A Whirlwind Marriage with the Beautiful CEO Novel Full Episode

Chapter 1

“I know, Mom. I’m in front of the café. Call you later!”

Emmanuel Lowe hung up on his mother impatiently.

The twenty-eight-year-old man had never been in a

relationship.

After spending seven years in the army, he retired from

the military and worked at a hospital in Yeringham for

three years.

He was a gynecologist at the hospital and made

eighty thousand a year.

Worried he would end up old and alone, Emmanuel’s

mother urged him to settle down. Since he had no idea

where to begin when it came to dating, his mother

took matters into her own hands and set him up on

multiple blind dates.

Thanks to her efforts, he had gone on seventeen blind

dates so far.

Alas, wedding bells were clearly not on the horizon for

Emmanuel. It was frustrating. He knew he was just

going through the motions at that point.

“Help! Someone help me!”

Right before Emmanuel entered the café, he heard

someone calling out weakly for help.

you for your kindness!” replied the old man with a

smile.

Emmanuel realized then that the old man’s attire was

at odds with his airs. Despite his tattered clothes, the

old man’s clean hands looked like those of a man

accustomed to wealth.

Still, he had no time to satisfy his curiosity. After

confirming that the old man was unharmed,

Emmanuel rushed into the café for his blind date. He

never once considered being repaid for his kind act

earlier.

The café was massive and practically structured like a

maze.

Emmanuel’s mother mentioned that his blind date was

seated at table number eight. He wandered through

the confusing café, but before he could locate the

correct table, he stumbled into a special area.

The lighting was softer there, and the floor was

scattered with fresh petals.

The sweet scent of flowers wafted through the air. He

wondered if he had set foot in heaven.

Emmanuel raised his eyes and immediately froze.

A beautiful, elegant woman sat before a table in the

room.

It was no exaggeration to say she embodied

perfection itself.

The heavens clearly decided to shower all their favors

on her.

The woman quietly sipped her coffee with her legs

crossed neatly to the side. On the table was a

non-translated copy of The Power Broker.

When she noticed Emmanuel barging into the room,

she looked up at him in confusion and disgust.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

When Emmanuel recovered from the shock of

stumbling upon the beautiful stranger, he realized his

heart was about to beat its way out of his chest.

Never once had he ever felt so attracted to a woman

in his twenty-eight years of life.

The countless female bodies he had seen in his work

as a gynecologist hardly appealed to him. At some

point, he even wondered if he was attracted to women

at all.

Against all odds, it seemed, the young woman before

him made his heart race like a runaway horse.

Am I simply nervous, or am I already attracted to her?

More surprisingly, Emmanuel noticed a large number

eight sign on the woman’s table.

She’s my blind date?

He took a deep breath to calm himself before

approaching her table and taking a seat opposite her.

The young woman’s expression grew increasingly

flabbergasted. There was even a hint of hostility in her

pretty eyes.

The audacity of this man! Barging into my private

room is bad enough, but he’s going to sit opposite me

like it’s nobody’s business?

More surprisingly, Emmanuel noticed a large number

eight sign on the woman’s table.

She’s my blind date?

He took a deep breath to calm himself before

approaching her table and taking a seat opposite her.

The young woman’s expression grew increasingly

flabbergasted. There was even a hint of hostility in her

pretty eyes.

The audacity of this man! Barging into my private

room is bad enough, but he’s going to sit opposite me

like it’s nobody’s business?

Emmanuel ignored her expression. It was not the first

time a woman had scoffed at him.

They were free to go their separate ways after getting

the blind date done and over with.

He introduced himself, declaring, “Hi! My name is

Emmanuel Lowe. I’m twenty-eight years old, and I work

as a gynecologist. I make eighty thousand a year and

don’t own a car or a house.”

Any man would need an incredible amount of courage

to say such things to a woman, but Emmanuel

appeared unusually calm and unfazed.

The young woman stared at him in shock. A moment

later, her lips curved into a smirk, and she replied with

an introduction of her own.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Mackenzie Quillen. I’m

twenty-seven years old with dual doctorates in

finance and business administration from Harvard

University. I made three billion last year, and I have a

car and a house.”

Emmanuel was stunned.

What the heck is happening?

He always thought women on blind dates came with

red flags.

Mackenzie, however, was arguably flawless.

Where’s the catch? Perhaps she’s mental? Or crippled?

Or infertile?

All sorts of fantastical theories filled Emmanuel’s mind.

Mackenzie smirked at his perplexed expression. The

pride in her cool gaze was evident.

She deliberately introduced herself to put the stranger

in a difficult spot and intimidate him into retreating.

As expected, awkward silence lingered in the air after

her words.

Urgh, forget it!

Whether Mackenzie was telling the truth was beside

the point. Emmanuel decided to go through all the

motions so he could at least mollify his mother, even if

the date did not result in a trip to the altar.

He declared, “I don’t make much, but if you decide to

date me, I promise I’ll always protect and cherish you.

I’ll take over all the household chores so you can be a

queen at home. Of course, I hope you’ll allow me to

preserve my masculine pride in front of my family. If we

do get married, I can give you about five to six

thousand every month.”

It was a well-worn script that Emmanuel recited in a

single breath.

Mackenzie was dumbfounded at his earnest

expression and apparent lack of shame at his much

lower salary.

A long while later, she burst into a chuckle.

She had never met a man who could humor her so.

“What are you laughing about?” Unimpressed by her

reaction, Emmanuel continued, “I know I don’t check all

the boxes, but I promise I’ll be a good and responsible

husband if we’re married!”

Mackenzie failed to keep in her snigger.

An annoyed Emmanuel demanded, “Why are you

laughing, Ms. Quillen? Don’t you think you’re being

rather rude?”

“Sir, you’re a very good man!” Mackenzie stopped

smiling and retorted coldly, “But I think you’re the

confused one here. I’m not here for a blind date!”

Huh? What is going on?

Emmanuel’s eyes widened in horror as he sputtered,

“Isn’t this table number eight?”

“Yes, but this is the VIP area. You must be looking for

table number eight in the common dining area. Please

go out and turn right!” She pointed a slender finger at

the exit.

“I… Sorry! I’m so sorry! I mixed things up!”

Emmanuel wished he could sink into the floor in

embarrassment. He jumped to his feet, ready to make

a hasty escape.

That was so embarrassing! How could I sit at the

wrong table for a blind date? No wonder she was

laughing so much. She must have thought I was

shooting above my weight!

Shortly after Emmanuel’s departure, an old man

entered Mackenzie’s private room, escorted by four

black-clad bodyguards.

Emmanuel would have been astonished if he was still

around. The old man was none other than the stranger

he had helped earlier in front of the café!

He implored, “Perhaps this is fate, Mackenzie. You’re

twenty-seven, but you’ve never been in a relationship

because of your misandry. No man would dare come

near you! But that young man succeeded! He’s also a

kind and just person. A while ago, he helped me

outside the café and didn’t expect a reward for his

actions!”

The old man’s true identity was Terence Quillen,

chairman of Yeringham’s premier financial

corporation.

While his wealth could trump that of entire nations, he

had a major regret in life.

Terence had had three sons who tragically passed

away before him. They either had no children of their

own or only left daughters behind.

Mackenzie was Terence’s favorite granddaughter and

next-in-line to helm Terence Group.

Her intelligence and charisma did not change the fact.

that she was a woman.

Before Terence met his maker, he wished his favorite

granddaughter could give him a great-grandchild.

That spurred him to fake his fall in front of the café and

scout a decent man for his granddaughter. To his

surprise, the young man who helped him earlier made

a blunder of his own blind date and ended up meeting

Mackenzie instead.

Mackenzie remained stoically unmoved by her

grandfather’s words. “Grandpa, he may have passed

your test, but he hasn’t passed mine. I’ll marry him if he

aces my test.”

She wanted to fulfill her grandfather’s wish, but she

naturally wished to promise herself to a good man.

Marrying a man after one blind date was simply too

hasty and careless.

Terence’s gaze lit up expectantly, and he replied, “All

right! I’m sure he will pass your test!”

Chapter 2

After turning right at the door, Emmanuel finally found

table number eight in the common dining area.

Sure enough, a woman was seated at the table,

looking like she was running out of patience.

Dressed in professional attire that accentuated her

beautiful curves, she was, by all means, a sight to

behold.

Even though she didn’t exude the same air of elegance

that Mackenzie had, there was no denying she had the

power to make men fall at her feet.

Thankfully, Emmanuel wasn’t disappointed in the

slightest. After all, he was well aware of his own

qualities.

Without further ado, he straightened himself up and

approached the woman with a smile.

“Sorry I’m late! My name’s Emmanuel Lowe. I’m

twenty-eight years old, and I work as a gynecologist

with an annual salary of eighty thousand-”

“Stop!” the woman coldly interrupted before he could

finish his introduction. “What’s the meaning of this?

With what little you have to offer, do you seriously think

women would want to marry you? I can’t believe you

Chapter 2 Failure

even had the nerve to be late! What right do you have

to keep a woman waiting? This has been an utter

waste of my time. Hmph!”

After firing off a barrage of questions, the red-faced

woman angrily splashed a glass of water on

Emmanuel’s face.

The latter, who was caught off guard, instantly

became soaking wet.

Nevertheless, Emmanuel didn’t lose his temper. After

all, he was indeed late because he went to the wrong

place, so he could understand why the woman was

upset.

3/17

“Hmph. You’re twenty-eight and still only earning

eighty-thousand a year. No wonder you’re doing so

poorly! Not only do you lack punctuality, but you also

don’t seem to take life seriously. You’re doomed to be

at the bottom of the social hierarchy your entire life!

