2026-06-15 13:45:50Amelia froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.
“Fiancé?”
She stared at Sebastian as if he were the world’s cruelest joke.
“Him?”
"Yes", Henry replied firmly, “This marriage was arranged by me and Sebastian’s father many years ago.”
“No.” Amelia’s voice was resolute. “I will never marry him. This engagement must be called off.”
Henry’s expression hardened.
“This is not open for discussion.”
“Why not?!” Amelia snapped, her chest rising with barely contained fury.
“I am the CEO of Rose Corporation. I built everything I have with my own hands. And now you want me to marry some random soldier I’ve never even met?”
Henry slammed his cane against the floor.
Bang!
“Nonsense! You will marry Sebastian!”
Amelia clenched her fists tightly.
“Grandpa, there are countless outstanding men in Cloud City. Why him?!”
“Because he is more capable than all the so-called outstanding young men in Cloud City combined.”
Amelia almost laughed out loud. A mere soldier was more capable than what all the wealthy families' and corporations' young heirs had to offer?
What a ridiculous claim.
Amelia turned toward Sebastian, her cold blue eyes sweeping over his plain military uniform with contempt.
The man sat there calmly enjoying a cup of tea as if this entire thing had nothing to do with him.
“What rank did you achieve in the military?” she asked sharply. “Or did you leave with nothing to show for your service?”
"Rank doesn't define a soldier's worth." Sebastian retorted haughtily. “Each soldier is just as important in the military.”
“That's not an answer," Amelia replied angrily.
“Well, if you must know… I did what was necessary. Nothing more, nothing less.”
"Hmph. Is that the excuse you have?" Amelia sneered.
“You appear out of nowhere, with no reputation, no achievements, and no background. Yet you stand here as if you’re above everyone else.”
“Do you know how many outstanding men would kill for the chance to marry someone like me?” Amelia continued, her tone growing colder.
“I built Rose Corporation from nothing. I won’t get married to someone who contributes nothing and expects to live off my family’s name.”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow slightly. For the first time, there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
“You think I want to leech off your family?”
“What else am I supposed to think?” Amelia retorted, her face red from anger.
“I think you’re the one who’s going to leech off me instead.” Sebastian scoffed.
“What did you say?” Amelia snarled. She felt her chest would explode from anger.
“If it weren’t for my father’s wishes, I wouldn’t want to marry you either. I have better options anyways.”
Amelia’s face turned crimson with rage.
“You scoundrel—!”
The arrogance in his tone enraged her even more. Did he think they were on the same level?
“Enough.” Henry banged his cane on the marble floor and said in a cold voice.
“You will get married to Sebastian," Henry declared firmly. “End of discussion.”
Amelia took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with anger. Finally, she laughed coldly.
“Fine.”
She turned toward Sebastian, her eyes burning with cold fury.
"But know this—I will never acknowledge this marriage."
With that, she stormed out of the hall, heels clicking sharply against the marble. Lisa shot Sebastian one final venomous glare before hurrying after her.
Silence returned to the Great Hall.
Henry sighed and looked at Sebastian apologetically. "That brat has been spoiled since she was young. I hope you will not take it to heart."
Sebastian calmly sipped his tea. The warmth of the Snowheart Ginseng still lingered in his chest, easing the ache in his side.
“I won’t,” he said warmly.
“Thank you.” Henry nodded slowly. “Give her some time. I’m sure she’ll come around.”
Sebastian nodded. He finished his tea and stood up slowly.
“I should get going now, Patriarch Lockwood.” He smiled politely.
“Patriarch this, Patriarch that. You make me sound like a monument.” Henry grumbled.
“Call me Henry, please.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Alright, Henry.”
“That’s much better," Henry smiled. “Come, let me walk you out.”
“There’s no need, Henry," Sebastian quickly declined. “I’ll show myself out.”
Henry nodded. “Very well. We’ll talk another time.”
Sebastian nodded once and turned toward the door.
*
Outside the manor, snow continued falling lightly from the dark sky.
Sebastian walked quietly down the stone pathway, his breath misting in the cold air. His expression was calm, but his mind wasn’t.
Amelia Lockwood. The woman who broke the last keepsake from his mother and called him a conman was the woman he was supposed to marry.
Why did his father even arrange this marriage? He didn’t want to deal with someone so short-sighted.
How infuriating.
He exhaled slowly.
Just as he reached the gates, his phone suddenly vibrated.
Sebastian glanced at the unfamiliar number, then answered.
“Who is this?”
A respectful voice immediately sounded from the other end.
“Mr. Helios? This is Isaac Rutherford.”
Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly. If Amelia and Lisa were here, they would have frozen in shock.
This was because Isaac Rutherford was none other than the owner of the Rutherford Group, one of the most powerful corporations in the city.
