Chapter 192 A Family of Three Happily Together

Chapter 192 A Family of Three Happily Together

A few days after Violet received her doctoral acceptance letter, Arthur's team sent her the first batch of project materials.

She spent her days at VelocityTech and her evenings back at the apartment reading research papers, often working late into the night.

Theodore had moved in with Violet for two weeks, and every night he refused to close his eyes until she finished his bedtime story.

That night, after the story was done, Theodore was already half asleep when he suddenly opened his eyes again. "Mom, you and Dad made up, didn't you?"

Violet paused for a moment.

"You two have been having dinner together a lot more lately." Theodore counted on his fingers. "And Mom hasn't been cold to Dad the way she used to be."

Violet curved her lips into a small smile and tucked the blanket around him. "Was I really that cold before?"

"Just a little bit." Theodore said with a mischievous grin.

Violet laughed softly. "Then I'll be gentler from now on."

Theodore closed his eyes with a satisfied look and fell asleep quickly.

Violet tiptoed out of the children's room and had just pulled the door shut when her phone buzzed.

Adrian had sent a message: [There's a dinner banquet tomorrow night. I'd like you to come with me. It's formal — there will be media present.]

Violet leaned against the hallway wall and typed back: [What kind of event is it?]

Adrian: [Hart Group's quarterly appreciation dinner. It's open to the public. A lot of business and tech partners will be there.]

Violet thought for a moment, then replied with one word: [Okay.]

Adrian sent another message: [The gown is already ready. A styling team will pick you up from your office tomorrow afternoon.]

Violet: [No need for all that trouble. I'll just head over on my own.]

Adrian: [The gown is at the Hart family estate. I'll have it sent to you. Also, Grandfather will be there tomorrow.]

Violet: [Got it.]

The next evening, the styling team arrived at Violet's apartment right on time.

She opened the door to find three people standing outside — two stylists and an assistant, carrying several garment bags and makeup cases.

"Good evening, Mrs. Hart." The lead stylist, a woman in her early forties, smiled warmly. "Mr. Hart asked us to come help you get ready. Tonight's occasion is quite formal, so we've brought six gowns for you to choose from. Please take a look."

Violet stepped aside to let them in, her eyes briefly scanning the gold-embossed brand logos on the garment bags.

She smiled slightly but didn't correct the "Mrs. Hart."

The first gown the stylist pulled out was a champagne-colored satin floor-length dress — clean lines, a flowing hem, and a perfectly fitted waist.

Violet glanced at it and reached out to touch the fabric. The style was exactly what she preferred.

The stylist smiled and explained, "Mr. Hart told us in advance to avoid anything too elaborate. He said you don't like overly fussy designs."

Violet took the gown and stepped into the fitting room.

When she came out, the mirror showed the dress fitting her perfectly. Her hair had been pinned up by the stylist, revealing a stretch of her slender neck, paired with a set of pearl earrings.

The makeup artist had kept things light — just a soft-toned lipstick that brought out her natural glow.

The stylist stood behind Violet, studied her for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction. "This color suits you beautifully, Mrs. Hart."

Violet looked at her reflection and smiled. "Thank you."

The banquet was held in the rooftop ballroom of a five-star hotel in the city center.

By the time Violet arrived, the room was already filled with guests.

She had just reached the entrance when she saw Adrian step out from the crowd.

He walked up to her, his gaze settling on her for a few seconds, then held out his hand. "Shall we?"

Violet placed her hand in his, and the two of them walked into the ballroom side by side.

The guests around them turned to look, their eyes carrying a quiet curiosity.

After Adrian led Violet to the head table, he took the microphone from a server and walked to the small stage at the center of the ballroom.

The lights dimmed slightly, and the spotlight fell on him.

"Everyone, I'd like to take this opportunity to formally introduce someone who means a great deal to me." Adrian's gaze moved through the crowd and landed on Violet. "Ms. Violet — my wife."

The moment the words left his mouth, the ballroom fell silent for two seconds, then broke into soft gasps and murmurs.

Adrian didn't pause. He continued, "We've been married for seven years, and we never made it public. That was my fault. Tonight, in front of all our friends and partners, I want to formally introduce my wife to everyone."

