Chapter 1

My grandfather died in the line of duty after completing a top-secret black ops mission. The city immediately authorized the largest and most prestigious military funeral in our history. My fiancé, Dorian Ford, was worried I would be consumed by grief, so he offered to handle all the funeral arrangements.

On the day of the funeral, I held Grandpa's urn as I walked toward the ceremony hall. But when I arrived, I found Grandpa's memorial portrait discarded on the dirty floor. In its place was a framed photo of a golden retriever.

I was beyond furious and tried to have the dog's photo removed immediately. Suddenly, Dorian's adopted sister, Ivy Fawn, rushed over and blocked my path. "Who gave you permission to move my Luck's portrait?" she screamed.

I suppressed my rage and looked her in the eye. "This is my grandfather's funeral. He was a decorated hero who gave his life for―" She cut me off with an arrogant smirk.

"I don't care whose funeral it is! Dorian said my dog deserves the highest honors for his burial!" "If you have a problem with it, go talk to him!" "He loves me more than anyone. If you keep this up, he'll call off the wedding and leave you as a worthless, second-hand piece of trash!"

I was so angry I actually laughed. I pulled out my phone and dialed the Ford family's private line. "The Ford family practically crawled on their knees to beg for this marriage alliance. Since when does a stray adopted daughter get to call it off?"

1.

A pair of footsteps approached faster than the voice on the other end of the line. Dorian's parents snatched my phone and smashed it onto the ground with arrogant expressions. "You're just a pathetic orphan with no family left. How dare you try to lecture our Ivy?"

"The engagement with the Ford family was settled a long time ago, and your grandfather's estate belongs to us now." "Ivy is the crown jewel of our family. If you dare bully her, you can forget about becoming the next Mrs. Ford!" I stared at the shattered remains of my phone and then at the mocking faces of Dorian's parents.

The humble, groveling people who once begged my grandfather for this marriage had completely vanished. Clutching my grandfather's urn, I felt a bone-chilling coldness settle in my chest. "Mr. and Mrs. Ford, you relied on my grandfather to save your failing company. He isn't even cold yet, and this is how you repay him?"

Ivy Fawn let out a sharp scoff and spat directly onto my grandfather's urn. "He was just a pathetic old cripple. He should have died years ago instead of wasting so much money on a funeral!" "My Luck died a hero trying to protect me. He deserves this high-spec ceremony! Besides, the money you're wasting will be ours soon anyway. I'm just looking out for our family budget!"

It was true that my grandfather's left leg was injured during a mission decades ago, leaving him with a permanent limp. But that was a scar of honor earned while defending this country. No one was allowed to insult him for it! My fingernails dug deep into my palms as I glared at the dog's portrait sitting on the altar.

"I'm only going to ask one thing. Was this Dorian's idea?" Ivy crossed her arms, looking incredibly smug. "Dorian said as long as I'm happy, he doesn't care! What are you going to do? Run and tell on me?"

"Even if he were here, he would side with me! If you piss me off enough, he'll kick you out of the house like the bad luck charm you are!" She smirked, seeing that I was too angry to speak. Dorian's parents shielded her as they hung my grandfather's medals around the dog's neck.

They began crossing out my grandfather's name on the floral wreaths, scribbling the dog's name over them instead. They even took the expensive wine sent by my grandfather's young proteges and poured it on the floor to "bless" the dog's soul. "The Ford family is the top tier of Bay City now. Even our dog's funeral is legendary! Mom, Dad, I'm calling reporters tomorrow to make sure everyone knows how grand the Fords are!"

Ivy beamed with pride, while Dorian's parents clapped, praising her for being so thoughtful about the family's reputation. My chest burned with a suppressed fire, but I didn't want to disturb my grandfather's peace, so I forced myself to stay calm. I used a nearby landline to call my family's security team, ordering them to come and remove these intruders.

Suddenly, Ivy's eyes sharpened as she spotted my grandfather's gold Distinguished Service Medal. "I heard gold and silver help animals reincarnate as humans in the next life. This would be perfect to bury with Luck! The only problem is the name on it..." Seeing her pull out a small knife to scrape off my grandfather's name, I saw red and lunged at her.

"That is my grandfather's medal! You've lost your mind if you think you're touching it!" "Don't say I didn't warn you. This funeral is this big because he's a national hero. Put it down before you face the consequences!" Ivy refused to let go. In a fit of rage, she swung the sharp blade and slashed it across the back of my hand.

"You bitch! I'm already doing you a favor by touching this old man's stinking junk, and you dare threaten me?" My hand was a bloody mess, the skin sliced open and gushing blood, but I didn't let go of the medal. Just as I managed to reclaim it, a large hand grabbed me by the back of my neck and threw me several feet away. I slammed hard into the wooden casket prepared for the ceremony.

"You haven't even married into the family yet, and you're already attacking Ivy? Do you have a death wish?"