"My Dad wasn't always around. I told you that already," Adrian said. "The company came first before me and my mom. Even with my grandfather's scolding, my father was addicted to work and the success that came out of it: the money, the lifestyle, and the connections he made.""As I grew up, my father's absence became a norm," Adrian reflected. "I became accustomed to it, almost like it was a part of our family dynamic. Of course, I was occasionally spiteful about it, but mostly, it left a void in my heart that I couldn't quite fill.""I'd purposely offend him, saying things like, of course, you are not going. Why did I even ask? Right, you're married to your job," Adrian simulated the words he used to say to Anthony."Everything changed when Mom got sick," Adrian described, his voice trembling with the weight of the memory. "I was in high school, leading a sports camp in Dowel. I was the basketball captain, and Mom attended the final competition. She got sick after that. She thought she

"Let's face it. You haven't been a father to me for a very long time," Adrian said through gritted teeth. "You -" Anthony was clearly about to explode, but surprisingly, he held back and instead raised, "And what about the shares? Were those Mister Pie's shares?""Mister Pie had long sold his shares to me. I decided to name it under Riley," Adrian said. "She had no idea about this."Adrian turned to Riley, saying, "This was my advance wedding gift to her.""But why are you giving her company shares?" Anthony questioned. "Because she will soon be my wife, and I love her. I want her to be part of the company," Adrian answered. "But she knows nothing about our company," Anthony objected. "On the contrary, she does. I told her about the company, and she will learn more in the years to come as my wife. Why is this an issue? You gave Tonet and Fredrick shares of the company that easily, so why can't I give some to my fiance?" Adrian pointed out. "you are not yet even married!" Anthony b

"What's going on with Riley, Brian?" Claire's voice was laced with concern, her eyes searching for answers. She and Brian were in the living room, talking. Brian took a deep breath. He looked sideways and then back again to Claire. In each second that passed, Claire understood that Brian was second-guessing their relationship. They had their first fight just over a week ago, thanks to her little party at the house. Back then, Brian was so mad. He made it a point to remind her that she had no right to invite people without permission. Only after their disagreement did Claire realize she had overstepped her boundaries. After all, Brian had not married her yet."There is a problem with the company, and I don't know if I can handle it without Riley," Brian said. "Our VIP clients are not ordering from our recent limited edition pieces. What if -""Brian, you are not thinking about getting back with Riley, are you?" Claire stood up and walked over to Brian's side. She embraced him and wep

"What?" Tonet frowned. She looked around at the empty tables and chairs. "What's going on?""Where is everybody?" Fredrick asked, and even her friend, Lucy, expressed the same. "Tonet! Where have you been?" Anthony's voice cut through the silence on the right side of the ballroom. Tonet's eyes darted to the small gathering and identified Adrian, Riley, Abner, Clint, two board members, and a few unfamiliar faces. "I have been calling you!"Tonet's eyes landed on the used empty plates. When she realized the gathering was over, she asked furiously, "How can the dinner be over?""You were late, stepmother," Adrian curtly said from afar. Tonet knew they were late. That was the plan, but how could everyone be already gone? She expected to humiliate Riley in front of fifty guests, not a mere group of ten people!"The engagement dinner started at five in the afternoon. So, of course, the celebration is over!" Anthony pointed out. "Some guests were asking about your presence, and I said you w

When Adrian discovered his stepmother was plotting to humiliate Riley, he knew he had to come clean about Riley's recent divorce. He could always try to prevent Tonet from telling his father, but Adrian knew the truth would eventually come out. Thus, he had requested the wedding planner to give him and Riley a chance to share their story. "How did our couple meet? Was it love at first sight?" The host asked. "Let's give the floor to our engaged couple, Mister Adrian King and Miss Riley Allen."They were settled at the frontmost table. Riley's nervousness was noticeable. So, Adrian leaned closer and whispered, "It's going to be okay, Riley. They will understand."The couple moved to the center of the ballroom. Adrian, in his wheelchair, stood beside Riley while she shared how they first met. She smiled and said, "I met Adrian seven years ago in marketing class. He -" Riley flushed. She shrugged and revealed, "He challenged me."She told the story about how they ended up doing their ma