I almost laughed out loud at the scene before me. I smiled and said, "Wanda, you've been with the Grant family for decades. How are you still confused over who the real masters of this house are?"

Eric's face instantly flushed. He looked pitifully over at Stella, but she was also stunned, probably not used to seeing Mason and me like this.

Tanya rushed out of the car. The moment she saw Eric sprawled on the floor, she hurried over to help him up. Then, she pointed straight at Mason and snapped, "How long are you going to keep this up, Mason? All I did was have Eric stay here for a while!"

A flicker of emotion flashed across Eric's face. He lifted his head and glanced between Mason and me, looking torn. His voice shook a little as he said, "Stella, Tanya, maybe I shouldn't intrude on your lives."

He turned as if to leave, but Stella easily grabbed his hand and stopped him. Then, she snatched up his suitcase and strode toward me, dropping it heavily right in front of me. She commanded, "Seth, take Eric's luggage up to his room."

Only then did I look up at her, sneering. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Mind saying it again?"

As soon as I finished, I tilted my wrist and dumped the entire cup of coffee all over the suitcase.

Stella's expression darkened on the spot. Anger flashed across her face. "It's Eric's first day back. Don't you think you're going too far? I'm only making you help Eric with his luggage because it's the least you should do. Don't think you really are the master of this house just because you helped Grant Group out of a few crises!"

I was so annoyed that I actually wanted to laugh. Outside the book, if someone tried to walk all over me, I would fight back. So why would I suffer in silence here? I didn't even belong to this world. Maybe I would get sent back if I acted crazy and went on a rampage.

I pulled myself out of that thought, stood up, and kicked the suitcase over. Without the slightest courtesy, I shot back, "I didn't even complain about you bringing your little lover into the house and letting him act like he owns the place, and you've got a problem with me?

"I bailed Grant Group out, and you married me. What, wasn't that the deal you proposed? And now, you're acting all high and mighty? I honestly can't understand why I ever agreed to marry into your family. If anyone should feel wronged here, it's me. How dare you throw a fit!"

Off to the side, Mason couldn't help but let out a laugh. He glanced at Tanya, whose expression was steely, and asked, "Honey, aren't you gonna say anything?"

Then, he leaned in toward me and muttered, "I want to roast her, too, but I haven't gotten the chance. It's killing me."

Stella clearly hadn't expected me to talk back like that. For a moment, she froze, completely at a loss for words.

Eric quickly stepped in, pulling her slightly behind him. Playing up that fragile, helpless act, he slid an arm around her waist and said softly, "Forget it, Stella. They say Mr. Talbot has a bit of a temper… I'll just deal with the luggage myself. Don't get into a fight over this."

I took the hint, sat back down, and casually gave the suitcase another kick. "Good that you get it."

"You!" Stella's fists clenched as she trembled with rage. She spun around and snapped at Wanda, "Cancel tonight's dinner party!"

Eric looked at me with an innocent expression. "You know, Stella was fussing over your birthday celebration the whole ride here. Why do you have to be like this?"

Birthday celebration? That was when it hit me that in the book, it was my birthday that day.

Off to the side, Mason muttered, "Damn. You're instantly a year older after showing up in this world?"

When I didn't react, Stella's tone grew even colder. "A man like him isn't worth me throwing any kind of birthday party for."

Not that it mattered to me.

But that evening, Wanda still came to get me. "Mr. Seth, the celebration has already been prepared. Ms. Stella wants to know when you'll be coming down."

Mason leaned against the doorframe in a perfectly tailored suit, a lazy smile on his lips. "You have no idea what Eric looks like right now. He's dressed like he's a groom."

The moment I turned around, he froze. "Damn. I thought you didn't care. Why are you in a custom suit, too?"

Please. When affluent families threw parties like this, they were scheduled and announced days in advance. As if Stella could just cancel it on a whim.

A few minutes later, Mason and I headed downstairs one after another.

Stella's expression was icy when she looked over. Tanya was seated beside her, complaining, "Why do we all have to wait just to start a simple—"

She cut herself off mid-sentence when her gaze landed on Mason.

To be fair, he really was the type of guy talent agents loved handing business cards to. In my opinion, he was way more handsome than Eric.

Just as Tanya reached out and tried to grab his arm, he turned his body sharply to the side to dodge her. "Whoa, you scared me."

