《Mistaken Match Marrying the Enigmatic CEO》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 I know, Mom. Im in front of the caf. Call youter! Emmanuel Lowe hung up on his mother impatiently. The twenty-eight-year-old man had never been in a rtionship. 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, Emmanuels 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. s, 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 caf, 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 mans attire was at odds with his airs. Despite his tattered clothes, the old mans clean hands looked like those of a man ustomed to wealth. Still, he had no time to satisfy his curiosity. After confirming that the old man was unharmed, Emmanuel rushed into the caf for his blind date. He never once considered being repaid for his kind act earlier. The caf was ma*sive and practically structured like a maze. Emmanuels mother mentioned that his blind date was seated at table number eight. He wandered through the confusing caf, 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-tranted 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 arge number eight sign on the womans table. Shes my blind date? He took a deep breath to calm himself before approaching her table and taking a seat opposite her. The young womans expression grew increasingly bbergasted. 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 hes going to sit opposite me like its nobodys business? More surprisingly, Emmanuel noticed arge number eight sign on the womans table. Shes my blind date? He took a deep breath to calm himself before approaching her table and taking a seat opposite her. The young womans expression grew increasingly bbergasted. 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 hes going to sit opposite me like its nobodys 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, dering, Hi! My name is Emmanuel Lowe. Im twenty-eight years old, and I work as a gynecologist. I make eighty thousand a year and dont 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 an introduction of her own. Nice to meet you. Im Mackenzie Quillen. Im twenty-seven years old with dual doctorates in finance and business administration from Harvard University. I made three billionst 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 gs. Mackenzie, however, was arguably wless. Wheres the catch? Perhaps shes mental? Or crippled? Or infertile? All sorts of fantastical theories filled Emmanuels 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 dered, I dont make much, but if you decide to date me, I promise Ill always protect and cherish you. Ill take over all the household chores so you can be a queen at home. Of course, I hope youll 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 apparentck of shame at his much lower sry. A long whileter, she burst into a chuckle. She had never met a man who could humor her so. What are youughing about? Unimpressed by her reaction, Emmanuel continued, I know I dont check all the boxes, but I promise Ill be a good and responsible husband if were married! Mackenzie failed to keep in her snigger. An annoyed Emmanuel demanded, Why are you rather rude? Sir, youre a very good man! Mackenzie stopped smiling and retorted coldly, But I think youre the confused one here. Im not here for a blind date! Huh? What is going on? Emmanuels eyes widened in horror as he sputtered, Isnt this table number eight? Yes, but this is the VIP area. You must be looking for table number eight in themon dining area. Please go out and turn right! She pointed a slender finger at the exit. I Sorry! Im so sorry! I mixed things up! Emmanuel wished he could sink into the floor in embarra*sment. He jumped to his feet, ready to make a hasty escape. That was so embarra*sing! How could I sit at the wrong table for a blind date? No wonder she was shooting above my weight! Shortly after Emmanuels departure, an old man entered Mackenzies private room, escorted by four ck-d 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 caf! He implored, Perhaps this is fate, Mackenzie. Youre twenty-seven, but youve never been in a rtionship because of your misandry. No man would daree near you! But that young man seeded! Hes also a kind and just person. A while ago, he helped me outside the caf and didnt expect a reward for his actions! The old mans true identity was Terence Quillen, chairman of Yeringhams 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 pa*sed away before him. They either had no children of their own or only left daughters behind. Mackenzie was Terences 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 caf 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 grandfathers words. Grandpa, he may have pa*sed your test, but he hasnt pa*sed mine. Ill marry him if he aces my test. She wanted to fulfill her grandfathers wish, but she naturally wished to promise herself to a good man. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Marrying a man after one blind date was simply too hasty and careless. Terences gaze lit up expectantly, and he replied, All right! Im sure he will pa*s your test! Chapter 2 Chapter 2 After turning right at the door, Emmanuel finally found table number eight in themon dining area. Sure enough, a woman was seated at the table, looking like she was running out of patience. Dressed in professional attire that entuated her beautiful curves, she was, by all means, a sight to behold. Even though she didnt 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 wasnt 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 Imte! My names Emmanuel Lowe. Im twenty-eight years old, and I work as a gynecologist with an annual sry of eighty thousand- Stop! the woman coldly interrupted before he could Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. finish his introduction. Whats the meaning of this? With what little you have to offer, do you seriously think women would want to marry you? I cant believe you Chapter 2 Failure even had the nerve to bete! 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 sshed a *s of water on Emmanuels face. Thetter, who was caught off guard, instantly became soaking wet. Nevertheless, Emmanuel didnt lose his temper. After all, he was indeedte because he went to the wrong ce, so he could understand why the woman was upset. 3/17 Hmph. Youre twenty-eight and still only earning eighty-thousand a year. No wonder youre doing so poorly! Not only do youck punctuality, but you also dont seem to take life seriously. Youre doomed to be at the bottom of the social hierarchy your entire life! Im 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 Emmanuels face, then pped it hard on the table as payment for the bill. 4/17 Thetters 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 doesnt mean I dont have a temper! Argh! As much as I want to make her regret her actions, I know I dont have that capability Since the woman was gone, Emmanuel, too, left the caf 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 couldnt help but furrow his brows. Oh, gosh. That man is clearly staging a car ident. Why is there so much trouble in this caf today? Ah! Someones been hit! Argh! My legs broken! Murderer! Four men immediately rushed out to join the ground. Those guys must be the co-conspirators! Just then, a youngdy hastily exited the BMW, d in a maroon sleeveless dress that revealed arge 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 S**y and alluring. Whats the matter? How could I have injured your leg when I was driving so slowly? she asked anxiously. Secondster, the long-haired mans buddies surrounded the woman, demandingpensation. Cut the crap! Pay up! Pay up now! Several people in the caf had witnessed the staged ident, 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 shed have to settle the matter with money. The group of thugs, however, began leering at her bosom and drooling over her. Haha. Hey, S**y, why dont 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 ident quickly turned into public S**ual hara*sment. 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 red at the long-haired man. Your legs broken, and youre asking forpensation, huh? Upon seeing Emmanuels menacing expression, the thugs felt chills down their spines. At the same time, Mackenzie was sitting in the caf and watching the entire scene unfold. Well, well, well. Who knew that man would be so brave? Im 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 mans leg. Argh! thetter 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 caf was one of her properties, so naturally, she had also seen how Emmanuels blind date went. I thought he was a coward when he didnt re up despite being sshed with water. Who knew he was just a gentleman who doesnt lose his temper with women? I must admit, he looks rather charming when he shows his tough side! Whats this? Didnt you say your legs broken? Im 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. Ill let you off this time, brat! Youd 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 couldnt help but stomp her feet in frustration. What the hell Am I not S**y enough? Ive already made the first move, so why wont he reciprocate? Back in the caf, Mackenzie heard her grandfather burst into loud guffaws. Haha! I told you so, Mackenzie! Didnt I say that man has an excellent character? Your a*sistant, Lexi, is such a beautiful woman, yet he refuses to give her the time of day! Once you guys are married, you wont have to worry about him cheating on you! The more Mackenzie ruminated about Terences words, the more her impression of Emmanuel improved. I hate men because theyre always so lustful However, Emmanuel Lowe seems to be quite the exception! Dont be too happy yet, Grandpa! Men are either after looks or money, Mackenzie uttered coldly before getting up. Ha! I doubt Emmanuel can pa*s my second secret test of character! Meanwhile, Emmanuel had gotten home after his matchmaking session failed spectacrly. Needless to say, his sister, Roselynn Lowe, was frustrated beyond belief. What? Another unsessful blind date? This is the eighteenth time, for goodness sake! My brothers a six-foot tall, fit, and upstanding young man. Why wont 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, wont they? Emmanuels 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? Im worried sick about you! the woman scolded without breaking her stride. I dont understand it, either. Our neighbors an unkempt up at home, yet hes already nning for his second child! Why cant my son get a girlfriend? That woman didnt even stay for the blind date, did she? I paid good money to set this up for you! Lets go see her at her house right now! What? Emmanuel choked out. Did I hear that right? I cant believe Mom has gotten this desperate! The matchmaking session was an utter failure, so why must she still insist on dragging me to the womans ce? Wouldnt I just be embarra*sing myself again? Chapter 3 Chapter 3 In any rtionship, the party taking the initiative was often seen as more lowly and desperate. Therefore, upon seeing Emmanuel and his family at her house, Mni Zimmerman wore an even haughtier expression than when she was at the caf. Ha! I knew this loser wouldnt be able to get over my looks, so hese to badger me again! Mnis mother, Melody us, was just as smug when she learned of the Lowe familys intention. If your son wishes to marry my daughter, youll have to give us a betrothal gift of five hundred thousand, she said as she raised her palm. We wont ept anything less! Emmanuels heart instantly sank. Oh, my goodness! Five hundred thousand? Is she trying to sell her daughter? Alessandra, however, gritted her teeth and nodded. T-Thats fine! As long as my son can get married, Ill do anything to make up for the betrothal gift, even if it means selling the house! how would she pay for the couples car and home? Sure. Thats 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! Mni suddenly said. That, however, was thest straw for Emmanuel. Are you guys marrying off your daughter or selling her? I dont mind paying this much if shesing to work for us as a housekeeper, but if she expects to be treated like a princess or queen, you can forget it! I dont need that! Look at your son! Whats with that attitude? Mni yelled. We arent even married yet, and hes already so domineering. Wouldnt it be worse down the road? No, no, no The marriage will work out. Itd work out just fine! Alessandra pleaded, desperate to finalize the wedding. I cant wait any longer I must fulfill my husbands dying wish by the end of the year! Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Having seen how things were going, even Roselynn knew she had to step in to persuade her mother. Mom! Stop forcing it! Mannys right. Theres 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 cant she chip in? Will she be sending her own money back to her parents? Just then, Mnis younger brother, Jacob Zimmerman, suddenly appeared with a cocky grin stered on his face. Haha! Dont forget about me, Mni! When its my turn to get married, Id 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, Mni decided to hold him to his word. Hah! Youd better remember what you just said! In that case, Ill leave you to n and pay for the wedding banquet and honeymoon. Dont tell me you cant afford that Get lost! Id 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 didnt know what the Zimmermans were ying at, but there was no doubt they were monsters. Look at yourself! Youre just an uncultured brute with marriage! Id rather marry a boar than you! Mni snapped back. Given my qualities, I have no problem marrying a rich man, so why should I settle for a pauper like Emmanuel? Im only too happy that he wants to fall out with me! After giving an exasperatedugh, 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 saw the car lineup. Oh, d*mn! Those cars are worth tens of millions! Whats going on? Since when were the Lowes that fancy? Emmanuel, on the other contrary, seemed to recognize one of the cars. Hmm Didnt I see that car outside the caf? 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, Im here to return the favor, Mr. Lowe, after you helped me outside the caf! Needless to say, everyone was stunned. Roselynn couldnt hide her excitement and gripped her brothers arm tightly. Ah! Isnt 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 caf? 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 copsed in shock. Mni 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 be a multi-millionaire, Id have married him straightaway! After snapping out of her daze, she smiled and hastily clutched Emmanuels arm. Whats the matter, darling? Oh, wow Youre so kind to help the elderly! I love that about you! Whos your darling? Emmanuel asked, embarra*sing Mni so much that she wanted to crawl into a hole. As though that wasnt enough, he brusquely pushed her away and added, Didnt you just reject me? Why are you still using honeyed words? Uh I- Mni 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-inw! Meanwhile, Alessandra was about to say something when Roselynn tugged at her. As much as I want Manny to start a family, I cant let him settle for the horrible Zimmermans! Besides, hes rich now! Im sure he can find an even better woman! Mom, Roselynn, lets go! Emmanuel said before ushering both women into the car. He didnt want to ept the gifts, especially since he knew he hadnt done anything to deserve them. However, it wasnt the time and ce 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, Mni? Do you think its easy to find a millionaire these days? Melody berated. W-What should I do now, then? In all honesty, Mni was at aplete loss. She had gone on several blind dates to find a rich husband who could give her a life of luxury. s, who knew shed let a multi-millionaire slip right through her fingers? 17/18 What else can we do? Theyve alreadye to our ce to ask for your hand in marriage. Cant we do the same? Melody suggested. Jacob, who was just as anxious, instantly eximed, I dont care, Mni! 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, Ill disown you! Okay, okay. I got it! Mni replied with a long sigh. Argh! Emmanuel and I left on such bad terms Would he still care about me? Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Take all of these things back! Emmanuel had Terence take everything back after hitching a ride. What? Terence wasnt the only one shocked by Emmanuels demand, though. Alessandra and Roselynn were just as surprised as he was. These things are worth at least ten million! Are you sure you dont want them? Terence asked again to make sure his ears werent 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! Thats right; I dont want them. Myte father taught me not to ept things I dont deserve. I cant be epting 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 wouldnt 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 pa*s the test! Now that youve lost the bet, its 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 ept my gifts yesterday, I have decided to introduce a potential wife to you instead. You wouldnt say no to this, would you, young man? This voice Its 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 didnt actually think Terence was a scammer. He could tell from Terences aura that the old man was incredibly wealthy. However, he couldnt 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. Whats the matter? Are you scared? What a coincidence! Thats the only thing Im 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! Ill go! Im 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 didnt 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 Mni. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. 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 That old man wasnt 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 dont want to marry me? Mackenzie retorted with a slight frown. Man, that icy-cold aura of hers sure is scary! I bet shes still single because most guys are intimidated by her! Of course I do! I wouldnt havee here otherwise! 10/20 Emmanuel wasnt sure if he was excited or afraid of his situation. Mackenzie may be the most beautiful woman Ive 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 doesnt really matter if we get along or not! Then lets 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 dont want to reconsider this? Its not toote to change your mind, Mackenzie reminded him when they were about to get registered as a married couple. Since she didnt 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 nonchnt smile. The look in Mackenzies eyes intensified when she heard that. Her gaze was so sharp that it was as though it could slice Emmanuel in half. Youd better not regret it, then! ? ? That was the final thing Mackenzie told him before they got married. Ten minutester, 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 hade to the wrong counter. Are they here to get divorced or married? 13/20 Im only marrying you to fulfill a promise I made to my grandfather, so dont take this marriage too seriously. You can just carry on with your life, and Ill do the same on my end. I wont even care if youll be sleeping around with other women, Mackenzie said coldly. Although a little hurt, Emmanuel couldnt help but smile in amusement when he heard that. Did Mackenzie get our roles mixed up or something? Usually, its the job of the sc*mbag husband to say those lines to his wife. Oh, by the way, you mentioned that you havent bought a house, right? Mackenzie asked all of a sudden.. Yes, thats 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 Whats the meaning of this? Emmanuel asked. Its 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 ce 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 ept the keys as his pride and honor would not let him do so. Take the keys! Mackenzie ordered coldly. That authoritative tone and prating gaze were all it took to make Emmanuelply. As expected of a powerful executive in the corporate world! You just cant bring yourself to defy her! Emmanuel had no choice but to ept 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 andined 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 simrly professional tone, First of all, I will need your contact details. That way, Ill be able to call you whenever I need to. Just like how you married me to satisfy your grandfather, Im also doing it to satisfy my mother. Ill have to be able to reach you in case she asks me about you, right? Despite Mackenzies 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 Mackenzies 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 ns regarding our life as a married couple, Emmanuel continued with a serious look on his face. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Marriage is not a childs game. Now that were 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 hes only concerned about our S** life! Unless you win my heart over, you can forget about Very well, then! Emmanuel liked Mackenzies 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 didnt 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 didnt want to get married was that he was afraid of not being able to satisfy his wife S**ually. As such, Mackenzies refusal to have S** with him came as a huge relief. Mackenzie, however, wasnt too pleased with his response. What the This b*stard! I can tell hes not faking it! I know that most men wouldnt dare express their interest in me because of my cold personality, but that doesnt mean they dont lust over me! I know Im a very beautiful woman, so why doesnt this b*stard even want to have S** with me? Is it because hes 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 Mni at his doorstep with a basket of fruits the moment he got home. She looked like apletely 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? Mni 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 hes all high and mighty for turning down those gifts? Ugh! Now I see why hes so unsessful in life! No one in their right mind would ever want to marry a guy like him! Theyd be poor for life! Alessandra came out of her room when she heard the weed Mni excitedly when she saw thetter standing at the door. After all, that was the first time a woman hade to see her son. Alessandra was so desperate to marry Emmanuel off that she didnt even care if Mnis family were a bunch of horrible people. To her surprise, however, Mnis attitude changed instantly. Sorry, but Im really busy! Also, you can forget about having me marry your son! He isnt even worthy of being my footstool, let alone my husband! I bet hell never be able to find himself a wife! Goodbye! Mni shouted and stormed off immediately after. Honestly, I dont even know why my mom wanted me toe 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 Mnis 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 eximed angrily when she came out and saw Mni leaving. M She then turned toward Emmanuel and tried to women like her, Manny! Dont take her words to heart! To her surprise, however, he didnt seem to be bothered in the slightest. Mom, Roselynn, Im already married, so you two dont have to worry about me anymore. Alessandra and Roselynn were so shocked that they both screamed in unison, What? Roselynns voice was so shrill that she nearly shattered the *sware in the house. Did you just say youre married? Who are you married to? Youre 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 isnt some kind of scam? Emmanuel could understand their concerns, so he lied to rea*sure them. Dont worry. Shes a woman I met while I was a soldier at Northern Region. Shes a strong woman and a perfectionist who cares a lot about her image, so she didnt want people to know about our rtionship. Thats why weve been keeping it a secret all this while. Ah, so thats what happened That exins why he refused to get himself a girlfriend all these years! Turns out, he already had one all along! Im 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 rea*sured them, but they were still worried. Roselynn was especially suspicious of his exnation. 