I’m shocked you even have the guts to go on a blind

date with me… Stop being delusional!” the woman

scolded as she shot Emmanuel a look of contempt.

The next second, she grabbed her bag and stormed

off, not once bothering to leave her name.

To add insult to injury, she even waved a wad of cash

in front of Emmanuel’s face, then slapped it hard on

the table as payment for the bill.

4/17

The latter’s gaze darkened instantly as rage began

pulsing through his veins.

This woman is humiliating me! I may not have high

expectations for marriage, but that doesn’t mean I

don’t have a temper! Argh! As much as I want to make

her regret her actions, I know I don’t have that

capability…

Since the woman was gone, Emmanuel, too, left the

café glumly.

To his surprise, he had only just stepped out the door

when he saw a long-haired man deliberately colliding

into a BMW and screaming in pain.

Emmanuel couldn’t help but furrow his brows. Oh, gosh.

That man is clearly staging a car accident. Why is

there so much trouble in this café today?

“Ah! Someone’s been hit!”

“Argh! My leg’s broken! Murderer!”

Four men immediately rushed out to join the

commotion when the long-haired man fell on t

ground.

Those guys must be the co-conspirators!

Just then, a young lady hastily exited the BMW, clad in

a maroon sleeveless dress that revealed a large

expanse of tender, fair skin.

With her long, shapely legs and her cleavage peeking

out from the neckline, there was no denying that she

was incredibly sexy and alluring.

“What’s the matter? How could I have injured your leg

when I was driving so slowly?” she asked anxiously.

Seconds later, the long-haired man’s buddies

surrounded the woman, demanding compensation.

“Cut the crap! Pay up! Pay up now!”

Several people in the café had witnessed the staged

accident, but unfortunately, they were so afraid of the

big, burly men that no one dared to confront them.

“How much do you guys want?” the woman muttered

helplessly, having resigned herself to the fact that

she’d have to settle the matter with money.

The group of thugs, however, began leering at her

bosom and drooling over her.

“Haha. Hey, sexy, why don’t you have some fun with

us?” one of the men suggested as he shamelessly

tugged at her dress.

Just like that, what had started as a staged accident

quickly turned into public sexual harassment.

The pretty woman was so scared out of her wits that

she staggered backward until she bumped into

Emmanuel.

Instead of taking advantage of her like the other thugs,

Emmanuel stepped in front of her and glared at the

long-haired man.

“Your leg’s broken, and you’re asking for compensation,

huh?”

Upon seeing Emmanuel’s menacing expression, the

thugs felt chills down their spines.

At the same time, Mackenzie was sitting in the café

and watching the entire scene unfold.

Well, well, well. Who knew that man would be so brave?

I’m sure no one else would have the guts to go up

against five thugs.

The next second, Emmanuel stunned everyone by

viciously kicking the long-haired man’s leg.

“Argh!” the latter shouted in pain as he began hopping

on the leg that was supposedly broken.

Goodness gracious! That man is daring!

Mackenzie, too, had curled her lips into a smile.

The café was one of her properties, so naturally, she

had also seen how Emmanuel’s blind date went.

I thought he was a coward when he didn’t flare up

despite being splashed with water. Who knew he was

just a gentleman who doesn’t lose his temper with

women? I must admit, he looks rather charming when

he shows his tough side!

“What’s this? Didn’t you say your leg’s broken? I’m

mocked.

When the onlookers realized that the long-haired man

had lied about his injury, they wasted no time scolding

and criticizing him.

By then, the other thugs had also lost their bravado

and fell silent. After all, they knew the tables had

turned on them.

“Hmph. I’ll let you off this time, brat! You’d better watch

your back!” the long-haired man warned before

running away with his tail between his legs.

With that, the pretty woman gave Emmanuel a warm

smile and coyly gestured for him to get into her car.

“Hey, handsome, thank you so much for your help.

Would you like to go to my house for a drink?”

Emmanuel, however, brushed her off without a second

thought. “No, thank you. I have other things to do!”

Seeing how unmoved he was by her advances, the

woman couldn’t help but stomp her feet in frustration.

What the hell… Am I not sexy enough? I’ve already

made the first move, so why won’t he reciprocate?

Back in the café, Mackenzie heard her grandfather

burst into loud guffaws.

“Haha! I told you so, Mackenzie! Didn’t I say that man

has an excellent character? Your assistant, Lexi, is such

a beautiful woman, yet he refuses to give her the time

of day! Once you guys are married, you won’t have to

worry about him cheating on you!”

The more Mackenzie ruminated about Terence’s words,

the more her impression of Emmanuel improved.

I hate men because they’re always so lustful… However,

Emmanuel Lowe seems to be quite the exception!

“Don’t be too happy yet, Grandpa! Men are either after

looks or money,” Mackenzie uttered coldly before

getting up.

Ha! I doubt Emmanuel can pass my second secret test

of character!

Meanwhile, Emmanuel had gotten home after his

matchmaking session failed spectacularly.

Needless to say, his sister, Roselynn Lowe, was

frustrated beyond belief. “What? Another unsuccessful

blind date?”

This is the eighteenth time, for goodness’ sake! My

brother’s a six-foot tall, fit, and upstanding young man.

Why won’t any woman take a fancy to him? He may be

thick-skulled at times, but surely, someone will still

appreciate him for his good looks, won’t they?

Emmanuel’s mother, Alessandra Cadigan, seemed

even more anxious as she hurriedly dragged him out.

of the house.

“Mom, what are you doing?” Emmanuel asked, startled

by how panic-stricken Alessandra was.

“What am I doing? I’m worried sick about you!” the

woman scolded without breaking her stride. “I don’t

understand it, either. Our neighbor’s an unkempt

up at home, yet he’s already planning for his second

child! Why can’t my son get a girlfriend? That woman

didn’t even stay for the blind date, did she? I paid good

money to set this up for you! Let’s go see her at her

house right now!”

“What?” Emmanuel choked out.

Did I hear that right? I can’t believe Mom has gotten

this desperate! The matchmaking session was an utter

failure, so why must she still insist on dragging me to

the woman’s place? Wouldn’t I just be embarrassing

myself again?

Chapter 3

In any relationship, the party taking the initiative was

often seen as more lowly and desperate.

Therefore, upon seeing Emmanuel and his family at

her house, Milani Zimmerman wore an even haughtier

expression than when she was at the café.

Ha! I knew this loser wouldn’t be able to get over my

looks, so he’s come to badger me again!

Milani’s mother, Melody Claus, was just as smug when

she learned of the Lowe family’s intention.

“If your son wishes to marry my daughter, you’ll have

to give us a betrothal gift of five hundred thousand,”

she said as she raised her palm. “We won’t accept

anything less!”

Emmanuel’s heart instantly sank.

Oh, my goodness! Five hundred thousand? Is she

trying to sell her daughter?

Alessandra, however, gritted her teeth and nodded.

“T-That’s fine!”

As long as my son can get married, I’ll do anything to

make up for the betrothal gift, even if it means selling

the house!

how would she pay for the couple’s car and home?

“Sure. That’s no problem!” Roselynn piped up, even

going so far as to pull her brother back when she

realized he wanted to object.

She was just as eager for Emmanuel to start a family,

and at thirty years old, she had worked and saved up

enough to make the necessary down payments for

him.

Since Mom is settling the betrothal gift, I shall help

Emmanuel with the car and home!

“Lastly, he will bear all household expenses after the

wedding!” Milani suddenly said.

That, however, was the last straw for Emmanuel. “Are

you guys marrying off your daughter or selling her? I

don’t mind paying this much if she’s coming to work for

us as a housekeeper, but if she expects to be treated

like a princess or queen, you can forget it! I don’t need

that!”

“Look at your son! What’s with that attitude?” Milani

yelled. “We aren’t even married yet, and he’s already so

domineering. Wouldn’t it be worse down the road?”

“No, no, no… The marriage will work out. It’d work out

just fine!” Alessandra pleaded, desperate to finalize the

wedding.

I can’t wait any longer… I must fulfill my husband’s

dying wish by the end of the year!

Having seen how things were going, even Roselynn

knew she had to step in to persuade her mother.

“Mom! Stop forcing it!”

Manny’s right. There’s nothing wrong with giving a

betrothal gift, car, and house. However, asking him to

be the sole supporter of his family after the wedding is

too much! What about his wife, then? Why can’t she

chip in? Will she be sending her own money back to

her parents?

Just then, Milani’s younger brother, Jacob Zimmerman,

suddenly appeared with a cocky grin plastered on his

face. “Haha! Don’t forget about me, Milani! When it’s my

turn to get married, I’d be counting on you guys to buy

me my car and house too!”

Upon hearing that, Emmanuel instantly exploded with

rage.

“What the f*ck! Am I marrying your sister or your entire

family? I may as well support all of you!”

Even though Emmanuel had only meant that as an

Candy Crush Saga

Riches

angry remark, Milani decided to hold him to his word.

“Hah! You’d better remember what you just said! In

that case, I’ll leave you to plan and pay for the

wedding banquet and honeymoon. Don’t tell me you

can’t afford that…”

“Get lost! I’d rather marry a pig than a woman like

you!” Emmanuel retorted as the rage and ferocity he

used to experience on the battlefield came flooding

back.

8/18

He didn’t know what the Zimmermans were playing at,

but there was no doubt they were monsters.

“Look at yourself! You’re just an uncultured brute with

marriage! I’d rather marry a boar than you!” Milani

snapped back.

