The scissors were already open when the room went quiet. Forty of the city's wealthiest guests stood frozen around a three-year-old girl clutching a worn stuffed rabbit, watching a woman in a five-figure gown decide her hair didn't belong in that house. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. And in the ten seconds that followed, an engagement would end, a photograph would fall out of a small coat pocket, and a billionaire would look into a stranger's eyes and see his dead sister staring back. By the time the night was over, one family would be broken beyond repair — and another would finally begin.

Back at the Hastings estate, the atmosphere had transformed completely.

Adrien had summoned his head butler, Thomas, and instructed him to prepare the grand master suite on the second floor—the wing reserved exclusively for the Hastings family.

"Mr. Hastings, really, this isn't necessary," Rosa protested as Adrien carried her small suitcase up the grand staircase. "I have a tiny apartment downtown—"

"You're not staying in an apartment downtown," Adrien said firmly, looking back at her with a warm smile. "You're my family, Rosa. You and Mia belong here. This is your home."

Mia was sitting comfortably in Adrien's arm, her tiny fingers tangled in his tuxedo collar, clutching her one-eared stuffed rabbit. The toddler, who had been terrified hours ago, was now staring at Adrien with wide, fascinated eyes.

"Uncle Addy?" Mia asked in her small, high-pitched voice.

Adrien stopped on the landing, feeling a sudden surge of warmth explode in his chest. Tears prickled behind his eyes.

"Yes, sweet girl?" Adrien asked softly.

"Can Bunny have a biscuit?" Mia asked, holding up her worn stuffed rabbit.

Adrien let out a soft, genuine laugh—a sound that hadn't echoed in the hallways of the estate for over twelve years.

"Bunny can have all the biscuits in the kitchen," Adrien promised, kissing Mia's forehead gently.

He led them into the master suite—a sprawling, sunlit set of rooms decorated in cream and gold, featuring a king-sized bed, a private balcony, and an adjoining nursery.

"Get some rest, Rosa," Adrien said gently, setting the suitcase down. "Tomorrow, everything changes. I'm calling my legal team and my physician. We're going to make this official."