Chapter 1
“I know, Mom. I’m in front of the café. Call you later!”
Emmanuel Lowe hung up on his mother impatiently.
The twenty-eight-year-old man had never been in a
relationship.
After spending seven years in the army, he retired from
the military and worked at a hospital in Yeringham for
three years.
He was a gynecologist at the hospital and made
eighty thousand a year.
Worried he would end up old and alone, Emmanuel’s
mother urged him to settle down. Since he had no idea
where to begin when it came to dating, his mother
took matters into her own hands and set him up on
multiple blind dates.
Thanks to her efforts, he had gone on seventeen blind
dates so far.
Alas, wedding bells were clearly not on the horizon for
Emmanuel. It was frustrating. He knew he was just
going through the motions at that point.
“Help! Someone help me!”
Right before Emmanuel entered the café, he heard
someone calling out weakly for help.
you for your kindness!” replied the old man with a
smile.
Emmanuel realized then that the old man’s attire was
at odds with his airs. Despite his tattered clothes, the
old man’s clean hands looked like those of a man
accustomed to wealth.
Still, he had no time to satisfy his curiosity. After
confirming that the old man was unharmed,
Emmanuel rushed into the café for his blind date. He
never once considered being repaid for his kind act
earlier.
The café was massive and practically structured like a
maze.
Emmanuel’s mother mentioned that his blind date was
seated at table number eight. He wandered through
the confusing café, but before he could locate the
correct table, he stumbled into a special area.
The lighting was softer there, and the floor was
scattered with fresh petals.
The sweet scent of flowers wafted through the air. He
wondered if he had set foot in heaven.
Emmanuel raised his eyes and immediately froze.
A beautiful, elegant woman sat before a table in the
room.
It was no exaggeration to say she embodied
perfection itself.
The heavens clearly decided to shower all their favors
on her.
The woman quietly sipped her coffee with her legs
crossed neatly to the side. On the table was a
non-translated copy of The Power Broker.
When she noticed Emmanuel barging into the room,
she looked up at him in confusion and disgust.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
When Emmanuel recovered from the shock of
stumbling upon the beautiful stranger, he realized his
heart was about to beat its way out of his chest.
Never once had he ever felt so attracted to a woman
in his twenty-eight years of life.
The countless female bodies he had seen in his work
as a gynecologist hardly appealed to him. At some
point, he even wondered if he was attracted to women
at all.
Against all odds, it seemed, the young woman before
him made his heart race like a runaway horse.
Am I simply nervous, or am I already attracted to her?
More surprisingly, Emmanuel noticed a large number
eight sign on the woman’s table.
She’s my blind date?
He took a deep breath to calm himself before
approaching her table and taking a seat opposite her.
The young woman’s expression grew increasingly
flabbergasted. There was even a hint of hostility in her
pretty eyes.
The audacity of this man! Barging into my private
room is bad enough, but he’s going to sit opposite me
like it’s nobody’s business?
More surprisingly, Emmanuel noticed a large number
eight sign on the woman’s table.
She’s my blind date?
He took a deep breath to calm himself before
approaching her table and taking a seat opposite her.
The young woman’s expression grew increasingly
flabbergasted. There was even a hint of hostility in her
pretty eyes.
The audacity of this man! Barging into my private
room is bad enough, but he’s going to sit opposite me
like it’s nobody’s business?
Emmanuel ignored her expression. It was not the first
time a woman had scoffed at him.
They were free to go their separate ways after getting
the blind date done and over with.
He introduced himself, declaring, “Hi! My name is
Emmanuel Lowe. I’m twenty-eight years old, and I work
as a gynecologist. I make eighty thousand a year and
don’t own a car or a house.”
Any man would need an incredible amount of courage
to say such things to a woman, but Emmanuel
appeared unusually calm and unfazed.
The young woman stared at him in shock. A moment
later, her lips curved into a smirk, and she replied with
an introduction of her own.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Mackenzie Quillen. I’m
twenty-seven years old with dual doctorates in
finance and business administration from Harvard
University. I made three billion last year, and I have a
car and a house.”
Emmanuel was stunned.
What the heck is happening?
He always thought women on blind dates came with
red flags.
Mackenzie, however, was arguably flawless.
Where’s the catch? Perhaps she’s mental? Or crippled?
Or infertile?
All sorts of fantastical theories filled Emmanuel’s mind.
Mackenzie smirked at his perplexed expression. The
pride in her cool gaze was evident.
She deliberately introduced herself to put the stranger
in a difficult spot and intimidate him into retreating.
As expected, awkward silence lingered in the air after
her words.
Urgh, forget it!
Whether Mackenzie was telling the truth was beside
the point. Emmanuel decided to go through all the
motions so he could at least mollify his mother, even if
the date did not result in a trip to the altar.
He declared, “I don’t make much, but if you decide to
date me, I promise I’ll always protect and cherish you.
