Chapter 1

Before the engagement dinner began, I was in the lounge tidying myself up when my fiancée’s assistant, Vincent, suddenly handed me a marriage agreement.

Article One: Without Vincent’s written permission, the man may not have any physical contact with the woman.

Article Two: The man and woman must live in separate rooms, and all daily communication must be relayed through Vincent.

Article Three: The man must remain respectful toward Vincent on all occasions.

.....

After reading more than a hundred clauses in the agreement, I forced down my anger and dialed my fiancée’s number.

“Miss Young, could you explain Article Ninety-Eight to me?”

“What does it mean that I, as your husband, must acknowledge that your relationship with Mr. Vincent takes priority?”

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Today’s engagement dinner was actually an arranged marriage set up by the elders in our families.

Before today, I had never even met the bride.

All I knew was that her family was prominent, and that she was a wealthy heiress well known in New York society.

But I never expected that the so-called family rules would be this absurd.

“You’re nothing but insurance and decoration our family brought in, and Vincent is the one I truly trust, so follow the agreement exactly as it is written, understood?”

Over the phone, my fiancée’s tone was full of contempt.

I took a deep breath, and my voice left no room for argument.

“Sorry, Miss Young, but I will not sign this marriage agreement.”

The second I finished speaking, my fiancée’s furious roar came from the other end of the call.

“Carter, how dare you talk to me like that?”

“It is the greatest luck of your life that I would get engaged to you, and you still dare defy me?”

I froze on the spot.

Was this really the upbringing of a wealthy heiress?

She was completely different from the gentle and refined image my grandfather had described.

I was just about to continue arguing with her when the line on the other end had already gone dead.

Seeing what happened, Vincent, who was standing beside me, looked at me with disdain and let out a cold laugh.

“Mr. Carter, I suggest you obediently sign the agreement. I understand Miss Mandy’s thoughts better than anyone. You are an outsider, so know your place, and your life will be a little easier.”

Seeing that I was young and dressed very low-key, he did not take me seriously at all, and his tone carried the superiority of a master.

“Whoever wants to sign such a dignity-stripping agreement can sign it, but I definitely will not!”

Although the Kosa family was low-key, we were definitely not soft targets anyone could push around.

So what if she was a New York socialite? At worst, I would refuse to acknowledge this engagement today!

With that, I set down my wine glass and turned to leave, only to be stopped by Vincent beside me.

“The dinner is about to begin, so where exactly do you think you are going, Mr. Carter?”

I clenched my fists without realizing it and stared hard at him.

“My legs are on my own body, so I can go wherever I want, and what does that have to do with you?”

Faced with my warning, Vincent not only failed to restrain himself, but became even more reckless as he stepped closer, lowered his voice, and spoke in a tone full of provocation.

“Mr. Carter, I advise you to stay put. When it comes to Miss Mandy’s affairs, I have always had the final say. If you sign it, everyone saves face. If you do not... I am afraid you may not even have a place to stand in New York in the future.”

He shoved me hard, his eyes filled with threat.

Ever since I came of age and began taking part in family affairs, I had trained day and night with private instructors, and the pride carved into my bones did not allow me to compromise.

Seeing him act so arrogant, the anger in my heart kept rising.

“And what if I insist on leaving?”

As soon as I said that, the servers and several early guests in the lounge immediately began murmuring.

“Oh my God, is this guy crazy? Mr. Vincent is Miss Mandy’s most trusted person, so if he offends him, how can his life in the Young family be easy?”

“He should just sign it. It is just a formality anyway. Who doesn’t know about Mr. Vincent and the young lady’s relationship? Why ask for trouble?”

“Exactly. Just pretend not to know and take the benefits from the Young family. Can dignity put food on the table?”

As the surrounding discussion grew louder and louder, Vincent’s expression became even smugger, as if he were the real master here.

“Did you hear that? Smart people know what to do. A puppet like you, with nothing but an empty title, should be grateful that we are still leaving you some dignity, and yet you still dream of talking about pride?”

Faced with everyone’s mockery, I did not care at all, and even found it a little funny.

In New York, the Young family could indeed be called rich, with endless wealth to their name.

But if they wanted to compare foundations with the Kosa family, that would only be a fight beyond their means.

No matter how much money they had, before true power and the rules of the game, it was only a string of cold numbers.

“Vincent, I will warn you one last time, move.”

Perhaps he was frightened by the cold aura that suddenly burst from me, because Vincent paused for a moment, but then he showed an even more contemptuous smile.

“Fine, fine, fine, kid, you... you actually dare talk to me like this. I... I will invite the young lady here right now, and we will see how long you can keep acting arrogant!”

I spread my hands with an indifferent attitude.

“Be my guest.”

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