As he spoke, he slowed down the car and extended his large palm in front of Adele Horne.

"You think I'm a fool, kid? To the pub, I want to drink," Adele Horne flushed as she shifted the topic. The touch of their hands just moments ago had sent her heart racing once again. It was much like the sheer joy, tinted with a tinge of shyness, she had felt when Othiel Evans called to say he was waiting in front of her house.

"At your service, my dearest Adele," Othiel Evans chuckled softly, playing along like a eunuch, which made Adele Horne giggle.

"Get lost, who's yours!" Adele Horne blurted with a crimson face, but a hint of something strange surged in her heart.

The Porsche sped past the Serendipity Cafe like a gust of wind. Marcel Horne and Ruby Bluen, sitting inside, were unaware that Adele Horne was gradually stepping into Orlando Evans's scheme; they were also too preoccupied with their own affairs to notice anything else.

Marcel Horne's marriage application report was essentially his proposal to Ruby Bluen, who had longed to become one with him. Seeing her sister and Glades Horne so loving and harmonious, she too wanted to get married soon. That way, she could always be with Marcel Horne, doing his laundry, cooking his meals, bearing his children, and fulfilling the duties of a regular wife.

Despite her privileged living conditions, she envied the simplicity of an ordinary couple's life. As long as love was present, she would feel blissful, even in a lesser life.

"Marcel, our parents..." Ruby Bluen said. Even in her happiness, she remembered their parents' objection to their union.

Scarlett Taylor would normally not have interfered, preferring a wait-and-see approach to her children's marriages and avoiding forceful intervention. However, when Sovia Morris stormed into the Bluen Family home, accusing Scarlett Taylor of improper parenting and angrily berating her with cold sarcasm, Scarlett Taylor became enraged. In her heart, Ruby Bluen was still a pure, pristine, and chaste girl. Even if she had dated Glades Horne, didn't she still have the right to pursue happiness?

Besides, now that Glades Horne was married, Ruby Bluen was even more entitled to pursue her happiness.

In her anger, Scarlett Taylor, who had previously seen Marcel Horne as equally outstanding, suddenly found him unsuitable. She now disapproved of the union between Ruby Bluen and Marcel Horne. She felt Sovia Morris was too overbearing and her criticisms of Ruby too harsh. If Ruby married into the Horne family, Sovia would surely never cease causing trouble.

Military marriages were difficult to dissolve. But if life was thrown into chaos by such interference, hearts could drift apart even if the marriage itself remained intact. A loveless marriage was as bitter as chewing on bitter herbs, an unbearable suffering.

"Marriage is our decision, and it will be our life to live together afterward. I won't be returning to live in that Military District compound. Ruby, don't worry, I have everything under control," Marcel Horne said in a husky voice.

To avoid any further complications from delays, they had to register their marriage first. Once they had the certificate, their parents would be powerless to object, no matter how much they opposed it.

"I know this is all too sudden. I should have prepared roses and a diamond ring, but I came in such a hurry that I..." Marcel Horne spoke regretfully. Proposing was supposed to be the most romantic occasion, yet he hadn't brought roses or chosen a ring. He had proposed with just a piece of paper. The thought made him feel he had seriously wronged Ruby Bluen.

This was the woman he cherished most, the woman he had loved for so many years, yet he had failed to give her the beautiful memories she deserved. His heart ached with self-reproach.

"Those are just material things; what I want is your heart. Marcel, I want to marry you! You can't go back on your word, okay? Tomorrow, I'll sneak into my mom's room, get our household registration book, and we'll go register our marriage!" Ruby Bluen, not wanting him to blame himself, spoke hurriedly. It was as if she feared that if she uttered one word less, Marcel Horne might not marry her.

As for their parents, once it was a done deal, they would have no choice but to accept it. At worst, she'd get another scolding. She'd already endured plenty of those for the sake of being with Marcel Horne.

Marcel Horne's expression softened. Listening to Ruby Bluen's urgent words, his heart filled with tenderness. He reached out, eagerly pulling Ruby into his embrace, and said in a husky voice, "Right now, it's about submitting a report to the higher-ups. Once it's approved, we can go register. Ruby, I'm sorry. Because I'm a soldier, I can't just register for marriage whenever I want like civilians can. This report has to go up through the ranks, so it might still take some time before we can actually get our certificate. But I'll urge them to expedite it. When the time comes, I'll definitely have roses and a diamond ring ready and propose to you formally. For now..." He trailed off, not wanting to worry Ruby.

"No matter how long I have to wait, I will wait."

Ruby Bluen raised her face in his embrace, seriously responding.

Marcel Horne lowered his head, his forehead gently touching hers. He gazed tenderly into her eyes, but at this moment, he didn't know what else to say. He wasn't good with sweet nothings; all he could do was hold her tightly.

He silently hoped that when the leaders saw his marriage application report, they wouldn't complicate matters by calling his father. If his father interfered, his report might very well be rejected.

「Powell Family.」

"Get out! Get out! Get as far away as you can! Nicholas Coldwell, you shameless scoundrel! After my daughter gave you her heart and soul, you dared to..."

The gentle winter sun hung lazily high in the sky. The wind still blew, but thanks to the sun, the temperature today was much warmer than yesterday.

But for Nicholas Coldwell, who was being kicked out of the Powell household, it felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, utterly cold.

"Mom, please, listen to my explanation! I was framed, I..." Nicholas Coldwell's composed and handsome image had vanished. His face was a mask of panic as he anxiously tried to wedge the Powell family's door open, preventing Mrs. Powell from closing it, even though she had already pushed him outside.

"What framing? You were caught in a hotel having an affair with a woman, and discovered by the media. When the media found you, you were shamelessly clinging to that vixen. How dare you say you were framed? There are so many men in this world, why doesn't anyone else get framed? I've seen shameless people, but never someone as shameless as you. Did you really think by marrying my daughter, you'd become the master of the Powell Family? Nicholas Coldwell, I'm telling you, no way! The kind of man I hate most in my life is your type, always enjoying what's in your bowl while eyeing what's in the pot. Damn it, how was my daughter not good enough for you? It's only been two months since the wedding, and you already dared to keep a mistress and have an affair!"