Today was the long-awaited wedding of Seth Miller, the heir of the prestigious Miller family, and Ariadne Brook, a third-generation descendant of the Brook family. At this moment, it was time for the pivotal question."If anyone objects to this union, please speak now or forever hold your peace!" the officiant, the bishop of St. Augustine cathedral, announced, his emotionless gaze sweeping across the room.Instantly, the cathedral went silent as if a graveyard. Even the piano playing in the background stopped. The attendees exchanged silent glances before turning back to the bishop. No one opened his or her mouth, let alone made a sound. Some of the attendees even stopped breathing normally, afraid that they might mistakenly make a sound and the bishop would assume they had something to say. The Miller family was, after all, a powerful and influential family that had been around for over a century and was ranked second only to the top five families. Only someone with a death wish w

Lucas's face was dark as he reached into his pants and brought out a button phone. He calmly navigated to the sound recorder and pressed it. There were two recordings."My speaker is too low. It will be hard to hear the recordings. Can I make use of your mic to enhance the sound?" Lucas asked, looking up at the bishop."Sure." The bishop stretched the mic to him. He just wanted to see how this would end!Meanwhile, at Lucas's statement, Linda, Vera, and Kelvin tensed up. Voice recordings? He has voice recordings? They exchanged glances with one another.One could clearly see the fear in them.Lucas calmly took the mic from the bishop. He put it to his phone's speaker and played the first voice recording. The first voice that came through the speakers was Linda's."Lucas, we have a pressing need. Can you help us with two hundred thousand?" she said. Her voice was so sweet that one would argue if it was really her.But then, her voice couldn't be mistaken.The next voice was Lucas's. He

The priest's expression was calm as he stared at the crowd, waiting for someone to step forward and verify the document for themselves. But even after waiting for five minutes, no one stepped forward.Everyone just silently gaped at him."Perhaps, they need time to take it in." With that thought, the priest decided to wait another five minutes. But even after then, no one still stepped forward. No one even say a word. The whole cathedral remained silent.The priest couldn't help but frown. He had other matters to attend to. He couldn't possibly stay here forever."It seems no one doubts you, Father. Thank you for coming," Lucas suddenly said, a smirk dancing at the corners of his mouth."In that case, I'll take my leave now," the priest replied softly. His stern expression eased into a small, warm smile as he turned to Lucas and Ariadne. "These belong to you two. I wish you both a happy married life." He handed them the rings and marriage certificate.Then, he bowed to the bishop on

At the Brooks' villa…In the conference room…The room was in chaos, mirroring the uproar that had taken place at the Millers'. The Brooks were shouting at the top of their lungs, all their anger directed at Ariadne and Lucas.Seated in the seat of honor, Atticus Brook watched with a cold expression. He made no attempt to stop the commotion, choosing instead to watch calmly. Although irritated by their behavior, which resembled that of market women, he knew it was better to let them release their pent-up anger and frustration rather than suppress it as bottling it up could have dangerous consequences."My Lord!"Suddenly, a loud, frantic shout rang out.The conference room door burst open, and a man in a crisp butler’s uniform rushed inside, his face pale.Instantly, the room fell silent. Every eye turned to the butler. One glance at him was all it took for the Brooks to tense up, a single thought racing through their minds: Had the Millers made their move?"Silas, you're the butle

"You see the man you chose to stubbornly be with? The moment trouble came knocking—the same trouble he caused—he turned his back and ran, leaving you to deal with everything alone. How can such a coward, such a loser, be what you truly want for yourself?" Watching Lucas disappear from view, Linda turned to Ariadne and chided, her arms crossed defiantly."He didn’t run away. Lucas is no coward!" Ariadne shouted through her tears, glaring at her mother. Why did she always have to stand in the way of her happiness?What really did Lucas do to her?!Was it such a crime to be poor?!"My Lucas may be poor, but he is not a coward! Has never been!" she added, her expression brimming with confidence."Hmph!" Linda scoffed, her tone laced with disdain. "You honestly think he left to resolve the situation? He, a mere loser? If you really think that, then you’re dumber than I thought! I’m so ashamed on your behalf!" She paced the room, unable to contain the frustration bubbling inside her.After