I’ll take over all the household chores so you can be a
queen at home. Of course, I hope you’ll allow me to
preserve my masculine pride in front of my family. If we
do get married, I can give you about five to six
thousand every month.”
It was a well-worn script that Emmanuel recited in a
single breath.
Mackenzie was dumbfounded at his earnest
expression and apparent lack of shame at his much
lower salary.
A long while later, she burst into a chuckle.
She had never met a man who could humor her so.
“What are you laughing about?” Unimpressed by her
reaction, Emmanuel continued, “I know I don’t check all
the boxes, but I promise I’ll be a good and responsible
husband if we’re married!”
Mackenzie failed to keep in her snigger.
An annoyed Emmanuel demanded, “Why are you
laughing, Ms. Quillen? Don’t you think you’re being
rather rude?”
“Sir, you’re a very good man!” Mackenzie stopped
smiling and retorted coldly, “But I think you’re the
confused one here. I’m not here for a blind date!”
Huh? What is going on?
Emmanuel’s eyes widened in horror as he sputtered,
“Isn’t this table number eight?”
“Yes, but this is the VIP area. You must be looking for
table number eight in the common dining area. Please
go out and turn right!” She pointed a slender finger at
the exit.
“I… Sorry! I’m so sorry! I mixed things up!”
Emmanuel wished he could sink into the floor in
embarrassment. He jumped to his feet, ready to make
a hasty escape.
That was so embarrassing! How could I sit at the
wrong table for a blind date? No wonder she was
laughing so much. She must have thought I was
shooting above my weight!
Shortly after Emmanuel’s departure, an old man
entered Mackenzie’s private room, escorted by four
black-clad bodyguards.
Emmanuel would have been astonished if he was still
around. The old man was none other than the stranger
he had helped earlier in front of the café!
He implored, “Perhaps this is fate, Mackenzie. You’re
twenty-seven, but you’ve never been in a relationship
because of your misandry. No man would dare come
near you! But that young man succeeded! He’s also a
kind and just person. A while ago, he helped me
outside the café and didn’t expect a reward for his
actions!”
The old man’s true identity was Terence Quillen,
chairman of Yeringham’s premier financial
corporation.
While his wealth could trump that of entire nations, he
had a major regret in life.
Terence had had three sons who tragically passed
away before him. They either had no children of their
own or only left daughters behind.
Mackenzie was Terence’s favorite granddaughter and
next-in-line to helm Terence Group.
Her intelligence and charisma did not change the fact.
that she was a woman.
Before Terence met his maker, he wished his favorite
granddaughter could give him a great-grandchild.
That spurred him to fake his fall in front of the café and
scout a decent man for his granddaughter. To his
surprise, the young man who helped him earlier made
a blunder of his own blind date and ended up meeting
Mackenzie instead.
Mackenzie remained stoically unmoved by her
grandfather’s words. “Grandpa, he may have passed
your test, but he hasn’t passed mine. I’ll marry him if he
aces my test.”
She wanted to fulfill her grandfather’s wish, but she
naturally wished to promise herself to a good man.
Marrying a man after one blind date was simply too
hasty and careless.
Terence’s gaze lit up expectantly, and he replied, “All
right! I’m sure he will pass your test!”
Chapter 2
After turning right at the door, Emmanuel finally found
table number eight in the common dining area.
Sure enough, a woman was seated at the table,
looking like she was running out of patience.
Dressed in professional attire that accentuated her
beautiful curves, she was, by all means, a sight to
behold.
Even though she didn’t exude the same air of elegance
that Mackenzie had, there was no denying she had the
power to make men fall at her feet.
Thankfully, Emmanuel wasn’t disappointed in the
slightest. After all, he was well aware of his own
qualities.
Without further ado, he straightened himself up and
approached the woman with a smile.
“Sorry I’m late! My name’s Emmanuel Lowe. I’m
twenty-eight years old, and I work as a gynecologist
with an annual salary of eighty thousand-”
“Stop!” the woman coldly interrupted before he could
finish his introduction. “What’s the meaning of this?
With what little you have to offer, do you seriously think
women would want to marry you? I can’t believe you
Chapter 2 Failure
even had the nerve to be late! What right do you have
to keep a woman waiting? This has been an utter
waste of my time. Hmph!”
After firing off a barrage of questions, the red-faced
woman angrily splashed a glass of water on
Emmanuel’s face.
The latter, who was caught off guard, instantly
became soaking wet.
Nevertheless, Emmanuel didn’t lose his temper. After
all, he was indeed late because he went to the wrong
place, so he could understand why the woman was
upset.
3/17
“Hmph. You’re twenty-eight and still only earning
eighty-thousand a year. No wonder you’re doing so
poorly! Not only do you lack punctuality, but you also
don’t seem to take life seriously. You’re doomed to be
at the bottom of the social hierarchy your entire life!
I’m shocked you even have the guts to go on a blind
date with me… Stop being delusional!” the woman
scolded as she shot Emmanuel a look of contempt.
The next second, she grabbed her bag and stormed
off, not once bothering to leave her name.
