Yes, Glades Horne was a good man in her heart, and she had always hoped to find a boyfriend as good as Glades Horne was to her sister. But in her mind, Glades Horne was her brother-in-law. Even if he hadn't actually become her brother-in-law in the end, she would never have set her sights on him.
"Glades, I…"
Next to her, Glades Horne, who had already filled out his information, turned his head again. He fixed his burning gaze on her almond-shaped eyes, leaving Julia Bluen somewhat at a loss. This was too sudden for her. The man who should have been her brother-in-law was suddenly becoming her husband. She found it hard to accept this change in their relationship, especially given the somewhat chaotic situation between their families at the moment.
"Can't fill it out?" Glades Horne's voice was still as deep and magnetic as ever.
"I can."
"Then go ahead and fill it out."
"Oh, okay."
Huh? What did I just say?
Julia Bluen really wanted to bite her own tongue off. She looked at the staff. They were all watching her with faint smiles, their eyes filled with evident blessings—perhaps these blessings were just a professional courtesy. Then she looked at Glades Horne beside her. He was still gazing at her intently, making her face begin to burn. She couldn't worry about that now. Moving closer, she whispered into his ear, "Glades, you've misunderstood. I'm not my sister."
After speaking, she blinked her large, innocent-looking eyes at Glades Horne, who was so close to her. Looking at him this close, she was startled to realize just how devastatingly handsome he was; no wonder so many women outside wanted to devour him.
"You're the one who said we were a couple. Go ahead and fill it out. If you can't, I'll do it for you." Glades Horne's low voice, carrying an undeniable authority, echoed in her ear, silencing her immediately.
She'd said that? Yes, she had. But she was…
"Miss Bluen, please fill it out according to this sample." A staff member, thinking she didn't know how to fill out the form, quickly produced a sample and placed it in front of Julia Bluen, showing her how to copy it.
Julia Bluen's small face turned beet red.
Slowly, she picked up the black pen and stared at the form. Her mind felt like a jumbled mess. Her hand seemed to crawl across the paper as her neat handwriting filled in the blanks…
This major life event, the marriage registration for the happiness she had long dreamed of, was sealed by a self-deprecating remark she had made just yesterday.
All the following procedures, like copying the documents and paying the fees, were handled by Glades Horne. Julia Bluen just had to follow him around.
Before long, the two of them received two small red booklets.
Julia Bluen flipped through the marriage certificate, looking at the photo of herself and Glades Horne. Her expression in it was completely unnatural; she had wanted to keep as much distance as possible, but the photographer kept telling her to move closer, then closer still. She could only comply stiffly. Glades Horne, however, had seemed perfectly at ease. He casually wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close—a move that had almost made her cry out in protest at the time.
In the past, Glades Horne had put his arm around her shoulder before, but in her mind, it had always been like a brother's arm around a younger sister, nothing more.
Seeing her own name, Julia Bluen couldn't help but whisper, "I actually got married like this!"
Getting married like this felt so bizarre, so sudden.
"Do we need a wedding ceremony?"
His deep voice sounded from beside her. Somehow, Julia Bluen detected a hint of joy in it, as if she were truly the one he loved, not just someone he had decided to marry on the spur of the moment.
"If you need one…" Glades Horne didn't finish. His wedding to Ruby Bluen hadn't been officially canceled yet. If Julia Bluen wanted a wedding, he would give her one, but he knew it would likely make her feel awkward.
He couldn't bear for her to feel awkward.
"Every woman dreams of walking down the aisle of a wedding chapel in a beautiful white wedding dress. Of course, I want a wedding, but…" Julia Bluen trailed off, considering her predicament. The wedding the Horne Family had prepared was originally for Glades and her sister. If she became the bride instead, it would undoubtedly cause a lot of talk. Wealthy families might appear glamorous on the outside, but they were often hotbeds of gossip. She didn't want to be the subject of such talk, yet she also didn't want to marry into the Horne Family so unceremoniously.
Looking up at Glades Horne, she said softly, "Could we not invite other guests, just have our families present?"
Glades Horne reached out to ruffle her short hair and responded in a deep voice, "Sure, I'll give you a private wedding. The date remains the same."
The casual hair-ruffling gesture made Julia Bluen's cheeks flush faintly, and she subtly edged away from him. It was strange. She used to feel comfortable being close to Glades Horne, but now that they were legally husband and wife, the intimacy that should have felt natural instead felt foreign and awkward.
Glades Horne noticed her subtle withdrawal. His lips thinned slightly, and his gaze deepened again, an unreadable emotion flickering within their depths. After a moment's pause, he said in his low voice, "You should head home now. Be careful on the road."
"Oh, okay." Julia Bluen had been waiting to hear just that. Hearing him say this made her feel like a condemned prisoner who had just received an imperial pardon. She hurried to her car, jumped in, and drove away from the Civil Affairs Office, forgetting even to say goodbye to Glades Horne.
Glades Horne stood in front of the Civil Affairs Office, quietly watching her depart.
Once her black Mercedes had merged with the traffic and gradually disappeared from sight, he got into his own car. He didn't leave immediately, however. Instead, he took out his own marriage certificate, his gaze fixed on the photo of Julia Bluen, whom he had pulled close to his side. His long, strong fingers gently brushed her image in the picture, caressing it back and forth. His eyes softened, an unconscious smile touched his lips, and he chuckled softly, "Julia, I never imagined the person I'd marry would be you."
Lifting the marriage certificate slightly, Glades Horne lowered his head and gently pressed his lips to Julia Bluen's image in the photo. From this day forward, you, Julia Bluen, are my wife—Glades Horne's wife!