Given my qualities, I have no problem marrying a rich

man, so why should I settle for a pauper like

Emmanuel? I’m only too happy that he wants to fall

out with me!

After giving an exasperated laugh, Emmanuel stood up

and stormed off, leaving Alessandra and Roselynn with

no choice but to follow suit.

To their surprise, they had only just stepped out of the

Zimmerman residence when three luxury cars pulled

up in front of them.

The Zimmermans quickly popped out to see the

commotion and almost dropped their jaws when they

saw the car lineup.

Oh, d*mn! Those cars are worth tens of millions! What’s

going on? Since when were the Lowes that fancy?

Emmanuel, on the other contrary, seemed to recognize

one of the cars. Hmm… Didn’t I see that car outside the

café?

The next second, Terence stepped out of the car,

surrounded by his convoy of suited bodyguards.

He smiled as he approached Emmanuel and said

politely, “I’m here to return the favor, Mr. Lowe, after you

helped me outside the café!”

Needless to say, everyone was stunned.

Roselynn couldn’t hide her excitement and gripped her

brother’s arm tightly.

Ah! Isn’t this like those rags-to-riches stories?

The more Emmanuel thought about it, the more he

frowned. Wow… Who knew this old geezer was a

millionaire? Could he have intentionally fallen at the

café?

Terence waved his hand, and within seconds, his

subordinates had unloaded several boxes of gifts.

Not only were there precious stones and jewelry, but

there were also famous paintings, antiques, and even

a Porsche key.

The total value of the items had to be at least ten

million.

For someone who earned a mere eighty thousand a

year, ten million was an eye-watering amount of

money that Emmanuel could only dream of!

Upon witnessing the scene, the Zimmerman family

almost collapsed in shock.

Milani might be a well-dressed woman, but the truth

was, her family was just like any other average family.

To them, ten million was undoubtedly an astronomical

sum!

Sh*t. If I had known Emmanuel would become a

multi-millionaire, I’d have married him straightaway!

After snapping out of her daze, she smiled and hastily

clutched Emmanuel’s arm.

“What’s the matter, darling? Oh, wow… You’re so kind to

help the elderly! I love that about you!”

“Who’s your darling?” Emmanuel asked, embarrassing

Milani so much that she wanted to crawl into a hole.

As though that wasn’t enough, he brusquely pushed

her away and added, “Didn’t you just reject me? Why

are you still using honeyed words?”

“Uh… I-” Milani muttered, clearly at a loss for words.

Her family, too, was incredibly frustrated.

After all, they had just missed out on getting a wealthy

son-in-law!

Meanwhile, Alessandra was about to say something

when Roselynn tugged at her.

As much as I want Manny to start a family, I can’t let

him settle for the horrible Zimmermans! Besides, he’s

rich now! I’m sure he can find an even better woman!

“Mom, Roselynn, let’s go!” Emmanuel said before

ushering both women into the car.

He didn’t want to accept the gifts, especially since he

knew he hadn’t done anything to deserve them.

However, it wasn’t the time and place to discuss the

matter, so he decided to leave instead.

Once the Lowe family had left, a gust of cold wind

swept over the Zimmermans as they seethed silently.

16/18

“How could you have made such remarks earlier,

Milani? Do you think it’s easy to find a millionaire these

days?” Melody berated.

“W-What should I do now, then?”

In all honesty, Milani was at a complete loss. She had

gone on several blind dates to find a rich husband who

could give her a life of luxury.

Alas, who knew she’d let a multi-millionaire slip right

through her fingers?

17/18

“What else can we do? They’ve already come to our

place to ask for your hand in marriage. Can’t we do the

same?” Melody suggested.

Jacob, who was just as anxious, instantly exclaimed, “I

don’t care, Milani! You have to marry that

multi-millionaire! When my girlfriend and I get married,

you must give us a house and a luxury car! Otherwise,

I’ll disown you!”

“Okay, okay. I got it!” Milani replied with a long sigh.

Argh! Emmanuel and I left on such bad terms… Would

he still care about me?

Chapter 4

“Take all of these things back!”

Emmanuel had Terence take everything back after

hitching a ride.

“What?”

Terence wasn’t the only one shocked by Emmanuel’s

demand, though. Alessandra and Roselynn were just

as surprised as he was.

“These things are worth at least ten million! Are you

sure you don’t want them?” Terence asked again to

make sure his ears weren’t deceiving him.

Ten million may be a small figure for me, but it should

be an astronomical sum for this young man and his

family!

“That’s right; I don’t want them. My late father taught

me not to accept things I don’t deserve. I can’t be

accepting such expensive gifts simply for helping you,”

Emmanuel replied firmly.

Roselynn could only let out a helpless sigh when she

saw how noble he was.

Alessandra felt a little upset as she wondered when

Emmanuel would be able to find himself a girlfriend

and get married.

Chapter 4 Getting Married

“Haha! Very well, then!”

Terence nodded excitedly and brought the gifts home.

Fearing that Mackenzie wouldn’t believe him, he even

recorded the entire process and showed it to her as

proof.

3/20

“Do you see that, Mackenzie? I told you that man would

be able to pass the test! Now that you’ve lost the bet,

it’s time to honor your word and marry him! I want my

grandchildren!” Terence urged her.

Although Mackenzie said nothing in response, she was

not one to go back on her word. Since she had lost the

bet with her grandfather, she decided to take care of

things the next day. Otherwise, he would surely pester

her about it every day.

Emmanuel received a phone call from an unknown

number very early the next day.

“Since you refused to accept my gifts yesterday, I have

decided to introduce a potential wife to you instead.

You wouldn’t say no to this, would you, young man?”

This voice… It’s the strange old man from yesterday!

“Hey, old man, are you some kind of scammer or

something? Is this a new tactic to scam people out of

their life savings?” Emmanuel responded with a

chuckle.

Of course, he didn’t actually think Terence was a

scammer. He could tell from Terence’s aura that the

old man was incredibly wealthy.

However, he couldn’t seem to figure out why Terence

chose him out of everyone else.

Terence deliberately taunted him by saying, “Haha!

Yes, I want to scam you into marrying a woman. What’s

the matter? Are you scared?”

“What a coincidence! That’s the only thing I’m not

afraid of!” Emmanuel replied seriously.

Alessandra had been pestering him non-stop after his

eighteenth matchmaking session ended in failure

yesterday, so he was willing to marry any woman just

to shut her up.

“Then head over to City Hall right now with all the

relevant documents,” Terence instructed.

Fine! I’ll go! I’m not afraid of getting married!

With that in mind, Emmanuel did as told and headed

over to City Hall with all the relevant documents.

7/20

Terence had told him that the other party was a strong

and capable professional in the corporate world, so

Emmanuel did not have high hopes for her

appearance.

Being a gynecologist, he had gotten so used to seeing

the female body that he didn’t even care about her

figure.

All Emmanuel wanted was for her to have a decent

character.

At the very least, she would have to be better than

Milani.

His jaw dropped in shock when he arrived at City Hall

and saw the woman he was supposed to marry.

What? Mackenzie?

Her icy-cold aura and the red convertible she was in

was a clear indicator that she was from a wealthy

family. Despite how beautiful she looked, no guy dared

hit on her because she was clearly out of their league.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Come on over!”

Mackenzie called out to him.

Her gaze alone was enough to make Emmanuel

comply obediently.

That old man wasn’t lying when he said she was a

powerful woman in the corporate world! She has such

an authoritative and domineering air about her!

9/78

“Ms. Quillen? Are you the one who wants to marry me?”

Emmanuel asked as he was still in disbelief.

“What, you don’t want to marry me?” Mackenzie

retorted with a slight frown.

Man, that icy-cold aura of hers sure is scary! I bet she’s

still single because most guys are intimidated by her!

“Of course I do! I wouldn’t have come here otherwise!”

10/20

Emmanuel wasn’t sure if he was excited or afraid of his

situation.

Mackenzie may be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever

seen, but she seems a bit difficult to get along with. Oh,

well… I just need to get married to shut my mother up,

so it doesn’t really matter if we get along or not!

“Then let’s head inside and get this over with!”

Mackenzie said as she got out of the car and walked

right into City Hall.

Having gotten used to doing things by herself, she was

all alone even when getting married.

She was walking so fast that Emmanuel had to jog to

ik

keep up with her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider this? It’s not

too late to change your mind,” Mackenzie reminded

him when they were about to get registered as a

married couple.

Since she didn’t actually want to marry Emmanuel, she

hoped that he would change his mind. That way,

Terence would have no choice but to stop pressuring

her.

“For someone with a cold personality, you sure are

surprisingly hesitant and indecisive,” Emmanuel replied

with a nonchalant smile.

The look in Mackenzie’s eyes intensified when she

heard that. Her gaze was so sharp that it was as

though it could slice Emmanuel in half.

“You’d better not regret it, then!”

མ །

That was the final thing Mackenzie told him before

they got married.

Ten minutes later, the two of them walked out of City

Hall with their marriage certificate in hand.

Because Mackenzie had remained silent and

maintained an icy-cold expression the entire time, the

staff at the registration counter even wondered if they

had come to the wrong counter.

Are they here to get divorced or married?

13/20

“I’m only marrying you to fulfill a promise I made to my

grandfather, so don’t take this marriage too seriously.

You can just carry on with your life, and I’ll do the same

on my end. I won’t even care if you’ll be sleeping

around with other women,” Mackenzie said coldly.

Although a little hurt, Emmanuel couldn’t help but

smile in amusement when he heard that.

