Emma's tears only intensified as she pressed further, her small hands trembling as she clutched at the front of Ethan's shirt, her voice breaking with desperate urgency."Dad, please," she cried, her words tumbling out between sobs. "I really want you to marry Megan. That's the only way to save her from being forced to marry someone she doesn't even love. That's the only way she'll actually be happy. Please, Daddy, I want you to marry her, and if you do this for me, I promise, I'll forgive you completely. I'll forgive you for missing today, for everything. And if later she says she doesn't want to stay, then we'll let her go. But at least she'll be free. At least she won't be trapped in a marriage she never chose for herself."She wiped furiously at her tears with the back of her hand, but they kept falling anyway."I saw the way she was crying today, Daddy. It broke my heart seeing her like that. I want her to be my mom. I've already told her before, jokingly, and she never said no.

Morning came quickly, and true to her nature, Emma was the very first one awake, practically bursting into her father's room to shake him out of bed before the sun had even fully risen. There was no time to waste, she insisted. A promise sworn was a promise that had to be honored immediately, and she wasn't about to let Ethan forget or delay it even for a second. Within the hour, they were both dressed and seated in a taxi, heading straight toward the address Emma had memorized so carefully.When they finally arrived, the sight before them left Ethan momentarily speechless.The front gate alone was massive, tall iron bars intricately designed, stretching wide enough to allow multiple vehicles through at once. Beyond it stood a mansion so grand, so meticulously maintained, that it looked as though it belonged to royalty rather than an ordinary wealthy family. Manicured hedges lined the long driveway, fountains glistened under the early morning sun, and the sheer scale of the property ma

The moment Megan's grandmother's words settled over the hall, every man present rose to his feet almost in unison, as though some invisible signal had passed silently between them. Jackets were straightened, collars adjusted, shoulders squared with practiced confidence. Some ran quick fingers through their hair, others tugged nervously at their sleeves, each one desperate to appear composed, dignified, worthy of being chosen. The air itself seemed to shift, thick with tension and quiet desperation, as though the outcome of the next few minutes would determine the entire course of their futures.Among them, one man stepped forward with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. His name was John, tall, sharply dressed in a tailored navy suit that fit him with obvious precision, his hair combed back neatly, his expression carrying the unmistakable air of someone who had never once doubted his own worth. Clearing his throat loudly enough to draw attention from every corner of the hall, he

Despite the small flickers of warmth stirring quietly inside her, warmth born from Emma's affection and the strange, unexpected kindness she'd been shown today, Megan couldn't fully shake the deep, aching hurt lodged firmly in her chest. Yes, she was grateful. Yes, she felt something close to relief. But underneath all of that lingered a pain so old and so familiar that it had practically become part of her identity.Her own family had done this to her.Not strangers. Not distant relatives she barely knew. Her own blood, the people who were supposed to protect her, comfort her, stand beside her through hardship, had instead paraded her in front of a room full of strangers like unwanted merchandise, mocking her, humiliating her, treating her as though her very existence was an inconvenience they were desperate to resolve.Hadn't she suffered enough already?Every scar etched across her body told a story of sacrifice, not carelessness. She hadn't earned these wounds through recklessness

The instant those reassuring words left Ethan's lips, something inside Megan shifted quietly, gently, despite every instinct urging her to remain guarded. Beneath the mask concealing half her face, a small, involuntary smile tugged at her lips, faint, fragile, yet undeniably genuine. It had been so long since anyone had spoken to her with such calm certainty, such unwavering conviction, that for a brief moment, she almost allowed herself to believe him.Almost.But years of disappointment had taught her better than that. Years of empty promises, false hope, and repeated heartbreak had built walls around her heart that weren't so easily torn down by a few kind words, no matter how sincerely they were spoken."I don't know what you're talking about," she said softly, shaking her head slightly beneath the heavy fabric draped over her. "I don't know if you're being sarcastic just to put me at ease, or if you genuinely believe what you're saying. Either way, you don't have to do this. You