“Congratulations, sister-in-law.”
My gaze dropped to her rounded belly.
“The last time I saw you, you were ready to give up on life. And now—already carrying a child.”
Shock rippled through the room.
Even my father’s six apprentices looked stunned.
“Junior sister, you know this woman?”
Yes. I knew her.
Stella Ray.
Even her name—I was the one who gave it to her.
Years ago, after losing her parents, she nearly fell victim to a gang of thugs.
I brought my men and saved her.
Later, she picked up half a bottle of pills from the street, ready to end her miserable life.
I told her it was better to live, however hard, than to die.
I told her:
“Never believe the world is all darkness. There will always be something, someone worth cherishing.”
But now, she gazed at me with tear-filled eyes, clutching her belly, and collapsed to her knees.
“Sister, I’ve wronged you. I never knew my boyfriend was your fiancé. But it was you who told me—this world still holds people worth cherishing. I found him. He’s my life now. Please forgive me—I can’t give him back.”
Adrian looked at her in shock, something flickering in his eyes.
“Stella, she’s the one who saved you?”
Stella nodded frantically, clinging to him.
“But I’ve betrayed my sister…”
I had no interest in their pitiful display.
Turning, I walked away.
My father quickly followed.
“Lila, what are you thinking?”
“If you still love Adrian, memory loss or not, even if he were crippled, I’d make him obey you.”
Behind him, the six apprentices wore the same worried expressions.
They had all watched me grow up, more like brothers than anything else.
I smiled, turned, and pulled a man’s business card from my pocket.
“You all say he always wanted to marry me? Then I’ll marry him.”
The sixth brother’s face changed. “No! Lila, you heard what we said to Master today… Even if we’re useless, we can’t let you degrade yourself in a marriage alliance with the Vaughn family.”
My father had been silent the whole time.
The eldest brother glanced at him, then added,
“That’s right. We don’t need this marriage tie. Lila, you’re our treasure, the Lane family’s jewel. You deserve to marry for love.”
I lowered my gaze, my eyes resting on Lucas Vaughn’s business card.
“Love?”
“Brother, if I were such a love-addled fool, how could I inherit Father’s mantle?”
My eyes hardened.
“Lucas Vaughn. I’ll marry him.”
That evening, I sat in the garden gazebo reading.