Did Mackenzie get our roles mixed up or something?

Usually, it’s the job of the sc*mbag husband to say

those lines to his wife.

“Oh, by the way, you mentioned that you haven’t

bought a house, right?” Mackenzie asked all of a

sudden..

“Yes, that’s right,” Emmanuel replied with a nod.

14/20

Mackenzie then handed him a set of keys, much to his

surprise.

As the CEO of Terence Group, she had gotten used to

being prepared.

Candy Crush Saga

“What’s the meaning of this?” Emmanuel asked.

“It’s a patriarchal world that we live in, so women are

expected to move in with their husbands. I refuse to

move into your house, so I got us our own place

instead. You can stay there from now on, but keep in

mind that I will hardly be around,” Mackenzie replied

with an expressionless look on her face.

“Is it just me, or am I being treated like a kept man?”

15/20

Emmanuel refused to accept the keys as his pride and

honor would not let him do so.

“Take the keys!” Mackenzie ordered coldly.

That authoritative tone and penetrating gaze were all

it took to make Emmanuel comply.

As expected of a powerful executive in the corporate

world! You just can’t bring yourself to defy her!

Emmanuel had no choice but to accept the keys. “Fine!

I suppose being a kept man is better than nothing!”

Since they were already married, getting into conflicts

over such trivial matters would only make his life even

more difficult.

“Goodbye!” Mackenzie said as she got ready to leave.

“Wait up, Ms. Quillen!” Emmanuel called out to her

while grabbing her by the wrist.

When Mackenzie turned around, however, her gaze

was so intense that Emmanuel quickly let go of her

hand.

“What else do you want?” Mackenzie asked coldly.

She disliked people, especially men, who were

indecisive and complained a lot.

“There are three things that we need to make clear.”

It was said that married couples had a tendency to

behave like each other. A bit of her personality was

already rubbing off on Emmanuel as he said in a

similarly professional tone, “First of all, I will need your

contact details. That way, I’ll be able to call you

whenever I need to. Just like how you married me to

satisfy your grandfather, I’m also doing it to satisfy my

mother. I’ll have to be able to reach you in case she

asks me about you, right?”

Despite Mackenzie’s cold personality, she was still a

reasonable person, so she agreed to his request. “Here,

you can reach me on WhatsApp.”

After saving her number, Emmanuel continued,

“Second of all, I will pay you a sum of five thousand

every month. You may think of it as paying rent for the

house or as me keeping my promise during our

་་་་་་ ་ ་་་་་

previous date.”

19/20

Mackenzie’s lips curled into a disdainful smile when she

heard that.

Given the amount of money she had, five thousand

was a ridiculously small figure for her.

Even so, she did not turn his offer down.

“Third of all, I want to know your plans regarding our

life as a married couple,” Emmanuel continued with a

serious look on his face.

Chapter 5

Marriage is not a child’s game. Now that we’re married,

we need to decide how we will do a certain something

that married couples do!

“Heh… As expected of a man!”

Mackenzie rolled her eyes when she heard that.

I knew it! Men and women do think differently, after all!

I care about our life as a married couple, but he’s only

concerned about our sex life!

“Unless you win my heart over, you can forget about

laying even a finger on me!”

“Very well, then!”

Emmanuel liked Mackenzie’s short and simple reply.

He never believed that a dense man like himself would

be able to win the heart of an ice queen like her. While

it was true that she could get his heart racing with her

beauty, that didn’t mean she would turn him on.

In fact, he even thought he was unable to be turned on

by women.

Hence, one of the main reasons he didn’t want to get

married was that he was afraid of not being able to

satisfy his wife sexually.

As such, Mackenzie’s refusal to have sex with him came

as a huge relief.

Mackenzie, however, wasn’t too pleased with his

response.

What the… This b*stard! I can tell he’s not faking it! I

know that most men wouldn’t dare express their

interest in me because of my cold personality, but that

doesn’t mean they don’t lust over me! I know I’m a very

beautiful woman, so why doesn’t this b*stard even

want to have sex with me? Is it because he’s a

gynecologist? I hate this so much!

The two then headed their separate ways after they

had made their terms clear with each other.

Emmanuel saw Milani at his doorstep with a basket of

fruits the moment he got home.

She looked like a completely different person with that

sweet smile on her face.

4/16

Disgusted by her pretentious behavior, Emmanuel told

her the truth right away.

“What? You rejected all of the gifts?”

Milani was shocked to the core when she heard that

he had returned the gifts worth ten million.

Oh, my goodness! Why would he do something so

stupid? Does he think he’s all high and mighty for

turning down those gifts? Ugh! Now I see why he’s so

unsuccessful in life! No one in their right mind would

ever want to marry a guy like him! They’d be poor for

life!

Alessandra came out of her room when she heard the

commotion. “Ah, Milani, you’re here! Come on in!” She

welcomed Milani excitedly when she saw the latter

standing at the door.

After all, that was the first time a woman had come to

see her son.

Alessandra was so desperate to marry Emmanuel off

that she didn’t even care if Milani’s family were a bunch

of horrible people.

To her surprise, however, Milani’s attitude changed

instantly.

“Sorry, but I’m really busy! Also, you can forget about

having me marry your son! He isn’t even worthy of

being my footstool, let alone my husband! I bet he’ll

never be able to find himself a wife! Goodbye!” Milani

shouted and stormed off immediately after.

Honestly, I don’t even know why my mom wanted me

to come visit him! This was such a huge waste of time!

Alessandra was left speechless by her sudden

outburst and change of heart.

What just happened? Why would she change her mind

so suddenly? Did she bring those fruits here just to

insult my son? What is wrong with her?

Emmanuel knew full well that Milani’s response was

due to the ten million that he gave up on.

Naturally, he had no interest in a gold-digger like her

either.

“My goodness! What a crazy woman she is!” Roselynn

exclaimed angrily when she came out and saw Milani

leaving.

M

She then turned toward Emmanuel and tried to

comfort him, saying, “You need to stay away from

women like her, Manny! Don’t take her words to heart!”

To her surprise, however, he didn’t seem to be

bothered in the slightest.

“Mom, Roselynn, I’m already married, so you two don’t

have to worry about me anymore.”

Alessandra and Roselynn were so shocked that they

both screamed in unison, “What?”

Roselynn’s voice was so shrill that she nearly shattered

the glassware in the house.

“Did you just say you’re married?”

“Who are you married to?”

“You’re not messing with us, are you, Manny? If I recall

correctly, you never had a girlfriend!”

Alessandra and Roselynn both fired questions at him

one after another.

Instead of trying to convince them, Emmanuel simply

whipped out his marriage certificate and showed it to

them.

The truth spoke for itself, leaving the two women

wide-eyed with shock.

Although the woman on the marriage certificate

looked gorgeous, they were still worried about her

personality.

“She looks hard to get along with!“

“Are you sure this isn’t some kind of scam?”

Emmanuel could understand their concerns, so he lied

to reassure them. “Don’t worry. She’s a woman I met

while I was a soldier at Northern Region. She’s a strong

woman and a perfectionist who cares a lot about her

image, so she didn’t want people to know about our

relationship. That’s why we’ve been keeping it a secret

all this while.”

“Ah, so that’s what happened…”

That explains why he refused to get himself a girlfriend

all these years! Turns out, he already had one all

along!

“I’m sorry for keeping it a secret from you two for so

long! I only did it to protect her career. Anyway, you

two no longer have to worry about me getting married.

Mackenzie and I will surely live a happy life together,”

Emmanuel reassured them, but they were still worried.

Roselynn was especially suspicious of his explanation.

If Manny already had a girlfriend all along, then why

did he wait until now to tell us about it? Why did he

waste his time attending those eighteen matchmaking

sessions? Oh, well… He must have his reasons for lying

to us, and I don’t want to make Mom worried by

exposing him.

“What does she do for a living, Manny? Why didn’t she

come home with you now that you two are married?”

Alessandra asked curiously.

No mother wouldn’t be curious about her

daughter-in-law, and Alessandra was no exception.

Emmanuel knew she would surely ask about

Mackenzie’s background, so he had prepared himself

to answer her questions.

“Mackenzie is a high-level executive in a huge

company, Mom. That’s why she can’t come home with

me.”

“What? Where will she stay, then?” Alessandra pressed

“She bought a house of her own, Mom. Now that we’re

married, I’ll be moving in with her soon.”

“…”

Alessandra’s eyes teared up all of a sudden.

Roselynn didn’t want Emmanuel to leave either, but

she tried to comfort Alessandra anyway. “Manny is a

grown adult now, Mom. It was only a matter of time

before he moved out. You want to have grandchildren,

don’t you? It’ll be hard for that to happen if he stays

with you all the time!”

Of course, Alessandra understood that very well. After

all, no woman would want to live with their in-laws

these days. It would be very inconvenient for them to

have sex at night, too.

Even so, Alessandra’s tears still refused to stop flowing.

“I won’t object to your relationship if you love her,

Manny. I just have one request. Could you bring her

over so I can have a look at her? Also, I want you to

arrange for both our families to meet each other.”

Alessandra’s sincere requests were actually very

simple ones, but they were incredibly difficult for

Emmanuel to fulfill.

There’s no way a woman like Mackenzie would be

willing to visit our house! I don’t know what her job title

is, but her attire and attitude alone show that she’s no

ordinary woman. I doubt I can even afford to pay for

the dry cleaning if we end up getting her clothes dirty!

As for meeting her parents, that’s practically never

going to happen. She said she only agreed to marry

me to satisfy her grandfather, so getting her to show

up here and put up an act for me is simply asking for

the impossible. What do I do now?

