Chapter 1

I turned down the arranged marriage with the Godfather of House Soros and insisted on marrying the man I'd fallen for at first sight.

But on the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, Lucas pulled up the cancellation screen for the whole room to see.

Before I could even process what was happening, his friends were already doubled over laughing.

"Diana, you're that desperate to marry Lucas?"

"We started a bet yesterday on how long it'd take you to figure it out."

"Didn't expect you to not only miss it, but show up all dolled up too."

"You didn't seriously think just because Lucas said yes, you had nothing to worry about?"

Lucas smiled, careless and unbothered.

"You're too clingy. If I don't teach you a lesson now, you'll just keep trying to control me after the wedding. Marrying me isn't that easy."

A clerk came over and said:

"Ma'am, we close in fifteen minutes. There's one last time slot available for reschedulinging—please hurry."

My best friend was right there laughing at me too.

"Even the staff can tell how desperate you are to get married!"

"Hurry up and rescheduling before our Lucas changes his mind!"

I shook off the hand Lucas extended toward me, calmly rescheduling the last available slot, and sent a voice message to Edward, the Godfather of House Soros.

"Get to the registry office with your documents in ten minutes, and I'll marry you."

...

After I got my queue number, I sat down far away from all of them.

Three years ago, Edward and I had seriously discussed an alliance marriage. Both families had approved.

But then I met Lucas.

Seeing me sit so far away, Lucas quickly walked over.

"Diana, stop being unreasonable."

"If we can't do it today, we'll do it next time. Don't throw a tantrum at me."

I pulled my hand back and confronted him publicly for the first time.

"I'm being unreasonable?"

"Who cancelled the appointment yesterday?"

"Who hid it from me and only told me right before closing?"

"All of you knew. I was the only one kept in the dark, and now I'm the unreasonable one?"

It was the first time I'd ever lost my temper. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.

I kept going.

"Last month—who hid my birthday present in a bar locker and let me search for three hours?"

"Who turned our third anniversary dinner into a guys' night and left me sitting alone with cold food until midnight?"

"And the trip—who gave me a fake flight number so I'd wait at the airport until dawn?"

"You mess with me over and over, watching me break down—is that fun for you?"

Lucas frowned, looking annoyed, as if I were the one being childish.

"It was just a joke. Do you really need to interrogate me like I'm on trial?"

"Everyone came here today in good spirits to celebrate with us, and you have to dig up all this old stuff?"

I wrenched free of his hand and let out a cold laugh.

"Came here in good spirits—to watch us get married, or to watch me make a fool of myself? You know the answer."