I Refused to Marry Any of Dad’s Three Adoptees

Audrey's POV

My assistant shook her head wildly, clearly saying, “Don’t look at me. I didn’t invite them. They came on their own.”

Helpless, I sighed and tried to act like I hadn’t seen anything. But the guests downstairs were even more excited than I was indifferent, greeting the three of them like stars at a red carpet event.

“Mr. Butler, you’re truly impressive. That project you closed last month must’ve brought in millions. No wonder Miss Rodgers only has eyes for you.”

But I was the one who negotiated that project from start to finish. Melvin just showed up to sign the paperwork.

“Mr. Richards might have a bad temper, but he has a strong sense of justice. Miss Rodgers will be safe with you, no doubt.”

I nearly laughed. Darren was the one who bullied me most often, like he saw me as poison that needed to be wiped out.

“Mr. Pearson is such a gentleman. Miss Rodgers wouldn’t go wrong choosing you either. Just don’t forget us when you’re in charge.”

The three of them looked perfectly at ease at my birthday party, like they owned the place.

I frowned and was about to shut this whole circus down, but before I could speak, the three of them all lowered their heads and pulled out their phones.

All of a sudden, Darren’s face turned cold, then he marched straight toward me and slapped me across the face before I could even react.

My ears rang, and I nearly lost my balance.

Gasps echoed around the room. But no one dared step in.

Melvin clenched his fists, stopping Darren from striking again. Then he turned to glare at me, voice shaking with anger. “We’ve already let you treat us like merchandise, parading us here for you to choose from, and you still aren’t satisfied? You won’t stop until you drive Addison to her death, will you?”

I stared at him, confused, trying to process what he meant. Before I could ask, Gerald coldly cut in, “You waited until we weren’t around, then tried to have Addison kidnapped. But it won’t work. We won’t let you get your way.”

The moment he said that, I realized exactly what had happened. Addison had set me up again.

And the people in this room, my father’s so-called friends and business partners, they just stood there, watching. Not a single person stepped in to stop the slap.

I understood then. They’d already decided the Rodgers wouldn’t end up in my hands. So they were smart enough not to offend the three of them.

I clutched my cheek and looked straight at Darren, my voice steady. “Apologize.”

But he only glanced at my teary eyes and sneered, “Addison almost got assaulted, and you’re whining about a slap? How pitiful.”

That was when Addison came running in, sobbing. Her dress was torn, her hair a mess, a perfect picture of victimhood.

Before anyone could say a word, Melvin had already thrown his jacket around her shoulders and turned to me with disgust in his eyes.

“You’re still the same manipulative woman. I’ll never marry someone like you.”

Even Gerald, who rarely spoke, stepped in front of Addison protectively and said, “Your mother couldn’t give birth to a son to inherit the Rodgers, so she brought the three of us in as tools. We accepted our fate. But apparently, you’re still not satisfied. If that’s the case, then forget this fake peace.”

He turned and walked away without a second glance, clearly not caring about the Rodgers’s reputation.

Just before leaving, Melvin tossed one last sentence over his shoulder. “I’ll marry you, but only in name. If you want me to protect the Rodgers’s assets, you’d better learn your place.”

I laughed. Had they forgotten?

If it weren’t for me, the Rodgers would’ve never adopted them in the first place.

Finally, a few guests tried to stop them, sensing the awkwardness.

But I raised my voice, cold and sharp. “Let them leave.”

With no one noticing, Addison gave me a sideways smirk, like she’d just won the whole world.

Yet, I stood there silently, watching them go, until my assistant rushed over, clearly panicked, and asked, “What do we do now? All three of them are gone. Who are you going to choose?”

The guests started murmuring, all of them frowning in confusion.

Audrey's POV

“She’s a woman. She’s going to get married off sooner or later. If even the three men who grew up with her don’t want her, who else could she possibly marry?”

I wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes, forced a smile, and raised my wine glass toward the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as you may already know, today isn’t just my birthday party, it’s also my engagement party.”

The moment I finished speaking, the giant screen behind me lit up with a photo of a cold, sharp face.

A collective gasp swept through the room.

“Isn’t that Luke Davidson from Washington, D.C.?!”