Objection Overruled: I Do Anyway

I'm about to marry Andre Lawson, a Waller Street tycoon, while my boyfriend of ten years, a blue-blooded attorney, still has no idea.

His first love returns from Galoria, and now his phone floods with intimate photos of the two of them reliving their Lierre League alma mater days.

On Valentine's Day, he reserves a private room at one of Zradstin's top Talision restaurants and orders a mango-nut cake, completely forgetting I'm allergic to both. We end up in a full-on whipped cream fight before he recalls my allergy.

When the doctor arrives, I'm the one signing the emergency paperwork alone. That's also the moment I agree to the marriage my family arranges.

On the most luxurious stretch of Frosa's Virellis Lane, I looked down at the dozen wedding plans Dad had just sent me.

My fingers paused over the final message.

"I always knew you and Jack wouldn't last. A man who truly wants to marry you doesn't keep you waiting for ten years. You're realizing it now, and that's good enough. The wedding is in three days. Take your time packing."

Everything seemed so clear from the outside. Still, I'd been adrift in Jack's empty promises.

"I like whatever you think is best. Just keep it simple," I replied.

I hadn't realized Jack was behind me until I heard his startled voice. "Wedding? What wedding?"

He tried to look at my phone screen, but I quickly locked it and tucked it away. Just as he reached to grab it, the office phone rang.

In the stillness of the evening, I heard a soft Galish accent on the other end of the line. "Darling, I just landed. The Frosa skyline is stunning, but I'm a little scared. Can you come get me?"

Jack's expression tensed instantly. "Emily, don't worry. Wait for me in the hotel lobby. I'll be right there."

The wedding conversation vanished from his mind the moment he hung up. He grabbed his jacket without a second thought and rushed into the night to pick up Emily Clay. She was the one who had transformed from his first love to "just a friend"—the one with royal blood from Galoria.

After he left, I called my godmother to say goodbye.

My parents had moved to Eclana ten years ago, and I had been living with my godmother ever since.

She had noble lineage and lived in a white stone house in the Royal District.

That summer, Jack Dickinson and I became neighbors.

That was where our story began—just beyond that garden gate.

Jack, the aristocrat, had pursued me relentlessly. Even though I had no title or noble family, he had claimed he wanted to marry me.

Later, my godmother got married and moved to Braledo, so she sold the house. I didn't want to intrude on her new life, so I moved in with Jack.

I hadn't expected that living arrangement to stretch into ten years. After her husband passed away, my godmother moved back. Although I still