Halfway through the meal, Doris and Cindy had chatted about everything under the sun—skincare, new restaurants and drinks, society gossip. By the time they ran out of topics, an awkward silence fell over the private room. Doris fretted internally. How do I bring this up without scaring her? In the end, Cindy took the initiative. After finishing her meal, she dabbed her lips with a napkin and looked at Doris' hesitant face with a gentle smile. "Mrs. Knight, you had something you wanted to tell me today, didn't you? It's okay. Please, just say it." As she spoke, she felt her earlobes grow warm. With that opening, Doris dropped the mental load. She set down her fork and asked, "Cindy, dear, your mom mentioned you've been turning down the blind dates the family has arranged. Why is that?"Is it because... your heart is already set on someone?" Thump. Thump. Thump. Cindy's heart hammered in her chest, each beat louder than the last. Her fingertips trembled, her breath grew tight. This is it. It's finally happening. But—was this Doris' idea, or Zephyr's? Cindy lowered her gaze, biting her lip. "Mrs. Knight, why do you ask?" Doris offered a shy smile. "Cindy, what do you think of Jeremy?" Jeremy Knight was the eldest son of the Knight family and its current head. He'd been groomed as the heir since childhood. He was eight years older than Cindy. In her mind, he'd always felt less like a peer and more like an elder. Combined with his serious, somewhat rigid personality, Cindy had never enjoyed his company, always preferring to pester Zephyr instead. Her mind went blank for a few seconds. Then, her eyes widened in shock. An absurd idea crashed into her thoughts. Doris hadn't invited her tonight to matchmake her with Zephyr. She wanted Cindy to marry Jeremy—a marriage alliance between the Blackwoods and the Knights. Seeing Cindy stunned into silence, Doris quickly moved to sit beside her, patting her back soothingly. "I know, Jeremy is eight years older. He's always busy, serious, and a bit old-fashioned. But I promise you, his character is impeccable. He's 35, only had one brief relationship, and keeps himself clean—none of the messy scandals you hear about in our circles. And if you marry into the Knight family, I'll treat you like my own daughter. No mother-in-law issues, I swear. Most importantly, our families are so close; you could come home to visit your parents every day if you wanted!" Doris beamed, eagerly listing all the benefits of such a match. But a ringing filled Cindy's ears. She didn't hear a word. "Mrs. Knight," she managed, her voice tight. "Is this your idea... or does the entire Knight family feel this way?" She emphasized "entire," but Doris misunderstood. "Of course it's the whole family! My husband specifically asked me to sound you out. If you're willing, you and Jeremy could get to know each other first. Once you two get familiar, our families can arrange the engagement." Cindy looked up again, her eyes brimming with tears she fought desperately to hold back. She forced a smile. "I'm sorry. I'm not willing." With that, she stood up, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the room. Doris hurried after her. "It's alright, Cindy! I just wanted to know your thoughts. If you already have someone you like, I won't force anything!" Outside, night had fully fallen. Hidden in the darkness, Cindy didn't have to worry about her red-rimmed eyes being seen. She turned and bowed slightly to Doris. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Knight. I don't have anyone I like. I just don't want to marry so young. And I only respect Jeremy as an elder. I don't have those kinds of feelings for him. I'm sorry." She got into her car and drove away. Doris sighed, went back to retrieve her purse, and asked her driver to take her home. At the Knight Villa, Cedric Knight was pacing in the living room. Seeing his wife return, he immediately approached. "Well? What did Cindy say?" Doris waved a hand dismissively. "She says she doesn't want to marry young, and she doesn't see Jeremy that way." Cedric frowned. "That's clearly just an excuse." "Excuse or not, the point is she's not interested." "Perhaps you should speak with Clara tomorrow? If both families' elders agree, Cindy's personal opinion might not matter as much." What kind of talk is that?! Doris shot him an annoyed glare. It was all about paving the way for Jeremy's future, currying favor with the Blackwoods by insisting on this marriage. But resentment churned inside Doris. On one hand, she saw Cindy as a daughter, treating her even better than her own stepson, Jeremy. How could she bear to treat her as a pawn in a marriage alliance? On the other hand, she had a biological son. Yet even with that bias, her deepest wish was for Zephyr and Cindy to be together.