<
“Fine, for Tiffany’s sake, I won’t dwell on it. But if you have any improper thoughts about me, don’t blame me for being
ruthless.”
The two of them were still lost in their tender moment when a voice suddenly chimed in from behind them.
“Why would my wife have improper thoughts about you?
“Derek, that’s incredibly rude, talking about your future sister–in–law like that.”
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Julian Hayes entered, supporting Mr. Sterling from the doorway. A smile played on his lips, and his gaze towards Derek held a hint of provocation.
Mr. Sterling glanced at the bracelets on Tiffany’s wrist, and his expression darkened.
“Who told you to wear those? Take them off!”
Mr. Sterling’s voice, though calm, carried immense authority. Tiffany flinched, hastily taking the bracelets off.
Derek muttered, clearly annoyed.
“Grandpa, I brought them over for Tiffany to wear. They’ll be mine eventually anyway, so what’s the big deal if she wears
them for a bit?”
Mr. Sterling said nothing, only giving him a cold look, then led Julian to the head table.
He cleared his throat, looking at the guests attending the birthday party, and publicly announced,
“Today, besides this old man’s birthday, I have another joyous announcement to make.”
“This is my grandson, Julian Hayes. He will be getting engaged to Scarlett Vance in a few days. I invite you all to raise a glass with us then.”
At these words, everyone’s eyes widened, their gazes darting between Julian and me.
Derek froze on the spot, staring at Julian and me in disbelief.
“Grandpa, what are you saying? Why is Scarlett getting engaged to Julian? Julian is just an illegitimate son, he…”
Mr. Sterling sharply cut Derek off.
“Julian is also my grandson. He is also a Hayes.”
After the engagement party, I had privately arranged to meet Julian.
In the private room, Julian looked at me with a meaningful smile, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“I’m just an illegitimate son. The Hayes family has so many other talented young men. Why choose me?”
9:00 PM
<
“I’m just an illegitimate son. The Hayes family has so many other talented young men. Why choose me?”
I handed him a file.
“Because you need me, and I need you. Our cooperation is the optimal solution.”
He merely glanced at the file without taking it.
“What kind of cooperation could we have?”
I calmly pushed the file closer to him.
“To be frank, I’ve investigated you. You are an incredibly capable person, which is why I want to work with you.”
“Besides, if you had no designs on the Hayes family, why would you be making so many discreet moves behind the scenes?”
His eyes grew wary as he looked at me, but I didn’t mind. I leaned forward, staring intently into his wild eyes.
“Don’t you want to know why Mr. Sterling said only the one who marries me can inherit the Hayes family?”
He looked at me for a long time. Just as I thought he was going to refuse, Julian extended his hand.
“It’s a pleasure to work with you, my fiancée.”
Sure enough, after I chose Julian, Mr. Sterling began to take this grandson seriously.
Julian had initially been brought back quietly, without public announcement.
Mr. Sterling must have conducted his own investigations into Julian before deciding to announce the engagement at his birthday party, seizing this opportunity to introduce Julian to the public.
Mr. and Mrs. Hayes hadn’t expected such a turn of events. They were stunned for a long time, unable to recover.
After all, Mr. Sterling announcing Julian’s engagement to me at this moment was undeniably a signal to the outside world that he intended to support Julian.
In Mr. and Mrs. Hayes’s eyes, I was just baggage from my father’s previous marriage, and I even shared my former stepmother’s surname.
After I graduated, my father hadn’t even arranged for me to work at the family company; instead, he let me busy myself
with who–knows–what.
To them, this was a clear signal that I wouldn’t inherit anything from the Peterson family.
So, when the switch happened, they implicitly agreed. After all, there was no question which was more beneficial to them: an idle young lady or a future heiress to the Peterson family.
Mr. Hayes finally recovered from the shock. His hands were trembling, and he clutched his chest, taking several deep breaths.
Guests who had come to offer birthday wishes now flocked around Julian, raising their glasses to him. Derek, who had been so arrogant just two days ago, was now squeezed to the edge of the crowd.
<
Derek seemed utterly enraged. He glared at me, demanding,
“You’ve only met Julian a few times! Are you really going to marry him just to spite me?”
Before I could say anything, Julian stood beside me, looming over Derek.
Julian wasn’t just a head taller than him; his presence completely overshadowed Derek.
“Didn’t you hear me? Scarlett likes *me*. Why would you ever think she’d like you?”
I stepped forward, linking my arm through Julian’s, and looked at Derek with a hint of exasperation, as if he were a petulant child.
“I already told you, Julian is the one I like. In my eyes, he’s better than you in every way. Please stop deluding yourself.”