To add insult to injury, she even waved a wad of cash
in front of Emmanuel’s face, then slapped it hard on
the table as payment for the bill.
4/17
The latter’s gaze darkened instantly as rage began
pulsing through his veins.
This woman is humiliating me! I may not have high
expectations for marriage, but that doesn’t mean I
don’t have a temper! Argh! As much as I want to make
her regret her actions, I know I don’t have that
capability…
Since the woman was gone, Emmanuel, too, left the
café glumly.
To his surprise, he had only just stepped out the door
when he saw a long-haired man deliberately colliding
into a BMW and screaming in pain.
Emmanuel couldn’t help but furrow his brows. Oh, gosh.
That man is clearly staging a car accident. Why is
there so much trouble in this café today?
“Ah! Someone’s been hit!”
“Argh! My leg’s broken! Murderer!”
Four men immediately rushed out to join the
commotion when the long-haired man fell on t
ground.
Those guys must be the co-conspirators!
Just then, a young lady hastily exited the BMW, clad in
a maroon sleeveless dress that revealed a large
expanse of tender, fair skin.
With her long, shapely legs and her cleavage peeking
out from the neckline, there was no denying that she
was incredibly sexy and alluring.
“What’s the matter? How could I have injured your leg
when I was driving so slowly?” she asked anxiously.
Seconds later, the long-haired man’s buddies
surrounded the woman, demanding compensation.
“Cut the crap! Pay up! Pay up now!”
Several people in the café had witnessed the staged
accident, but unfortunately, they were so afraid of the
big, burly men that no one dared to confront them.
“How much do you guys want?” the woman muttered
helplessly, having resigned herself to the fact that
she’d have to settle the matter with money.
The group of thugs, however, began leering at her
bosom and drooling over her.
“Haha. Hey, sexy, why don’t you have some fun with
us?” one of the men suggested as he shamelessly
tugged at her dress.
Just like that, what had started as a staged accident
quickly turned into public sexual harassment.
The pretty woman was so scared out of her wits that
she staggered backward until she bumped into
Emmanuel.
Instead of taking advantage of her like the other thugs,
Emmanuel stepped in front of her and glared at the
long-haired man.
“Your leg’s broken, and you’re asking for compensation,
huh?”
Upon seeing Emmanuel’s menacing expression, the
thugs felt chills down their spines.
At the same time, Mackenzie was sitting in the café
and watching the entire scene unfold.
Well, well, well. Who knew that man would be so brave?
I’m sure no one else would have the guts to go up
against five thugs.
The next second, Emmanuel stunned everyone by
viciously kicking the long-haired man’s leg.
“Argh!” the latter shouted in pain as he began hopping
on the leg that was supposedly broken.
Goodness gracious! That man is daring!
Mackenzie, too, had curled her lips into a smile.
The café was one of her properties, so naturally, she
had also seen how Emmanuel’s blind date went.
I thought he was a coward when he didn’t flare up
despite being splashed with water. Who knew he was
just a gentleman who doesn’t lose his temper with
women? I must admit, he looks rather charming when
he shows his tough side!
“What’s this? Didn’t you say your leg’s broken? I’m
mocked.
When the onlookers realized that the long-haired man
had lied about his injury, they wasted no time scolding
and criticizing him.
By then, the other thugs had also lost their bravado
and fell silent. After all, they knew the tables had
turned on them.
“Hmph. I’ll let you off this time, brat! You’d better watch
your back!” the long-haired man warned before
running away with his tail between his legs.
With that, the pretty woman gave Emmanuel a warm
smile and coyly gestured for him to get into her car.
“Hey, handsome, thank you so much for your help.
Would you like to go to my house for a drink?”
Emmanuel, however, brushed her off without a second
thought. “No, thank you. I have other things to do!”
Seeing how unmoved he was by her advances, the
woman couldn’t help but stomp her feet in frustration.
What the hell… Am I not sexy enough? I’ve already
made the first move, so why won’t he reciprocate?
Back in the café, Mackenzie heard her grandfather
burst into loud guffaws.
“Haha! I told you so, Mackenzie! Didn’t I say that man
has an excellent character? Your assistant, Lexi, is such
a beautiful woman, yet he refuses to give her the time
of day! Once you guys are married, you won’t have to
worry about him cheating on you!”
The more Mackenzie ruminated about Terence’s words,
the more her impression of Emmanuel improved.
I hate men because they’re always so lustful… However,
Emmanuel Lowe seems to be quite the exception!
“Don’t be too happy yet, Grandpa! Men are either after
looks or money,” Mackenzie uttered coldly before
getting up.
Ha! I doubt Emmanuel can pass my second secret test
of character!
Meanwhile, Emmanuel had gotten home after his
matchmaking session failed spectacularly.
Needless to say, his sister, Roselynn Lowe, was
frustrated beyond belief. “What? Another unsuccessful
blind date?”
This is the eighteenth time, for goodness’ sake! My
brother’s a six-foot tall, fit, and upstanding young man.