Chapter 6

“I’ll tell you about it after talking it through with her,

Mom.”

Emmanuel decided to leave things be for now.

Since he couldn’t agree or refuse, he had no choice but

to take it one step at a time.

“All right, then,” Alessandra responded. “Well, how

about you move out and go live with her today? Girls

love it when guys are romantic. It’s your wedding night,

so you’d better not leave her on her own! Take good

care of her. Do you understand?”

Wedding night? Emmanuel scoffed internally.

If that hadn’t even crossed his mind, then Mackenzie

certainly wouldn’t have thought of it either.

The woman had never even thought about

consummating their marriage.

There’s just no way it’d ever happen!

Still, he nodded at his mother and sister. “I’ll be off,

then. Take care of yourselves. Call me whenever you

need me.”

That alone was enough to make Alessandra and

Roselynn tear up again.

Given how Emmanuel’s father had died young, and the

two women had watched Emmanuel grow up, seeing

the only man in the family leave home made their

hearts heavy.

“Don’t cry, Mom. How are you going to have grandkids

if Manny doesn’t stay with your daughter-in-law?”

Roselynn urged, even though she couldn’t stop crying

herself.

The women spent a long while helping Emmanuel

pack his valuables.

Alessandra shoved a bank card into his hands just as

he was about to leave.

“What are you doing, Mom?”

The man hastily gave it back, knowing that his mother

only had one card. It was baffling that she was

handing him her social security fund.

There was no way he could accept it.

“Take it,” Alessandra insisted. “Your wife agreed to

marry you without you giving her any betrothal gifts.

She even bought a place for you two so you could live

together, so don’t let her down. Give her everything she

deserves! There are about sixty thousand on this card.

Go buy your wife a ring and some jewelry. Do you hear

me?”

Upon hearing that, Emmanuel felt his nose burn.

I’m such a horrible son. This is her retirement fund!

She’s already fifty-seven. What is she going to do if I

take all that she has left?

“Take it, Manny. It’s what Mom wants.”

Roselynn shot him a glance.

The young woman knew her mother well, so she was

aware that Alessandra would surely fear her

daughter-in-law leaving if Emmanuel didn’t do as she

asked.

Hence, the man had to take the money to ease her

mind and present it to Mackenzie-whether she

wanted it or not.

6/17

“If you really want to thank Mom, come back here with

your wife as soon as you can so we can take a look at

her,” Roselynn added.

In truth, she had her doubts. Her brother had gotten

into a blitz marriage, after all.

“I understand.”

With that, Emmanuel spun around and left quickly.

It wasn’t that he had no emotions; he just didn’t want

his family to see how red his eyes had become.

He felt so, so guilty now.

His mother had always wanted him to have a blissful

marriage, but instead, he had found himself a random

woman to take part in a mere act.

“The truth can never come to light-at least not until

she’s left this world,” the man muttered to himself,

feeling terrified all of a sudden.

There was no way Alessandra would be able to handle

it if she found out that this was all a show.

After leaving home, Emmanuel headed over to Yociam

Residence as instructed by Mackenzie via text

message.

The place was an upscale area in Yeringham and cost

over ten thousand per square meter.

There were many buildings there, but Mackenzie had

only told him that the apartment number was 1701

without mentioning the block number.

Good thing I had the sense to get her WhatsApp

contact outside City Hall. I’d better ask her now.

Thus, he left Mackenzie a voice message.

Yet, despite it being six in the evening, Mackenzie was

still in the middle of a meeting at work.

As the CEO of Terence Group, she never checked her

messages during meetings.

9/17

After waiting for a long while and not receiving a

response, Emmanuel figured that the woman’s current

circumstances didn’t allow her to listen to his voice

message, so he sent her a text message instead.

There was still no reply. The sky had turned dark, and

Emmanuel’s empty stomach ate at his patience.

Ultimately, he decided to video call her.

The man knew how aloof Mackenzie was and didn’t

really want to speak to her.

Mackenzie hadn’t added him to her contacts when

they exchanged numbers earlier. At present, she

suddenly heard her phone ring and glanced at the

screen impatiently.

This was an extremely rare occurrence.

10/17

Those who knew her understood that she would reply

to every text that mattered to her, but when it came to

people whom she didn’t bother responding to, not

even a video call would change her mind.

11/17

Seeing someone with the username Covertly

Magnificent with an unfamiliar profile picture call her,

the woman frowned and blocked his number instantly.

Strange. When did I ever give this person my contact?

From how she hung up, Emmanuel knew Mackenzie

had her phone with her and tried redialing her number.

Yet, he received a notification: This user only accepts

calls and messages from friends.

What the hell?

Emmanuel stared at the screen in a daze for a long

time.

She’s not messing with me, is she?

Thankfully, the man was smart enough to remember

that Terence was her grandfather.

Even though he didn’t have Terence’s number saved,

the latter had called him earlier this morning, so all it

took was a quick look at his call history to find it.

Candy Crush

12/17

13/17

“Hey, Gramps, what’s up with your granddaughter? She

told me to live with her at Yociam Residence, but she

ended up blocking my number! Are you guys just

playing around with me? Is this some sort of marriage

scam? It’s not like I have anything you can take from

me!”

Terence was instantly bereft of words.

She really does hate men…

“Calm down, young lad. I’ll call her right now!”

He tried his best to console Emmanuel, worried about

losing his new grandson-in-law.

The Quillen family was so powerful that even Terence

didn’t know how many more businesses Mackenzie

had established out there. He had to find out from her.

Meanwhile, Mackenzie was about to resume the

meeting when her phone rang again.

She wanted to hang up, but upon realizing that it was

her grandfather, she had no choice but to answer.

“What is it, Grandpa? I’m in a meeting now. Don’t you

know that?”

Like I care about your meeting! That’s not as important

as giving me a great-grandchild!

“Mackenzie, didn’t you ask Emmanuel to live with you?

He’s already at Yociam Residence, but he doesn’t know

which block it is!”

Oh, right.

Mackenzie finally recalled that she had gotten married

today.

Darn it! What was his name again? Seriously, men are

such a pain!

“Tell him we’re staying at Block B, Grandpa.”

Right after saying that, Mackenzie hung up so that her

grandfather wouldn’t be able to tell her to contact

Emmanuel herself. She didn’t know how to, anyway.

Upon hanging up, the woman noticed all the subtle

glances coming her way.

Of course, given that she was Terence Group’s CEO, no

one dared utter a word-except for a young lady who

leaned over with a giggle.

“Was that your husband, Mackenzie?”

Mackenzie shot her a glare, causing her to shut up

immediately.

The woman was none other than Mackenzie’s sister,

Beatrix. She was secretly glad to be the younger

sibling. Otherwise, she would have been the one

marrying that fine specimen of a man who had just

called her grandfather.

At the same time, she was also curious as to who on

earth could have the courage to take her

man-loathing sister as his wife.

Hehe. I wonder how long he’d be able to put up with

her temper. Three days? Or maybe he’d be done and

move out by the second day!

Candy Crush

Chapter 7

Being the magnanimous man that he was, Emmanuel

cast aside all his displeasure as soon as he found the

apartment and dragged his luggage in with him.

The unit was huge-more than twice the size of his

three-bedroom home-and the interior was lavishly

decorated.

The four-bedroom apartment felt a bit like a maze on

one’s first visit.

1/17

One thing that Emmanuel noticed, however, was that

although the unit was fully furnished, there didn’t seem

to be any fast-moving consumer goods.

Candy Crush Saga

That means she probably doesn’t live here on a

regular basis. Rich people sure love wasting what they

have, huh? I shared an eighty-square-foot home with

two family members, while this woman bought a

two-hundred-square-foot apartment and left it

unoccupied. If her grandfather hadn’t forced her to get

married, and she needed to use this place to keep me,

it probably would’ve stayed empty forever.

The man scoffed at his own thoughts.

Wait, “keep me?” I just made myself sound like I’m

living off her. That’s not what I’m here for! I just needed

to find a woman to spend my days with, and we’re

both getting something out of each other. Besides, I

Candy Crush Saga

much the same as paying rent.

Out of the four bedrooms, only the biggest one had

multiple closets filled with brand-new clothes.

This must be her lair.

There was an array of shirts and coats, but only three

pairs of underwear-all of which were either fully white

or black and made of cotton.

What a waste of a body like that. Why doesn’t she wear

something spicier?

Despite thinking that, Emmanuel had no interest in

touching her clothes and walked away. Then, he

picked the bedroom furthest from hers as his own.

Considering how much Mackenzie hated men, he knew

he was better off staying as far away from her as

possible.

Rumble.

Feeling his stomach growl again, Emmanuel headed

into the kitchen.

Seriously? All this premium cookware and equipment,

but no food! What’s the point? Am I supposed to eat a

frying pan?

Thus, the man decided it was time to make a trip down

to the nearby supermarket.

Since he couldn’t go back to his family for now, he

could only make this place his new home.

He was so hungry that he bought himself a bun before

doing his grocery shopping.

Back at Terence Group, the meeting had just ended,

and Mackenzie glanced at the time. It was already

past nine.

Per usual, her mind was filled with work as she walked

over to her Bentley.

The driver took her in the direction of the family

mansion.

“Stop!” she called out halfway through the journey.

“What’s the matter, Ms. Quillen?” the driver immediately

hit the brakes and asked politely.

The woman naturally didn’t answer him. In fact, she

had only just remembered that she was now married,

and Terence had warned her not to return to the

Quillen family mansion until she had given birth.

