A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

Kellan Sutton started it, and everyone immediately followed suit. Faye Sterling was beautiful, and as the Sterling family’s daughter, the young men here naturally considered her their goddess. Plus, they had little interest in jewelry, so they hadn’t interacted much with Seraphina Sterling. In their eyes, Faye Sterling was clearly the more influential one!

Although the whole point of the game was to boost Faye Sterling’s influence within their little clique, Fiona Chapman was the hostess for the evening, and everyone still had to show the Chapman family some respect.

In the end, Faye Sterling held a large handful of roses. Fiona Chapman had some as well, but far fewer than Faye. The other girls in the clique also received roses, but only a few sparse stems. Still, even a few was better than nothing.

In contrast, Seraphina Sterling was in a pathetic state. She hadn’t received so much as a single rose petal. The stark difference was impossible to ignore.

Faye Sterling was incredibly smug. She lifted her sharp chin, her eyes flashing with arrogance. ’Seraphina Sterling, so what if you got through that little ordeal earlier? Do you really think it’s that easy to break into high society? You’re far too naive!’

Faced with this outcome, the crowd’s expressions were varied. There was mockery, pity, sympathy, and sheer indifference.

But Seraphina Sterling’s expression never wavered. A warm smile remained on her face, making the dimples on her cheeks even more pronounced. A flicker of mockery flashed through her bright, beautiful eyes!

It was as if she were mocking this entire charade of a game. ’These are the games little girls play. "Goddess" or not, it means nothing to me. What I care about are tangible benefits! And I’ve already achieved my purpose for coming here today!’

’I just got free advertising for Apex Collections! It’s already making a name for itself in high-society circles before it’s even opened! These rich kids are all incredible spendthrifts! The truth is, the jewelry in the shop, made from the fragments of antiques, is just a way of turning trash into treasure!’

’Not every antique is perfectly preserved by its owner, especially when the owner doesn’t even know it’s an antique and is thus unlikely to take care of it. Plus, many newly unearthed antiques are easily damaged. Severely damaged porcelain that can’t be repaired is essentially worthless scrap!’

’So I came up with a method: take these severely damaged, irreparable pieces of porcelain, cut them into usable, intact fragments, and then craft them into various exquisite pieces of jewelry or decorative ornaments based on their size!’

’This not only reduces losses, but it also allows these antiques to be preserved in a different form for future generations to see! This unique kind of jewelry could start a new trend, making Apex Collections an instant sensation in Aethelgard!’

’The one thing these scions of wealth don’t lack is money; they care far more about status! Thanks to Faye Sterling’s little stunt, combined with my own deliberate promotion, I can already imagine the sensational grand opening for Apex Collections! Plus, with so many jewelers here tonight, I’ve planted the seeds for future business opportunities!’

Now that her primary objective was accomplished, the so-called "goddess" title was dispensable. She hadn’t paid it any mind from the start.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Kellan Sutton was incredibly smug. The satisfied smile on Faye Sterling’s face only made him feel more gratified, and he decided to push things even further.

"Seraphina Sterling, looks like you’ll have to try harder in the future. There are over twenty of us here, yet you didn’t receive a single rose! You’ve really failed at being likable, haven’t you!"

All eyes focused on Seraphina Sterling. With so many people present, not a single one had given her a flower. It was truly a pathetic sight! What a complete loss of face for her!

Just as Seraphina Sterling was about to speak, two handsome, impeccably dressed men walked over, instantly drawing everyone’s gaze.

"Quite the party you have here. I heard you’re playing some sort of game! I hope I’m not too late?" Dressed in a dashing suit, Wyatt Gallagher wore a smile as warm and pleasant as a spring breeze, instantly melting the hearts of all the girls present. Being of mixed heritage, his handsome features carried a hint of European aristocratic charm, making him look like a prince straight out of a comic book.

’Prince Charming. An absolute Prince Charming.’ Seraphina Sterling looked at the blushing young women with their hearts all aflutter and was at a loss for words. ’Wyatt Gallagher, with his gentle, noble demeanor... he’s a complete menace to the hearts of young ladies!’

Each and every girl stared intently at Wyatt Gallagher without so much as blinking, their hearts chanting the same prayer over and over: ’Give the rose to me! Give the rose to me! Give the rose to me!’

Faye Sterling lifted her chin even higher in pride. ’While the Gallaghers are a prominent family in Aethelgard, their reputation is merely on par with the Sterlings. When it comes to financial might, however, the Gallagher family doesn’t even come close! I have the highest status of anyone here! Even if Wyatt Gallagher joins this game, he will definitely give his rose to me!’

Faye Sterling was brimming with confidence. She could already picture the envious and jealous expressions on everyone’s faces after Wyatt Gallagher presented the rose to her. In that instant, her vanity inflated to an all-time high.

As everyone watched, Wyatt Gallagher, holding a single rose, walked right up to Seraphina Sterling. "My goddess, why didn’t you let me know you were in Aethelgard?"

Seraphina Sterling accepted the rose without a hint of hesitation, the smile on her face growing even more radiant. "Wyatt Gallagher, are you a child too? Getting caught up in their antics and playing such an immature game."

"But—I love it! Thanks!" Seraphina Sterling was genuinely happy. She never imagined Wyatt Gallagher would attend such a tedious party. ’Didn’t he always hate anything to do with the business world?’

Wyatt Gallagher saw the question in her eyes. He took a small step forward, leaned in close to her ear, and whispered, "The old man sent me to come save the day. We’re friends, right? Now that you’re in Aethelgard, I couldn’t just stand by and let people bully you!"

Seraphina Sterling turned her head and glanced toward Felix Gallagher in the distance, a flicker of understanding in her eyes.

Wyatt Gallagher and Seraphina Sterling were completely oblivious to how close they were standing. This was not the kind of distance one kept with an ordinary friend; it was far too intimate!

The crowd had already been stunned when Wyatt Gallagher gave the rose to Seraphina Sterling. But now, overhearing their conversation, they were even more astonished. They knew each other already! And standing so close... their relationship couldn’t possibly be ordinary!

Faye Sterling bit her lower lip, watching the two of them chat so happily. She had the sudden urge to have Seraphina Sterling thrown out. ’Is Wyatt Gallagher brain-dead, or just blind? I’m the eldest daughter of the Sterling family, standing right here, and he gave the rose to *Seraphina Sterling*!’

However, when she saw Zion Hale standing behind Wyatt Gallagher, Faye Sterling’s resolve was renewed.