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 dont want to make Mom worried by exposing him. What does she do for a living, Manny? Why didnt she Alessandra asked curiously. No mother wouldnt be curious about her daughter-inw, and Alessandra was no exception. Emmanuel knew she would surely ask about Mackenzies background, so he had prepared himself to answer her questions. Mackenzie is a high-level executive in a huge me. What? Where will she stay, then? Alessandra pressed 1. She bought a house of her own, Mom. Now that were married, Ill be moving in with her soon. Alessandras eyes teared up all of a sudden. Roselynn didnt want Emmanuel to leave either, but she tried tofort 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, dont you? Itll be hard for that to happen if he stays Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. with you all the time! Of course, Alessandra understood that very well. After all, no woman would want to live with their inws these days. It would be very inconvenient for them to have S** at night, too. Even so, Alessandras tears still refused to stop flowing. I wont object to your rtionship 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. Alessandras sincere requests were actually very simple ones, but they were incredibly difficult for Emmanuel to fulfill. Theres no way a woman like Mackenzie would be willing to visit our house! I dont know what her job title is, but her attire and attitude alone show that shes 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, thats 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 Chapter 6 Ill tell you about it after talking it through with her, Mom. Emmanuel decided to leave things be for now. Since he couldnt 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. Its your wedding night, so youd better not leave her on her own! Take good care of her. Do you understand? Wedding night? Emmanuel scoffed internally. If that hadnt even crossed his mind, then Mackenzie certainly wouldnt have thought of it either. The woman had never even thought about consummating their marriage. Theres just no way itd ever happen! Still, he nodded at his mother and sister. Ill 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 Emmanuels 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. Dont cry, Mom. How are you going to have grandkids if Manny doesnt stay with your daughter-inw? Roselynn urged, even though she couldnt 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 ept it. Take it, Alessandra insisted. Your wife agreed to marry you without you giving her any betrothal gifts. She even bought a ce for you two so you could live together, so dont 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. Im such a horrible son. This is her retirement fund! Shes already fifty-seven. What is she going to do if I take all that she has left? Take it, Manny. Its what Mom wants. Roselynn shot him a nce. The young woman knew her mother well, so she was aware that Alessandra would surely fear her daughter-inw leaving if Emmanuel didnt 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,e 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 wasnt that he had no emotions; he just didnt want his family to see how red his eyes had be. 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 nevere to light-at least not until shes 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 ce 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. Id 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 womans current circumstances didnt 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 Emmanuels empty stomach ate at his patience. Ultimately, he decided to video call her. The man knew how aloof Mackenzie was and didnt really want to speak to her. Mackenzie hadnt added him to her contacts when they exchanged numbers earlier. At present, she suddenly heard her phone ring and nced at the screen impatiently. This was an extremely rare urrence. 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 didnt 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 epts calls and messages from friends. What the hell? Emmanuel stared at the screen in a daze for a long time. Shes not messing with me, is she? Thankfully, the man was smart enough to remember that Terence was her grandfather. Even though he didnt have Terences number saved, thetter 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, whats 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 ying around with me? Is this some sort of marriage scam? Its not like I have anything you can take from me! Terence was instantly bereft of words. She really does hate men Calm down, youngd. Ill call her right now! He tried his best to console Emmanuel, worried about losing his new grandson-inw. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The Quillen family was so powerful that even Terence didnt 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? Im in a meeting now. Dont you know that? Like I care about your meeting! Thats not as important as giving me a great-grandchild! Mackenzie, didnt you ask Emmanuel to live with you? Hes already at Yociam Residence, but he doesnt 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 were staying at Block B, Grandpa. Right after saying that, Mackenzie hung up so that her grandfather wouldnt be able to tell her to contact Emmanuel herself. She didnt know how to, anyway. Upon hanging up, the woman noticed all the subtle ncesing her way. Of course, given that she was Terence Groups CEO, no one dared utter a word-except for a youngdy who leaned over with a giggle. Was that your husband, Mackenzie? Mackenzie shot her a re, causing her to shut up immediately. The woman was none other than Mackenzies sister, Beatrix. She was secretly d 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 hed be able to put up with her temper. Three days? Or maybe hed be done and move out by the second day! Chapter 7 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 wasvishly decorated. The four-bedroom apartment felt a bit like a maze on ones first visit. 1/17 One thing that Emmanuel noticed, however, was that although the unit was fully furnished, there didnt seem to be any fast-moving consumer goods. Candy Crush Saga That means she probably doesnt live here on a regr 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 unupied. If her grandfather hadnt forced her to get married, and she needed to use this ce to keep me, it probably wouldve stayed empty forever. The man scoffed at his own thoughts. Wait, keep me? I just made myself sound like Im living off her. Thats not what Im here for! I just needed to find a woman to spend my days with, and were 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 herir. There was an array of shirts and coats, but only three pairs of underwear-all of which were either fully white or ck and made of cotton. What a waste of a body like that. Why doesnt 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! Whats 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 couldnt go back to his family for now, he could only make this ce 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 nced 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. Whats the matter, Ms. Quillen? the driver immediately hit the brakes and asked politely. The woman naturally didnt 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 countrys 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 Mackenzies only remaining male driver, he wasnt 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 didnt realize Mackenzie was already home, especially since the ce 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 womans figure was stunning beyond description, and her skin shimmered like moonstone. Thump. Thump. Emmanuels 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 red 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. Im sorry, Ms. Quillen. I didnt 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 dy, and Id probably be dead. This is exactly the problem with blitz marriages. You dont know the other persons 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 y it cool when the man walked in, she now feltpletely on edge after he left. I cant believe a man saw my body! Sure, hes my husband, and its 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 its all on purpose? She had always been distrusting of others since she was young, and when Emmanuel pa*sed her two tests so easily, she began suspecting him of having ulterior motives. I bet he knows Im 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 nced 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! Its not like I knew youd 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? Thats such a ha*sle! She loved living without care, so having a man in her house now made things unbearable for her. Candy Crush Saga Ill go to my room, then. Emmanuel got up to make his escape. This womans way too cold. I thought of having a chat with her to win her over slowly, but I guess I overestimated myself. I dont 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 nced back and saw Mackenzie kneeling on Candy Crush Saga the floor, seemingly in pain. The sight of her cor loosening while she had no undergarments on made Emmanuel feel as though his Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. soul had been captured. Ms. Quillen! Whats wrong? Chapter 8 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-Dont touch me! Mackenzie still managed to shoot him a steely re despite the gripping pain she felt. It was nothingpared 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 dont eat regrly. Thats why youre having stomach flu now. Wait. How does he even know that? Weve 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 youre doing? Ill kill you! Mackenzie exploded in a burst of energy, twisting Emmanuels 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. Im just trying to help ease your pain, he exined, gritting his teeth. Looks can be deceiving, man. Shes notdylike at all, despite how gorgeous she is! A-Arent 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 dont trust me, but youll 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 thetter 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 piecester if she found out he was purely taking advantage of her. Meanwhile, Emmanuel felt his heart start pounding vigorously when he saw Mackenzies pair of fair and wless legs. In fact, he gulped without even knowing when he lifted her skirt. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. 