Why won’t any woman take a fancy to him? He may be
thick-skulled at times, but surely, someone will still
appreciate him for his good looks, won’t they?
Emmanuel’s mother, Alessandra Cadigan, seemed
even more anxious as she hurriedly dragged him out.
of the house.
“Mom, what are you doing?” Emmanuel asked, startled
by how panic-stricken Alessandra was.
“What am I doing? I’m worried sick about you!” the
woman scolded without breaking her stride. “I don’t
understand it, either. Our neighbor’s an unkempt
up at home, yet he’s already planning for his second
child! Why can’t my son get a girlfriend? That woman
didn’t even stay for the blind date, did she? I paid good
money to set this up for you! Let’s go see her at her
house right now!”
“What?” Emmanuel choked out.
Did I hear that right? I can’t believe Mom has gotten
this desperate! The matchmaking session was an utter
failure, so why must she still insist on dragging me to
the woman’s place? Wouldn’t I just be embarrassing
myself again?
Chapter 3
In any relationship, the party taking the initiative was
often seen as more lowly and desperate.
Therefore, upon seeing Emmanuel and his family at
her house, Milani Zimmerman wore an even haughtier
expression than when she was at the café.
Ha! I knew this loser wouldn’t be able to get over my
looks, so he’s come to badger me again!
Milani’s mother, Melody Claus, was just as smug when
she learned of the Lowe family’s intention.
“If your son wishes to marry my daughter, you’ll have
to give us a betrothal gift of five hundred thousand,”
she said as she raised her palm. “We won’t accept
anything less!”
Emmanuel’s heart instantly sank.
Oh, my goodness! Five hundred thousand? Is she
trying to sell her daughter?
Alessandra, however, gritted her teeth and nodded.
“T-That’s fine!”
As long as my son can get married, I’ll do anything to
make up for the betrothal gift, even if it means selling
the house!
how would she pay for the couple’s car and home?
“Sure. That’s no problem!” Roselynn piped up, even
going so far as to pull her brother back when she
realized he wanted to object.
She was just as eager for Emmanuel to start a family,
and at thirty years old, she had worked and saved up
enough to make the necessary down payments for
him.
Since Mom is settling the betrothal gift, I shall help
Emmanuel with the car and home!
“Lastly, he will bear all household expenses after the
wedding!” Milani suddenly said.
That, however, was the last straw for Emmanuel. “Are
you guys marrying off your daughter or selling her? I
don’t mind paying this much if she’s coming to work for
us as a housekeeper, but if she expects to be treated
like a princess or queen, you can forget it! I don’t need
that!”
“Look at your son! What’s with that attitude?” Milani
yelled. “We aren’t even married yet, and he’s already so
domineering. Wouldn’t it be worse down the road?”
“No, no, no… The marriage will work out. It’d work out
just fine!” Alessandra pleaded, desperate to finalize the
wedding.
I can’t wait any longer… I must fulfill my husband’s
dying wish by the end of the year!
Having seen how things were going, even Roselynn
knew she had to step in to persuade her mother.
“Mom! Stop forcing it!”
Manny’s right. There’s nothing wrong with giving a
betrothal gift, car, and house. However, asking him to
be the sole supporter of his family after the wedding is
too much! What about his wife, then? Why can’t she
chip in? Will she be sending her own money back to
her parents?
Just then, Milani’s younger brother, Jacob Zimmerman,
suddenly appeared with a cocky grin plastered on his
face. “Haha! Don’t forget about me, Milani! When it’s my
turn to get married, I’d be counting on you guys to buy
me my car and house too!”
Upon hearing that, Emmanuel instantly exploded with
rage.
“What the f*ck! Am I marrying your sister or your entire
family? I may as well support all of you!”
Even though Emmanuel had only meant that as an
Candy Crush Saga
Riches
angry remark, Milani decided to hold him to his word.
“Hah! You’d better remember what you just said! In
that case, I’ll leave you to plan and pay for the
wedding banquet and honeymoon. Don’t tell me you
can’t afford that…”
“Get lost! I’d rather marry a pig than a woman like
you!” Emmanuel retorted as the rage and ferocity he
used to experience on the battlefield came flooding
back.
8/18
He didn’t know what the Zimmermans were playing at,
but there was no doubt they were monsters.
“Look at yourself! You’re just an uncultured brute with
marriage! I’d rather marry a boar than you!” Milani
snapped back.
Given my qualities, I have no problem marrying a rich
man, so why should I settle for a pauper like
Emmanuel? I’m only too happy that he wants to fall
out with me!
After giving an exasperated laugh, Emmanuel stood up
and stormed off, leaving Alessandra and Roselynn with
no choice but to follow suit.
To their surprise, they had only just stepped out of the
Zimmerman residence when three luxury cars pulled
up in front of them.
The Zimmermans quickly popped out to see the
commotion and almost dropped their jaws when they
saw the car lineup.
