I blinked.
“Because… preparation?” I offered vaguely.
Alex crossed his arms, very serious now.
“Our textbook says it only takes nine months.” 1
Jason choked on his water.
I stared at Alex.
“You have a textbook that says that?” 1
“It’s biology,” he replied calmly. “Nine months.” 2
Alice nodded enthusiastically. “Nine months isn’t two years.”
Jason cleared his throat and leaned forward, recovering faster than I did.
“Well,” he said evenly, “the cooking part may take nine months…”
I shot him a warning look.
“…but,” he continued smoothly, “you have to prepare everything first.””
Alex narrowed his eyes.
“Prepare what?” 1
Jason didn’t hesitate.
“A stable home. Schedules. Space. Emotional readiness. Financial forecasting.”
I blinked.
Alice looked confused.
“That sounds boring.”
“It’s extremely important,” Jason replied seriously.
I finally found my voice.
“Yes. Very important. You don’t just bake a cake without preheating the oven.”
Jason’s thumb brushed slowly against my hand under the table.
“Or without choosing the right recipe,” he added quietly.
I felt heat creep up my neck.
Alex nodded slowly.
“That makes sense.”
Alice sighed dramatically.
“Fine. But I’m going to start practicing.”
“For what?” I asked cautiously.
+15 Bonus
A/5
“For being the best big sister.”
Jason and I exchanged a look
Two years had sounded like a joke
A buffer.
A safe distance.
But the way he was looking at me now-
It didn’t feel theoretical.
It felt like planning.
BIG SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you
P
Comments
ប
Support
Share
+15 Bonus
get it
+15 Bonus
Recipe
The rest of the day slipped by faster than I expected.
Meetings.
Homework.
A quick call with Clara.
A race around the garden that I absolutely lost to Alice.
By the time dinner arrived, the house was louder than usual.
Mr. and Mrs. Sun were visiting.
Grandfather, in what he declared a “moment of culinary rebellion,” decided he would cook personally.
It was… ambitious.
The smoke alarm disagreed.
Fifteen chaotic minutes later, we were opening windows and ordering Chinese. 1
Jason leaned back in his chair, amused.
“Mr. Asher, perhaps empire management is more your strength.”
Grandfather gave him a look.
“Leadership requires diversification.”
Mrs. Sun waved a hand dismissively as she rearranged the takeout containers.
“At least no one is poisoned this time.”
Grandfather muttered something about ovens conspiring against him and last time not being his fault.
Dinner settled into a comfortable rhythm.
Laughter.
Plates clinking.
Alice attempting to use chopsticks with dramatic flair.
Then Mr. Sun cleared his throat.
Jason looked up immediately.
“When are you two planning to host a proper wedding celebration?” his father asked calmly.
I paused mid-bite.
Jason didn’t.
“Define proper.”
Mr. Sun folded his hands on the table.
“A wedding is not just a romantic gesture. It secures funding. Strengthens alliances. Improves public image. Consolidates influence.”
14
Rech
+15 Bonus
Of course it did.
Mrs. Sun nodded slightly.
“There are investors who would prefer ceremony.”
Jason leaned back, unreadable.
“We are already married.”
“Yes,” Mr. Sun agreed evenly. “Legally.”
Grandfather sipped his tea, watching carefully.
“But a public celebration,” Mr. Sun, continued, “signals stability.”
I felt Jason’s hand brush against my knee under the table.
Before either of us could respond-
Alex cleared his throat.
Everyone turned.
He looked very serious.
“Actually,” he said, “a wedding is one of the important steps before making a baby.”
The table froze.
I closed my eyes. 1
Jason inhaled slowly.
Mrs. Sun blinked.
Grandfather coughed violently.
Mr. Sun stared at his grandson.
Alex nodded confidently.
“I looked it up.”
Alice leaned forward eagerly.
“So we need the wedding first?”
Jason rubbed his temple.
“Alex…”
“It said commitment is important,” Alex continued, completely unbothered. “And weddings are about commitment, and you said it would take 2 years.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
Mrs. Sun recovered first.
“Well,” she said delicately, “that is… one interpretation.”
Jason finally leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
25
+15 Bonus
“Awedding,” he said calmly, “is about celebration. Not permission.”
Alex considered that.
“So we don’t need it?”
Jason glanced at me briefly.
“No,” he answered carefully. “We don’t need it.”
Mr. Sun raised a brow.
“But,” Jason added smoothly, “we might want one.” 1
That shifted the energy.
I felt my stomach tighten slightly.
Mrs. Sun smiled faintly.
“A celebration,” she said, “can be powerful.”
Grandfather leaned back in his chair.
“You two will do what you want.”
Jason’s fingers intertwined with mine under the table.
“Exactly.”
Alice, who had been unusually quiet for a full thirty seconds, suddenly looked up at Mrs. Sun.
VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: A Woman Worth Billions Dated the Wrong Brother