Chapter 263 Such deep scheming, young prince.

Chapter 263 Such deep scheming, young prince.


Around noon, Matthew suddenly returned home.
It was unusual for him to come back at this time.
His face was glowing with excitement as he approached Ariana.
"Ariana, your documents are ready. Take a look," Matthew said, handing the papers to her.
Ariana opened the household registration book. Evan and Samuel had already transferred their registrations due to work requirements.
She flipped to the last page and saw her name.
Finally, she had a proper identity.
"Have you eaten yet? If not, let's grab some lunch and then head to the police station to get your ID," Matthew suggested.
Autumn quickly chimed in, "You two go ahead, we'll eat at home."
"Alright," Matthew agreed, then as he was about to leave with Ariana, he remembered something and turned to Stella. "Stella, would you like to come along?"
Stella tugged at the corners of her lips.
She knew her dad didn't really want to take her along; she was just an afterthought.
Going would only make her feel out of place.
"I'm not going, Dad. You and Ariana go ahead."
"We made your favorite spicy eggplant today, Stella. Just us girls at home."
"Okay." Stella felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. Even her mom was siding with them, just making excuses to keep her from tagging along.
Was she really that unwanted?
Matthew took Ariana out for dinner, and there was an awkward distance between them.
After all, Ariana hadn't spoken much to Matthew before, but they were both trying hard to connect.
Once they finished getting her ID at the station, they walked out together.
"The ID is on a rush order. It should be ready in a couple of days. You don't need to come pick it up; I'll send someone."
"Thanks."
"No need for such formality among family," Matthew said gently, looking at his daughter. "It's my oversight. I should have done this sooner. Lucas reminded me."
"Did he remind you?"
"He mentioned that you never knew how to introduce yourself properly. Whether it was as Ariana Summer or Nicole James, neither seemed right. So, he decided to get your ID sorted out quickly. From today, you can confidently introduce yourself as Ariana Bluefield, a daughter of the Bluefield family."
Ariana smiled softly.
Her dad was a bit too straightforward...
She immediately guessed that Lucas Firestone was eager to get their marriage certificate.
Since Ariana Summer's identity was canceled and Nicole James' identity was tied up in Port City, he never agreed to let her go there to sort out the paperwork.
Now that the truth about her background was out, he couldn't wait to make it official.
That man...
"I'll take you home."
"No need, I'll go back myself. You go ahead and take care of your things."
Father and daughter went their separate ways.
"You're quite the schemer, Prince!" Ariana texted Lucas.
"Did you get the household registration book?"
"The ID is still pending, but the household registration book is ready."
"Once the ID is ready, we'll go get the marriage certificate right away," Lucas texted with a "smirking" emoji.
That evening, Susan and Lucas visited the Bluefield family.
They were there to discuss the wedding plans.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the conversation started, Autumn said, "I want to postpone the wedding date a bit."
"Let's not delay it any further, Auntie, it's already late enough," Lucas blurted out.
His impatience earned him a glance from Autumn. "You impatient boy! You're really in a hurry."
If Ariana were still just her goddaughter, Autumn would have wanted the wedding to happen as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen issues.
But now that Ariana was her biological daughter, whom she had finally found, Autumn wanted to spend more time with her.
Susan quickly held Lucas back, giving him a pinch on the thigh.
"Ariana just got back, and she should indeed spend more time with you all. But with our families being so close, whether she marries or not, it doesn't make much difference. She can always come back anytime."
"Yeah, yeah! We can come back together, and I don't mind being the son-in-law who lives with the wife's family," Lucas said with a grin.
Susan shot her son a disapproving look. How embarrassing could he get?
James laughed heartily beside them. "You shameless guy, not everyone can pull that off."
"Since you said there's no difference whether she marries now or later, let's have Ariana marry after the New Year. She's never spent the New Year at home, and I'm not going to keep her forever. Just after the New Year," Autumn suggested.
The wedding, originally set for September, was now pushed back over three months!
Lucas was on the verge of tears.
"Susan, you have to understand me," Autumn said.
Susan sighed, feeling resigned. "Alright, let's do it this way. They're in love, so let's have them get their marriage certificate first. You know..."
After all, they were already living together, and having the certificate would make it official.
"Don't worry, we'll follow the proper procedures for getting the certificate," Autumn reassured.
The groom's side also had to make a formal statement.
"Then it's settled," Susan agreed.
Both families reached an agreement.
Lucas kept giving Ariana meaningful looks, but she remained silent the whole time, which frustrated him to no end!
Ariana saw them off at the door, and Lucas immediately demanded, "Come on, Auntie, say something!"
"Hey, good grandson!" Ariana patted Lucas's head affectionately.
Lucas brushed her hand away. "I'm serious! And Mom, you too. Ariana's younger, she can't speak up, and you're not helping me either."
"You brat! You two are like one person. Whether you marry sooner or later, what's the difference?"
"It's not the same!"
Susan gave him a light smack on the back of his head. "Not the same? Well, tough luck! Ariana's finally reunited with her parents, and they want you to wait a bit to get married. That's perfectly reasonable!"
"Whose side are you on? Am I even your real son?"
Ariana covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
"And you! What did you promise me back then?" Lucas was genuinely annoyed this time and got into the car alone.
"Who did you get this bad temper from?" Susan muttered as she climbed into the car.
Ariana felt helpless and went back inside. Later that evening, she sent Lucas a message, but he didn't reply.
It seemed like he was really upset this time.
Last night, she sent him a bunch of messages, but they all vanished into thin air.
Oh no, this guy seemed genuinely angry. She needed to find a way to make it up to him.
Stella felt like an outsider today as she watched the family discuss Lucas and Ariana's wedding plans.
Sitting in her room, her mind began to wander.
Where were her biological parents?
She longed to have parents who were truly hers.
The next day, she got the idea to search for her birth parents. She remembered the safe in her parents' room.
Could it hold information about her adoption? With that thought, she quietly sneaked into their room.
There was a small safe inside the closet.
Stella knew the combination, but she had never thought it held any secrets—just property deeds or other valuables.
But now, she wondered if it might contain something else.
Something like the truth about her origins.