After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the massive doors of the manor finally swung open. Mr. Liu and Mr. Liang appeared, deep in conversation with serious expressions on their faces. Grace and Gerald immediately straightened up, nudging each other with their elbows.“You got this?” Gerald inquired. “I got it. Leave it to me,” Grace took a deep breath and prepared herself. “Here we go.”Wasting no time, Grace rushed toward them, eager to seize this rare opportunity.“Mr. Liu! Mr. Liu!” she called out with a firm yet polite tone.Mr. Liu glanced in her direction, his eyes widening as he recognized who the girl was, but he remained stoic. He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment but continued talking to Liang. He was used to people vying for his attention and had long mastered the art of ignoring them.Undeterred, Grace pressed on. She wasn't going to let a cold shoulder stop her, she'd been waiting far too long to be deterred by something so petty. “It’s a pleasure to meet you
Everyone stood in stunned silence as they watched General Liang bow before Gerald. Even Gerald himself was stunned to the core, and Mr. Liu, who had minutes ago been mocking Grace’s persistence, had his jaw hanging when he saw his friend perform such an act. Had the world gone mad?“It’s an honor to meet you.” General Liang rose from his bow, flashing Gerald a warm smile.“Uh… same to you, I guess.” Gerald didn’t know how to respond, so he just settled for that.“Can you tell me where you got that ring?” Liang asked again, his voice almost reverent. He was clearly humbled by the presence of such an artifact, something even he, with all his military accolades, respected.Gerald shrugged nonchalantly and didn’t respond immediately as he went down memory lane. He remembered when he was still imprisoned; he had done a huge favor for an old man, and the old man had gifted him the ring. He remembered the old man telling him with a cryptic smile that the ring would “open doors” for him one d
As the car glided smoothly through the city streets, Grace stared out the window, her mind replaying the evening's events. Every detail, every twist tugged at her curiosity about Gerald’s true identity. It wasn’t just that he had secured the support of the Chen and Liu families—two notoriously difficult factions to sway. It was the effortless way he had done it, as if the entire negotiation was merely a casual transaction. The sheer absurdity of it gnawed at her.She glanced at his profile, illuminated by the occasional passing streetlight. His face remained unreadable, his hands steady on the wheel, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. There was something about his quiet and unassuming demeanor that both unsettled and fascinated her. Gerald was an enigma, one she couldn’t easily unravel—and that mystery only attracted her more.“Gerald…” Grace hesitated, trying to find the right words. “I don’t know how to thank you. You’ve done more for me tonight than I could have ever imagined. I’ll
Dinner continued, the room filled with strained silence. Grace's father sensed the tension and got up, deciding to excuse himself. “I'll leave you to it,” he said, nodding politely before heading towards his study. His departure left just Grace, her mother, and Gerald.Grace's mother continued picking at her food, clearly still processing the revelations from earlier. She glanced at Gerald, and inwardly, she admired how calm and collected he had been, not uttering a word and just eating his meal. After a few moments of silence, she decided to speak up.“Gerald,” she began with a cautious tone. “I must admit, I’m still struggling to understand how you managed to gain the support of the Chen and Liu families. It seems almost too effortless.”Gerald, who had been eating quietly, set his fork down and calmly met her gaze. “It’s not as effortless as it sounds.” He shrugged, as if what he had done wasn't anything spectacular. “It requires understanding people’s motivations and leveraging th
After dinner, the ambiance of the room had lightened somewhat. Grace's mother had warmed up to Gerald slightly, and the tension had eased between them. Gerald initially felt bitter about how she had treated him at first, but he was glad that everything had gone well. As they wrapped up, Grace excused herself, saying she needed to make a quick call.“I’ll be back in a bit,” she said, giving Gerald a sweet smile.Gerald nodded and turned to face her mother. “Thank you for dinner. It was delicious.”Grace's mother gave him a simple nod, still deep in thought. Gerald returned the nod and made his way to the room he shared with Grace. It had been one hell of a day, and now he wanted to just unwind.Once inside the room, he headed straight to the bathroom. He wanted to wash away the stress of the evening and take a moment for himself. Removing his shirt, he leaned over the sink, splashing cold water on his face. The refreshing sensation helped calm him down.He looked up, staring at his ref
“Oh?” Grace folded her hands on her chest, raising an eyebrow at him. “And what could be the solution, Doctor Gerald?”Gerald grinned, like a schoolboy who had just been offered candy. He leaned in, whispering into her ear, “You know, according to some rather *convincing* medical research, having sex can be incredibly beneficial for relieving stress and tension.”“Huh?” Grace's eyes widened, and then she burst into laughter. “Seriously? Is that your expert opinion, Dr. Gerald?”“Absolutely. I personally carried out this research.” Gerald nodded, keeping a straight face, which made Grace laugh even harder. “It’s a proven method. Just think of it as a… therapeutic experience.”“You're insane.” Grace shook her head, her wild laughter reducing to giggles. “I can’t believe you're serious about this. Do you hear yourself?”“Of course.” Gerald grinned. “And I must say the benefits are quite impressive with absolutely no downsides. Reduced stress, improved mood, and a general sense of ‘pleasu
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Grace’s father began, his deep voice easily carrying over the now-quiet crowd, “thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate this special occasion with us.”Every guest turned their full attention to him, their conversations halting in the moment.“Tonight, we aren’t just here to enjoy good food and fine company,” he continued, glancing lovingly at his wife, “we are here to celebrate my beautiful wife, the woman who has been my partner, my strength, and my heart for so many years.”Soft murmurs of admiration rippled through the crowd as Grace’s mother blushed, clearly touched by her husband’s words.“She has stood by me through every challenge, every joy, and every triumph. Without her, none of this would have been possible. I wouldn’t be the man I’ve become today.” He raised his glass a little higher, emotion and love evident in his eyes. “To the love of my life. May we continue to walk through this world hand in hand, for as long as we have.”The crowd e
“No, no,” Zhang interrupted smoothly, making her hand pause in its tracks. “Please, open it now. I insist.” The crowd went silent, and Grace’s mother furrowed her eyebrows. She looked up to her husband, who gave her the go-ahead to open it with a nod. She hesitated before carefully undoing the elegant wrapping. As she lifted the lid of the box, a gasp escaped the lips of everyone in the hall. Inside the box lay a dazzling deep red ruby, perfectly cut and gleaming under the chandelier light. It was clearly an antique, worth a fortune, with a beauty that could rival diamonds. “Wow,” Grace's mother’s lips formed an ‘o’ shape as she stared at the ruby in wonder. “Yes, wow.” Zhang’s voice boomed once again. “This, dear sister-in-law, is a rare ruby from the Ming dynasty, a family heirloom passed down through generations until they all died out. Its worth exceeds millions of dollars.” At this point, he cast a mocking side glance at Gerald before adding with a cruel smile, “Certainly