In the city, the Hawthorne family threw a massive engagement party, the kind that seemed to invite every rich and powerful name worth mentioning. The whole place was lively, buzzing nonstop.

"Where on earth did the Hawthorne family find such a gorgeous little bride? Seriously, I’m jealous."

"You can’t copy that kind of luck. She was raised by their side since she was a kid, a child bride."

"In this day and age there’s still such a thing as a child bride? Wow, that’s wild."

Inside the grand hall, almost every gaze landed on the young girl. Nancy Hartwell wore a delicate little formal dress that made her beauty bloom like a flower. Her clear peach-blossom eyes looked soft and moving, her nose dainty, her lips rosy, her small face fair and untouched, almost too pure for the world, like some fairy who had wandered out of a painting. Every move she made carried calm grace and poise. She wasn’t just pretty on the outside. The elegance in her seemed to come straight from her bones.

She only had to stand there, and people simply couldn’t look away. It made others want to cherish her on sight.

The laughter and chatter drifted into Nancy Hartwell’s ears. A faint glimmer passed through her eyes as memories from over ten years ago quietly surfaced. Ever since she could remember, she had been abandoned at an orphanage. There, she never had enough to eat, never had enough to wear, and she was often bullied. Studying was basically a luxury she couldn’t even dream about.

It was Mrs. Hawthorne who took her in and treated her like family. Since she was little, Nancy Hartwell had known one thing clearly: when she grew up, she would become Julian Hawthorne’s wife.

Beside her, Julian Hawthorne stood in a tailored suit, tall and straight, carrying himself with effortless confidence. His handsome face held a steady, polished air. In everyone’s eyes, he was the future heir to the family business, a man with a ridiculously bright future ahead of him.

But his eyes kept drifting toward the guest area. Nancy Hartwell lowered her voice and asked, "Julian, what are you looking at?"

Julian Hawthorne pulled his gaze back and cleared his throat. "Cough... nothing, really. Come on, let’s go greet the elders."

Nancy Hartwell didn’t think much of it. Her soft pink lips curved into a small smile, shy and sweet, as she followed at his side like a bashful young wife into the circle of honored guests.

Julian Hawthorne had studied abroad for three years, and he seemed even taller now. She practically had to tilt her head up to look at him.

Nancy Hartwell had come to the Hawthorne family when she was six. She still remembered the first time she saw Julian Hawthorne. Back then, she had already liked this gentle older boy at first sight.

Growing up, she had always been his little shadow, the one trailing after him everywhere. He was thoughtful, naturally caring, and never had even a hint of spoiled rich-boy attitude. If he had something tasty, he would save some for her. If he found something fun, he would share it with her first.

What he liked doing most was pinching her soft little cheeks, rubbing her head, then pulling her gently into his arms while calling her his little wife.

Three years ago, the night before he left to study overseas, Julian Hawthorne had slipped a silver ring onto her finger. Holding her face in both hands, he told her that when he came back, he would replace it with a huge diamond ring and make her the happiest bride in the world.

They had always been seen as a pair since childhood, so in Nancy Hartwell’s heart, she had long since treated Julian Hawthorne as her future husband. Everyone around her envied her, saying she was destined to marry someone so outstanding.

"Miss, Madam is asking for you."

Nancy Hartwell nodded and followed the servant over to Mrs. Hawthorne.

Mrs. Hawthorne was all smiles today, the kind that reached the corners of her eyes. She had waited more than ten years for this day, and now it was finally here.

"After today, you’ll be a real part of the Hawthorne family. No longer just my good granddaughter—you’ll be my grandson’s wife."

Back then, if Mrs. Hawthorne hadn’t taken her in, Nancy Hartwell didn’t even dare imagine how hard her life would have been. She had always carried that gratitude in her heart, so all these years in the Hawthorne family, she had been careful in everything she did, never once stepping out of line.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, just look at the young madam’s figure. She’s got that healthy look—definitely the kind blessed with good fertility. Once they’re married, you’ll be holding a great-grandbaby in no time."

The woman speaking with a laugh was Julian Hawthorne’s mother, Lorraine Hawthorne. She smiled brightly and added, "Best case? Two kids in three years. Five in total. The more the merrier—make the house nice and lively."

Nancy’s cheeks flushed red in an instant, and she lowered her head, embarrassed.

When she and Julian were little, they had been pretty close. But once they got old enough to understand the line between boys and girls, they naturally started keeping some distance in the way they acted around each other.

The second she thought about how, starting tonight, they would be sleeping in the same bed, her heartbeat went totally off the charts.

Mrs. Hawthorne saw right away that she was shy, so she stopped teasing her. "The auspicious hour is almost here. Time for the ceremony."

The host stood in the middle of the grand hall, delivering an energetic opening speech with practiced excitement. Nancy Hartwell and Julian Hawthorne stood at the center beneath the lights, waiting for the vows. Once that part was done, the ceremony would be official.

While the host was talking, Nancy noticed that Julian’s gaze kept drifting toward a certain corner of the room. He looked distracted, like his mind was somewhere else entirely.

"Julian... what are you looking at?"

Julian didn’t answer her question. Instead, he looked at her and asked in a low voice, "Nancy, do you want me to be happy?"

Nancy blinked those clear, innocent eyes of hers and nodded without hesitation. "Of course. I want you to be happy forever, Julian."

"Then, Nancy..." He paused, his expression unreadable. "Even if the person I want to marry isn’t you, you wouldn’t stop me, right?"