Oh, d*mn! Those cars are worth tens of millions! What’s
going on? Since when were the Lowes that fancy?
Emmanuel, on the other contrary, seemed to recognize
one of the cars. Hmm… Didn’t I see that car outside the
café?
The next second, Terence stepped out of the car,
surrounded by his convoy of suited bodyguards.
He smiled as he approached Emmanuel and said
politely, “I’m here to return the favor, Mr. Lowe, after you
helped me outside the café!”
Needless to say, everyone was stunned.
Roselynn couldn’t hide her excitement and gripped her
brother’s arm tightly.
Ah! Isn’t this like those rags-to-riches stories?
The more Emmanuel thought about it, the more he
frowned. Wow… Who knew this old geezer was a
millionaire? Could he have intentionally fallen at the
café?
Terence waved his hand, and within seconds, his
subordinates had unloaded several boxes of gifts.
Not only were there precious stones and jewelry, but
there were also famous paintings, antiques, and even
a Porsche key.
The total value of the items had to be at least ten
million.
For someone who earned a mere eighty thousand a
year, ten million was an eye-watering amount of
money that Emmanuel could only dream of!
Upon witnessing the scene, the Zimmerman family
almost collapsed in shock.
Milani might be a well-dressed woman, but the truth
was, her family was just like any other average family.
To them, ten million was undoubtedly an astronomical
sum!
Sh*t. If I had known Emmanuel would become a
multi-millionaire, I’d have married him straightaway!
After snapping out of her daze, she smiled and hastily
clutched Emmanuel’s arm.
“What’s the matter, darling? Oh, wow… You’re so kind to
help the elderly! I love that about you!”
“Who’s your darling?” Emmanuel asked, embarrassing
Milani so much that she wanted to crawl into a hole.
As though that wasn’t enough, he brusquely pushed
her away and added, “Didn’t you just reject me? Why
are you still using honeyed words?”
“Uh… I-” Milani muttered, clearly at a loss for words.
Her family, too, was incredibly frustrated.
After all, they had just missed out on getting a wealthy
son-in-law!
Meanwhile, Alessandra was about to say something
when Roselynn tugged at her.
As much as I want Manny to start a family, I can’t let
him settle for the horrible Zimmermans! Besides, he’s
rich now! I’m sure he can find an even better woman!
“Mom, Roselynn, let’s go!” Emmanuel said before
ushering both women into the car.
He didn’t want to accept the gifts, especially since he
knew he hadn’t done anything to deserve them.
However, it wasn’t the time and place to discuss the
matter, so he decided to leave instead.
Once the Lowe family had left, a gust of cold wind
swept over the Zimmermans as they seethed silently.
16/18
“How could you have made such remarks earlier,
Milani? Do you think it’s easy to find a millionaire these
days?” Melody berated.
“W-What should I do now, then?”
In all honesty, Milani was at a complete loss. She had
gone on several blind dates to find a rich husband who
could give her a life of luxury.
Alas, who knew she’d let a multi-millionaire slip right
through her fingers?
17/18
“What else can we do? They’ve already come to our
place to ask for your hand in marriage. Can’t we do the
same?” Melody suggested.
Jacob, who was just as anxious, instantly exclaimed, “I
don’t care, Milani! You have to marry that
multi-millionaire! When my girlfriend and I get married,
you must give us a house and a luxury car! Otherwise,
I’ll disown you!”
“Okay, okay. I got it!” Milani replied with a long sigh.
Argh! Emmanuel and I left on such bad terms… Would
he still care about me?
Chapter 4
“Take all of these things back!”
Emmanuel had Terence take everything back after
hitching a ride.
“What?”
Terence wasn’t the only one shocked by Emmanuel’s
demand, though. Alessandra and Roselynn were just
as surprised as he was.
“These things are worth at least ten million! Are you
sure you don’t want them?” Terence asked again to
make sure his ears weren’t deceiving him.
Ten million may be a small figure for me, but it should
be an astronomical sum for this young man and his
family!
“That’s right; I don’t want them. My late father taught
me not to accept things I don’t deserve. I can’t be
accepting such expensive gifts simply for helping you,”
Emmanuel replied firmly.
Roselynn could only let out a helpless sigh when she
saw how noble he was.
Alessandra felt a little upset as she wondered when
Emmanuel would be able to find himself a girlfriend
and get married.
Chapter 4 Getting Married
“Haha! Very well, then!”
Terence nodded excitedly and brought the gifts home.
Fearing that Mackenzie wouldn’t believe him, he even
recorded the entire process and showed it to her as
proof.
3/20
“Do you see that, Mackenzie? I told you that man would
be able to pass the test! Now that you’ve lost the bet,
it’s time to honor your word and marry him! I want my
grandchildren!” Terence urged her.
Although Mackenzie said nothing in response, she was
not one to go back on her word. Since she had lost the
bet with her grandfather, she decided to take care of
things the next day. Otherwise, he would surely pester
her about it every day.