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 morefortable when a rush of warmth went through her stomach, dispelling the pain from earlier. Then, Emmanuel repeated the gesture a few times and ma*saged her lower abdomen. Oh, her abs are tight and toned. She must be disciplined enough to work out regrly. W-What is this youre doing? Mackenzie asked, biting her lower lip. She had always abhorred mens touch, but this time, it felt different when Emmanuel touched her. Although the sense of distaste was still there, Mackenzie felt good and embarra*sed simultaneously. The feeling perplexed her. Im applying pressure on your acupoints, Emmanuel answered, looking down to avoid eye contact. As his gaze lowered, he could not help but steal a nce at Mackenzies legs. Shes 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. Theyre all perverts. How are you feeling? Emmanuel asked suddenly. Im fine already. You should stop touching me now, Mackenzie instructed coldly. Emmanuel did as she told, but on second thought, he reminded, Whats with this aversion? Im your husband. Besides, Im just trying to help you. Mackenzie bit her lower lip and scoffed. 10/17 Seriously? I dont understand why human reproduction has to happen between a man and a woman. I bet other women feel ufortable about it too! Let me make you something to eat. Also, make sure you dont 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, Im 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 apany executive is harder than working at the hospital. Ten minutester, Emmanuel headed to her room and knocked on the door with a te 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 ced the te on the table. Eat it while its still warm. Youre 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. Im the CEO of Terence Group. Who dares to boss me around? This is just a friendly reminder, Emmanuel replied sternly all of a sudden. Youre my wife and, more so now, a patient, so you should listen to me. A frown crept on Mackenzies 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 wont die from a tasteless meal, but youll 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. Atst, 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 dont gain weight from an asionalte-night treat, shemented. 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. Im 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 cant 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 te 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 Chapter 9 Given Mackenzies fussiness, Emmanuel knew that things would turn out bad whether she agreed to go home with him or not. Im sorry, but my schedule is full. I wont 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 wont 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? Dont tell me shes 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 dont want that kind of cheap food at home anymore. Theres 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 a*signing a task to Emmanuel at work. Upset by how absurd the whole situation was, Emmanuel pushed the card back, insisting, Im the man of the house, and I have a job too. I dont need you to pay for anything Im using. His response elicited a frown from Mackenzie. Whats with this fake chivalry? Were 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 friends voice rang out from behind him. Before Emmanuel could reply, Frederick Lewis had lifted his arm and put it across Emmanuels shoulder. The two were close to one another since their friendship dated back to the time when they were *smates 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 didnt go well. A resentful smile broke out on Emmanuels face as he recalled the blind date with Mni that went south. Seriously? That was your eighteenth date! Frederick eximed 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 cant 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 Emmanuels looks. You know what? I think Im messing up every single date exactly because Im doing what you told me to 1. The date just fails every time I tell them Im earning eighty grand a year! Emmanuelined. Then you should improvise! Talk about something else! Frederick argued, ring at him. Emmanuel kept quiet at his retort, for he had deliberately mentioned his sry 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. Its hard finding someone whos not materialistic. Itll be a rare find if you get one. Emmanuel understood where Frederick wasing from, since thetter had remained unmarried since his girlfriend ditched him for a man from a wealthy family. Whatever. I have to go see my mom now. Shes 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. Mni Zimmerman? Its 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? Theres no way Im going through with this. I demand to change to another doctor! Mni shrieked. At the uproar, other patients in the department began Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. to gather around, whispering among themselves. Some came forward in support of Mni, 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 simr urrences have taken ce 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 Mni refused to budge no matter what. 46 Youre such a dirty loser. I finally see why you cant find a wife. I bet you came to this department because you are a pervert and want to check out womens bodies! Mni became more aggressive when she saw that Emmanuel did not intend to call another doctor for her check-up. Whats going on? 13/19 Themotion had attracted Frederick and the other gynecologists. Mni? When Frederick saw it was Mni-the prettiest girl two grades below his back at middle school-he rushed over to exin, There must be a misunderstanding, Mni. We are professionals in the industry. We dont prey on our patients. We treat men and women all alike. Lies! Do you think Ill 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? Mni raged. Infuriated by her scathing riposte, Frederick fought with Mni until the head of the department finally arranged for a female doctor to do the X-ray for Mni 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! Shes a snob! Who does she even think she is? Shes 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 finallymented, Shes got the looks, though. Why does she even need to go on blind dates? Actually, do you think somethings 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 Mnis 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, Mni was already right before him. Cut the crap out! Youre the sick one here! In fact, both of your families are sick. You two losers can never hope to nab a woman like me. Thats why you two will be single for the rest of your lives! Mni did not leave until she had taunted the two to her hearts content. Behind her, the mortified Frederick made a face at her, dissing, Ive 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. Id better go get my moms 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 Chapter 10 Frederick was in utter shock at that diagnosis. Just then, a doctor from the internal medicine department approached him and said, Your moms cancer is already at the advanced stage. She needs to be operated on immediately. Otherwise, her life will be in danger! Fredericks 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 dont 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 ie had been spent on his # H IN 4 younger sisters college education. As such, he did not have much savings left. Dont worry, we will think of something! Emmanuel 2/21 After a pause, he shoved the bank card that Alessandra had given to him into Fredericks hand and said, Take this first. Theres sixty thousand in here. T-This Isnt this your moms bank card? How can I use this money? Fredericks body was trembling as his eyes welled up with tears. That was his best friends mothers hard-earned money, and it did not feel right for him to use it. Dont 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 dont 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 cant take your moms money. I dont know how long it will take for me to repay it Emmanuel felt rather helpless as well upon seeing the agonized look on Fredericks face. At that moment, Mni happened to walk past and noticed the interaction between the two men. Ha! Dont you guys find it embarra*sing for two grown men to be seen crying in the hospital? Mni 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. Mni, just shut up! Emmanuel chided the woman for her sarcastic remarks. 6/21 As Frederick was already devastated by the news of his mothers cancer diagnosis, Emmanuel could not let Mni rub salt into the mans wound. 6/21 However, unexpectedly, when Frederick saw Mni, he took the initiative to plead with her, The most beautiful Mni, judging by your morous appearance, you must be very rich, right? Taken aback by the mans unusual attitude, Mni 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, Im begging you! I will return the money once I have it! Frederick pleaded with Mni 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! Youre out of your mind. I dont have two hundred thousand to lend you. Taking a pause, she continued, Thats why poor people are so pathetic. You cant even afford your mothers surgery expenses. Is it any wonder no woman wants to marry you? Not only did Mni 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 tofort his friend, who was on the verge of breaking down. Frederick eventually managed to cool off. If he had Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. beaten Mni up, he would have been arrested, and there would be no one to find the money to fund his mothers 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 dys getting the surgery! Frederick finally broke down and started sobbing in front of Emmanuel. 10/21 Emmanuel let out a sigh and said, Please dont cry. Let me try asking my wife. Im 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 wouldnt 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 exin the situation, Emmanuel merely smiled helplessly before calling Mackenzie. After the previous days incident, Emmanuel had memorized Mackenzies number in case she blocked him on WhatsApp again. Hello. Whats 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 Emmanuels words. After returning to her senses a momentter, an amused smirk crept across her face. Before receiving Emmanuels 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 bnce they needed. Mackenzies curiosity was aroused at once. You rejected it when I offered you a hundred thousandst night. Now youre asking to borrow one hundred and twenty-eight thousand from me? Yup. Will you lend it to me? Emmanuel asked casually. He never liked exining 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 Emmanuels 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 toote 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 cant 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 ount 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 nock of money, seeing that she had instantly transferred Emmanuel two hundred thousand, almost twice the amount thetter had asked for. Emmanuel simply smiled without replying. He could not help but feel embarra*sed when he saw the look on Fredericks face. It was as though thetter was envious of him living off a woman! Moreover, apart from knowing that Mackenzie was a senior executive at apany, he had no idea about her true identity and how wealthy she was. Hence, he was unable to answer Fredericks question. Take it and ask the hospital to arrange for your moms 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 Fredericks 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. Dont worry about this now! Emmanuel rea*sured 