Jason clearly disregarded his rarely–seen
brother, leaning in to whisper, “I’ll
compensate you later for what happened, but
you need to announce Lily’s appointment to
Lin Corporation today. Otherwise, our
wedding won’t be smooth.”
I remained silent, watching some guests begin
to flatter Jason.
Suddenly, my grandfather spoke sternly, “My
granddaughter is of marrying age. Marriage is
a priority.”
He looked at Mr. Zhou.
Jason preened, unconsciously smoothing his
hair.
く
“Hannah and Mark Zhou seem to be a perfect
match. I’ll decide their marriage today and
transfer the shares. Hannah will take over Lin
Corporation.”
Applause erupted.
After a moment, reality struck.
Wait, Hannah was marrying the fifth Zhou
son?
Jason froze, confirming it was Mark. He looked up, “Grandpa, are you mistaken?”
Mr. Zhou glared, “Nonsense! Marriage isn’t a game!”
My grandfather had clearly stated that
Hannah was marrying Mark Zhou.
Silence fell.
To ease the tension, I stood and thanked
them.
“This union is what I wished for. Thank you,
Mr. Zhou.”
Mr. Zhou smiled, pleased.
<
But Jason yelled, “Impossible! Mark Zhou?
You must be wrong!”
He stormed to Mr. Zhou, incredulous,
“Grandpa, you must be mistaken. Didn’t you say I could marry Hannah?”
Mr. Zhou shook his head. “Forcing it won’t
work. Hannah chose Mark.”
Jason turned to me, hopeful, “Hannah, it’s a
mistake, right? You chose me that day.
Grandpa misheard, right?”
I found it amusing. I said coldly, “No. I’ve
always chosen the fifth son. As for the eldest
son, why would I choose you?”
Jason stared at me, disbelief etched on his
face.
He stumbled backward, hitting a table, and
then shouted, “You’re lying! Everyone knows
you like me! Why would you choose him, the
illegitimate son whose mother was cast out?”
Mr. Zhou’s face hardened.
く
He’d felt guilty about his youngest daughter
for years, and he wouldn’t tolerate Jason’s
outburst.
He reprimanded his butler, “What are you doing? Take the eldest son home!”
The Zhous rushed to restrain Jason.
Jason shouted, “Grandpa, it’s a mistake!
Hannah and I are deeply in love! We’ve
secretly pledged our lives to each other! You
can’t let Hannah marry against her will!”
He clung to this hope.
The guests watched. Mark frowned slightly.
I stepped forward, “Mr. Zhou, I don’t know
why the eldest son is saying this. I’ve always
considered him a brother and have never had
any other feelings for him.”
“The person the eldest son is talking about
may be my cousin, Lily.”
Jason stared at me, panicked.
“No, Hannah, I always wanted to marry you.
<
Why…”
He paused, then seemed to understand.
“I see. You’re angry I didn’t take your side, so
you’re using Mark to spite me, right?”
“And two days ago, you were angry I left with
Lily…”
“Lily and I were just teasing you! I only love
you!”
I stared coldly. “Eldest son, be careful what
you say. Whoever you love is your business,
but the person I want to marry is the fifth son,
always has been.”
Jason went crazy, trying to grab me.
“Hannah, you can’t treat me like this! Why are
you doing this to me!”
Sarah intervened.
In both lives, she was a true friend. In the past life, she warned me about Jason, but I didn’t
listen. The downfall of her family was partly
due to Jason’s machinations.
く
Seeing Sarah in front of me, Jason roared,
“Sarah, get out of the way! Who are you to
speak here?”
Sarah stood firm, recounting the events of my
birthday.
Mr. Zhou couldn’t take it anymore. “Shut up,
you scoundrel! You’ve shamed our family!”
“Take the eldest son away! He’s not allowed
to leave the Zhou residence without my
permission!”
Dragged away, Jason still yelled, “Hannah,
you love me, don’t you? You don’t even know
Mark, you’re just trying to anger me…”
I ignored him, patting Sarah’s shoulder
gratefully.