Emmanuel received a phone call from an unknown
number very early the next day.
“Since you refused to accept my gifts yesterday, I have
decided to introduce a potential wife to you instead.
You wouldn’t say no to this, would you, young man?”
This voice… It’s the strange old man from yesterday!
“Hey, old man, are you some kind of scammer or
something? Is this a new tactic to scam people out of
their life savings?” Emmanuel responded with a
chuckle.
Of course, he didn’t actually think Terence was a
scammer. He could tell from Terence’s aura that the
old man was incredibly wealthy.
However, he couldn’t seem to figure out why Terence
chose him out of everyone else.
Terence deliberately taunted him by saying, “Haha!
Yes, I want to scam you into marrying a woman. What’s
the matter? Are you scared?”
“What a coincidence! That’s the only thing I’m not
afraid of!” Emmanuel replied seriously.
Alessandra had been pestering him non-stop after his
eighteenth matchmaking session ended in failure
yesterday, so he was willing to marry any woman just
to shut her up.
“Then head over to City Hall right now with all the
relevant documents,” Terence instructed.
Fine! I’ll go! I’m not afraid of getting married!
With that in mind, Emmanuel did as told and headed
over to City Hall with all the relevant documents.
7/20
Terence had told him that the other party was a strong
and capable professional in the corporate world, so
Emmanuel did not have high hopes for her
appearance.
Being a gynecologist, he had gotten so used to seeing
the female body that he didn’t even care about her
figure.
All Emmanuel wanted was for her to have a decent
character.
At the very least, she would have to be better than
Milani.
His jaw dropped in shock when he arrived at City Hall
and saw the woman he was supposed to marry.
What? Mackenzie?
Her icy-cold aura and the red convertible she was in
was a clear indicator that she was from a wealthy
family. Despite how beautiful she looked, no guy dared
hit on her because she was clearly out of their league.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Come on over!”
Mackenzie called out to him.
Her gaze alone was enough to make Emmanuel
comply obediently.
That old man wasn’t lying when he said she was a
powerful woman in the corporate world! She has such
an authoritative and domineering air about her!
9/78
“Ms. Quillen? Are you the one who wants to marry me?”
Emmanuel asked as he was still in disbelief.
“What, you don’t want to marry me?” Mackenzie
retorted with a slight frown.
Man, that icy-cold aura of hers sure is scary! I bet she’s
still single because most guys are intimidated by her!
“Of course I do! I wouldn’t have come here otherwise!”
10/20
Emmanuel wasn’t sure if he was excited or afraid of his
situation.
Mackenzie may be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever
seen, but she seems a bit difficult to get along with. Oh,
well… I just need to get married to shut my mother up,
so it doesn’t really matter if we get along or not!
“Then let’s head inside and get this over with!”
Mackenzie said as she got out of the car and walked
right into City Hall.
Having gotten used to doing things by herself, she was
all alone even when getting married.
She was walking so fast that Emmanuel had to jog to
ik
keep up with her.
“Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider this? It’s not
too late to change your mind,” Mackenzie reminded
him when they were about to get registered as a
married couple.
Since she didn’t actually want to marry Emmanuel, she
hoped that he would change his mind. That way,
Terence would have no choice but to stop pressuring
her.
“For someone with a cold personality, you sure are
surprisingly hesitant and indecisive,” Emmanuel replied
with a nonchalant smile.
The look in Mackenzie’s eyes intensified when she
heard that. Her gaze was so sharp that it was as
though it could slice Emmanuel in half.
“You’d better not regret it, then!”
མ །
That was the final thing Mackenzie told him before
they got married.
Ten minutes later, the two of them walked out of City
Hall with their marriage certificate in hand.
Because Mackenzie had remained silent and
maintained an icy-cold expression the entire time, the
staff at the registration counter even wondered if they
had come to the wrong counter.
Are they here to get divorced or married?
13/20
“I’m only marrying you to fulfill a promise I made to my
grandfather, so don’t take this marriage too seriously.
You can just carry on with your life, and I’ll do the same
on my end. I won’t even care if you’ll be sleeping
around with other women,” Mackenzie said coldly.
Although a little hurt, Emmanuel couldn’t help but
smile in amusement when he heard that.
Did Mackenzie get our roles mixed up or something?
Usually, it’s the job of the sc*mbag husband to say
those lines to his wife.
“Oh, by the way, you mentioned that you haven’t
bought a house, right?” Mackenzie asked all of a
sudden..
“Yes, that’s right,” Emmanuel replied with a nod.
14/20
Mackenzie then handed him a set of keys, much to his
surprise.
As the CEO of Terence Group, she had gotten used to
being prepared.
Candy Crush Saga
“What’s the meaning of this?” Emmanuel asked.
“It’s a patriarchal world that we live in, so women are
expected to move in with their husbands. I refuse to
move into your house, so I got us our own place
instead. You can stay there from now on, but keep in
mind that I will hardly be around,” Mackenzie replied
with an expressionless look on her face.
