Chapter 21

At 12:00 pm, Cole and Aria's wedding, which wasn't open to the public, officially commenced. Even though the press had been barred from taking photos, a media outlet had received insider news early in the morning, snapped a few photos outside the hotel, and published them. "Aria Lambert Recovers and Comes To and Marries the Scion of the Gray Family Today."…As soon as Sienna woke up in Marisvia, she saw this trending topic and froze. Aria had come to. In that case, why didn't Cole tell them?Her parents had told her that their wedding was supposed to take place in half a month. Why did it make headlines today? If the wedding was being held today, why weren't the groom's family and friends invited to the ceremony? Sienna was filled with doubt. She contacted Cole, hoping to find out what was going on. Yet, as soon as she made the call, she discovered that she had been blocked. Sienna was both surprised and livid. However, she was thousands of miles away from him, so there was n

Chapter 22

After more than half a month of hard work, the wedding had finally gone off without a hitch. Dorothy felt a massive weight lifted off her chest. On the ride back, she was resting her eyes when a commotion suddenly startled her. Her brows knitted together, and she looked out the window. Charles arrived just in time and filled her in on what had happened. "Mrs. Lambert, half an hour ago, a group of people showed up outside the villa, claiming to be Mr. Gray's family. They've been making a scene and demanding to see you." Dorothy couldn't help but recall everything Aria had told her when she heard of the Grays. The cheerful expression on her face immediately darkened. Michael and Diane, who were sitting in the back seat, looked displeased as well. They climbed out of the car with Dorothy. Samuel and Eleanor spotted the elder they hadn't seen in years from a distance, and their arrogant demeanor instantly weakened. When the distance between them shrank, they didn't dare act out o

Chapter 23

After seeing the Grays' true colors with her own eyes, Aria realized how much Cole had suffered at their hands. She took his hand, shielded him behind her, and met their furious gazes. "Cole's part of my family now. From this day on, he has nothing to do with you," she spat out.Noticing how intimate the two were, the Grays instantly deduced that she must be Aria. Being reprimanded by someone younger than them in front of so many people left Samuel and Eleanor seething with resentment. However, with Dorothy present, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and try to justify themselves. "Even if he changes his last name, he's still our flesh and blood. We're well within our rights to discipline him!"Aria's gaze darkened, and she was about to retort when Cole held her back and shook his head gently. Then, he stepped forward and stared intently at the family members who had become complete strangers to him. "Why should I change my last name? My name was given to me by my gran

Chapter 24

This time, before Cole could finish, Aria cut him off. "Cole, you're my husband now; your affairs are my affairs, and they're the entire Lambert family's affairs, too. Grandma was standing up for you, so you don't need to apologize. "As for severing ties with the Grays, that was also a decision my father and grandmother discussed and made last night. Those collaborations existed in the first place because of our marriage alliance. If they can't even treat their own flesh and blood right, how can we trust them to honor their commitments in business? "We ended those partnerships to avoid potential risks and minimize our losses. So, don't shoulder all the blame yourself, okay? After hearing the whole story, Cole felt a little better and dried his tears. Aria pulled out a tissue and gently wiped away the tear tracks from his face. Noticing the heartache in her eyes, his heart softened a little. He couldn't help but inquire, "We've only known each other for a month. Are you so good

Chapter 25

As soon as news broke that the Lamberts had severed ties with the Grays, it sent shockwaves through high society. After all, the two families had only recently become in-laws. Everyone was dying to know what could've possibly driven Aria—who had only recently come to—this furious. Then, a rumor began circulating, though no one knew where it had originated, claiming the Grays had mistreated their biological son, who had just married into the Lambert family, for the sake of their adopted son. Aria was so protective of her husband that she dealt such a devastating blow to her in-laws. Chauvinists were common in their circle, but no one had ever heard of parents mistreating their biological son for the sake of an adopted one. Everyone found it intriguing, and the rumor spread like wildfire. The rumors also brought several other scandals back into the spotlight, including the birthday party debacle from a few months ago that had caused such an uproar, as well as speculation that Cole'

Chapter 26

It snowed on the day Joseph was convicted in court. Cole had lived in the south all his life, so apart from when he was traveling, he'd rarely seen such heavy snow. Thus, he was beside himself with excitement. He dragged Zoey into the garden for a snowball fight, picking on the little girl until her lips puckered into a pout. Zoey turned to Aria, who was watching the scene unfold from the side, and vented her frustration. "Birds of a feather really do flock together. Cole has been spending so much time with you that he's picked up your bad habits. He doesn't spoil me like he used to, and it's all your fault!"The little girl scooped up a handful of snow and hurled it at Aria. Aria had initially wanted to dodge it, yet when she saw Cole doubled over with laughter, she stood still and let Zoey hit her. After Zoey had vented her frustration and ran into the living room, Aria approached her husband with a helpless look on her face. She tucked his hands, which had turned red from t