He Was Too Rich to Be Humiliated Until His Fiancée Blamed a Crying Toddler for His Declined Card

Six months later, spring had arrived in Alpine.

The estate gardens were ablaze with blooming pink cherry blossoms and sweet white lilies. The iron gates of the mansion stood open, letting the warm afternoon breeze carry the scent of fresh grass through the open terrace doors.

On the back lawn, a brand-new wooden playground had been installed, complete with two swings, a climbing wall, and a slide.

Marcus sat on a wooden bench near the garden, a laptop open on his knees, but he wasn't looking at stock charts.

He was watching Lily, who was wearing a yellow sundress and running in circles around the lawn, trying to catch a small golden retriever puppy that Marcus had adopted for her birthday three weeks ago.

"Catch him, Cece!" Lily squeaked, her little legs moving as fast as they could. "Barnaby is too speedy!"

Clara walked out onto the terrace carrying a tray of fresh lemonade. She looked radiant. Her hair fell in soft, dark waves over a simple green linen dress, her skin glowing with health and peace. Marisol’s cancer was officially in full remission, and the new foundation had already opened its first community clinic in Newark.

Clara set the tray down on the garden table and walked over to Marcus, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

"You’re supposed to be reviewing the Q2 reports," she teased softly, running her fingers through his dark hair.

Marcus smiled, shutting the laptop without looking at it and pulling Clara down onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against her shoulder as they watched Lily play.

"The Q2 reports can wait," Marcus murmured, kissing the soft spot beneath her ear. "My board can survive without me for one afternoon."

"You’ve changed, Mr. Hail," Clara giggled softly, leaning back into his warm chest.

"I had a very good teacher," Marcus replied softly.

A car pulled up the long driveway, and Samuel stepped out to open the door.

A young woman with dark hair, looking healthy and vibrant, stepped out onto the gravel. It was Marisol. She looked around the estate with a wide, amazed smile, holding a bag of homemade pastries from their mother’s bakery in Perth Amboy.

"Auntie Mari!" Lily shrieked, abandoning the puppy and sprinting across the grass as fast as her little legs could carry her. "Auntie Mari is here!"

Marisol dropped to her knees, opening her arms wide as Lily slammed into her with a fierce, giggling hug.

Clara watched her sister hug her niece, tears of pure, unadulterated gratitude rising in her eyes. Marcus squeezed her waist gently, pulling her even closer against him.