The Perfect Replacement Groom
When Cole Harrington ran away from our wedding for the seventh time because of his childhood sweetheart, the Harrington family personally came to apologize.
"We'll add another five kilos of gold to the bride price. Three buildings in the Southwest. And nine prime-location storefronts in the city center. Consider it the Harrington family's compensation."
Before the words had fully settled, a careless laugh from Cole came through the phone.
"Grandpa, do you really think she's worth that much? Believe it or not, I could pick up a random rock off the street and still coax her into being completely obedient.
"Instead of wasting all those assets on her, why not give them to me so I can invest them in Liv's gallery?"
Henry Harrington hurriedly hung up the phone, then looked at me with an awkward expression.
Soft snickers rippled through the crowd. Everyone was waiting for me to swallow the humiliation in silence, just as I had before.
But this time—
I had already received this kind of "compensation" six times. The novelty had long since worn off.
The same was true for Cole himself.
After a moment of thought, I raised an eyebrow and glanced toward the crowd—at the illegitimate younger brother whom Cole had always despised the most.
A smile slowly curved across my lips.
"The man that I marry becomes the heir to the Harrington family. That was our deal, right?"