Violet sat at the head table with Edward beside her.

The old man's eyes had gone a little red. He pressed his lips together, dabbed at the corner of his eye with his napkin, and let out a fond grumble. "That boy finally did something right."

Edward turned to look at Violet. "Violet, I'm sorry. You've been through a lot. From now on, I won't let anyone make things hard for you — not ever."

Violet nodded, her gaze drifting to Adrian's back.

When Adrian finished speaking, he stepped down from the stage and made his way back through the crowd to the head table.

He sat down beside Violet, leaned in slightly, and said quietly, "Violet, I'd like us to have a proper wedding. Would you be willing?"

Violet met his eyes. "When?"

"As soon as possible," Adrian said.

Violet looked down for a moment, pressed her lips together, then gave a small nod. "Okay."

The wedding was set for one month later.

Adrian chose the back lawn of the Hart family estate as the venue — nearly two acres of open space, surrounded on all sides by greenery.

Eleanor threw herself into the preparations with unusual care. She personally went over every detail of the wedding with the planning team, from the menu to the seating arrangement, checking and rechecking everything to make sure nothing was missed. She also asked the housekeeper to deliver several gifts to Rachel on her behalf.

Rachel had initially kept her guard up around the Hart family, but Eleanor had handwritten a short note with every delivery — nothing elaborate, just a few words, but the warmth behind them was clear.

After a while, Rachel's resistance quietly softened.

Three days before the wedding, Rachel called Eleanor herself to go over the schedule for the day.

When Edward heard about it, he laughed and said, "Your grandmother finally came around."

Eleanor shot him a look, said nothing, and went back to flipping through the menu — adding a local pastry that Violet loved.

The day of the wedding, the weather was perfect.

White chairs filled the lawn, flanked by soft-toned flower arrangements on both sides, with a red carpet stretching from the front of the house all the way to the altar.

The guest list was small — close family and a handful of dear friends. The whole atmosphere was warm and quietly meaningful.

Theodore was dressed in a little white suit with a bow tie, and had been running around excitedly since early morning — asking the staff how much longer until it started, asking when his mom would come out, and getting pulled aside by Eleanor several times before he could mess up his bow tie.

When the ceremony began, Violet walked out in a simple white wedding gown, her hair loose and falling softly over her shoulders.

Rachel stood at the start of the red carpet and straightened her daughter's veil, eyes red but smiling. "Go on."

Violet nodded.

The carpet wasn't long, but she didn't rush.

Adrian stood at the altar, watching Violet walk toward him, one step at a time.

His eyes stayed on her face — focused and full of feeling.

Theodore stood beside Adrian, clutching a ring box in both hands.

When Violet reached them, Theodore eagerly held the box up, then tilted his face up and asked very seriously, "Dad and Mom have to stay together forever, okay?"

Adrian glanced down at his son, then looked back up at Violet and said quietly, "We will."

He took the ring from the box and, in front of everyone, slid it onto Violet's ring finger.

"Violet, I love you." Adrian's voice was soft and steady.

Violet smiled, her eyes warm and full of happiness. "I love you too, Adrian."

At the reception after the wedding, Theodore ran gleefully around the lawn chasing balloons for several laps before finally collapsing, exhausted, and falling asleep across Adrian's lap.

Violet sat beside them, holding a glass of champagne, watching the evening light slowly fade as the string lights along the edge of the lawn blinked on.

Adrian kept one hand on Theodore and didn't turn his head, but his voice dropped a little. "Violet, I won't make you wait anymore."

Violet looked at him, took a small sip of her champagne, and said, "Adrian, let's grow old together."

When the night had fully settled in, Adrian lifted the sleeping Theodore into his arms, and Violet walked beside him as the three of them crossed the lawn and headed back inside. The laughter and music behind them slowly faded.

Theodore stirred against Adrian's shoulder and murmured something half-dreamed: "Dad, Mom, Theo... always together..."

Adrian stopped walking and turned to look at Violet beside him.

Violet reached up and gently smoothed Theodore's hair, which the evening breeze had ruffled.

The three of them walked back to the house along a path of warm golden light, their shadows stretching long behind them.

Their little family of three — they would never be apart again.

(The End)