“Is it just me, or am I being treated like a kept man?”
15/20
Emmanuel refused to accept the keys as his pride and
honor would not let him do so.
“Take the keys!” Mackenzie ordered coldly.
That authoritative tone and penetrating gaze were all
it took to make Emmanuel comply.
As expected of a powerful executive in the corporate
world! You just can’t bring yourself to defy her!
Emmanuel had no choice but to accept the keys. “Fine!
I suppose being a kept man is better than nothing!”
Since they were already married, getting into conflicts
over such trivial matters would only make his life even
more difficult.
“Goodbye!” Mackenzie said as she got ready to leave.
“Wait up, Ms. Quillen!” Emmanuel called out to her
while grabbing her by the wrist.
When Mackenzie turned around, however, her gaze
was so intense that Emmanuel quickly let go of her
hand.
“What else do you want?” Mackenzie asked coldly.
She disliked people, especially men, who were
indecisive and complained a lot.
“There are three things that we need to make clear.”
It was said that married couples had a tendency to
behave like each other. A bit of her personality was
already rubbing off on Emmanuel as he said in a
similarly professional tone, “First of all, I will need your
contact details. That way, I’ll be able to call you
whenever I need to. Just like how you married me to
satisfy your grandfather, I’m also doing it to satisfy my
mother. I’ll have to be able to reach you in case she
asks me about you, right?”
Despite Mackenzie’s cold personality, she was still a
reasonable person, so she agreed to his request. “Here,
you can reach me on WhatsApp.”
After saving her number, Emmanuel continued,
“Second of all, I will pay you a sum of five thousand
every month. You may think of it as paying rent for the
house or as me keeping my promise during our
་་་་་་ ་ ་་་་་
previous date.”
19/20
Mackenzie’s lips curled into a disdainful smile when she
heard that.
Given the amount of money she had, five thousand
was a ridiculously small figure for her.
Even so, she did not turn his offer down.
“Third of all, I want to know your plans regarding our
life as a married couple,” Emmanuel continued with a
serious look on his face.
Chapter 5
Marriage is not a child’s game. Now that we’re married,
we need to decide how we will do a certain something
that married couples do!
“Heh… As expected of a man!”
Mackenzie rolled her eyes when she heard that.
I knew it! Men and women do think differently, after all!
I care about our life as a married couple, but he’s only
concerned about our sex life!
“Unless you win my heart over, you can forget about
laying even a finger on me!”
“Very well, then!”
Emmanuel liked Mackenzie’s short and simple reply.
He never believed that a dense man like himself would
be able to win the heart of an ice queen like her. While
it was true that she could get his heart racing with her
beauty, that didn’t mean she would turn him on.
In fact, he even thought he was unable to be turned on
by women.
Hence, one of the main reasons he didn’t want to get
married was that he was afraid of not being able to
satisfy his wife sexually.
As such, Mackenzie’s refusal to have sex with him came
as a huge relief.
Mackenzie, however, wasn’t too pleased with his
response.
What the… This b*stard! I can tell he’s not faking it! I
know that most men wouldn’t dare express their
interest in me because of my cold personality, but that
doesn’t mean they don’t lust over me! I know I’m a very
beautiful woman, so why doesn’t this b*stard even
want to have sex with me? Is it because he’s a
gynecologist? I hate this so much!
The two then headed their separate ways after they
had made their terms clear with each other.
Emmanuel saw Milani at his doorstep with a basket of
fruits the moment he got home.
She looked like a completely different person with that
sweet smile on her face.
4/16
Disgusted by her pretentious behavior, Emmanuel told
her the truth right away.
“What? You rejected all of the gifts?”
Milani was shocked to the core when she heard that
he had returned the gifts worth ten million.
Oh, my goodness! Why would he do something so
stupid? Does he think he’s all high and mighty for
turning down those gifts? Ugh! Now I see why he’s so
unsuccessful in life! No one in their right mind would
ever want to marry a guy like him! They’d be poor for
life!
Alessandra came out of her room when she heard the
commotion. “Ah, Milani, you’re here! Come on in!” She
welcomed Milani excitedly when she saw the latter
standing at the door.
After all, that was the first time a woman had come to
see her son.
Alessandra was so desperate to marry Emmanuel off
that she didn’t even care if Milani’s family were a bunch
of horrible people.
To her surprise, however, Milani’s attitude changed
instantly.
“Sorry, but I’m really busy! Also, you can forget about
having me marry your son! He isn’t even worthy of
being my footstool, let alone my husband! I bet he’ll
never be able to find himself a wife! Goodbye!” Milani
shouted and stormed off immediately after.
Honestly, I don’t even know why my mom wanted me
to come visit him! This was such a huge waste of time!
Alessandra was left speechless by her sudden
outburst and change of heart.
What just happened? Why would she change her mind
so suddenly? Did she bring those fruits here just to
insult my son? What is wrong with her?
Emmanuel knew full well that Milani’s response was
due to the ten million that he gave up on.
