A snow-white arc streaked across the sky. The Imperial Capital. Ann Vaughn didn’t return to her apartment immediately; instead, she first visited the hospital to see Old Master Hawthorne. Just as she stepped out of the elevator, Ann received a call from Bella Hawthorne. "Sister-in-law, are you alright? I called you multiple times yesterday and couldn’t reach you. It scared me to death." Speaking of which, Ann had lost her phone somewhere earlier. It was the hidden guard who found it and returned it to her this morning. She had only turned on her phone after landing, so she naturally missed Bella’s calls. "I’m fine. It’s nothing major, don’t worry." Ann touched the spot on her neck where she had been strangled. She applied some ointment last night, and by today, it was almost unnoticeable. "That’s good!" Bella sighed in relief, hesitated for a long while before continuing, "Sister-in-law, have you heard about the marri—" Ann paused slightly, about to hear Bella explain further. From around the corner, a conversation came closer. "... She still doesn’t know about the marriage certificate, so keep it hidden for now. It won’t be too late to tell the Young Madam after it’s resolved." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕·𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎·𝚗𝚎𝚝 "What was the lady thinking? No matter how much she favors Miss Yates, she shouldn’t disregard the Young Master’s wishes, right? After all, that’s a marriage certificate..." The familiar voices caught Ann’s attention, and she turned to see Uncle Dexter and the butler from the Main Hawthorne Family walking towards her side by side. "Young Madam?!" Upon seeing Ann, Uncle Dexter’s eyes flashed with surprise, but after a moment, he recovered. "Are you here to visit the Old Master?" Ann nodded, "I came to see how Grandpa was doing. Uncle Dexter, what were you just about to tell me?" Uncle Dexter and the butler exchanged a glance and nonchalantly smiled, "It’s nothing, really. We originally planned to inform you after the Old Master’s discharge. Who would’ve thought you’d already know?" "We need to go back and prepare a few things, so we won’t hold up the Young Madam any longer. We’ll be off." The butler added. Without waiting for Ann’s response, they briskly left. They didn’t seem like men over fifty at all. Ann looked puzzledly in the direction where they left, recalling the conversation she overheard. She couldn’t help but mutter, "What is the marriage certificate?" On the other end of the line, Bella was silent for a long time, and just as Ann was about to reach the ward, she finally replied, "In the Hawthorne Family, the role of a marriage certificate is equivalent to a wedding certificate." Her voice wasn’t as cheerful as before, but Ann was too stunned by her words to notice anything unusual. "A marriage certificate is equivalent to a wedding certificate?" Ann pondered, could it be that Cyrus tricked her after successfully proposing, and wrote both their names on the marriage certificate? Ha, is this man worried she’d really run off with someone else? Ann couldn’t help but chuckle, said goodbye to Bella, and hung up the phone. Considering that Old Master Hawthorne might be resting, she gently pushed open the ward door without making a sound. Little did she know, just as she opened a crack, she heard Miyi Yates’s faltering voice from inside. "Family Head, I know there’s been a deep misunderstanding between you and Miss Vaughn towards me. I’ve never tried to defend myself, believing that you and Miss Vaughn would eventually realize I’m not that kind of person." "We’ve known each other for so long. No one knows better than you what kind of person I am. If you even think that I intentionally did this, how am I supposed to stay in the Hawthorne Family from now on?" "Family Head, I just want to ask you, over the years, I have remained in my place, fulfilling my duties. Whether in public or private matters, I’ve never overstepped... In your eyes, am I really the kind of person who would use a marriage certificate to bind you?" Her voice was tearful, sobbing with a perfectly controlled mix of endurance and grievance, evoking sympathy. If another man were standing here right now, he probably couldn’t resist going forward to comfort her. But Cyrus Hawthorne’s face bore only a cold, somber look. His narrow eyes seemed to be coated with frost, staring at her till she felt a chill in her heart. "If you didn’t do it, the innocent stay clear. Why explain? If you did, not even your father could help you." "No matter what I say, you’re convinced it was me..." Miyi Yates laughed miserably, tears in her eyes, "Then let’s say it was me. After all, I am the beneficiary of this, and once the dirty water is thrown my way, I cannot escape." Upon finishing, Miyi turned and left the ward, covering her face. Ann quickly hid in the adjacent ward, taking a deep breath against the door panel after the footsteps faded away. What had she just heard? That marriage certificate is between Miyi Yates and Cyrus Hawthorne?! What in the world was going on? Her mind felt muddled, like a paste being forced into her head, making her increasingly confused. Could she have misunderstood? With that thought, Ann stepped out from the ward, her hand poised to push open Old Master Hawthorne’s door, yet unable to move. Cyrus had not denied Miyi Yates’s words just now... This indicated that the marriage certificate indeed existed. Even if she went in and asked him, what could she possibly gain? It would only hurt more. Ann’s hand slowly fell to her side, gradually clenching until it turned white. She remained outside the ward for a long time, waiting until an opportunity arose when Cyrus left, before entering the room. After taking Old Master Hawthorne’s pulse and determining the cause of his heart condition, Ann performed acupuncture on him. Not long after the acupuncture, Old Master Hawthorne, who had been in a deep sleep until now, finally awoke. Seeing Ann by the bedside, Old Master Hawthorne’s eyes flashed first with relief, then guilt. Ann intended to press the button to call a doctor, but Old Master Hawthorne stopped her. "Grandpa wants to talk to you, and besides, Grandpa trusts your medical skills. With you here, I’ll be fine." Old Master Hawthorne’s complexion regained a bit of redness, though he still lacked his former vigor. Ann could only sit back and softly asked, "I know what you want to say. Grandpa, after Quinn and I divorced, I technically shouldn’t call you Grandpa anymore, but in my heart, you’re no different from my own grandfather, so I can’t help it." Old Master Hawthorne’s eyes were slightly wet, "Who says so? No one is more eligible to call me Grandpa than you. Even that brat Cyrus has to step aside." "It’s just... Grandpa feels he owes you." "Grandpa, you’re being too serious." Ann gently shook her head, "I know you’ve always cared for me, and I understand that the idea of the marriage certificate wasn’t yours." Old Master Hawthorne adored her and cared for her even more deeply than a real granddaughter. How could Ann mistake him any differently?