Chapter 4

The box contained one hundred slips of paper.

Only one was supposed to bear Lucas Ashford's name.

If I drew it, we would be engaged on the spot.

If not, I'd have to wait another year.

Every time, I reached in full of hope.

Every time, I pulled out a blank slip.

I thought I was just unlucky. I thought fate was testing our love.

It wasn't until today that I learned the truth. There had never been a single slip with Lucas's name on it.

"Serena, go ahead."

Mrs. Ashford stood below the stage, watching me encouragingly.

"This year, you'll definitely draw it."

I lifted my dress and climbed the steps one by one.

Lucas stood beside the box.

The way he looked at me was like watching an unreasonable child.

"Serena."

He lowered his voice.

"If you apologize to Bianca right now, I guarantee you'll draw my name next year. Or we don't even have to wait that long. Just behave yourself and stop targeting Bianca. I might consider ending this game early."

Game?!

In his eyes, seven years of torment, my youth, my dignity—all of it was just a game he could end whenever he pleased.

I stopped walking and stood across from him.

We were only inches apart, but our hearts were worlds away.

"Lucas."

I looked into his eyes and asked softly.

"Do you really think I can't live without you?"

Lucas paused, then let out a mocking laugh.

"What else? Who else could put up with your temper? Who else is worthy of the Sinclair family besides the Ashfords? Serena, accept your fate. You were destined to be mine."

He was too confident.

He thought he had my weakness in his grip, so he could trample over my boundaries however he wanted.

I lowered my gaze.

"Is that so? Then let's see who really needs to accept their fate."

I took a deep breath and reached into that dark box.

The room went silent.

Bianca stood at the front of the crowd, a victor's smile on her lips.

She knew the box was full of blank slips.

She was waiting to watch me humiliate myself and burst into tears.

Lucas didn't even bother watching. He looked elsewhere.

As if he already knew how this would end.

I closed my eyes. My fingers searched the bottom of the box.

Finally, my fingertips touched a slip that felt slightly different.

It was the one I'd had someone slip in during the chaos before the event.

I pulled out that slip.

"Lucas." I held it up. "Looks like your guarantee just became worthless."

Lucas's casual expression froze.

He instinctively looked at the slip in my hand.

Confusion flickered in his eyes.

Impossible.

He had personally replaced every slip with his name with a blank one.

Just to be safe, he had even checked the box right before the gala began.

There was no way any slip had writing on it.

"Serena, who are you trying to fool with a blank piece of paper?"

He reached out to snatch it from me.

"We'll know if it's blank once I show everyone, won't we?" I dodged his hand.

I looked down at my grandfather below the stage.

"Grandfather, could you come read this for me? Tell everyone whose name is on it."

Grandfather made his way up the stage with his cane, his steps unsteady. He took the slip from my hand.

Then he burst into hearty laughter.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Lucas's unease grew. He threw decorum aside and rushed forward to see.

"Grandfather, let me see!"

But Grandfather quickly tucked the slip away. He turned to face the hundreds of guests below.

His voice boomed with authority:

"According to the Sinclair-Ashford family rules! On her eighth attempt, Serena has successfully drawn her future husband's name!"

The crowd erupted.

Mrs. Ashford was moved to tears.

Bianca's smile froze. Her nails dug into her palms.

Lucas looked like he'd been struck by lightning.

"Impossible!" he shouted.

"The box was full of—"

He caught himself before finishing.

He couldn't say it. To say it would be admitting he had cheated.

Admitting he had been making a fool of Serena for years.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"Grandfather, you must have made a mistake. How is this possible?"

"How is it not possible?"

I took the slip from Grandfather's hand and held it up for everyone to see.

The name written on it:

**Ethan Carter.**

The color drained from Lucas's face. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Ethan Carter?! Impossible! How could his name be in there?! My box should only have MY name!"

I watched him lose control. It was almost laughable.

"Lucas. The rules only say the blind selection determines the groom. They never said the box could only contain your name."

I turned to look at the corner of the room.

At the man who had stood silent all this time, tall and straight as a pine.

"Mr. Carter. Since fate has decided. Would you be willing to marry me?"