A New Beginning for Grace and Xuan

Grace never thought she would get married this soon.

She had barely adjusted to the idea of being a mother, and now, here she was, standing in front of Xuan as he knelt on one knee, holding out a ring.

"Marry me, Grace," he said, his voice steady but his eyes filled with uncertainty.

Grace's heart pounded. She glanced at her mother, at Joseph, at Lisa— all watching in silence.

She looked at Felix, who sat at the far end of the room, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

Her throat felt dry.

"Are you… are you sure?" she whispered.

Xuan nodded. "I don't want our child to grow up without a complete family. I care about you, Grace. Let's do this together."

Tears welled in her eyes.

She knew this wasn't a grand love story. It wasn't a fairy tale.

But it was real.

It was security.

It was someone choosing to stay.

And so, with a shaky breath, she nodded.

"Yes, Xuan. I'll marry you."

Felix sat in the corner, watching everything unfold.

He should've been relieved.

His sister was finally settling down.

She wouldn't be alone.

But why did it feel so… strange?

His fingers tightened around the glass in his hand.

Lisa, who had been watching him the whole time, leaned in and whispered, "Are you okay?"

Felix scoffed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Lisa sighed.

She wanted to say more, but she knew Felix.

He wouldn't talk.

Not about his feelings.

Not about anything that actually mattered.

So she just nodded and turned away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

With the engagement official, the family dove into wedding preparations.

Grace, despite her pregnancy, was excited. She wanted a small, intimate wedding— nothing too flashy.

Lisa helped with the dress shopping.

Joseph handled the decorations.

And somehow, even Felix got roped into handling the finances.

Days passed in a blur of laughter, stress, and last-minute planning.

But beneath it all, a sense of warmth filled the air.

For the first time in a long time, it felt like things were falling into place.

Or at least, that's what they thought…

Because not everything was as perfect as it seemed.