Arwen was taken aback a little. Did he just accept the responsibility for a mistake he hadn't committed? Why?

She stared at him for a moment, trying to understand why he would do such a thing, when Aiden turned to look at her, raising his brows in question.

"Why?" she asked, not hiding her curiosity.

Aiden smiled. "Because you are my woman. He didn't say anything wrong."

Arwen blinked, trying to decipher his logic. So, just because she was his woman, he accepted the blame for something he didn't do?

Arwen felt that was a bit too heavy to make sense. Rubbing her nose gently, she looked at the office assistant and said, "Sorry sir, but I think there is a little adjustment that you will need to make on those papers."

The man didn't understand and looked confused, glancing at the papers in his hand. "What adjustment do you need, ma'am?"

Arwen exchanged a glance with Aiden and then said slowly, "Uh, the name of my fiancé."

"Yes, that's Mr. Ryan Foster, isn't it?"

Arwen shook her head. "Nope, it's not him."

The assistant frowned, and just at that moment, someone's voice made him turn his head.

"I brought the right papers." Emyr appeared with the stack of documents in his hand. "Here," he said, extending them to the officer. "All the necessary adjustments have been made in these. We can complete the required procedures."

Arwen looked at the man who appeared out of nowhere, solving their issues without much explanation. "Sorry, you are–?"

"Emyr Ethan, my secretary." Aiden answered willingly, while Emyr inclined his head, showing sincere politeness.

"Ms. Quinn!"

Arwen smiled in return before turning back to look back at the person who would help them with the procedures. "Since the necessary documents are here already, shall we proceed? We still have the time –it's not quite five yet."

Emyr also added with a smile, "Magistrate Sir must still be waiting. We shouldn't make him wait too long."

With everything settled, Arwen entered the marriage registrar's office with Aiden. After taking their first couple picture together, they went to sit at the desk.

Just when Aiden and Arwen were about to complete the procedure by putting their signatures next to each other, the assistant from earlier approached and whispered something to the magistrate. The middle-aged man's expression changed as he looked at Arwen.

"Ms. Quinn, this might be your decision, but I must remind you that marriage is not something to be taken lightly. Especially when making it official legally. You shouldn't make such decision as big as this on a whim?"

Arwen didn't understand what he was referring to and exchanged a glance Aiden. "Sorry, sir, I don't quite follow. I know getting a marriage certificate is a big thing. I never intend to take it lightly."

"Is that so?" The magistrate asked, as though he didn't believe her. His eyes shifted to Aiden as he continued, "I have just been informed that this gentleman wasn't the person you initially planned to marry. It was someone else."

Arwen's escape plan seemed to be falling apart. She looked at Aiden, unsure how to salvage the situation.

But Aiden remained calm and composed, not the least bit fazed by the magistrate's questioning. Seeing him so relaxed, Arwen reached out to hold his hands, silently pleading for his help.

Feeling her touch, Aiden's heartbeat quickened, and his ears reddened slightly.

"Please." Arwen whispered, the desperation in her voice evident.

Giving her a reassuring nod, Aiden turned to look at the magistrate, "Mr. Lambert, would you kindly check the documents once more and tell us what aspect of our decision seems impulsive?"

The magistrate's brows furrowed as he glanced at his assistant. "What's special about these documents? Aren't they the same standard forms that every couple submits to complete their legal marriage procedure?"

"I would still ask you to check them before drawing conclusions about us, Mr. Lambert." Aiden said, his voice calm yet mysteriously confident, which left Arwen momentarily puzzled.

Hearing this, the magistrate's assistant interjected. "Sir, these papers weren't arranged by our office. They were brought in by his secretary. I noticed the documents bore the necessary government seal, so I didn't question the."

"Government seal? Not from our department?"

The assistant shook his head, now just as confused. "No, sir. These documents are not approved by our Civil Affairs Bureau. They appear to be approved by —"

Before he could finish, the magistrate had already flipped through the pages. His pupils dilated as the realization dawned on him. The documents had been approved by the President's office. He looked up again at the man sitting across from him, finally understanding that Aiden was no ordinary individual.

As he scanned the details further, he noticed that while the first few pages seemed identical to the forms every couple submitted for marriage approval, the latter sections contained information that was different. The more he read, the harder it was to believe.

No wonder the document came with the approval from the President's office –they simply didn't have the authority to sign off on it before them.

The Magistrate glanced back at Arwen and quickly apologized, "Sorry, Ms. Quinn. I wrongly questioned your decision. Please don't mind it."

While Arwen was baffled by the sudden change in his attitude, standing behind her, Emyr had to fight the urge to burst out laughing. His boss was the best — he could win any game with just one easy move.

"Magistrate sir," Emyr said with a meaningful smile, "if there is anything you are still not satisfied with, feel free to take another read before giving your final approval. We have the time to wait here for you."

The magistrate broke into cold sweat. How could he dare make this big shot wait any longer? Even the President's office hadn't, how could he? He couldn't.

Shaking his head vigorously, he quickly denied, "Not at all. The documents are perfect. I will approve them right away. Please sign your names," he said pushing the document first to Arwen.