Jokes were jokes, but I still couldn't let Eric steal the spotlight meant for the male lead. As I approached the table, I saw him in a pristine white suit, sitting in the seat that was supposed to be mine.

When Eric saw me standing beside him, he looked up and said in a deliberately pitiful tone, "I've always sat here. I'm not used to sitting anywhere else… You don't mind, do you?"

I snorted. "What, taking another seat will stop you from eating or give you constipation? What nonsense is that? And you're saying it so loudly. Are you afraid people won't know that you're shameless?"

As soon as I said that, the guests all turned to look at me. In the book, even though Stella didn't like me, I was still the Talbot family's only son. Maybe I wasn't some untouchable big shot, but I definitely wasn't someone just about anyone could mess with.

Naturally, none of them dared to say anything to me. They could only stare at Eric, who had an innocent look plastered to his face.

"This is Mr. Talbot's birthday celebration. What is an outsider like you doing sitting in the main seat?"

"Sure, you and Ms. Stella grew up together, but you should still know where the boundaries are, right?"

Eric instantly flushed.

Stella rushed to defend him. "Eric grew up in the Grant household. This seat has always been his. Even if Seth doesn't understand the concept of 'first come, first served', you all do, don't you?"

I propped my chin up on one hand and gave her a mocking look. "How could I have married you if you hadn't given me the chance? Did I drag you to the county clerk's office at gunpoint to get the marriage registered?

"If you think I'm the one who came later, then let's just get divorced so you can hand this spot back to him. Problem solved. Since you chose me, that makes him the one who came later, doesn't it? You're hilarious."

Stella stared at me in disbelief. After all, in the book, the original male lead had been her pathetic doormat.

Right on cue, Eric's eyes turned red. Stella actually wrapped her arms around him in front of everyone, snapping at me, "Seth Talbot, you only got to marry me because of those tricks you pulled! Do you really think that's something to be proud of?"

Seeing how fiercely Stella was defending him, Eric remained firmly in his seat. Not only did he not show any sign of giving it up, but he even suddenly brought up his past with Stella and Tanya.

His tone was gentle and tinged with heartbreak. "If I hadn't gone abroad back then, Stella and Tanya probably wouldn't even have been willing to get married. The one who isn't loved… is the real outsider here."

Excuse me? That really tickled me.

I looked back and forth between Stella and Tanya, then asked mockingly, "So, which one do you love more? The older sister or the younger one? Is your love like the flyers they hand out on the street? Everyone gets one?"

I was far from finished when Stella leaned in close, pressing her face almost against my lips in a show of faux intimacy. But when she spoke, her tone was threatening. "Shut up right now, Seth. Don't push your luck.

"I won't let you bully Eric in any way for as long as I'm here. You're going to apologize to him right now and preserve his dignity in front of everyone. If you don't, then we're getting a divorce!"

I pulled back and laughed outright. "Fine, then. No one gets male social dynamics better than I do."

With that, I reached into my pocket, pulled out a little bag of dog food, and flicked it straight onto Eric's plate. "Here. Want a bite?"

The air went dead silent for a few minutes. All I knew was that everyone was straining not to burst out laughing—everyone except Stella and Tanya, who were stunned.

Once Eric processed what had happened, he shot to his feet. "If you don't like me being close to Stell, then I just won't come here anymore! Why do you have to humiliate me like this?"

I spread my hands innocently toward the crowd. "You were yapping and barking like a dog for so long… I thought you might be hungry. If you don't appreciate my gesture, then forget it."

After he finished laughing, Mason looked over at Eric and said, "No wonder I thought you were cute the first time I saw you. Turns out, you're just like a dog."

Stella's expression turned ice-cold. She snatched up Eric's plate and hurled it into the trash, finally losing her temper as she pointed at me. "You have no sense of how a member of an affluent family should act—"

Before she could finish speaking, I suddenly leaned over the table in one smooth motion and blew out all the candles on the cake in one breath. "I'm willing to give up my ability to have children and any chance at a house full of descendants, in exchange for endless, ice-cold piles of money."

Stella listened, her expression turning complicated.

Mason was the first to start clapping. Tanya snapped back to her senses and shouted at the guests, "Since my dear brother-in-law has made his wish, that's it for tonight's party! If you're not done having fun, head over to any of my establishments to keep the party going. Everything's on me! You can all head out now."

Mason shot me a meaningful look. "You ready?"

I nodded. It was just acting insane, wasn't it? I was born ready.