A woman should be wherever her husband was; this

was the country’s millennium-long tradition.

Regardless of her status, she still had to live with her

husband now that she was married.

“Turn around. Take me to Yociam Residence.”

“Yes, Ms. Quillen.”

That was all the driver responded with, despite his

curiosity.

As Mackenzie’s only remaining male driver, he wasn’t

going to risk losing his high-paying job by being

careless with his words.

It was past ten when Emmanuel returned to the

apartment.

7/17

He had left the lights on when leaving, so he didn’t

realize Mackenzie was already home, especially since

the place looked as tidy as before.

Drenched in sweat after grocery shopping, the man

took off his shirt and walked toward the bathroom,

only to freeze on the spot the moment he opened the

door.

He stared wide-eyed at the woman in the tub, having

lost his ability to blink.

Mackenzie was enjoying a bubble bath with her legs

sticking out of the tub, her pink toes looking like flower

buds in a field of snow.

Even though the bathtub was filled with bubbles,

Emmanuel could still vaguely see what was

underneath the water from where he was standing.

The woman’s figure was stunning beyond description,

and her skin shimmered like moonstone.

Thump.

Thump.

Emmanuel’s heart began to race again, and this time,

it was ten times faster.

Having seen so many women as a gynecologist, he

had never felt anything.

However, this time, he knew Mackenzie was different

from the rest.

“Are you done staring? Do you want me to carve out

your eyes?”

Instead of screaming, the woman threatened him icily

and glared at him with eyes that could kill.

She never locked the bathroom door as she was used

Candy Crush Saga

to staying alone, but she now regretted not doing that.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Quillen. I didn’t know you were back.”

Feeling goosebumps all over his skin, Emmanuel

hurriedly fled.

Despite acting calm initially, he leaned against the wall

immediately upon exiting the bathroom and gasped

for air.

Any second of delay, and I’d probably be dead. This is

exactly the problem with blitz marriages. You don’t

know the other person’s habits. Her eyes were so scary,

but my God, every inch of that body was just unreal.

To think that even he, a gynecologist, would feel this

way.

Meanwhile, Mackenzie clutched her chest while inside

the bathtub.

While she had managed to play it cool when the man

walked in, she now felt completely on edge after he

left.

I can’t believe a man saw my body! Sure, he’s my

husband, and it’s not like he was being creepy or

anything, but still! I feel so grossed out!

“I knew getting married was a bad idea…”

The woman sighed helplessly.

What if it’s all on purpose?

She had always been distrusting of others since she

was young, and when Emmanuel passed her two tests

so easily, she began suspecting him of having ulterior

motives.

I bet he knows I’m loaded, but he pretended not to

care about any of that just because Grandpa was

testing him.

Mackenzie refused to believe that there was someone

with no desires in this world, especially a man.

However, she could only keep up the act since she had

no proof.

After her bath, Mackenzie walked into the living room.

Emmanuel was sitting on the couch and pressing the

remote button aimlessly when he glanced up and

noticed her. Then, he felt his body tense up.

“Ms. Quillen, from now on, could you please put on

some underwear after your bath?” Emmanuel

requested sincerely.

What kind of man could resist such a beautiful and

alluring woman like Mackenzie walking around in

nothing but a thin nightgown?

Even Emmanuel, who had a higher resistance due to

his profession, could feel his body temperature rising.

“Hmph! It’s not like I knew you’d be waiting for me out

here in the living room.”

The woman stared at him with frosty eyes.

What woman wears her underwear after a bath? That’s

such a hassle!

She loved living without care, so having a man in her

house now made things unbearable for her.

Candy Crush Saga

“I’ll go to my room, then.”

Emmanuel got up to make his escape.

This woman’s way too cold. I thought of having a chat

with her to win her over slowly, but I guess I

overestimated myself. I don’t even know what to say to

her now! How am I supposed to continue living with

her?

As Beatrix had anticipated, he was beginning to waver.

Yet, the man heard a loud thud the moment he turned

to leave.

He then glanced back and saw Mackenzie kneeling on

Candy Crush Saga

the floor, seemingly in pain.

The sight of her collar loosening while she had no

undergarments on made Emmanuel feel as though his

soul had been captured.

“Ms. Quillen! What’s wrong?”

Chapter 8

Emmanuel hurried over to help Mackenzie up, but his

hand stopped in the air abruptly when he sensed an

intimidating aura around her.

He hesitated, wondering if he should touch her.

Looking at the motionless woman with beads of sweat

trickling down her forehead, he eventually mustered

his courage and picked her up.

To his surprise, she felt much lighter than he expected

for a five-and-a-half-foot-tall person.

In fact, he reckoned she weighed only around a

Chapter & Go Home With Me

hundred and ten pounds.

“D-Don’t touch me!”

Mackenzie still managed to shoot him a steely glare

despite the gripping pain she felt.

It was nothing compared to how much she detested

the touch of a man, let alone being carried by one.

Goosebumps broke out across her body the moment

Emmanuel touched her.

The man evaded her hostile eyes and gently put her

down on the couch, saying, “Just look at you. You don’t

eat regularly. That’s why you’re having stomach flu

now.”

Wait. How does he even know that? We’ve only known

each other for a day!

Mackenzie was taken aback by how much Emmanuel

knew about her, but before she could respond,

Emmanuel had lifted her nightgown.

“W-What do you think you’re doing? I’ll kill you!”

Mackenzie exploded in a burst of energy, twisting

Emmanuel’s arm.

There was no way she would let a man like him take

advantage of her, especially when she was a daughter

of the Quillen family and had been practicing martial

arts her whole life.

Despite how painful the grip was, Emmanuel did not

fight back. “I’m just trying to help ease your pain,” he

explained, gritting his teeth.

Looks can be deceiving, man. She’s not ladylike at all,

despite how gorgeous she is!

“A-Aren’t you a gynecologist? Do you know internal

medicine too?”

Mackenzie had doubts, but there was no time for that.

Another sharp spasm of pain struck, forcing her to let

go of Emmanuel and hold her stomach.

“I can well call 911 if you don’t trust me, but you’ll have

to endure the pain until you reach the hospital.”

Candy Crush Saga

Hearing this, Mackenzie took her phone to make a call,

for there was no way she would swallow her ego and

let Emmanuel have his way, but when the latter saw

her curl into a ball because of the pain, he swept her

phone aside and squatted down in front of her.

5/17

Then, Mackenzie felt a big, warm palm lifting her gown

right after, but she did not stop him.

With Me

Besides, she figured she should trust Emmanuel once,

since she could break him into pieces later if she found

out he was purely taking advantage of her.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel felt his heart start pounding

vigorously when he saw Mackenzie’s pair of fair and

flawless legs.

In fact, he gulped without even knowing when he lifted

her skirt.

As a gynecologist, he had never felt a sense of

irresistible attraction toward any woman except for

Mackenzie, but he quickly collected his thoughts and

rubbed his hands before warming her stomach with

6/17

the heat from his palms.

“Urgh…”

Mackenzie finally felt more comfortable when a rush of

warmth went through her stomach, dispelling the pain

from earlier.

Then, Emmanuel repeated the gesture a few times and

massaged her lower abdomen.

Oh, her abs are tight and toned. She must be

disciplined enough to work out regularly.

“W-What is this you’re doing?” Mackenzie asked, biting

her lower lip.

She had always abhorred men’s touch, but this time, it

felt different when Emmanuel touched her.

Although the sense of distaste was still there,

Mackenzie felt good and embarrassed simultaneously.

The feeling perplexed her.

“I’m applying pressure on your acupoints,” Emmanuel

answered, looking down to avoid eye contact. As his

gaze lowered, he could not help but steal a glance at

Mackenzie’s legs.

She’s truly a work of art!

Little did he know, Mackenzie was watching his every

move.

I knew it. This man is finally showing his true colors.

They all put up a front as if they are true gentlemen

before they marry you, but the truth is that all men are

the same. They’re all perverts.

“How are you feeling?” Emmanuel asked suddenly.

“I’m fine already. You should stop touching me now,”

Mackenzie instructed coldly.

Emmanuel did as she told, but on second thought, he

reminded, “What’s with this aversion? I’m your

husband. Besides, I’m just trying to help you.”

Mackenzie bit her lower lip and scoffed.

10/17

Seriously? I don’t understand why human reproduction

has to happen between a man and a woman. I bet

other women feel uncomfortable about it too!

“Let me make you something to eat. Also, make sure

you don’t work overtime with an empty stomach next

time,” Emmanuel remarked, standing up to leave.

“Are you doing this as a doctor or as a husband?” she

asked indifferently.

“Is that even important?”

Pfft. Does she have to be so serious?

Mackenzie ignored that question and informed

instead, “I’m turning in at eleven, so make sure not to

disturb me after that.”

Emmanuel rolled his eyes and smiled in resignation. I

swear, getting along with a company executive is

harder than working at the hospital.

Ten minutes later, Emmanuel headed to her room and

knocked on the door with a plate of spaghetti with egg.

The sight baffled Mackenzie when she opened the

door.

“Did you buy the ingredients? Wait. Do you also know

how to cook?”

“Of course I bought groceries. Your kitchen is literally

empty. Do you think the food just dropped from

heaven?”

With that, Emmanuel entered the room with the food

and placed the plate on the table. “Eat it while it’s still

warm. You’re not supposed to be eating anything

cold.”

“Are you seriously telling me what to do?” Mackenzie

asked, slightly amused.

She was still not used to living together with a man.

