Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the day of Julian Sterling and Ethan Caldwell's wedding was drawing near. Over the past few days, Julian had been living a life of utmost comfort. He ate when he wanted, drank when he pleased, and didn't worry about a thing. By day, he attended classes and chatted with Lucas Hill; by night, he occasionally went on dates with Ethan.
Richard and Catherine Sterling didn't nag him either. Aaron Sterling had been busy with reports lately, so the two hadn't even crossed paths. Life was so peaceful that Julian found it surprising.
Through their interactions, Julian had become relatively familiar with Ethan—at least they were no longer as awkward as they had been at the start. He had also successfully gathered quite a bit of relevant information from the internet and from Lucas.
One particular point that surprised Julian was that although the Caldwell family was wealthy, they managed their descendants very strictly. For generations, there had never been a case of a descendant indulging in debauchery or having extramarital affairs. This could be considered one of the most well-bred families within the aristocratic circle of Saint Lawrence City.
Ethan Caldwell was an even rarer breed of man—he possessed both money and power, yet he rarely frequented entertainment venues. At most, he would gather with friends, but even then, he kept himself "clean."
One day before the wedding, the official website of the Caldwell Empire formally announced that their CEO, the dream man of countless young women, was officially getting married. However, to protect Julian, the Caldwell family did not disclose the identity of Ethan's marriage partner, only stating that it was a man.
This news hit like a stone cast into a calm lake, stirring up waves of public opinion. A series of topics were opened to speculate on just who this mysterious character was—someone capable of seducing the famously ascetic and cold CEO.
There were also those who speculated that this was merely a commercial marriage.
Regardless of the storm online, the wedding took place on schedule. In truth, calling it a wedding wasn't quite accurate. That morning, Ethan drove Julian to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register their marriage. Julian's belongings were also transported to Ethan's private villa. After they finished registering, they went for lunch and then returned to attend a small party, primarily to meet the families of both sides.
Their wedding wasn't a grand affair; they only invited a few close relatives from both families. Ethan invited his group of close friends, while Julian invited only Lucas. Actually, there had been a small interlude beforehand: Aaron had wanted to bring his own friends. Julian hadn't been very keen on the idea but found it inconvenient to say so. Fortunately, Ethan had spoken up, stating that irrelevant people need not attend.
After all, the person getting married was Julian; Aaron's friends had nothing to do with it.
For other wealthy families, a wedding reception is no different from a large-scale networking event. But the Caldwell family was different; to them, a wedding reception was strictly a means to publicly announce the identity of the couple's legal spouse to others. If it were a grand wedding ceremony, that would be one thing, but for an intimate party, there was no need to drag outsiders in.
Aaron seemed rather unwilling, but Richard and Catherine knew the temperament of the Caldwell family well, so they said nothing, merely advising Aaron not to cause trouble.
...
"Jules, are you ready yet?" Lucas stood outside, adjusting the hem of his jacket while looking at the closed door. Today, he was Julian's best man—primarily responsible for fending off drinks and helping Julian out of any difficult situations.
Earlier, for some unknown reason, Aaron had been clumsy and accidentally spilled wine on Julian's vest. Since Julian was wearing a white vest, he had been forced to go upstairs to change.
"I'm ready." Julian pushed the door open, adjusted his bow tie, and said, "Let's go. I'll introduce you to Ethan's friends."
Julian and Lucas went downstairs. At that moment, the sound of lively laughter and conversation drifted up. The voice sounded quite familiar. Julian turned his head and saw Aaron talking to Ethan's group. He even noticed Aaron deliberately leaning his body toward Ethan, only for Ethan to dodge away.
Seeing this, Julian's gaze darkened. He patted Lucas on the shoulder and walked towards them.
"Ah! Jules! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that just now." Seeing him approach, Aaron blinked apologetically. "I've been working on so many essays lately that I'm a bit dizzy. Sorry about that!"
Julian said "It's fine," then quietly leaned close to Ethan's back, using his hand to tug at the hem of Ethan's jacket.
Seeing this, Ethan wrapped his arm around Julian's waist, pulling him slightly forward, and introduced him: "This is my partner, Julian. And these are my childhood friends, Patrick and Simon."
"Hello, Patrick. Hello, Simon." Julian greeted the two of them reservedly. Then, as if remembering something, he tugged on Ethan's jacket again. "Ethan, this is my best friend, Lucas."
Lucas greeted everyone, then struck up a conversation with Patrick: "I've heard of Director Lane for a long time. They say that in the stock market right now, there aren't many people who can surpass you."
"Oh, this handsome guy knows me?" Patrick laughed. "Let's go over there to talk. Ethan and Julian have been busy quite a bit today; let's not make them stand too long, or they'll be tired by tonight."
"That's right, Ethan is going to be very tired tonight." Simon added with a laugh, though his tone was far from decent.
Julian looked at the two of them with a slightly puzzled expression, then, as if realizing something, his face flushed red. This earned him another round of laughter from the two men.
The five of them chatted as they moved to a table arranged privately in the corner, leaving Aaron standing there alone, awkward and unsure of what to do. Finally, he could only go look for his parents and his brother, Edward.
Before leaving, Julian keenly sensed an unfriendly gaze directed at him. He glanced briefly towards Aaron and suddenly saw a look of jealousy and unwillingness on his face.
Julian felt a bit baffled. This marriage arrangement was something Aaron had refused himself, so what was he upset about now?