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. Mni 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, didnt you? Be careful of thepounding interest. You might end up having to pay them with your life! Mni mocked. Frederick did not like the woman in the first ce. After hearing what she said, he retorted sharply, Emmanuels wife lent me the money. In fact, she transferred two hundred thousand to Emmanuels ount right after he asked. Thank goodness Emmanuel wasnt interested in a woman like you. Otherwise, his life would be so sad! What? Mni was in utter disbelief when she heard that. Emmanuels wife? That pauper has gotten himself a wife? Chapter 11 Chapter 11 When Mni regained herposure, her expression instantly turned into a look of disdain. She did not believe for a second that Emmanuel already had a wife. Laughing off the idea, she remarked, You mustve gotten the money from loan sharks. Now, you want to rub it in my face. Thats why youre spouting such lies. What a joke! I was at Emmanuels house just yesterday, and it sure didnt seem as though he had a wife. If he does, why would he still go on a blind date with me? Does he not care that hed bemitting bigamy? Seeing that she doubted him, Frederick started panicking. Emmanuel had to go over and tug on his arm. Saving his mother is the most pressing matter on hand. Why does he care what nonsense this woman is saying? Upon noticing Emmanuel, Mni did not attempt to hide her sneer. Emmanuel, I heard you have a wife. Whod be willing to marry you? Why dont you send me a photo of her so I can see what she looks like? Naturally, he was not about to send Mni a photo of Mackenzie just to embarrass her. Firstly, I dont have Mackenzies photo. Secondly, this woman still wouldnt believe me even if I had one to show her. And thirdly, Mackenzie isnt really my wife, so whats there to brag about? Hence, he remained silent while pulling Frederick toward the operating room. After all, the most important thing they had to do now was to urge the hospital to operate as soon as possible. It only amused her further that he dared not utter a retort. Hmph! You two are just a couple of broke losers, stubbornly trying to cling to your pride and dignity! After getting off work that evening, Emmanuel headed home. He still rode an electric scooter as he had no money to buy a car. During the journey back, he kept thinking about Frederick. Weve managed to schedule the operation, but Im afraid itll take Frederick years to return the money. He can take his time paying off the sixty thousand from Mom. As for Mackenzie, however, who knows how shell take it if I dy returning the two hundred thousand I borrowed from her for years? He was so preupied with his thoughts that he identally rammed into the front of a Bentley while turning a corner. Bang! The impact sent him tumbling to the ground, and Chapter 11 She is Eve Incemete when he looked up, his face fell. D*mn it! Thats an expensive car! The driver of the Bentley stepped out of the vehicle with a grim expression. In an icy tone, he asked, Hey, are you all right? 5/17 The man had sounded his horn just before turning to alert the others at the intersection. Despite that, Emmanuel had not slowed down at all. Hence, the way he saw it was that the ident was Emmanuels fault. Nheless, he could not help worrying as the area had no surveince cameras. If he cant get up, the traffic police will likely rule the car liable for the ident when they get here. And if this guy staged the ident, he might go as far as to ckmail my boss for a hefty sum of money! 6/17 With those concerns in mind, the driver dared not berate Emmanuel despite his anger, fearing thetter would get annoyed and pretend to be severely injured. Im all right! So sorry about that! Emmanuel quickly scrambled to his feet. Although his calf was bleeding, he kept insisting he was fine. He was well aware he had caused the ident by not slowing down at the corner, and if the other party demandedpensation, he knew it would not be a small amount. Hence, he quickly limped off while pushing his scooter after apologizing. When he had left, Mackenzie finally emerged from the car. She furrowed her brows while watching him hobble away. What on earth was he doing? How could he drive around so distractedly? Is he trying to get himself killed? Not knowing that the man who had just collided with the car was her husband, the driver asked, Ms. Quillen, do we need to call the police? No need for that. Its no big deal. Take the car to have its paint touched up. Ill walk the rest of the way. Huh? For a moment, the driver was stunned. Then, he finally nodded and said, Very well, Ms. Quillen. Nheless, he was puzzled. This Bentley is her favorite car. Had something like this urred in the past, she wouldve thoroughly investigated the matter. With her connections and capabilities, it wouldnt be difficult for her to make the other partypensate and apologize for their mistake. This time, though, why did she let that guy off the hook just like that? When Mackenzie arrived home, she saw Emmanuel getting out the medical kit to treat the injuries on his calf. 9/17 The fall had caused a chunk of his flesh to get scraped off, and the wound was a bloody mess. Even so, he did not flinch while applying the antiseptic. Does this guy even feel any pain? Although she knew perfectly well what had happened, she feigned ignorance and slowly walked over to him. What happened to you? He was momentarily startled. Then, he smiled wryly and replied, Oh, its nothing. I identally hit a Bentley on my way back. It looks like a bad ident. How much did you ask that person topensate you? she asked, a half-smile still tugging at her lips. Compensate me? I was the one not paying attention to the road. I should be counting my lucky stars that they didnt arrest me and demand I pay for the damage, he admitted frankly. At that, her smile widened slightly. So, he does know how careless he was, does he? If Emmanuel hadunched into an angry tirade and pushed away all the me, she would have flown into a rage. In fact, she would have revealed her identity and exposed his lies, then made him cough up money for the damages. However, her anger subsided when she saw him readily take responsibility for the incident. She even sat beside him on her own ord and examined his injuries. His heart raced as he gazed at her stunningly beautiful profile up close and caught a whiff of the faint floral fragrance emanating from her body. Is she an angel from heaven? Te A momentter, however, she stretched out a finger and deliberately poked at his wound. Finally unable to bear the stinging pain, he let out a cry. Ouch! Oh, so you do feel pain! Mackenzie remarked in surprise. What are you on about? He was boiling with rage. Is she a cold-blooded woman? She can see how badly hurt I am, yet she prods at my wound on purpose to confirm something so stupid! Shes evil incarnate! Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Im not dead, so why wouldnt I feel any pain? he 12/17 Chapter Drone is Evil incarnate growled. 13/17 She merely chuckled when she saw how furious he looked. Instead of answering his question, she asked, Are you an idiot? With the extent of your injuries, why didnt you ask forpensation from the owner of the Bentley? From the looks of it, you can barely walk with these injuries. Even if it means paying you two hundred thousand, that person has to do it! Her words reflected her true thoughts. If Emmanuel goes to the police with those injuries, then ckmails me for two hundred thousand, I dont think theres anything I could do about it. However, he pursed his lips at her suggestion. Didnt I already exin? It was my fault, so how can I make that person paypensation? Mackenzies lips curved upward as she smiled even more sweetly. Still testing him, she replied, But that area has no surveince cameras, so who would know it was your fault? What a simpleton you are! He shot her a re. In a stern tone, he uttered, The heavens know, I know, and the other party knows. How can you say no one knows? His reply stunned Mackenzie. She had not expected him to give such a ssic response. Hes genuinely a righteous man. In that case, it appears I cant let him find out Im the owner of that Bentley. By the way, I wont be able to pay back the two hundred thousand I borrowed from you so soon. However, you have my word that Ill return it to you, he continued, taking advantage of the little pause in their conversation. He still did not reveal his reason for borrowing the money, Inexplicably, she felt herself looking at him in a different light. He doesnt seem to be a self-righteous phony. She rose to her feet and was about to go to her room when she suddenly thought of something. Turning around, she said, Oh, right. If you help me do something, I wont ask you to return that two hundred thousand. Emmanuels eyes lit up. What is it? With Fredericks mothers condition, he would probably still have to borrow money from Mackenzie even after returning the two hundred thousand he owed her. Hence, after hearing her mention that he need not pay her back, it was only natural that he was curious to find out what he could do to offset that debt! Chapter 12 Chapter 12 In the next moment, Mackenzie turned on her phone and tossed it at Emmanuel. Emmanuel grabbed the phone, but before he could read the information on the device, he heard Mackenzie speaking to him in an irresistible tone. Help me expedite this project. It needs to bepleted within a month! Baffled, he quickly read the content. Terence Group requested Cloud Construction to build arge-scale, strategic warehouse. The contract involved one billion, and the deadline for the project was the end of the month. 2/15 However, Cloud Construction informed Terence Group two days ago that the project couldnt bepleted in time. Confused, he asked, Terence Group can recoup the funds and demand fifty million from Cloud Construction for breaking the contract if they cant to get it done? In response, Mackenzie smirked as a domineering and resolute look entered her eyes. If this warehouse cant bepleted in time, Terence Group will suffer an obscene profit loss. Its not something fifty million can Emmanuel was stunned by that look of hers. No wonder this woman is an executive in arge corporation. She has an ambition that even a man doesnt have! Someone else wouldve been content earning fifty million, but she wants even more profits! I didnt believe her in the past when she said she earns three billion annually. But now, I think shes telling the truth. Its a shame that the money she earns goes to thepany, not her pocket. Otherwise, she would be living in a mansion instead of a two-hundred-square-foot apartment in a residential area. Chapter 12 Emmanuel Again You think too highly of me, Ms. Quillen. Suddenly, Emmanuel smiled. If Terence Groups employees in 4/15 charge of this project cant solve this issue, why do you think a mere gynecologist like me can pull it off? Useless! A sigh slipped out of Mackenzies mouth. She wouldnt have thought much of his response if other men had told her that instead. However, because he was her husband, he was a lot more special in her eyes. The project was very important, so as the CEO of Terence Group, she couldnt just watch it fail without doing anything to save it. Of course, she had sent many to urge Cloud Construction toplete the project in time, but all returned without sess. Initially, she had already epted the fact that the project was botched. However, when she saw Emmanuel not even flinching despite suffering severe injuries, she abruptly recalled