Before this, not even her mother dared to tell her what

to do, so it caught her off guard when Emmanuel did

that.

I’m the CEO of Terence Group. Who dares to boss me

around?

“This is just a friendly reminder,” Emmanuel replied

sternly all of a sudden. “You’re my wife and, more so

now, a patient, so you should listen to me.”

A frown crept on Mackenzie’s brows as she stared at

the man.

In the end, she gave up arguing with him and started

eating, but when she saw the cheap food, she could

not help but frown again.

“Is this even edible?”

“You won’t die from a tasteless meal, but you’ll

definitely suffer if you go through the night with an

empty stomach!”

Emmanuel was on the verge of losing his temper-he

could not understand why Mackenzie could be so

intractable.

At last, Mackenzie budged and spun the pasta with her

fork.

She began to chew slowly before her face abruptly

changed.

“Mm! This is pretty good. I hope I don’t gain weight

from an occasional late-night treat,” she commented.

For the first time, Mackenzie thought living with a man

was not entirely a bad idea, for it sure felt different

from having a housekeeper at home.

Her behavior rendered Emmanuel speechless.

I guess a woman will always be a woman. She might

be a misandrist, but she still cares about her body

image, just as all other women do. Her beauty is all she

lives for.

“I’m done. Is this fine?” Mackenzie asked Emmanuel like

a patient seeking approval from their doctor after only

taking two bites of the food.

Emmanuel was exasperated.

I can’t understand how someone can be this difficult! I

made this specifically for her, yet she only takes two

bites of it!

Knowing there was no point in trying to change her

mind, Emmanuel held his dissatisfaction and collected

the plate and cutlery before leaving.

“By the way,” he suddenly voiced out when he almost

reached the door. “When will you be free to go home

with me? My mom would love to meet you.”

His heart thudded loudly with anxiety as he waited for

an answer.

Chapter 9

Given Mackenzie’s fussiness, Emmanuel knew that

things would turn out bad whether she agreed to go

home with him or not.

“I’m sorry, but my schedule is full. I won’t have time this

entire week,” she answered.

Emmanuel nodded at her reply, which, weirdly enough,

made him both disappointed and relieved.

Well, as I thought, it won’t be easy to get her home to

meet my family.

“Hold on!”

Emmanuel saw a ray of hope when Mackenzie called

out just as he was about to leave the room.

Did she change her mind? Don’t tell me she’s found a

suitable time to go home with me.

To his dismay, he saw Mackenzie holding out a bank

card toward him when he turned back.

“What is this?” he asked with a frown, confounded.

He had no idea why Mackenzie was giving him money,

especially when he had not given Mackenzie the sixty

grand his mother earned with all her hard work

because he suspected their marriage might be a

scam.

What is going on?

“I don’t want that kind of cheap food at home

anymore. There’s a hundred thousand in this card, so

use it to buy whatever is needed for our home. I hope

you can find time to do some shopping for the house.

We do need a lot of things here. Just let me know if you

need more money.”

From her no-nonsense way of talking, one would easily

think Mackenzie was assigning a task to Emmanuel at

work.

Upset by how absurd the whole situation was,

Emmanuel pushed the card back, insisting, “I’m the

man of the house, and I have a job too. I don’t need

you to pay for anything I’m using.”

His response elicited a frown from Mackenzie.

What’s with this fake chivalry? We’re already married.

Did he really not agree to this because of my money

and body?

Having spoken his piece, Emmanuel turned to leave

without even mentioning the sixty grand his mother

intended to give to Mackenzie as her betrothal gift. He

figured it would be a joke to her.

The next day, Emmanuel went to work at the hospital

as usual.

4/19

Since it had only been two years since he retired from

the military, he was only in charge of running various

tests and procedures at the Department of

Gynecology instead of being a doctor-in-charge.

“Emmanuel! Did you go on a blind date again

yesterday?”

THE

4

2

His best friend’s voice rang out from behind him.

Before Emmanuel could reply, Frederick Lewis had

lifted his arm and put it across Emmanuel’s shoulder.

The two were close to one another since their

friendship dated back to the time when they were

classmates in middle school. After Emmanuel retired

from the military, they met again as colleagues.

“How did the date go?” Frederick asked out of curiosity

when he saw Emmanuel nodding.

“It didn’t go well.”

A resentful smile broke out on Emmanuel’s face as he

recalled the blind date with Milani that went south.

“Seriously? That was your eighteenth date!” Frederick

exclaimed with a face full of regret.

“Did you do what I taught you? You should set your

bottom line out there right at the beginning of a date. I

can’t believe not a single one of them is willing to give

you a chance.”

Like Roselynn, Frederick believed that Emmanuel was a

fine catch, although he could be a little clueless

sometimes. Hence, he found it unbelievable that none

of the women fell for Emmanuel’s looks.

“You know what? I think I’m messing up every single

date exactly because I’m doing what you told me to

1. The date just fails every time I tell them I’m earning

eighty grand a year!” Emmanuel complained.

“Then you should improvise! Talk about something

else!” Frederick argued, glaring at him.

Emmanuel kept quiet at his retort, for he had

deliberately mentioned his salary during the dates

because he did not want any of it to work out.

8/19

“What can I say? Women these days are very practical

and materialistic.”

“Tell me about it,” Frederick whined. “It’s hard finding

someone who’s not materialistic. It’ll be a rare find if

you get one.”

Emmanuel understood where Frederick was coming

from, since the latter had remained unmarried since

his girlfriend ditched him for a man from a wealthy

family.

“Whatever. I have to go see my mom now. She’s

coming over for a check-up today. Can you take over

those patients who are doing their medical certificate

tests?”

“Sure,” Emmanuel agreed as Frederick left in a hurry.

After that, Emmanuel went into the chest X-ray room.

Soon enough, a woman entered with a medical slip.

“Please take off your clothes and stand in front of the

machine,” Emmanuel instructed mechanically while he

took the medical slip from the patient, as he always

did, but he was stunned the moment he saw the name

on the paper.

Milani Zimmerman?

“It’s you!”

The agitated woman pointed her finger at Emmanuel

when he looked up.

11/19

“You sicko! Are you trying to see my body? How is it

that a male doctor is doing a chest X-ray for women?

There’s no way I’m going through with this. I demand to

change to another doctor!” Milani shrieked.

At the uproar, other patients in the department began

to gather around, whispering among themselves.

Some came forward in support of Milani, arguing that

a female doctor should be in charge since the

check-up concerned their privacy, while others

reiterated that there was no need to make a big fuss

since doctors were professionals.

What happened was nothing new to Emmanuel, as

similar occurrences have taken place frequently over

the past two years.

In a situation like that, patients would usually give in in

the end since Emmanuel had a reliable look to him, but

that was not the case that day when Milani refused to

budge no matter what.

い

46

“You’re such a dirty loser. I finally see why you can’t find

a wife. I bet you came to this department because you

are a pervert and want to check out women’s bodies!”

Milani became more aggressive when she saw that

Emmanuel did not intend to call another doctor for her

check-up.

“What’s going on?”

13/19

The commotion had attracted Frederick and the other

gynecologists.

“Milani?”

When Frederick saw it was Milani-the prettiest girl two

grades below his back at middle school-he rushed

over to explain, “There must be a misunderstanding,

Milani. We are professionals in the industry. We don’t

prey on our patients. We treat men and women all

alike.”

“Lies! Do you think I’ll really buy all this bullsh*t? Did you

say you guys treat men and women all the same?

Well, then, why do both of you want to marry a

woman?” Milani raged.

Infuriated by her scathing riposte, Frederick fought with

Milani until the head of the department finally

arranged for a female doctor to do the X-ray for Milani

after finding out what had happened.

At the end of the day, the disaster seemed to have

affected Frederick more than it did Emmanuel.

“Do you know her, Emmanuel? She was two grades

below us. Apparently, she was the campus belle back

་་་་་་་

at Yeringham Middle School, but look at her! She’s a

snob! Who does she even think she is? She’s not even

that special! None of the other female patients had a

problem with us!”

When Frederick had finally finished his tirade,

Emmanuel smiled weakly at him, saying, “She was

actually my eighteenth date.”

“She what?”

15/19

Appalled, Frederick fell silent for a long while until he

finally commented, “She’s got the looks, though. Why

does she even need to go on blind dates? Actually, do

you think something’s wrong with her biologically? Is

that why she refused to let you run an X-ray on her?”

Emmanuel had no clue what was the reason for

Milani’s misbehavior, so he simply smiled.

16/19

“Is it because her breasts are asymmetrical? Is she sick

or something?”

Emmanuel was still quiet, leaving Frederick to make all

the wild guesses himself.

Suddenly, Frederick stopped talking altogether when

he caught a shadow beside him.

17/19

The next thing he knew, Milani was already right before

him.

“Cut the crap out! You’re the sick one here! In fact, both

of your families are sick. You two losers can never hope

to nab a woman like me. That’s why you two will be

single for the rest of your lives!”

Milani did not leave until she had taunted the two to

her heart’s content.

Behind her, the mortified Frederick made a face at her,

dissing, “I’ve never met such an arrogant woman!”

Emmanuel could not agree with his friend in that

respect, for the woman he had married at first sight

was equally overbearing, except for the fact that

Mackenzie was more tolerable.

“All right. I’d better go get my mom’s report,” Frederick

noted before rushing off to the CT scan room.

Also concerned about the result, Emmanuel followed

after him.

When he saw Frederick shaking with the report in his

hands from the door, Emmanuel knew something must

be wrong.

“What is it?”

