"But I'm the one footing the bill for her," Mr. Beret interjected, reminding my father of their prior agreement. "And I'm more than willing to pay triple the amount originally offered for her," Mr. Holt said as he produced his checkbook. My dad's eyes lit up with excitement; he knew he had struck gold. "What's happening here? We've already settled this. She's my br---," Mr. Beret looked as if he'd seen a ghost. The thought of losing me as his prospective bride made him agitated, but he couldn't argue any further because Zeon extended his neck and cracked his knuckles. That gesture was enough to silence Mr. Beret. "You can keep her. Besides, she's too young for my taste," Mr. Beret forced a smile tinged with fear before stepping back from Zeon. "Now, could you give us a moment alone?" Mr. Holt politely asked Mr. Beret, holding the door open for both him and my father. Mr. Beret had no option but to exit the room, clearly defeated. This was my chance to express my gratitude to Mr. Holt because my father had swiftly followed Mr. Beret in surrender. "Mr. Holt! I can't thank you enough for rescuing me from this situation. Thank you for coming to my aid even after I... well, dismissed you that night," I confessed, feeling insecure and ashamed. I nervously toyed with the red ribbon on my white dress. I wouldn't be dealing with this worry right now if I had made the right call that evening and allowed him to take me home. "No need to worry; I couldn't let you go through that," he replied as he began to note down the price. "I promise to repay you all this money someday," I quickly added to assure him that I wasn't merely taking his money without any intention of returning it. "You don't have to think about all that. I promise to look after you," before I could inquire further about his intentions, he continued, "Cynthia, I'm marrying you today!" His words made me step back in surprise. I had assumed he might simply pay for my release from this entire marriage ordeal. "But... I thought..." I stammered, genuinely surprised that he was considering marriage. Now that I was out of the mess, I realized I wasn't ready to settle down with anyone. "Cynthia, it's not just the wedding that's the issue," he said, his frustration evident as he seemed exasperated by my questioning. "I can handle all of that. Just help me avoid this marriage, and I'll get my life back on track soon," I mumbled, my fingers fidgeting hesitantly. "The council isn't listening to me anymore," he explained, and I gulped, taking a step back until my back met the wall. "They've discovered your origin as well. They know about the mark, and they've used it as their first argument to convince me that you're... malevolent," he whispered, turning his face away. "I assured them I'd keep you close and keep a watchful eye on you. I promised them I'd keep you in line, and if I found any evidence of your wickedness, I'd report it myself. But if you're not willing for this marriage... then I can't assist you," he sounded weary, recounting how much he'd done for me when he could have been enjoying his perfect life. "Mr. Holt, I thought..." I began, but he shook his head to cut me off. "That's the issue; you hardly ever think," he remarked, closing his eyes and clenching his jaw. "I had everything under control, but then you insisted on walking home alone, and look at what happened," his frustration with my situation and the fact that I had gotten myself into this mess hinted at his deep concern for me. "I didn't know..." I mumbled, covering my face in misery, just as my father burst into the room, abruptly ending our conversation. "So, what's the plan now?" my father asked eagerly, likely envisioning the money he'd soon have in his hands. "So what?" Mr. Holt turned to me with that question instead of responding to my father. I took a deep breath and decided not to act foolishly, resolving to extricate myself from this wretched situation so I could begin searching for ways to help Flora as well. "It's not like she has a choice," my father whispered, and he wasn't wrong. Thanks to him, I really didn't have any other option but to give it a try. Mr. Holt was the only one who could comprehend my situation and assist me in getting my life back on track. Now that he was here, and I had to choose between Mr. Beret and him, I believed that going with my second chance mate was the better choice. "Uh... okay," I stammered, hesitating, "I'll marry you," I finally managed to say, gulping awkwardly and avoiding his gaze. "Oh, splendid! I'll go change the names on the documents then," my father happily stood up and hurried out of the room, leaving me behind with another mess. This one wasn't as dire, though, since Mr. Holt was my second chance mate, and he wasn't as repulsive as Mr. Beret. What was astonishing was that Mara knew what was happening since her father was among the crowd, yet she didn't come to check on me. In fact, every other kid was present except for Mara. Mr. Holt must have noticed my nervous expression, so he moved closer to reassure me. "I'm not an aggressive or arrogant mate at all; you'll see the difference after we're married. I may have shown frustration earlier, but that's because I had to watch my mate get married to someone else," he explained. Then he added, "I promise I'll never pressure you into anything. You can take your time and continue doing what you love," he spoke in his usual soothing tone, which was comforting and sweet. I simply nodded and closed my eyes to relax my muscles. "I have a feeling that your wolf might awaken after this sealing ceremony," his words made me open my eyes and gaze at his face with hope. "Yeah, there's a chance of that," he reassured, "a chance I'm looking forward to." At least one positive aspect was present.