SWNOVELS 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. The cries came from an old man who had fallen on the roadside. Many
pedestrians walked past him, but no one dared to stop and help him to his feet. After all, helping the old
man could be more trouble than it was worth if one ended up with an expensive lawsuit for injuring him
further. No one would do something that risky and foolish. It did not deter Emmanuel from stepping
forward and helping the man to his feet. He asked, “Are you all right, sir?” “I’m fine! Thank you so
much, young man! It’s so hard to find people as kind as you these days. I must repay 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? 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!”
Pfft! 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. Isn’t that fate? 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!”