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Chapter 92
Far away from the hospital, another mystery was about to enter a completely different stage.Nine Dragons Valley was unusually quiet.The valley had always possessed a strange tranquility that separated it from the rest of Cloud City.Surrounded by mountains and hidden from the eyes of ordinary people, it was one of the few places where Sebastian could remain completely undisturbed.Tonight, however, he wasn't interested in the scenery.He stood inside one of the secluded chambers beneath the valley, his attention fixed entirely on the object resting before him.The Azure Celestial Vessel.It had been placed on a stone platform in the center of the room.The deep-blue jade seemed almost black beneath the dim lighting, but whenever the light struck its surface, faint blue radiance emerged from within.Sebastian stood several feet away.His expression was calm.His eyes were not.They were sharp and focused as he examined every detail of the vessel.He had already spent considerable tim
Chapter 91
The morning after the Rutherford Banquet, the Lockwood family gathered around the long dining table in the main sitting room.Unlike the previous morning, when anxiety had dominated the household, the atmosphere today was filled with cautious excitement.Documents had been spread across the table.Financial projections, company reports, construction proposals, investment records and several pages of notes covered nearly every available space.George Lockwood sat at the head of the table, his expression unusually serious as he studied one of the documents in his hands.Catherine sat beside him, occasionally glancing toward Amelia.Lisa had claimed a seat nearby and was already going through the details of the opportunities they had discussed the previous evening.Amelia sat quietly, listening.Even she found it difficult to believe how quickly things had changed.Only yesterday, the Lockwood family had been worried about their declining business prospects.Now they were discussing proj
Chapter 90
Charles frowned.“Something else?”“Yes.”“I showed you everything important.”“You showed me everything you consider important.”Charles stared at him.“What does that mean?”Sebastian didn’t answer.He walked toward the far corner of the vault.Charles followed.“There’s nothing valuable over there,” he said.Sebastian continued forward.There were several wooden cabinets along the wall.They were old and considerably less impressive than the polished glass cases occupying the center of the vault.Charles looked at them.“Those contain some old family records and miscellaneous objects. Nothing particularly important.”Sebastian stopped.The sensation was stronger now.Still weak.But unmistakable.He turned toward one of the cabinets.“What’s inside?”Charles looked at it.“I’m not entirely sure.”“You don’t know?”“Not everything in this vault is catalogued.”Sebastian stared at the cabinet.“Open it.”Charles walked over.He opened the cabinet doors.Inside were several wooden box
Chapter 89
The Montclair family’s private vault was located beneath the main estate.Unlike the rest of the mansion, which had been designed to impress visitors with its grandeur, the entrance to the vault was almost deliberately unremarkable.A reinforced steel door stood at the end of a short corridor, surrounded by plain stone walls and discreet security cameras.Charles approached the door and entered a sequence into the keypad.A soft mechanical click followed.He then placed his palm against a biometric scanner.Another lock disengaged.Finally, he inserted a small metal key into a concealed slot beneath the keypad and turned it.The massive door slowly swung open.Sebastian stood beside him, watching silently.“Welcome to the Montclair family’s private vault,” Charles said.Sebastian stepped inside.The room beyond was considerably larger than he had expected.Soft white lights illuminated a collection that could have rivaled the private museums of some of the world’s wealthiest families.
Chapter 88
The door to Juliette's room burst open an hour later.Charles Montclair stood in the doorway, his chest heaving, his face flushed from the frantic journey. His suit was rumpled, his hair disheveled—a man who had run through the halls of his own home to reach his daughter's bedside.His eyes found Juliette first.She was lying peacefully beneath the white sheets, her breathing steady, a faint trace of color returning to her cheeks. The monitors beside her displayed stable vital signs—not perfect, but far better than they had been in weeks.Charles's steps slowed."Is she…""She's stable," Sebastian said quietly. He had been sitting in a chair near the window, watching Juliette sleep. "She'll need time to recover fully. But she'll recover."Charles stared at his daughter, his eyes glistening. His composure, held together for so long by sheer willpower, finally cracked.He walked to her bedside and took her hand."She's awake," he said, his voice breaking.Sebastian nodded. "She woke up
Chapter 87
Sebastian's palm remained pressed against Juliette's forehead, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and measured.The room held its breath.Nicolas stared, his mouth slightly open, his earlier arrogance drained from his face like water from a cracked vessel. Margaret's fingers tightened around the arms of her chair, her knuckles white against the polished wood. Viktor Sokolov stood frozen near the doorway, his medical instincts warring with the disbelief spreading across his face like a stain.For a long moment, nothing happened.The only sounds were the soft hum of the medical equipment and the shallow rasp of Juliette's breathing. The afternoon light filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across the floor. Dust motes danced in the golden beams, suspended in the stillness like spectators waiting for something to happen.Then Sebastian's fingers moved.He traced a path down Juliette's arm, his touch light but deliberate, pausing at specific points along her wrist, her elbo
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