her. Now.”

“I didn’t push her,” I stated coldly. “She hurt me first.”

I raised my hand to reveal the distinct red mark circling my wrist.

Damian saw the mark on my wrist and was momentarily stunned.

Before he got suspicious, Alice spoke up pitifully, “Ms. Moretti, are you saying I framed you on purpose? I’m just a lowly maid. I wouldn’t dare.”

“Really?” I replied sarcastically. “It seems to me you’ve forgotten you’re a maid. You act like you own the place. Maybe we should call off my party and just hold your wedding right here instead.”

Damian grew increasingly enraged. “That’s enough, Annie! Stop insulting her!”

As he spoke, he raised his hand as if to slap me.

However, the slap did not land on my face.

A tall, imposing figure stepped in front of me and intercepted Damian’s hand.

I looked at the figure standing in front of me. It felt eerily familiar. My heart began to pound.

In the next moment, I heard the people around us gasp in surprise. “It’s Caesar! What’s he doing here?!”

The crowd was stunned when they saw Caesar. They looked at him with a mix of fear and respect. They instinctively took a few steps back.

Even Damian was taken aback. A flicker of fear passed through his eyes.

After all, everyone knew how brutal Caesar was when it came to handling things.

However, Damian suppressed the apprehension in his heart when he thought of how he would soon inherit both the Moretti and Carter families. He spoke up sharply. “Caesar, who do you think you are to stop me?”

Caesar ignored him. He merely glanced back at me.

“Are you alright?” His tone was cold. It carried the chilling authority of a man in charge.

It was just a simple question, yet my heart skipped a beat.

I remembered when I had a difficult labor in the past, Damian had diverted all the medical resources away and locked me in the treatment room to die.

When I was on the verge of death, Caesar had stormed into the treatment room. He forced his way in and took me away to get treatment.

Even so, I still passed away in the end and became a ghost.

Everyone said Caesar was a terrifying devil. To me, he was the kindest person I knew before my death.

“I’m fine,” I replied softly.

For Damian, the whole scene was an insult to his manhood. He could not help but speak up. “Caesar, I’m going to be Annie’s husband. She’s none of your business.”

At that moment, my father’s underboss appeared.

When he heard Damian’s words, he instantly frowned. “Annie’s husband—”

Before he could finish, Caesar raised a hand to stop him.

“Don Moretti and Ms. Carter are here. Everyone, please head inside.”

Since my parents had arrived, it meant the announcement of my husband’s selection was about to happen.

When Damian heard this, he became impatient.

“It looks like Don Moretti and Ms. Carter are waiting for me. Alice, let’s go.”

Without a second thought, he led Alice away and left me behind.

I did not let it bother me. I followed Caesar and took my time walking inside.

Once everyone had gathered, my parents made their appearance.

Their eyes glistened with reluctant tears. They took my hands and made the announcement together.

“We always said that once Annie turned twenty, the man she chose would take over the Moretti and Carter families.

“Now, let the man Annie has chosen come forward. It’s time for you to start your new life together.”

As the words fell, everyone present instinctively looked toward Damian.

They were very sure that Damian was going to marry me.

They all began to applaud, ready to welcome the new ruler of both the Moretti and Carter families.

Damian’s face could not conceal his excitement. He had clearly been waiting for that moment for a long time.

He adjusted his collar and prepared to step forward.

However, a figure directly bypassed him and strode toward me on the stage first.

It was Caesar. He walked up to me.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, he knelt on one knee and opened a red velvet box in his hand.

Inside the box lay a ruby ring as large as a pigeon’s egg.

It had been featured in the news not long ago.

It was said to have been bought at an auction by a mysterious bidder for one billion dollars.

It symbolized unwavering, faithful love.

At that time, everyone had wondered who would be lucky enough to wear that ring and have such a happy life.

I stared at the ring glittering under the lights. It was a sight I had never imagined appearing before me.

His gaze fixed intently on me as he said in a low voice, “Annie, this is the ring I got for you. Are you ready to marry me?”