RING, RING, RING... Just as Ruby Bluen was sweetly thinking about Marcel Horne, her office phone rang, its jarring sound interrupting her pleasant hum. It seemed phone calls, much like the legendary Cheng Yaojin, always had a knack for bursting in unexpectedly, just to be a nuisance.

Ruby stopped humming. Her expression became composed, and she adopted a professional demeanor. She picked up the receiver with her right hand and said habitually, "Hello, this is Ruby Bluen."

"Director Bluen, a Ms. Morris is requesting to see you. She is currently at the reception on the first floor. Would you like to meet with her?"

Ms. Morris? Could it be her future mother-in-law? Had she come to the company?

Ruby Bluen suddenly felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy, every hair on her body standing on end.

"Let her come up," she instructed the receptionist calmly.

The receptionist acknowledged and then hung up.

Putting down the receiver, Ruby quickly tidied her desk, making it look neater and cleaner. She even stacked reports in front of her to appear busy. Then she adjusted her clothes; though they were already neat, she smoothed them again. Knowing her future mother-in-law's visit was likely not a friendly one, she still wanted to present her best self.

Sovia Morris arrived quickly.

When Sovia knocked, Ruby personally went to open the door.

"Auntie."

Ruby opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Sovia Morris to enter. Sovia gave her a cold glance, then strode into Ruby's office with her head held high. Her sharp gaze meticulously swept across Ruby's office, scrutinizing every detail as if she were counting the very tiles on the floor.

"Auntie, please have a seat," Ruby said with a faint smile, inviting Sovia Morris to sit.

Sovia Morris clutched her purse and sat on the sofa.

Ruby composedly sat opposite her and asked in a friendly tone, "Auntie, would you like something to drink?"

Sovia Morris raised a hand, signaling that she didn't want anything.

Ruby didn't press further and sat quietly, meeting Sovia's icy stare.

Her mind raced. Was Sovia Morris here because she knew about her and Marcel's plans to get married?

Indeed, Sovia Morris's face was stern as she coldly asked, "Did Marcel come to see you last night?"

"Yes."

It would come out sooner or later, Ruby Bluen figured, so she didn't hide it. Sovia Morris might have already gone to the military base to find Marcel Horne and found out about last night. If I try to hide it now, she'll surely accuse me of deceiving my elders again.

"You two want to get married? Without consulting us, your parents? Do you plan to marry in secret? What position does that put us elders in?" Seeing Ruby didn't hide anything, Sovia's expression remained stern. While her tone was a fraction less icy, her anger had visibly deepened.

She had only one son. Because her husband was a military officer and she herself had held a position, they could only have one child. Later, she resigned to dedicate herself to caring for her husband and son, living the most traditional of women's lives: supporting her husband and raising her child. But now, her son was getting married without even informing her. What did that make her, his mother?

And the most infuriating part? Her son wanted to be with Ruby Bluen!

She wouldn't even have known if she hadn't visited the military base to see her son today. His superior had congratulated her, saying she could finally set her mind at ease because Marcel Horne had submitted his marriage application!

Hearing those words, seeing that familiar, beaming, congratulatory smile, Sovia had felt as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over her, chilling her to the bone. The smile on her own face had frozen, rigid as if glued in place.

"Sister-in-law, surely you didn't know about this?"

Noticing her expression, the old acquaintance had asked in surprise.

Accustomed to official circles, no matter how shocked, she could always regain her composure within a minute. Hearing his question, she'd suppressed her inner fury and asked in return, "Have you all approved it already?"

"How could it be so fast? Marcel only submitted it today. To complete all the procedures, it will take at least a week or two. Impatient to be a mother-in-law, are we? Understandable, Marcel is thirty already. My son is four years younger than your Marcel, but he's not in the military. He got married last year, and this year, he gave me a beautiful, adorable granddaughter. My granddaughter is truly beautiful and adorable. Would you like me to show you her picture?"

Marcel Horne's superior was an enthusiastic, cheerful man, and a bit of a busybody. However, he was competent; otherwise, he wouldn't have reached his current position.

Sovia's face nearly twitched with annoyance.

The mere news that Marcel Horne had filed a marriage application had made her livid. Her lungs felt ready to explode with anger! She knew the woman Marcel intended to marry had to be Ruby Bluen. He'd submitted it privately, without their parental consent, completely disregarding them! And just as she was seething, this old acquaintance had enthusiastically changed the subject, leaving her unsure whether to laugh or cry.

But the old acquaintance had already taken out a picture of his granddaughter. The baby was only four or five months old but truly adorable, and Sovia couldn't help but look a few times.

She and her husband were older than this man and his wife, yet they were already grandparents, while she and her husband weren't even in-laws yet. Still, the thought of Marcel marrying Ruby made her prefer to remain just a mother, not a mother-in-law.

After sincerely complimenting the man's granddaughter, Sovia Morris quickly steered the conversation back to the point. "Old Qiu," she said, "could you do us a favor? For Old Horne's sake, please help us. Don't sign off on Marcel's marriage application. The woman Marcel wants to marry is no good. She toys with men's emotions; she'll hurt Marcel."

Old Qiu, Marcel Horne's superior, lost his smile upon hearing Sovia Morris's words. He asked curiously, "Really? I think Ruby is quite a good girl. She's beautiful, polite, easygoing, and gentle with everyone. Everyone thinks she and Marcel make a handsome couple. Marcel has only been transferred back for a few days, and everyone on base envies him for having such a wonderful girlfriend. Marcel is a battalion commander, an important officer. When he gets married, rest assured, as his superiors, we will thoroughly investigate his partner. As long as there's no criminal record and no other undesirable history, that will be sufficient."