how he faced five thugs fearlessly and thought he was a tough nut. That was why she had unrealistic expectations about him. Wait! Emmanuel didnt feel great seeing the disappointment in Mackenzies eyes, so he offered, Ill help you out, but if I seed, you must do one thing for me in return. She turned to face the slightly agitated man and grinned. I seem to have ignited his fighting spirit by looking down on him. What is it? Youll have to return home with me to meet my mother and sister as my wife, he stated firmly. This is my best chance to pull it off. If I miss this opportunity, theres no telling how long Ill need to wait before shes willing to return home with me. As she stared at him, her expression shifted multiple In reality, she still hadnt acknowledged the marriage. In fact, she thought it would end at any moment, which was why she didnt want anyone else to get involved. Otherwise, things would only be more However, she didnt think he would seed, so she agreed. Chapter Again Upon receiving her agreement, Emmanuel released a sigh of relief. Im so excited! I bet Moms worries will be eased when she sees my wife. Meanwhile, when Mni returned home, her mother yapped at her again. Melody was a woman who yed favorites as she constantly badgered her daughter to go on blind dates. Her goal was for her daughter to marry a wealthy scion, obtain his betrothal gift, and help her son marry a wife. Therefore, when Mni told her Emmanuel had returned the ten million, she reacted simrly to Mni. 8/15 On the other hand, Jacob was so furious that he tore some hair off his head. How can anyone be that stupid? Im still waiting for my future brother-inws betrothal gift so I can buy a house and a car! Dont worry, Mom. Thepany has noted my worth and promoted me to project supervisor! To prevent her mother from urging her to attend another blind date, she quickly added, Once Iplete the project, Ill earn an additional three hundred thousand as a bonus! Maybe itll even help me get promoted again! She was the new project supervisor at Cloud Construction. 9/15 However, her knowledge of thepanys upper echelons was stillcking because she had just been promoted. In reality, she was given the position because the previous supervisor quit. They were unable to handle the pressure of the job because Terence Group keptContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. urging them to finish the project, even though its progress kept stagnating. No one wanted the hot potato that was the project. Hence, the higher-ups offered enticing rewards to find a scapegoat. Mni was gleeful about her promotion because she waspletely unaware of all that. Upon hearing what she said, Jacob leaped in joy. Really? If she gives me her entire bonus, Ill be able to buy a decent car! Of course. In any case, you can count on me to take care of your wedding. Mni puffed her chest with pride. Youre the best, Mni! I love you! Well be counting on you, Mni, said Melody. Mnis family had a lot of hopes for her. During the night, Mni almost couldnt sleep due to her excitement whenever she thought about how bright her future would be. When she arrived at the office the next day, she received an email from Terence Group inviting her to a meeting at eight that night. It would be at the caf where she had her blind datest time. Mni was puzzled by the location and time of the meeting. Do they know Im a beautiful woman, so they want to use this opportunity to hit on me? Now that I think about it, its possible. Im aware many male employees in thispany see me as their goddess. With that thought in mind, she deliberately put on heavy makeup after work. In the end, she appeared prettier than how she looked when she went on that blind date with Emmanuel. Before leaving for the cafe, she adjusted her bra until she was happy with her cleavage. She was a crafty woman, thinking if the client happened to be a somewhat influential man and she could please him, she wouldnt need to worry about maintaining her position. Who knows, if everything goes well, I might not even need to worry about money for the rest of my life! Excitedly, Mni arrived at the caf once again. After waiting at table eight for five minutes, she felt slightly anxious because the other person hadnt arrived yet. When she raised her head after checking her watch, she had a sense of deja vu as there was Emmanuel again,te just likest time. He then sat before her with a smile. What the heck is this situation? Stunned, Mni gazed at him with wide eyes. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Im sorry for beingte! Emmanuel apologized. Mni furrowed her brows and stared at Emmanuel for a while before roaring, Whats wrong with you, Emmanuel? Im not here on a blind date. Why do you keep showing up everywhere? Leave! Im here for an important matter today! With that, she wanted to beat Emmanuel out of there. What Im here to talk about today will enormously affect my future! I cant mess it up! Suddenly, Emmanuel smiled and said, Its such a coincidence! Im also not here for a blind date. Im Chapter 13 Business On A Blind Date Mni couldnt be bothered by that, though. If this man gets away, so will my chance to rise through the ranks! 3/16 My mission today is to lessen the penalty thepany needs to pay! Behave yourself, Ms. Zimmerman! Emmanuel stared into her eyes and reminded her expressionlessly, We arent dating! What we have is simply a working rtionship. Tch! Hes so pretentious! Mni was fuming, but she didnt dare to show it. I know Emmanuel is a lustful man! Otherwise, why would he go to the hospital to examine womens bodies? I dont know how a gynecologist became a representative of Terence Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Group, but Im pretty sure hes just a runner working for Terence Group. Hes using Terence Group to boss me around! Ugh! How despicable! Mni gritted her teeth discreetly before shing a smile. Im sorry, Mr. Lowe. I was too worked up just now. Lets have a discussion. Emmanuel couldnt say no to that, so he sat back down. After all, Im here to make sure Cloud Construction delivers the project on time. Nheless, his ultimate goal was to bring Mackenzie home to meet his parents. Mr. Lowe, whats your position in Terence Group? Mni asked the moment Emmanuel sat down. At the same time, there was a dubious look in her eyes. I dont have a position for the time being. The executives of Terence Group have appointed me to urge yourpany to deliver the project on time, Emmanuel answered truthfully. At that time, Mackenzie was his superior, and he had never even been to Terence Group. Mni rolled her eyes at him discreetly upon hearing that. So is he merely a third party Terence Group had employed? Is this his part-time job? Regardless of how she looked down upon Emmanuel, he still represented her client. Therefore, she couldnt afford to offend him. Ms. Zimmerman, on behalf of Terence Group, I need to formally inform you that the project must be delivered before the end of the month. Otherwise, it will be considered a breach of contract! Emmanuel was concise and frank. Uh Mni looked troubled. If Cloud Construction could deliver the project by the end of the month, they wouldnt have appointed me as the project manager. Whats the matter? Emmanuel frowned slightly. Although he was intimidating Mni, he knew for a fact that Mackenzies goal was to have the project delivered on time instead of getting paid the penalty. Hence, Emmanuel wanted to know why Cloud Construction couldnt finish the project on time. Mnis ego wouldnt allow her to humble herself, so she uttered in an authoritative tone, Mr. Lowe, perhaps you could tell the person in charge of Terence Group to extend the deadline by three months. Hm? Emmanuel was amused. Does this woman still think im here for a blind date? Is that the attitude to have when youre asking for a favor? he asked. Um Mni bit her lower lip. I hope youll be infertile and never have kids, Emmanuel! Despite her anger, she had no choice but to squeeze out a smile. She even tried to seduce him by holding his hand and saying, I beg of you, Mr. Lowe! TO OR with you on a date if you can get Terence Group to extend the deadline by three months. Chapter 13 Business On A Blind Date Let go of me! Emmanuel demanded coldly. Mni was seeing red. How shameless can this b*stard be? Before this, he came to look for me with his family because he wanted to marry me. Why is he ying hard to get now? D*mn it! Although Mni was furious, she let go of his hand at once. Why cant Cloud Construction deliver the project on time? Whats the reason? Emmanuel asked directly. I need to know the problem, so Ill know how to fix it. Hmph! Thats because theres a dispute over thend itself! A group of thugs protects thatnd, and theyve 9/16 been xg whatever is possible to dy our work, and thats why theres a dy in the project! Mni uttered grumpily and tried to push the me on others. Is that all? Emmanuel was surprised. Cloud Construction is a big corporation, no? Why couldnt you guys deal with a bunch of thugs? Why didnt you guys call the police? If its that easy, dont you think Cloud Construction wouldve settled the issue by now? Mni scoffed. As a matter of fact, she knew the leader of the thugs was a ruthless man in Yeringham. That man had already threatened to kill the project managers family Candy members if thepany were to involve the police. That was why the previous project manager was too scared to do anything rash. After all, no one would risk the safety of their family members for money. At that moment, Mni was merely taking a step at a time and dragging things out. It would be nice to get paid a few more months of a managers sry. Although she could afford to drag it out, Emmanuel couldnt. Bring me to the project site tomorrow, he ordered. Mnis disdain grew stronger. So far, Cloud Construction had already sent out three groups of legal specialists to negotiate with the thugs, but their efforts were to no avail. Could a gynecologist possibly solve the issue? No! However, this loser is representing the client. If I dont y nice, he can proceed with the legal ims against us. If that happens, there goes my reward payment! Obviously, she didnt have the nerve to voice her opinion. Im sorry, but I have ns tomorrow. I cant bring you there. Instead, Ill get thepanys legal officer, Sheldon Zophar, to apany you. Mni didnt want to go to the project site with Emmanuel. He can go and mess with the thugs all he wants, but Im not getting myself involved in this. Emmanuel couldnt be bothered by what she had in mind. All he wanted was to get to the bottom of the situation and fulfill Mackenzies goal. The following day, Emmanuel took half a day off and arrived at Cloud Construction early in the morning. Mni soon appeared with a man with sses. Are you Emmanuel? The man with sses was decisive and frank. Im Sheldon Zophar, a legal officer working for Cloud Construction. Let me be clear about something. Im only bringing you to the project site, and I wont help you get those people off thend. The leader of the thugs is Samuel Webber. Hes a big shot in the underground circle. Thats not someone we can afford to mess with! Emmanuel couldnt help but furrow his brows when he realized Sheldon was backing out even before they got to the project site. Mni initially wanted to avoid getting involved, but she couldnt stop herself from running her mouth. Are you seriously going to chase those thugs away just because you were told to do so, Emmanuel? Do you have a death wish? Must you risk your life for such a paltry sum of money? Upon hearing Mnis sarcastic remark, Emmanuel mocked, I would rather risk my life for money than to be a free-loading coward like you! You! Mni was infuriated, but she had nothing to defend herself with. No wonder Cloud Construction cant deliver the project on time. Thats because thepany had employed a useless employee as the project 15/16 manager! Just wait! If you fail to deliver the project, Ill make sure you lose your job! Emmanuel didnt hold back on his criticisms. With that, he left with Sheldon. Mni stomped her feet in fury and cursed, Youre a b*stard, Emmanuel! Mr. Webber has a lot of capable subordinates. I hope they kill you! Ill dance on your grave after you die! Ugh! Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Soon, Emmanuel and Sheldon arrived at the project site. The project site was originally an abandoned factory. Terence Group bought thend and wanted to build a warehouse. Halfway through the construction, thend had been taken over by a group of thugs as their activity site. They did so because the previous factory owner owed them their sries. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. What the f*ck? Are you guys a bunch of dimwits? Are you guys here to chase us away again? 1/14 15 MUCHOSS The previous owner hasnt paid us, so were not leaving! 7 2/14 Besides, Mr. Webber isnt negotiating with you guys. No matter how many times you try, you will achieve nothing! Are you not afraid of death? I dare you guys to get the police involved! Upon seeing Emmanuel and Sheldon, the thugs in the factory started swearing at them fearlessly. If Cloud Construction could deal with the thugs, they wouldve left the factory long ago. At that moment, Sheldon cast a helpless nce at Emmanuel, and he was already thinking about fleeing. However, Emmanuel wanted to bring Mackenzie to meet his mother, so he wasnt giving up so easily. 3/14 Get your boss to meet me now! Otherwise, I wont show any of you mercy! Emmanuel threatened the thugs with a determined look in his eyes. I know how to deal with these thugs. If I were to go soft on them, they would just keep pushing me around. The only way to deal with them is to do it the hard way! True enough, the thugs immediately stopped swearing, and some were even so bbergasted that they dropped their cigarettes onto the ground. Wow! This man is a bad*ss! The thugs had been there for a long time and had never seen someone as bold as Emmanuel. There are only two of us here. How dare he talk like that? Sheldon was shivering in fear. Is Emmanuel a fool? Is he going to fight these thugs for money? Right then, Mni, in an MPV owned by Cloud Construction, arrived at the entrance of the factory. She had gone there specifically to watch Emmanuel die because she couldnt swallow her anger. In her pair of stylish sunsses, she was smiling and waiting for the show to begin. Emmanuel couldnt care less about why she was there. Nevertheless, he was d she showed up. Mni! Bring the legal documents here! Show these guys the documents so that theyll scram! What the f*ck? Mni was stunned when she heard Emmanuels words. Is he stupid? Does he think the thugs care about thews? If they did, this matter wouldve been settled long ago! 5/14 What are you waiting for, Ms. Zimmerman? Youre here to bring us the legal documents, right? Sheldon was a dense man, and he had no idea what was on Mnis mind. Hence, he walked up to her instantly. Right then, all the thugs in the factory were staring at Mni and smiling lecherously. Seeing that, Mni started to tremble in fear. If the thugs choose to take matters into their own hands, Ill surely get dragged into this mess. What if theye after me because of my good looks? I wont be able to escape their clutches! With that in mind, Mni answered, What are you talking about, Sheldon? What documents? I dont know what nonsense you are talking about! Mni was eager to distance herself from Emmanuel and Sheldon, and she even wanted to run away there and then. I came to watch Emmanuel get into trouble, but Im about to end up in hot water myself! Before she could drive away, Emmanuel reached his hand into the car and took out the legal documents in the car! After that, he shed a halfCsmile and uttered, Ms. Zimmerman, are you already forgetting things? Arent these the legal documents? Mnis face went pale, and a grim expression soon 6/14 Unapler Ya Merles appeared on her face. 7/14 In a fit of rage, she gritted her teeth and thundered, Are you crazy, Emmanuel? You might want to die, but I dont! What makes you think you can get rid of these thugs? If you can do it, Ill give you a kiss in return! To her surprise, Emmanuel answered nonchntly, Im sorry, but Im really not interested in you. Mni was so enraged that her mind had gone nk. Instead of saying anything, she could only re at Emmanuel. Thetter ignored her, grabbed the legal documents, and walked toward the entrance. The moment he turned around, he saw a dozen burly men walking out of the building. All of a sudden, the burly men had the three of them surrounded. Emmanuel, we should leave now. Sheldon was chickening out when he saw that. I want to get my job done, but Im not risking my life for it! Meanwhile, Mni quickly returned to the car and rolled down the window to make fun of Emmanuel. Loser, youve lost your mind, havent you? Are you risking your life to make money because youve failed to find yourself a wife? Emmanuel didnt bother to respond to that. I cant find a wife? Im fighting for my future wife now! Without the slightest fear, Emmanuel opened the documents and showed them to the thugs. This is the Chapter 14 Merciless real estate document of Terence Group and the construction permit of Cloud Construction. Thisnd has long been owned by Terence Group and has nothing to do with your previous boss. Please leave immediately! Upon hearing Emmanuels serious tone, the thugs froze momentarily before bursting intoughter. Haha! This fellow is a simpleton! Why is he telling us that? 9/14 Cut the crap! Lets finish him! The group of thugs clenched their fists and got ready to fight. Sheldon was so frightened that his knees had gone weak. Im just an office worker. I have never even been in a fight! On the other hand, Mni locked her car doors from the inside, and she was ready to drive off at any time. The principle of betraying a friend rather than sacrificing oneself described the situation perfectly at that moment. All she wanted was to stay alive. Emmanuel wasnt afraid, though. He was in the army for seven years. He was used to risking his life on the Chapter 14 Merciless battlefield on a daily basis, so he wasnt backing down 11/14 from a group of thugs and a fight. This is nothing but a joke! Die, punk! A man with an afro swung a chain at Emmanuel. That man was one of Samuels capable fighters, and he was involved in fights all the time. If he were to beat up a guy that came to chase them out of the factory, Samuel would be more than appreciative. In fact, the man with an afro had beaten up quite a few people before, and some were so badly injured that they had to receive emergency treatment at the hospital. That was how they scared the people from Cloud Construction off. None of the people involved in the project dared to call the police on the thugs. Gradually, they gained control of the piece ofnd. When everyone was waiting to see the chain hit Emmanuel and him bleeding all over the face, Emmanuel swiftly dodged it and threw a punch. Bang! The man with an afro was sent flying away. Not only did blood stter everywhere, but the man with an afro also ended up knocking six other thugs down. Oh, sh*t! The smiles on the thugs faces froze. Mni was stumped when she saw Emmanuel fight. This man can fight! Before the man with an afro could stand up, Emmanuel walked over to him with an icy expression and stomped on the mans leg. Crack! Ah! The mans body was flung into the air before crashing back onto the ground. All of a sudden, the mans face turned purplish, and he was rolling on the ground as he screamed in pain. Having witnessed that, everyone at the scene broke into a cold sweat. Thats so ruthless! He broke the mans leg without batting an eyelid! How is he so coldCblooded? Who is he? Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Kill him! Kill him! Fros orders ripped through the air, spurring the thugs into action. He might be powerful, but he was only one person, so why should they be afraid of him? A dozen men charged toward Emmanuel in the following second, clutching various weapons in their hands. 1/15 Sheldon froze at the unfolding scene, bing aware of a strange tingling sensation at the top of his head. Mni took advantage of the chaos to flee in her car. This is none of my business! The car suddenly screeched to a halt some distance away, and she bolted out of the car, shocked by what she saw in the rearview mirror. Emmanuel was fighting more than ten guys and seemed to be winning! Are you kidding me? A shudder crept down her spine as one burly man after another copsed on the ground. Sheldon staggered to his feet after sitting on the ground, his legs still like jelly. Then, he knelt toward Emmanuel in reverence. This man is too d*mn incredible and ruthless! Emmanuels savagery made fear crawl icily up their Office Reader INSTALL 2/15 spines. Emmanuel spat out a mouthful of blood and grabbed Fro by the cor, coldly asking, Will you tell me where Mr. Webber is now? He, too, was wounded and bleeding after taking down approximately ten guys, radiating a malevolent air that filled everyone with dread. ICIll tell you! It was obvious he had taken lives. Otherwise, he wouldnt exude such a violent aura. Fro swallowed audibly. Im not sure about Mr. Webbers itinerary, and I couldnt contact him. He recently has the hots for the head girl at The Paradise and will often frequent the establishment for pleasure. The Paradise? As a citizen of Yeringham, of course, Emmanuel had heard of its ptial area and hidden nooks and crannies. It wouldnt be easy to locate someone inside, but he would do it toplete the task given by Mackenzie. Emmanuel flung Fro away and turned to leave. Shocked to his core, Sheldon closed his gaping mouth with effort and gave chase. 4/15 Emmanuel I mean, Mr. Lowe, are you really going to look for Mr. Webber? Mnis gaze shifted to Emmanuel after Sheldon posed the question, her heart hammering. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Yes, and I need to get rid of all these people for Cloud Construction toplete the project on time. Sheldon, and especially Mni, was taken aback by his reply. Is he out of his mind? Hes even more insane than I am for money! Emmanuel paid them no heed, immediately returning to Yociam Residence to clean his wounds and rest for a few days. Mackenzie was still in a meeting in Terence Group after working hours, discussing thepanys strategic warehouse project and how if it werent utilized by the beginning of next month, Terence Group would lose out on arge number of business deals and nearly one billion in profit. The shareholders were feeling the pressure, and in turn, Mackenzie felt her stress mounting. At that moment, she thought of Emmanuel. A day has passed, and he hasnt updated me. How unreliable! Lexi, check on the progress of Cloud Constructions project and update me immediately! Yes, Ms. Quillen! she quickly replied. Lexi Summerton was Mackenzies secretary, and her biggest responsibility was to keep Mackenzie updated on any and all progress. A few minutester, she approached Mackenzie and gave a detailed report. Ms. Quillen, the Cloud Construction project is still on hold and will not be from Terence Group went to the site today and got into a brawl with the thugs there. What? Lexi was startled by Mackenzies vehement response. Beatrix, who was seated beside Mackenzie, was Chapter Surprised shocked at her animated expression. Mackenzie had always been an ice queen for as long as she could remember. What happened to our representatives? Mackenzie asked nervously. Is Emmanuel dumb, or what? Those thugs have nothing to do with Terence Group. Even if a fight broke out, Cloud Construction should be the one to break it 1. up. Why did he intervene? Ms. Quillen, it seems like he left after the fight. Im not 8/15 sure of the situation. Lexi was still unaware that Emmanuel was Mackenzies husband. She was bewildered by Mackenzies unusual manner and her disy of concern for him. Dismissed! Mackenzie rose to her feet and left the conference room. The senior management of Terence Group exchanged puzzled looks at the sudden shift in her attitude. Lexi, who sent out representatives from Terence Group? Beatrix inquired, still aghast.