Today was the 16th birthday of Carly Miller, the heiress of the Miller family. Lots of dignitaries were in attendance.
The Miller family had an illustrious background, being one of the most prominent families in Tywardreath.
Sadly, they had only a single heir through three generations. And by the time it got to Evans Miller, he only had one daughter - Carly.
Evans wished to mold Carly into a strong woman, capable enough to take over the vast family business in the future.
Unfortunately, at 16, though Carly excelled in sports and art, she lacked a knack for business.
Confused upon seeing numbers, she hadn't once been able to complete the tests given by Evans.
Helplessly, Evans could only start planning for her and the family's future in advance, which led to the birthday feast happening today.
Numerous young men came to attend her birthday feast. They all were between the ages of sixteen and twenty, each one an outstanding young sprout.
Evans and his wife, Georgina Miller, stood on the second floor, sizing up the young men, carefully selecting.
After looking around, Georgina pointed at a remarkably handsome young man, "How about that one? Among all the young men, I find him the most outstanding."
Evans looked in the direction she was pointing at and replied after a moment of contemplation, "That's the Powell family's son; their family's situation is complicated with continuous internal strife over the years. Such a family is not suitable."
That young man was called Blair Powell. He stood behind his aunt apathetically, his expressionless face earnestly studying the others. He possessed a calmness unusual for his age.
He was nineteen years old, tall and handsome. The innate nobility he possessed made him stand out like a crane among a flock of chickens.
Unfortunately, his family had a complex background. At a young age, he had experienced a lot of prejudice from the public. His aloof and reticent nature was indeed not a good choice.
When Georgina heard that, she regretfully averted her eyes. Soon, she found another person she liked, "What about him, the son of the Woods family? He is excellent in his studies and appears to be a very gentle and neat person."
Evans frowned, "The Woods family? Which one are you referring to?"
"The one standing under the oak tree."
Georgina pointed out, "I think his name is Caleb Woods."
Evans finally noticed the young man standing under the oak tree.
Underneath the sturdy oak, his hair, tousled by the gentle breeze, framed a face chiseled to perfection. His piercing gaze was softened by the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves above.
"Him?"
The frown on Evans's forehead deepened.
Georgina looked expectantly at Evans, "What do you think? I heard his academic record is impressive and he has a good character. He excels in everything."
However, Evans still shook his head, "No, the situation in the Woods family is more complex than the Powell family, and he lost a leg in a car accident last year."
Caleb was indeed good at everything and always highly regarded in the Woods family.
If it weren't for the car accident that cost him a leg, leading to his grandfather removing him from the inheritance list, he would not have appeared at this birthday party today.
"What? DId he lose a leg in a car accident?"
Georgina looked at Caleb's legs incredulously, "It doesn't look like it at all!"
Evans said, "He has the prosthetic limb. Let's move on to others!"
The previously outstanding Caleb turned somewhat reclusive since his car accident. It was only natural that losing a leg at such a young age would psychologically affect him, hence he was not among Evans's alternative choices.
At this moment, a slender girl was also leaning against the window, her eyes fixed intently on the young man standing under the oak tree, her beautiful eyes shimmering with light.
He was here!
Carly had never envisioned that the young man who had taken her breath away and dazzled her for two full years would appear at her birthday banquet.
Her father said she could choose any young man present as her future husband.
So, he was also included, right?
Looking at Caleb, Carly felt her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
Was this what it felt like to be mesmerized?
The feeling wasn't unfamiliar to her.
Ever since the first afternoon of high school, when he charged towards her in white sportswear, this feeling accompanied her.
After that, the basketball court became her daily must-go place.
Sadly, a car accident later took one of his legs. He was never seen on the basketball court again. It wasn't until the SAT that he reappeared in school, confined to a wheelchair.
He was admitted to Tywardreath University, while she continued to study in high school, but she never once missed out on his news.
The guests were all present, and Evans led Carly downstairs.
"Here they come. Quick, come up to Miss Miller."
As soon as Carly came downstairs, all the guests started to push their sons forward, hoping to get their faces shown so she could remember them.
Speaking of which, Carly was well-known in Tywardreath.
It was said that on the morning she was born, all the flowers in the private hospital bloomed, and the sky above the hospital was enveloped in a layer of golden light.
At that time, the renowned fortune teller, Trystan Ferguson, happened to be recuperating in that private hospital.
At the time, he directly declared in front of his visitors, "Miss Miller is born to be rich and lucky. Any man who marries her will be blessed."
Back then, the Miller family just owned a small, unknown enterprise.
Later, their development affirmed Trystan's words.
In just a few short years after Carly's birth, the Miller Group morphed from an unheard-of company into one of the colossal enterprises in Tywardreath, and the whole Miller family thrived.
The young men coming to the birthday banquet today were all the talented youths selected from various families, but none were the heirs to their family enterprises.
The chosen young man would join the Miller family, and to be blunt, he would become a man who married into his wife's family.
Georgina mentioned a few young men's names in front of Carly, but sadly, Carly didn't take in any of them because they were not Caleb.
After Georgina took Carly around, she let Carly go to play with her friends.
Carly was generous and easy-going and had many friends. The young men took this opportunity to woo her.
A portion of them were extremely willing to marry into the Miller family.
"You should go too!"
Seeing Blair's indifferent face, Amelia Harris stated with an urgent look on her face, "Blair, you have to understand, if you're chosen by Miss Miller, perhaps your father can spend fewer years in jail with her father's help."
Blair's cold face finally showed a glimpse of vulnerability.
Amelia continued, "Out of the young men here today, you are the most outstanding. Miss Miller will definitely pick you. Do it for your father!"
Blair, glancing at the girl treated like a princess by everyone, displayed a faint smirk. Yet, he walked towards her with his long legs.
Watching Blair's lean and straight silhouette, Amelia felt satisfied and smiled.
If Blair was chosen, the entire Powell family would benefit.