"Adam… you know that…" Mia murmured helplessly. Though she was unsure of Alessandro’s intentions, she didn’t want to make things harder for Adam by giving him false hope. He deserved someone who truly loved him, and Mia knew her broken heart could never give him what he deserved. "Relax, sweetheart. I was just kidding. I know what you want," he murmured with a dull ache in his heart. "But remember, my offer is always open. However, I have to make this decision and marry someone else due to certain circumstances," he added with a deep sigh. "I still don't understand, Adam," Mia mumbled into the phone, growing more confused by his puzzling statement. "I'll explain everything, sweetheart, in person. Not over the phone," Adam informed her, his tone gentle yet firm. Mia nodded in understanding, even though he couldn't see her through the phone. She hung up and, after making sure she looked presentable, she left Alessandro's mansion. Claire spent the entire night contemplating Adam's offer, her mind racing with possibilities and concerns. As dawn broke, she resolved to share the news with her uncle first. He was the only father figure in her life after her father’s death and she needed to inform him first. However, she decided to keep the contract marriage aspect hidden. The fewer people who knew about it, the better for the purpose of this arrangement. If the news leaked, it could severely damage Adam's career and popularity. The morning light filtered through the curtains as Claire dressed and made her way downstairs, her heart pounding with a mix of uncertainty and anxiety. She didn't know how he would react to this news. Her uncle sat at the kitchen table, his face buried in his phone, a permanent scowl etched on his features. Claire glanced around and spotted her aunt and their daughter Hannah also seated and having breakfast. Though her stomach growled at the smell of delicious food, she focused on the task at hand. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before approaching her uncle. "Uncle, I have something important to tell you," Claire began, her voice shaky with nervousness. He barely looked up from his phone, his tone dismissive. "What is it now, Claire?" "Adam Whitmore proposed to me," she announced, holding her breath and watching for any reaction. All heads snapped toward her, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief. "Have you lost your mind?" Hannah snorted. "Adam Whitmore proposed to you? Huh! There's a limit to bluffing, Claire," she mocked. Claire remained calm and ignored her cousin, who never missed a chance to pick a fight with her. Her uncle frowned, his eyes narrowing at Claire. "That's true, Uncle," Claire said, deciding to address her uncle rather than Hannah. "Why in the world would he want to marry YOU?" her aunt grimaced, directing the question at Claire this time. "He likes me!" Claire mumbled, crossing her fingers behind her back as she lied. Adam Whitmore could never be interested in a simple and ordinary girl like her. That was why she had remained his PR manager; he didn't find her bothersome. Claire never crossed her limits, knowing he was out of her league. However, she had Daniel and knew Adam loved Mia. They both belonged to different worlds. "So, he proposed to you, and you said yes," her uncle finally spoke. "Why are you telling me now?" he scowled. "No, Uncle, I haven't replied to him. I came to you to seek your blessing first," Claire looked at her uncle through her eyelashes and spoke innocently. Her uncle nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright. Tell him to talk to me then," he demanded. Claire nodded, wondering how she would tell Adam and convince him to meet her uncle. He was Adam Whitmore. People had to wait months to meet him. He was super busy and super popular. She sighed and was about to leave when her aunt stopped her in her tracks. "Wait a minute!" her aunt called out. "If she gets married, what will happen to her income? We don't get anything, so why should we give her our blessings?" She provoked her husband, and Claire knew her uncle would listen to his wife. “Eva, it’s her choice to get married, and we can’t stop her. Though I want to meet the man she is going to marry to make sure she hasn’t made a mistake, I do want us to keep getting money. You’re not going to leave your job after your marriage, right?! What will happen to your grandmother then? Who will pay for her hospital bills?” her uncle finally made his statement. Claire snorted, knowing they only cared about her because she was their sole source of income. “Don’t worry, Uncle. I am getting a huge amount of money from the marriage, and it will be sufficient for all of you,” she confirmed. “Of course, cousin,” Hannah smirked cunningly, “you nailed a big deal by seducing Adam Whitmore and getting him to marry you. I suspect you’re already pregnant with his baby and trapped him in this pregnancy marriage.” Claire rolled her eyes, knowing wasting her energy on someone like Hannah wasn't worth it. But she couldn't let her pass just like that. “Not everyone is a whore like you, Hannah,” she retorted, making Hannah fume with anger. “What did you just say about my daughter?” her uncle snapped. “Uncle, she started it,” Claire sighed. Abruptly, she felt a hard slap across her face. Her head snapped to the side with the force, and she held her cheek, whimpering in pain. “You shouldn’t talk to my daughter like that, and yes, she’s right. How else did you get Adam to agree to marry you?” her uncle yelled, his old and vulnerable body trembling with anger. But his words stung Claire’s heart more deeply than the slap across her cheek. The reality was that she hadn't slept with anyone, saving herself for her wedding. She hadn’t even given her virginity to her boyfriend, Daniel, who agreed to wait for her until their wedding night. But she knew very well what kind of person Hannah was. Hannah had lost her virtue at fifteen and had been sleeping around ever since, sometimes for fun and sometimes to get what she wanted. However, her uncle and his family would never believe her if she revealed the truth about their beloved, precious daughter. So she kept her lips sealed, unwilling to waste her energy trying to explain. “I am going to say yes to him,” she declared, lifting her chin defiantly.