Cara immediately burst into laughter, unable to believe that Otis had just made what she considered to be one of the greatest mistakes of his life by openly declaring that he wanted to speak with Megan’s father.“Did you truly just say that you want to speak with Megan’s father?” she asked, laughing in disbelief. “Do you honestly think that Megan’s father is someone you can simply walk up to and summon whenever you feel like it? Do you think you can arrive at this house without an appointment, stand at the entrance as though you have some kind of authority, and casually demand to speak with the head of the family?”Her laughter became louder as she shook her head.“This is the Zachariah family you are speaking about,” Cara continued. “The Zachariah family is not some ordinary household that just anyone can approach. Their name has existed in the history of this great country for more than three hundred years, and everyone knows what they have done for society and for humanity.”She ges

The moment Megan heard her father’s sharp command, she immediately closed her mouth.She had never seen Zachariah Junior speak to her in such a manner before. In all the years she had known him as her father, he had corrected her, warned her, and occasionally expressed disappointment in her decisions, but he had never shouted at her in front of strangers, and he had certainly never looked at her with the kind of sternness that now filled his face.Megan stood frozen, her lips pressed tightly together as she tried to understand what had just happened.Her father had raised his voice at her because of Otis.That realization alone left her stunned.She had expected Zachariah Junior to support her, to become angry with Otis, and perhaps even to order the guards to remove him from the property, but she had never imagined that her father would defend the stranger standing before them or silence her in order to give Old Man Zachariah the opportunity to speak.For the first time since she had

Once Cara had finally disappeared beyond the gates, Old Man Zachariah remained silent for a few seconds, his eyes following her until she was completely out of sight, and only after he was certain that she could no longer hear them did he turn his attention back to Otis.Then, to the astonishment of everyone standing at the entrance, Mrs. Zachariah slowly stepped forward and bowed deeply toward him.“It is truly a pleasure to meet you today,” she said with profound respect, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. “After so many years of waiting, hoping, and wondering whether this day would ever arrive, we are finally standing before the person the family has been expecting for generations.”Otis watched her silently.“The stone has finally blinked,” Mrs. Zachariah continued. “It has finally shone with the light described in the ancient records, and now we know the truth without any doubt whatsoever. It is you. You are the one we have been waiting for.”She bowed once again.“Welcome

Megan shook her head violently, as though she could physically force the unbearable reality out of her mind.“No,” she whispered. “No, this cannot be happening. I must be dreaming. This has to be a dream.”She looked around the entrance, searching for some sign that the entire scene was nothing more than an elaborate joke, a misunderstanding, or a cruel trick played by people who had somehow decided to test her patience. Yet nothing changed. Her grandfather remained standing before Otis with an expression of solemn respect, her father was still silent beneath the weight of his own confusion, and Mrs. Zachariah continued to regard Otis as though a long-awaited miracle had finally appeared at the gates of their home.Megan’s breathing became uneven.“How is this even possible?” she asked herself, her voice barely audible. “How can this be happening to me?”Her thoughts immediately turned toward her friends.How was she going to face them?How was she going to explain what had happened wh

Old Man Zachariah’s expression hardened, but she did not allow him the chance to interrupt.“I knew it,” she continued bitterly. “I knew that placing the future of this family in the hands of an ancient stone would eventually bring us trouble. I have said it before, and I will say it again: this obsession with the prophecy was never going to end well.”She looked directly at her husband.“And now my fears have come true. You intend to give our granddaughter to him.”Her gaze swept contemptuously over Otis’s clothes.“Look at what he is wearing,” she said. “Those are not the clothes of a nobleman, a leader, or a man worthy of joining the Zachariah family. Even the poorest people in this city would hesitate before wearing clothing so worn and ordinary. Our lowest-paid maids dress better than this, yet you want to welcome him into this family and place him beside Megan?”Her voice shook with outrage.“Do you understand the shame this will bring upon the Zachariah name? Do you understand t