Emmanuel dashed over, sensing that things had taken

a bad turn.

He was aghast when he beheld the scan image.

This is end-stage lung cancer!

Chapter 10

Frederick was in utter shock at that diagnosis.

Just then, a doctor from the internal medicine

department approached him and said, “Your mom’s

cancer is already at the advanced stage. She needs to

be operated on immediately. Otherwise, her life will be

in danger!”

Frederick’s voice was shaking as he asked, “How… How

much does the surgery cost?”

“Three hundred thousand. Any additional procedures

will be charged separately.” The doctor left after saying

that.

Being a doctor at the hospital, Frederick knew the

hospital policies well. He was aware that the surgery

would only be arranged after payment was made.

“Emmanuel, what should I do now? I don’t have three

hundred thousand!”

Frederick was at a loss as to what to do.

He had only been working at the hospital for two years,

and most of his income had been spent on his

#

H

IN

4

younger sister’s college education. As such, he did not

have much savings left.

“Don’t worry, we will think of something!” Emmanuel

comforted his friend.

2/21

After a pause, he shoved the bank card that

Alessandra had given to him into Frederick’s hand and

said, “Take this first. There’s sixty thousand in here.”

“T-This… Isn’t this your mom’s bank card? How can I use

this money?” Frederick’s body was trembling as his

eyes welled up with tears.

That was his best friend’s mother’s hard-earned

money, and it did not feel right for him to use it.

“Don’t worry about that. The current priority is to save

your mom!” Emmanuel insisted that Frederick keep the

bank card.

“But even with this, I still don’t have three hundred

thousand! A hundred thousand is the most I can

scrape together by today,” Frederick replied in a

quavering voice, sounding as if he was on the verge of

bursting into tears.

“Besides, I really can’t take your mom’s money. I don’t

know how long it will take for me to repay it…”

Emmanuel felt rather helpless as well upon seeing the

agonized look on Frederick’s face.

At that moment, Milani happened to walk past and

noticed the interaction between the two men.

“Ha! Don’t you guys find it embarrassing for two grown

men to be seen crying in the hospital?”

Milani had always looked down on Emmanuel and had

just fought with Frederick earlier. Obviously, she would

not miss the chance to mock them upon witnessing

the scene.

“Milani, just shut up!” Emmanuel chided the woman for

her sarcastic remarks.

6/21

As Frederick was already devastated by the news of

his mother’s cancer diagnosis, Emmanuel could not let

Milani rub salt into the man’s wound.

6/21

However, unexpectedly, when Frederick saw Milani, he

took the initiative to plead with her, “The most beautiful

Milani, judging by your glamorous appearance, you

must be very rich, right?”

Taken aback by the man’s unusual attitude, Milani took

a few steps back and asked cautiously, “W-What do

you want?”

“Please lend me two hundred thousand! My mom has

just been diagnosed with cancer and needs to be

operated on immediately. Please, I’m begging you! I

will return the money once I have it!” Frederick pleaded

with Milani desperately. He was that close to going on

his knees, but the woman still had no intention of

lending him any money.

7/21

Besides the fact that she did not have that much

money, even if she had, there was no reason for her to

lend it to him.

“Hah! You’re out of your mind. I don’t have two hundred

thousand to lend you.”

Taking a pause, she continued, “That’s why poor

people are so pathetic. You can’t even afford your

mother’s surgery expenses. Is it any wonder no woman

wants to marry you?”

Not only did Milani not agree to help, but she also

added insult to injury before she walked off.

8/21

Frederick was burning with anger after the woman left.

If Emmanuel had not stopped him, he would have

beaten her to a pulp!

“Frederick, calm down!” Emmanuel held Frederick in a

tight embrace, trying his best to comfort his friend,

who was on the verge of breaking down.

Frederick eventually managed to cool off. If he had

beaten Milani up, he would have been arrested, and

there would be no one to find the money to fund his

mother’s surgery.

Frederick proceeded to contact people in his phone

book, including those he was not close to. He made

more than ten calls consecutively, asking to borrow

money from them.

In order to help his friend, Emmanuel also reached out

to some people he knew.

Despite their efforts, the two men had only managed

to borrow seventy thousand in total, which was not

even a third of the three hundred thousand they

needed.

Chapter 10 Emmanuel Has a Wife

“What should we do? My mom might die if she delays

getting the surgery!” Frederick finally broke down and

started sobbing in front of Emmanuel.

10/21

Emmanuel let out a sigh and said, “Please don’t cry. Let

me try asking my wife. I’m sure she will lend it to you!”

In reality, Emmanuel was not sure if Mackenzie would

agree to help.

However, both of them had run out of ideas.

With their social status, it wouldn’t be easy for them to

borrow three hundred thousand in such a short period

of time.

Chapter 10 Emmanuel Has a Wife

“Your wife?” Frederick was so shocked that his tears

11/21

stopped at once. “Emmanuel, have you gone crazy as

well? Since when did you have a wife?”

Not knowing how to explain the situation, Emmanuel

merely smiled helplessly before calling Mackenzie.

After the previous day’s incident, Emmanuel had

memorized Mackenzie’s number in case she blocked

him on WhatsApp again.

“Hello. What’s up?”

Emmanuel was relieved that the woman had picked

up his call. Besides, from the clear tone and steady

pace of her voice, it did not seem like she was in a

meeting or in a rush.

12/21

“Ms. Quillen, I would like to borrow some money from

you,” Emmanuel stated the purpose of his call directly

without beating around the bush.

Ms. Quillen? Frederick was stunned. Is she really his

wife? Why would he be addressing his wife that way?

“Borrow money?”

Mackenzie froze at Emmanuel’s words. After returning

to her senses a moment later, an amused smirk crept

across her face.

Before receiving Emmanuel’s call, she was having

doubts after what happened the night before, thinking

that the man might not have married her for her

money after all. Is he already showing his true colors?

Despite her skepticism, she asked, “How much do you

need?”

“One hundred and twenty-eight thousand!” Emmanuel

replied at once.

Frederick and he had managed to pool together one

hundred and seventy-two thousand thus far, so that

was the remaining balance they needed.

Mackenzie’s curiosity was aroused at once. “You

rejected it when I offered you a hundred thousand last

night. Now you’re asking to borrow one hundred and

twenty-eight thousand from me?”

“Yup. Will you lend it to me?” Emmanuel asked

casually.

He never liked explaining himself, and neither did he

want to act pitifully in front of his wife.

Beep… Beep…

Chapter 10 Emmanuel Has a Wife

Mackenzie hung up the phone without replying.

A crease appeared between Emmanuel’s brows when

he heard the disconnection tone.

What kind of a reply is that? Is it a rejection?

15/21

Frederick had yet to fully process the situation, but

Emmanuel did not sound like he was talking to his wife.

It felt more like he was requesting a favor from his

superior!

“Emmanuel, maybe I should try borrowing from loan

sharks instead…”

Frederick did not want to put his best friend in a

difficult spot. It was too late for him to take out a loan

through proper channels, but Frederick was confident

that loan sharks would lend him a hundred thousand

straight away.

10/21

“You can’t do that!” Emmanuel objected. “You would be

in deep trouble if you failed to repay them on time.”

Ding!

While the two of them were feeling torn, Emmanuel

suddenly got a text on his phone: You have received

Has a Wite

two hundred thousand wired to your account from

Mackenzie.

What the heck?

17/21

Frederick could hardly believe his eyes when he saw

the message. Fixing his gaze on Emmanuel, he said

with envy, “Oh my goodness! Is this woman really your

wife? She… Is she very rich?”

He was certain that she had no lack of money, seeing

that she had instantly transferred Emmanuel two

hundred thousand, almost twice the amount the latter

had asked for.

Emmanuel simply smiled without replying. He could

not help but feel embarrassed when he saw the look

on Frederick’s face. It was as though the latter was

envious of him living off a woman!

Moreover, apart from knowing that Mackenzie was a

senior executive at a company, he had no idea about

her true identity and how wealthy she was. Hence, he

was unable to answer Frederick’s question.

“Take it and ask the hospital to arrange for your mom’s

surgery immediately!” Emmanuel said while

transferring the money to Frederick.

“Thank you! Please help me thank your wife too. Tell

her I will return her money as soon as I can!” Tears of

gratitude flowed down Frederick’s cheeks.

He was immensely thankful to the couple for lending

him a helping hand in this time of crisis, thereby

solving all his problems.

“No rush. Don’t worry about this now!” Emmanuel

reassured with a smile.

From the looks of it, he was sure that Mackenzie was

not hard up for the money.

That being said, he would still try to pay her back as

soon as possible. After all, he did not want Mackenzie

to mistake him for a gold digger.

Milani had just finished settling her bill when Frederick

approached the counter to make payment.

Upon seeing him, she was stunned that Frederick had

managed to scrape together three hundred thousand

so quickly.

She could not believe that the pauper who was

begging her to lend him two hundred thousand just a

moment ago had gotten the money to pay for the

surgery in the blink of an eye.

“Ha! I bet you went to a loan shark, didn’t you? Be

careful of the compounding interest. You might end up

having to pay them with your life!” Milani mocked.

Frederick did not like the woman in the first place. After

hearing what she said, he retorted sharply,

“Emmanuel’s wife lent me the money. In fact, she

transferred two hundred thousand to Emmanuel’s

account right after he asked. Thank goodness

Emmanuel wasn’t interested in a woman like you.

Otherwise, his life would be so sad!”

What?

Milani was in utter disbelief when she heard that.

Emmanuel’s wife?

That pauper has gotten himself a wife?