Naturally, he had no interest in a gold-digger like her
either.
“My goodness! What a crazy woman she is!” Roselynn
exclaimed angrily when she came out and saw Milani
leaving.
M
She then turned toward Emmanuel and tried to
comfort him, saying, “You need to stay away from
women like her, Manny! Don’t take her words to heart!”
To her surprise, however, he didn’t seem to be
bothered in the slightest.
“Mom, Roselynn, I’m already married, so you two don’t
have to worry about me anymore.”
Alessandra and Roselynn were so shocked that they
both screamed in unison, “What?”
Roselynn’s voice was so shrill that she nearly shattered
the glassware in the house.
“Did you just say you’re married?”
“Who are you married to?”
“You’re not messing with us, are you, Manny? If I recall
correctly, you never had a girlfriend!”
Alessandra and Roselynn both fired questions at him
one after another.
Instead of trying to convince them, Emmanuel simply
whipped out his marriage certificate and showed it to
them.
The truth spoke for itself, leaving the two women
wide-eyed with shock.
Although the woman on the marriage certificate
looked gorgeous, they were still worried about her
personality.
“She looks hard to get along with!“
“Are you sure this isn’t some kind of scam?”
Emmanuel could understand their concerns, so he lied
to reassure them. “Don’t worry. She’s a woman I met
while I was a soldier at Northern Region. She’s a strong
woman and a perfectionist who cares a lot about her
image, so she didn’t want people to know about our
relationship. That’s why we’ve been keeping it a secret
all this while.”
“Ah, so that’s what happened…”
That explains why he refused to get himself a girlfriend
all these years! Turns out, he already had one all
along!
“I’m sorry for keeping it a secret from you two for so
long! I only did it to protect her career. Anyway, you
two no longer have to worry about me getting married.
Mackenzie and I will surely live a happy life together,”
Emmanuel reassured them, but they were still worried.
Roselynn was especially suspicious of his explanation.
If Manny already had a girlfriend all along, then why
did he wait until now to tell us about it? Why did he
waste his time attending those eighteen matchmaking
sessions? Oh, well… He must have his reasons for lying
to us, and I don’t want to make Mom worried by
exposing him.
“What does she do for a living, Manny? Why didn’t she
come home with you now that you two are married?”
Alessandra asked curiously.
No mother wouldn’t be curious about her
daughter-in-law, and Alessandra was no exception.
Emmanuel knew she would surely ask about
Mackenzie’s background, so he had prepared himself
to answer her questions.
“Mackenzie is a high-level executive in a huge
company, Mom. That’s why she can’t come home with
me.”
“What? Where will she stay, then?” Alessandra pressed
“She bought a house of her own, Mom. Now that we’re
married, I’ll be moving in with her soon.”
“…”
Alessandra’s eyes teared up all of a sudden.
Roselynn didn’t want Emmanuel to leave either, but
she tried to comfort Alessandra anyway. “Manny is a
grown adult now, Mom. It was only a matter of time
before he moved out. You want to have grandchildren,
don’t you? It’ll be hard for that to happen if he stays
with you all the time!”
Of course, Alessandra understood that very well. After
all, no woman would want to live with their in-laws
these days. It would be very inconvenient for them to
have sex at night, too.
Even so, Alessandra’s tears still refused to stop flowing.
“I won’t object to your relationship if you love her,
Manny. I just have one request. Could you bring her
over so I can have a look at her? Also, I want you to
arrange for both our families to meet each other.”
Alessandra’s sincere requests were actually very
simple ones, but they were incredibly difficult for
Emmanuel to fulfill.
There’s no way a woman like Mackenzie would be
willing to visit our house! I don’t know what her job title
is, but her attire and attitude alone show that she’s no
ordinary woman. I doubt I can even afford to pay for
the dry cleaning if we end up getting her clothes dirty!
As for meeting her parents, that’s practically never
going to happen. She said she only agreed to marry
me to satisfy her grandfather, so getting her to show
up here and put up an act for me is simply asking for
the impossible. What do I do now?
Chapter 6
“I’ll tell you about it after talking it through with her,
Mom.”
Emmanuel decided to leave things be for now.
Since he couldn’t agree or refuse, he had no choice but
to take it one step at a time.
“All right, then,” Alessandra responded. “Well, how
about you move out and go live with her today? Girls
love it when guys are romantic. It’s your wedding night,
so you’d better not leave her on her own! Take good
care of her. Do you understand?”
Wedding night? Emmanuel scoffed internally.
If that hadn’t even crossed his mind, then Mackenzie
certainly wouldn’t have thought of it either.
The woman had never even thought about
consummating their marriage.
There’s just no way it’d ever happen!
Still, he nodded at his mother and sister. “I’ll be off,
then. Take care of yourselves. Call me whenever you
need me.”
That alone was enough to make Alessandra and
Roselynn tear up again.
Given how Emmanuel’s father had died young, and the
two women had watched Emmanuel grow up, seeing
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