Chapter 5: A Perfect Match

Words : 1977 Updated : Mar 13th, 2025

The moment Alice and her parents appeared. They immediately became the center of attention. Countless gazes were cast their way—some filled with sympathy, some with pity, but most with schadenfreude. Fred had already spread information about Lorenzo in secret. So, the guests who attended today knew what kind of man was about to be engaged to Alice. Yet despite this, they stepped forward to offer their congratulations. "Congratulations, Mr. Sullivan." "Ms. Simpson is a rare beauty, and Mr. Santee is a young talent. The two of them coming together is a match made in heaven." Seated at the head of the main table was Sullivan, the head of the Simpson family. He wore a finely crafted traditional suit and held a dragon-headed cane. His expression was calm, his smile subtle, exuding an aura of authority without anger. "Father, they're here." Standing behind Sullivan, Maxwell bent down and whispered, "We can begin now." Sullivan stood up and raised his hand. The lively hotel lobby immediately fell silent. He laughed loudly and announced, "Today is my granddaughter Alice's engagement ceremony. It is my honor to have all of you here to witness this occasion." "As you all know, my granddaughter is stunningly beautiful and highly capable in business—a rare talent. That is why I was especially cautious in choosing a husband for her." "In the end, a young man named Lorenzo stood out from dozens of candidates. I hope that from this day forward, he will treat Alice well, that they will have a happy marriage, and soon bless us with children." His words sounded grand and thoughtful, as if he had considered Alice's happiness and found her the perfect husband. A round of applause erupted from the audience. But to Alice, the applause felt like slaps across her face. The suffocation and frustration in her heart were indescribable. Raising her head, she looked at the beaming Sullivan. Her teeth bit down on her lip so hard that she almost drew blood. What a "good" grandfather. Since childhood, Sullivan had doted on Fred while disregarding her, simply because she was a girl, who was destined to marry off and unable to carry on the Simpson family name. Especially after she had an illegitimate daughter out of wedlock, bringing shame to the Simpson family and turning them into the laughingstock of Spring City. Sullivan would have kicked them out long ago if not for his sympathy toward Robert. "That old bastard!" Rebecca was furious. She cursed under her breath, ready to speak up for Alice, but Robert stopped her, shaking his head with a pleading look, silently begging her not to act recklessly. "Coward!" Rebecca gritted her teeth but ultimately held back. "Everyone, please look this way." At this moment, Maxwell, standing behind Sullivan, excitedly pointed toward the hotel's back door and announced loudly, "Now, let's welcome the lucky young man for his grand entrance!" The moment had finally arrived. After nearly two months of meticulous planning, Maxwell had only one goal—to ruin Alice's future and prevent her from advancing in the Simpson Group. What kind of life would she have after that? Would she still focus on work? Just thinking about Alice's miserable fate filled Maxwell with glee. Under the eager gazes of the crowd, the hotel's back door slowly opened. Lorenzo strode in, holding Daisy in his arms. For a moment, the guests were dumbfounded. Jaws dropped. What was going on? Some immediately recognized Daisy and began whispering among themselves. Their gazes toward Lorenzo carried a hint of admiration. It's one thing to accept being a stepfather, but to carry this little bastard in openly? Wasn't he embarrassed enough already? Robert and Rebecca turned their faces away, secretly wiping their tears, unwilling to watch. But Alice did not look away. She stared at the hotel's back door with eyes full of despair. She wanted to see with her eyes what kind of man her husband was. "Daisy?" The moment she saw the child, Alice's expression changed drastically. She gasped in shock and rushed toward Lorenzo without hesitation. "Mommy!" Daisy's face lit up with joy. She opened her arms wide and ran toward Alice. Alice took Daisy from Lorenzo's arms and held her tightly. Only after a moment did she finally look at Lorenzo and ask, "You… you're Lorenzo? Why is Daisy with you?" "I happened to run into her downstairs." Lorenzo nodded and smiled, glancing at Alice a few times before extending his hand. "Ms. Simpson, nice to meet you. I'm Lorenzo. I hope we can get along well from now on." Lorenzo was a bit nervous. Back in the army, he had never been nervous even when facing a battlefield filled with enemy troops and bullets flying past him. But now, standing in front of this delicate woman, he felt uneasy. It was a strange feeling he couldn't describe. If his comrades from the army saw him like this, they'd probably be shocked. "Hello." Alice responded politely but did not extend her hand. Instead, she took a few steps back, her guard against Lorenzo. Lorenzo felt awkward. Suddenly, Daisy pointed at him and said, "Mommy, this guy is amazing! He said he knows my daddy! He even helped me teach those bullies a lesson and said he'll punish the bad guy who wants to be my daddy." "Huh? Where's the bad guy?" Daisy looked around in confusion. Alice froze, then turned to Lorenzo with a doubtful expression. "You said you know Daisy's father? Are you kidding me? I'm her mother, and even I don't know who her father is." Lorenzo was even more embarrassed. He cleared his throat and avoided Alice's gaze. Smiling, he said, "Daisy, your daddy asked me to come here to protect you and your mommy. From now on, I'll be your Ultraman." "Huh?" Daisy blinked and asked, "So the bad guy who wants to be my daddy is you?" "Do I seem like a bad guy?" "Not really." Daisy thought for a moment, then shook her head. "But my daddy is a super-invincible hero! At most, you're just a super-invincible little hero. As long as you don't try to be my daddy, I won't call you a bad guy." Lorenzo was speechless. He lost to another version of himself. The surrounding guests were even more dumbfounded. The dramatic turn of events was completely unexpected. Wasn't this supposed to be a case of a sleaze marrying a beauty? Weren't they to be at each other's throats? But standing together, Lorenzo and Alice looked like a perfect match. There wasn't even a hint of awkwardness between them. The crowd here to watch a train wreck, not a wholesome family reunion. They had hoped that the two would put on a miserable show. They had hoped to get a good gossip out of this. "What's going on?" Sullivan's brows furrowed. He was just as surprised. "Uh…" Maxwell's smile froze. He quickly said, "This kid is cunning and full of nonsense. He's trying to please Alice by using Daisy. Dad, don't worry, I'll have Fred expose his lies immediately!" With that, he signaled Fred. Fred immediately understood. He stood up, clapped his hands, and walked toward Lorenzo with a sneer. "As expected of the man Grandpa chose for our family. Brother-in-law, you're truly generous. Knowing that another man defiled my cousin and has an illegitimate child, yet you don't mind at all and even treat her as your own. As her cousin, I am ashamed in comparison." His voice was loud and clear, echoing through the entire hotel lobby.

Chapter 5: A Perfect Match

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