Meanwhile, back at the Hart family residence, it was already late at night.
Williams and Ava sat side by side with bright smiles on their faces.
Opposite them sat Mr. and Mrs. Hart, their expressions equally warm and satisfied.
Beside them were Mr. and Mrs. Smith….Williams’ parents whose faces beamed with joy as they admired the scene before them.
The center of the spacious living room was filled with beautifully wrapped gift boxes of different sizes.
They were all gifts for Ava….not betrothal gifts, but thoughtful presents carefully prepared by the Smith family for their future daughter-in-law after both families had officially reached an agreement regarding the marriage.
The atmosphere in the room was peaceful and harmonious, with everyone wearing expressions of satisfaction.
“Now that everything has been settled, all that’s left is to prepare for the wedding,” Mr. Smith said with a pleased smile as he slowly rose to his feet.
Mrs. Smith stood beside him, nodding in agreement.
“We should begin making all the necessary preparations immediately. There’s quite a lot to do.”
“Exactly.” Mr. Hart chuckled warmly as he stood up with his wife beside him.
“The wedding date has already been fixed. The next step is to hold the ceremony so the two of them can officially become husband and wife.”
“I’ve been looking forward to this day,” Mrs. Hart added with a contented smile.
“Everything finally feels as though it’s falling into place.”
“It truly does,” Mrs. Smith replied.
“We’re delighted to welcome Ava into our family.”
“Goodnight then… in-laws,” Mr. and Mrs. Smith said almost in unison.
A burst of gentle laughter immediately spread throughout the Hart family living room.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then, Ava,” Williams said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I honestly can’t wait to call you my wife.”
Ava’s cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink.
“Me too,” she replied shyly, gazing into his eyes.
“I can’t wait to fall asleep in your arms every night and call you my husband.”
The two smiled lovingly before pulling each other into a warm embrace, completely immersed in their own little world.
Mrs. Smith laughed softly before shaking her head in amusement.
“That’s enough, you two,” she teased.
“You’ll have the rest of your lives to hug each other after you’re married. Come on, Williams. It’s getting late.”
Williams reluctantly released Ava from his embrace, though his hand lingered in hers for a brief moment before finally letting go.
With one last smile directed at Ava, he turned around and followed his parents outside.
Mr. and Mrs. Hart walked alongside the Smith couple, personally seeing them off to the entrance.
Not long afterward, the Smith family’s car disappeared into the distance.
The cheerful atmosphere inside the living room gradually settled.
Now only Mr. and Mrs. Hart, Bryce, and Ava remained.
Bryce, who had remained unusually quiet throughout the Smith family’s visit, suddenly let out a faint scoff.
“Do you really think that guy is a good match for Ava?” he asked, breaking the silence.
His voice carried obvious skepticism as he folded his arms across his chest.
Mr. Hart slowly turned to look at his son, one eyebrow arching in mild annoyance.
“And what exactly do you mean by that, Bryce?” he asked.
Bryce let out another scoff before replying.
“The guy is two-faced,” he said bluntly. This story is hosted at g.com.
“He claimed to love Rose before. He cherished her, protected her, and acted like she meant everything to him. But the very moment Ava showed up, he completely switched sides and started treating Rose like she never mattered.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“So tell me…” he continued, his tone becoming more serious.
“What’s stopping him from abandoning Ava too if another daughter suddenly appears someday? Or someone richer… someone with an even higher status appears?”
Mr. Hart frowned almost immediately.
“I don’t have another daughter out there, Bryce,” he replied firmly.
“Ava is my only biological daughter, and that’s never going to change.”
He paused before continuing.
“And besides, you can’t entirely blame the young man. He was promised the real heiress of the Hart family from the very beginning, not the fake one. It’s only natural that his feelings shifted once the truth came to light.”
Bryce’s expression darkened.
“Natural?” he repeated with a cold laugh.
“So feelings can simply disappear overnight because of someone’s identity? That’s what you call natural?”
Before Mr. Hart could answer, Ava suddenly spoke.
“Are you really not happy for me, Elder Brother?” she asked softly, her beautiful eyes carrying a trace of sadness as she looked at Bryce.
“Ever since I came back, you’ve seemed more concerned about Rose than your own biological sister.”
She lowered her gaze before looking back at him again.
“Sometimes…” she said quietly, deliberately allowing her voice to tremble, “it feels like you’d rather I had never returned home at all.”
“I am happy for you, little sister,” Bryce said sincerely as he gently held Ava’s hands.
“But that guy is a pretender. It’s obvious. There are plenty of other good men out there who would treat you far better than he ever could.”
Ava looked down at their joined hands before quietly brushing his hand away.
“Goodnight, Father. Goodnight, Mother,” she said calmly before turning around and hurrying toward the staircase without sparing Bryce another glance.
“Enough of this nonsense, Bryce!” Mrs. Hart snapped, glaring at him with visible anger.
“Ava is your biological sister! You should be happy for her instead of trying to ruin her happiness simply because of Rose!”
Her expression hardened even further.
“Let this be the last time you criticize Williams in front of her. Do you understand?”
Without waiting for an answer, Mrs. Hart hurried upstairs after her daughter.
Bryce let out a slow breath before shifting his gaze toward his father, hoping someone would at least understand his concerns.
Mr. Hart simply sighed tiredly.
“Just drop it, Bryce,” he said in a firm but weary tone.
“Goodnight.”
With that, he also headed upstairs, leaving Bryce standing alone in the spacious living room.