* Its Emmanuel, Ms. Beatrix. He had direct orders from Ms. Quillen. Oh, I see. Realization dawned on Beatrix, and she bit Chapter 15 Color Emmanuel Surprised her lip to stifle a smile. Only she noticed that the switch in Mackenzie seemed to be precipitated by that man. Mackenzie returned to Yociam Residence to bloody bandages strewn across the floor as soon as she opened the front door while Emmanuel was dressing his wounds. Her brows drew together, and she said coldly, Do you have a death wish? To go up against them alone? Emmanuel raised his head and met her gaze, continuing his ministrations wordlessly. What a jerk Mackenzie bristled with anger. She had never been ignored, no matter what the 10/15 circumstances or people. He really has a death wish. She took in the injuries covering his entire body and the gashes still oozing blood from his back and approached him to tend to his wounds. Whatever he did, he did it either for money or to bring her home. Emmanuel stilled when he felt her touch on his back. Color me surprised! Am I mistaken? Is this proud woman tending to my wounds? He reflexively pulled away from her, worried that his sweat and blood would dirty the hands of this Dont move! Mackenzie barked, and it was as if her voice held a sorcery that rendered Emmanuel immobile. 12/15 Then, she applied the remaining antiseptic on his back mercilessly, like she was kneading dough. Emmanuel yelled and jumped in pain, snarling, Are you trying to kill me? Mackenzie wore an impassive expression. Oh, youre afraid of pain? I thought you were invincible when you decided to fight with the thugs! His anger rose at her words, and although he wanted to yell, I did all that so you could aplish your goal, the words were stuck in his throat. She could tell what he was thinking by the unconcealed expression on his face, even if he didnt say a word. Sit back down! Mackenzie ordered sternly. Emmanuel frowned. It serves me right that I cant reach the wounds on my back. I have no choice but to sit back down. To his surprise, her touch gentled, and everyone in Terence Group, especially Beatrix, would have a mental breakdown if they witnessed this scene, wondering why a distinguished female CEO would minister to a man. If Cloud Constructions engineering team cant get on site to start work tomorrow, the project will almost certainly not bepleted by the end of the month. Can you get rid of those people? Mackenzie asked after a moment passed. In reality, there was nothing she could do to drive away those thugs without hurting anyone. Emmanuel looked her square in the eye and gritted his teeth. Ill give you an answer by tonight. A tremor ran through Mackenzies body as her beautiful eyes took in the bloodied man in front of her, and she was suddenly acutely aware of a wave of Chapter 16 Chapter 16 On that night, Emmanuel arrived at the nightclub named The Paradise. Beneath his clothes were all bandages! Standing alone by the door, he puffed at a cigarette in annoyance. His mood plummeted when he received a call three minutes ago, and Roselynns voice was still echoing in his ear. Manny, Mom was admitted to the hospital again. She has nephritis! She was asking for you, wondering when your wife wille and visit. She thought your wife should havee to see her already since you two are married. Roselynns words rendered Emmanuel speechless, and her remarks still echoed in his ears. Their father passed away at a young age, and their mother had to raise him and his sister singlehandedly. She worked too hard when she was young, and her unhealthy diet caused her to develop kidney stones. Some ten years ago, she had to have one of her kidneys removed, and her only kidney was inmed. Emmanuel did not know how long his mothers body could hold up. Her only wish now was to meet her daughterCinw. Even seeing her grandchild being born would be a luxury! Emmanuel knew he had repeatedly disappointed his 2/15 mother, but this time, he was determined to bring Mackenzie home to fulfill his mothers wish! Meanwhile, Mackenzie was in a daze. She might be staring at the screen, but she was, in fact, zoning out. She had never been so worried for someone in her life that it significantly reduced her efficiency at work. All of a sudden, her phone rang. It was a call from her grandfather. Hey, Mackenzie! Can the strategic warehouse project bepleted in time? All the directors kept pressuring me for the progress update! Terence sounded anxious. After all, all shareholders wanted profits. As the majority shareholder of thepany, Ternce undoubtedly hoped the project would seed. Grandpa, Im waiting for an update from someone, Mackenzie said calmly. Updates from someone? Whos the CEO of Terence Group? Whos the decision maker of thepany? And youre telling me youre waiting for updates from another person? Terence expressed his dismay. What happened to my granddaughter? Thats not how she would usually behave! I want you to give me an answer right now! The agitated Terence raised his voice. Grandpa, that person is Emmanuel! she responded. What? Emmanuel? Terence froze for a moment and kept mum. After a while, he expressed his shock. Why do you have to wait for him to make a decision for Terence Group? Grandpa, stop asking, okay? Mackenzie replied indifferently, Anyway, Ive informed the engineering team from Cloud Construction to be on standby. Ill issue an ultimatum by tomorrow morning. After that, she ended the call. Mackenzie let out a long breath and found herself unable to sit still. She could not believe that even during that critical period, she still found herself expecting Emmanuel to solve the problem. As the night fell, Emmanuel flicked his cigarette in front of the entrance of The Paradise and was ready to enter the premises. Suddenly, someone pulled him from the back, and the person was Sheldon. Emmanuel, have you lost your mind? Would you really stoop to anything for the sake of money? Mr. Webber is not an easy person to deal with, yet you went to him and warned him and his men to vacate that piece of hapter 16 Fits fubordinate Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Do you realize that? Sheldon eximed in agitation, trying to dissuade the man. 7/15 Though he only had a professional rtionship with Emmanuel, from human to human, he did not want the man to risk his life. Yet, Emmanuel ignored him and walked straight into the nightclub. Unfortunately, the receptionist refused to reveal any information about their guest to him: The security guard even chased him out of the club after he refused to leave. Emmanuel, can you stop acting crazy? We cant even locate the person. Just give up, okay? Its impossible for us to earn that money! Sheldon stayed back, further dampening Emmanuels spirit. Emmanuel continued giving him the cold shoulder. He knew Sheldon was saying that for his own good. But he doesnt know how Im feeling and why Im doing this. Its pointless for me to exin to him at this point. All of a sudden, an Audi arrived at the parking lot. As a stunningdy stepped out of her car in high heels, all eyes were drawn to her. She was dressed in a shimmering silver gown that revealed her long and slender legs, and her skin was so smooth that it resembled white poppy flowers. Emmanuels jaw dropped when he saw the woman. Apart from the aura she exuded, the womans beauty and allure could rival Mackenzies! Mackenzies sex appeal and attractive appearance might not even hold a candle to her. Oh my goodness, isnt that Elena Lyle, the top hostess of The Paradise? Sheldon eximed, captivated by her beauty. He was so taken aback that he could hardly move. As a man living in Yeringham, he was naturally familiar with the legends surrounding the top hostess of The Paradise. It was said that she never apanied her clients on outings, and those who wanted to drink with her had to pay thirtyCeight thousand per hour. She was also known for her exclusive taste in wine and would only drink Lafite. 10/15 In other words, Elena would only befriend people who were wealthy and influential. She was, indeed, the very definition of a sessful hostess. Emmanuel knew nothing about Elena, but the moment Sheldon told him she was the top hostess in the. nightclub, he walked toward her directly. Fro told him that Samuel would alwayse and look for her, so he was confident that he could get information about Samuels whereabouts from her. Emmanuels sudden presumptuous move left Sheldon dumbfounded. Is he trying to hit on the top hostess? What makes him think he could go after a woman whos clearly out of his league? 11/15 After standing in front of Elena to stop her from leaving, Emmanuel greeted her, Nice to meet you, Ms. Lyle! Elena knitted her brows. If any man had interrupted her like that, she would have ignored him or even had the bouncers throw him out. Nevertheless, as someone who ced great importance on appearance, Elena was impressed with Emmanuels looks, physique, and calm demeanor. She concealed her impatience. Yes? Im working for Mr. Webber and was told to wait here for you, Ms. Lyle! he replied. Sheldon was rendered speechless by Emmanuels audacity. If his true identity is exposed, hell be doomed! Elena felt disappointed when she learned that he was just Samuels subordinate. Her brows creased even more deeply. Tell him to wait patiently in the private room. Ill go over in an hour! All right, then! Emmanuel was pleased to hear that. 12/15 Nice! Ill be able to locate Mr. Webber if I stay with her! 13/15 After Elena left, Sheldon walked up to him. Youve got some nerve, Emmanuel! What gave you the courage to strike up a conversation with the top hostess of this club? Emmanuels boldness left Sheldon astounded. Being able to talk to the top hostess of The Paradise was the dream of every man in Yeringham! Yet, Emmanuel let out a cold snort. 14/15 Elena might exude a cold and distant aura, but she was nowhere near as haughty and aloof as the missus in his house. If I had the nerve to marry McKenzie, I surely would have the courage to talk to this woman. Hey, where are you going? Sheldon asked. When Emmanuel was about to enter The Paradise, he could not help but exim, Are you really going to follow Ms. Lyles lead and scheme your way into The Paradise just to track down Mr. Webber? The thought of Emmanuels n sent chills up his spine. Hes just trying to get himself killed! Emmanuel hummed in acknowledgment. Go home if youre scared. Ill take it from here! He strode confidently into the nightclubs lobby, not once ncing over his shoulder. As Sheldon gazed at Emmanuels back, he was impressed by his suave demeanor, which seemed to