A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

Shannon Gable panted heavily. Faced with Seraphina Sterling, she was at her wit’s end. The woman was simply impervious to both threats and reason! Just then, a shout erupted from the crowd.

"Seraphina Sterling! Have you no shame? Stealing someone else’s boyfriend? Do you just love being the other woman? There are so many men out there, why did you have to snatch one who’s already taken!" Aiden Faulkner strode over. Last time, Seraphina had ruined her birthday party, forcing her to pay a huge sum in compensation. Today, she finally had a chance to vent her frustration.

"Taken?" Seraphina Sterling looked at Aiden Faulkner’s frosty expression. "Is there something wrong with your eyes, or your brain? I had no idea Wyatt Gallagher was spoken for. This is between Miss Gable and me, and it has absolutely nothing to do with you. I suggest you stop being a busybody and mind your own business."

Aiden Faulkner panted, clearly incensed.

"With all this free time, you’d be better off worrying about your own fiancé. Just make sure no one snatches him away. As for everything else that doesn’t concern you, stay out of it!"

"My relationship with Justin is solid, so you don’t have to worry about us! I just can’t stand the way you carry yourself! Those two were doing perfectly fine. If you hadn’t interfered, they might have actually gotten together!" Aiden Faulkner explained, though her words lacked any real force.

"But the fact is, we’re together now," Seraphina Sterling said with a small smile, winning another round.

Wyatt Gallagher discreetly gave her a thumbs-up. Seraphina Sterling beamed. ’With me around, nothing is a problem!’

"Seraphina Sterling, I challenge you! The equestrian field is right outside. Let’s race to the finish line! If you win, I’ll leave you two alone. I swear I will never bother Wyatt Gallagher again!"

This was Shannon Gable’s last, desperate gambit—burning her bridges and fighting with her back to the wall. She had pursued Wyatt Gallagher for years, but he had never given her the time of day, let alone a decent response. Now that he had a girlfriend, she would make one final effort. ’Just one last time!’ If she lost, she could at least do so with no regrets.

’Horse riding?’ Seraphina broke into a cold sweat. ’I’ve never learned a high-class sport like that! The upper crust just loves these supposedly noble pastimes. The second there’s a problem, they issue a challenge!’ She felt completely helpless. She shot Wyatt Gallagher a look that screamed, ’It’s not that I don’t want to help, but I honestly don’t know how!’

Wyatt Gallagher hadn’t expected Shannon Gable to be so persistent. He had brought his girlfriend here, yet she still refused to give up, even going so far as to issue a challenge.

"I..." Just as Seraphina was about to refuse, the last person she wanted to see emerged from the building.

"Well, look at this. Quite the gathering we have today," Martin Quinn remarked, an unreadable smile on his face. His eyes landed on Seraphina Sterling in the crowd almost immediately. ’She certainly gets around. Why do I see her everywhere I go?’

"Mr. Quinn!"

"Mr. Quinn!"

"Mr. Quinn!"

One by one, everyone who saw Mr. Quinn greeted him with the utmost respect. Such was the power of a top-tier family. Such was their status. Everyone else had to make way.

"Mr. Quinn, what brings you out today? You’ve come at just the right time, though. There’s a competition to see! Miss Gable has challenged Miss Sterling to a horse race—perfectly fitting for today’s theme!" Of all the people there, only Ethan Thompson’s demeanor was completely natural, his greeting casual and free of any sycophancy.

"I never..." This was all wrong. Alarmed that the matter was about to be settled for her, Seraphina tried to object, but no one gave her the chance.

"A horse race, is it? Interesting. The weather’s beautiful today, perfect for a ride." Martin Quinn wore that faint, almost-not-there smile. He’d witnessed Seraphina’s fighting prowess before; he just didn’t know what her riding skills were like.

"Since you’re here, Mr. Quinn, please act as our witness. If I lose to Seraphina Sterling today, I, Shannon Gable, swear I will never bother Wyatt Gallagher again. I will do absolutely nothing to sabotage their relationship! But if Seraphina Sterling loses to me, she must give up Wyatt Gallagher! She has to break up with him and never see him again!"

Shannon Gable seized the opening. She had been practicing horsemanship since childhood, and among all the scions of Aethelgard’s elite families, none could match her. As long as Seraphina agreed, she was completely confident she could win. ’And then I’ll win Wyatt Gallagher back!’

"I never..." Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Seraphina quickly tried to interject, but Martin Quinn cut her off again.

"Excellent! As it happens, I was incredibly bored today. I only came here to kill some time, but I never expected to be lucky enough to stumble upon a competition! And one born of a rivalry in love, no less! I’ll be your witness. But if either of you dares to break this agreement, don’t blame me for what follows."

Even though Martin Quinn was smiling and his tone was exceptionally mild, no one dared to take his words as a joke. This was Mr. Quinn, a man whose word was absolute.

"Hold on! Are you people going to let me speak or not?! I never agreed to any race! Would you stop making decisions on your own?" Seraphina finally blurted out what she’d been holding back.

"But I’m in a terrible mood today, and I really just want to watch a horse race." The corner of Martin Quinn’s mouth lifted as he glanced at Seraphina’s right leg. The threat was unmistakable.

’Martin Quinn, you bastard!’