A slight crease appeared between Evan's brows, but he didn't press the matter. In the end, he simply gave a curt response. "Yes."
Only after hearing that did Eliana finally relax. She signed her name without delay and passed the agreement straight to the butler.
With everything settled, Evan had no reason to remain.
He left the rest to the butler, who stayed behind to continue sorting through the wedding gifts.
Eliana paid it no mind. She stood there calmly, watching as each item was recorded, occasionally giving instructions to have them packed with care.
In her previous life, Iris had seen the gifts prepared by the Marshall family, but back then, what the Shaw family contributed had been far less impressive. Seeing the difference now stirred something bitter inside her. The more she looked, the more curious she became about what had just transpired between Evan and Eliana.
Yet Eliana showed no intention of explaining anything.
Left with nothing but her own thoughts, Iris let out a quiet scoff. "It doesn't matter how much you receive from others. None of it truly belongs to you. I'd rather rely on myself."
A soft laugh escaped Eliana. "Iris, you sound jealous. If you really didn't care for these things, you wouldn't be talking about them like this."
Iris felt her irritation rise, but then another thought crossed her mind. Her expression shifted into something colder as she silently waited for Eliana's downfall.
In her previous life, when she had entered the Shaw family, the wedding gifts from both families had ended up under the control of Evan's mother, Claudine Shaw. This time, although the scale of the Shaw family's gifts had changed, the result would not. Eliana might think she had gained something valuable, but sooner or later, she would realize how mistaken she was.
Once the inventory was completed, the butler took his leave.
John and Phyllis quickly followed to see him out.
Before long, the living room was left with only Eliana, Iris, and Jeremy.
Iris' eyes lingered on the expensive gifts again, unable to hide her interest. Then she slipped her arm through Jeremy's and raised her voice just enough. "Jeremy, I don't care about any of this. As long as you love me, that's all I need."
The display of wealth clearly got to him as well.
He drew her into his arms and spoke in a gentle tone. "Iris, I'll make sure you become the happiest woman alive."
Leaning into him, Iris hid her face against his chest, her cheeks warming as she cast a smug glance toward Eliana. In her mind, her future was already secured. She would become the wife of the richest man.
Watching the two of them, Eliana only felt amused.
Jeremy had always been skilled at playing with people's emotions. As the Ward family's illegitimate son, he was still nothing more than a researcher at this point. Even though the family backed his institute, he hadn't achieved anything that could secure him a real position within the company.
In her past life, she had fallen for those same words. Now, he was repeating them to Iris. It was nothing more than a calculated move to use the Marshall family's influence as a stepping stone into Ward Group.
A quiet sense of relief settled in Eliana. If those two ended up tied together, it would only make things easier.
At last, everything was starting to shift in her favor.
Three days passed in a blur, and soon enough, the wedding day came.
For Iris, everything unfolded like a dream. A procession of eight luxury Rolls-Royces arrived to escort her, with a dozen bodyguards in black surrounding her as she was taken to a grand, palace-like ceremony attended by more than a thousand guests.
Meanwhile, Eliana's situation couldn't have been more different. Despite receiving gifts worth a fortune, there was no ceremony for her. She was sent straight to Evan's residence without any celebration.
Inside the villa, she lifted the hem of her dress and made her way up the stairs, each step taking effort.
Not far into the climb, the quiet sound of wheels echoed.
She paused and raised her eyes. At the top of the stairs, Evan sat in his wheelchair, leaning forward slightly as he watched her.
There was nothing lacking in his appearance. His features were refined, his presence calm, yet there was a distant, untouchable quality about him.
The way he looked down at her felt cold, almost as if he stood above everything around him.
He hadn't even bothered with wedding attire. Instead, he wore a simple black suit. There was no boutonniere pinned to his chest. A gray blanket covered his legs, and a laptop rested on top, as though work mattered more than anything else.
Nothing about him suggested that he was the groom today.
Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, Eliana faltered.
Then she remembered his words from three days ago and steadied herself.
"Which room will I be staying in?" she asked.
