In the past, the old Ella's main focus was Lucien. She believed that this was how couples should interact – she treated him with respect, and he treated her like a toy.

But now she knew better. She realized that if you give some people an inch, they take a mile.

Lucien maintained a cold expression and remained silent. In the past, Ella would take the initiative to console and please him whenever he felt upset, but now he waited for her to humble herself.

However, Ella responded differently, stating, "If that's the case, then we shouldn't get married."

Lucien gazed directly at Ella. Without hesitation, she reiterated her stance of not wanting to get married.

Ella showed indifference to Lucien's emotions and explained, "Marriage is a matter between two families, and I don't want to cause your family any more trouble. I accidentally stepped on Lydia's skirt and embarrassed her. She hates me…"

"Ella, you weren't like this before. You'd never be willing to give up on our marriage," Lucien said with a noticeably displeased tone.

Due to Ella's "marriage" ultimatum, he had no choice but to restrain himself.

"I don't know why, but it seems like your family doesn't like me very much," Ella mumbled.

"How could you think that, my parents are very happy with you, can't you feel it?" Lucien responded with agitation.

Ella didn't answer.

Lucien remained patient, saying, "Be good, don't think too much, my parents really like you, my sister is a bit willful, but she truly accepts you."

"Really?" Ella asked, sounding somewhat skeptical.

"Idiot… Even if you don't believe my parents, you have to believe me. We've been together for so many years, when have I ever lied to you?" Lucien replied, pretending to be angry.

When has he ever lied to her…?

Now, Ella could finally confront about each of his lies…

"Don't ever say you don't want to get married again, it'll break my heart," Lucien pleaded as he reached out and embraced Ella in his arms.

Ella endured the physical revulsion and lay in the man's embrace, each lost in their own thoughts. Lucien contemplated the humiliation Ella brought on his family, and he wondered how he would continue to torment her once she officially married into the family. Meanwhile, Ella pondered how much longer she would have to keep up this act with him.

In Lucien's embrace, Ella couldn't deny feeling sick to her stomach. They held each other for a while

As Lucien released Ella gently, a soft expression appeared on his face. Ella couldn't help but admit her admiration for him. Performing with him often left her on the verge of breaking, yet Lucien seemed to handle it seamlessly.

"Come on, let's go to the hall. You're one of the hosts after all. You can't afford not to keep your guests company," Lucien said thoughtfully.

Ella nodded, her eyes twitching slightly as she observed Hedy, who had been staring at her all evening, walking out of the hall.

Then, in an uncharacteristic move, Ella reached out and wrapped her arms around Lucien's neck.

Lucien was taken aback.

Ella rarely took such initiatives, just as he rarely did anything to her.

For him, a woman like Ella, who remains constant and even if she is good-looking, is not attractive enough. He has always been drawn to those who are wild, sexy, and even… violent.

To others, he appeared respectful and courteous to Ella, but in reality, he simply wasn't interested. Only women like Ella believed he loved them, so it was easy—it was better, even—to keep his distance.

However, in this moment, Ella's unexpected closeness made his heart flutter for a brief second. She planted a kiss on his face, creating an intimate moment between them.

Lucien's mouth formed a smile, "Ella, you... kissed me for once."

In truth, they had kissed before, but it had always been initiated by him. And in retrospect… he might've been a little careless before.

"I just… wanted to apologize for the trouble I caused earlier." Ella acted shyly, "Did you not like it?"

"How could I not like it? My heart races every time you touch me," Lucien responded, placing Ella's small hand on his heart.

Indeed, his heart was racing. It was the first time Lucien had ever felt such a strong heartbeat for Ella. Until now, he had only considered her as a means to achieve his life's goal, a mere halfway tool.

However, in the next moment, he couldn't resist cupping Ella's cheek and pressing a kiss against her lips.

Ella held back and observed Hedy explode with anger as she turned and walked into the hall. Ella had intentionally provoked Hedy, and now that it was done, she saw no reason to endure Lucien's kisses any longer.

She was about to push him away when she noticed his stern and penetrating gaze on her, which made her feel inexplicably weak for a moment. Shaking off the daze, she pushed him away just as he attempted to deepen the kiss.

Lucien appeared somewhat disinterested. After all, he had kissed Ella before. But for some reason, this particular moment left him… wanting more.

Maybe it's because he was so pent-up. With the wedding coming up, he's refrained from satisfying his desires, so this was probably his frustration catching up to him.

He wasn't sure if he wanted Ella or just any women.

Regardless, he wanted someone, so he leaned in to kiss her again.

Ella blocked Lucien's advances, whispering, "Not here. Someone might see us."

Lucien, not wanting to force her, held himself back and said, "Anyway, we still have a month before the wedding, and on the night of the wedding, I'll make sure to..."

Ella didn't want to hear any more and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Let's go back to the hall now."

"Alright."

Lucien and Ella returned to the hall together, where it was still bustling with activity and filled with people. It was probably the most grand and formal birthday party ever seen in Seattle, especially for a lady.

Ella also assisted her parents in greeting the guests, and Lucien naturally played the role of a half-host as well.

At 10:30 PM, Cendy precisely timed her actions. She navigated through the halls, efficiently gathering everyone Ella had wanted to organize, showing a callous demeanor in the process.

"I'm organizing this gathering because I want to invite all of you to a nightclub for karaoke and drinks. Even though we may not all be childhood friends, we've all witnessed each other's growth. Today, we're all here together and it's a special occasion, so we should go out and do something!" Cendy said with great enthusiasm.

"Okay," Ella echoed Cendy's invitation, surprising Lucien in the process. It was unusual for Ella to enjoy such bustling activities, let alone drinking and going to nightclubs.

She just agreed without a second's hesitation!