Caroline Evans was getting married.
Not to her fiancé, Eddy Morrison, whom she had loved for eight years. Instead, she was marrying a man she’d only met for all of five minutes and knew very little about.
“You can still back out.” The man looked at Caroline cynically in the waiting room of City Hall.
Caroline toyed nervously with the already creased hem of her shirt, Eddy’s cold expression flashing through her mind. Three days ago, Eddy, who usually avoided her like the plague, invited her over for dinner. When she received his call, she naively thought that her eight years of effort was finally paying off.
She had dolled herself up and showed up eagerly. However, there were others besides Eddy waiting for her. Sitting in a wheelchair with her fingers laced with Eddy’s was a glowing, radiant Layla Evans, who was none other than her cousin.
Before Caroline could take in their relationship, Eddy dropped a bomb on her.
“If you donate your kidney to Layla, I’ll marry you.”
Caroline was dumbfounded. She stared at Eddy in disbelief. His gaze was cold and indifferent, with a hint of hatred, as if he was not looking at his fiancée of eight years but at a sworn enemy.
Caroline was numb all over.
She had been betrothed to Eddy since they were young. When she returned to the country at 16, she fell head over heels for him. For eight years, she’d gained skills to be the perfect wife.
She’d learned to do the laundry and cook. She’d taken up music and art lessons. Despite knowing that he hated her, she loved him and was drawn to him like a moth to the flame. All so that one day, he would see how great she was and agree sincerely to marry her.
But now, reality hit her like a truck. Not only did Eddy not love her, he’d fallen for her cousin. He was willing to sacrifice her to save the woman he loved. Eddy knew how much Caroline wanted to be his wife, yet he agreed to fulfill her wish only if she did the same for him.
This was outright humiliation.
All her love for him vanished in an instant and turned into hatred.
She wanted to kill them.
However, she was not even capable of protecting herself.
Until now, Eddy’s chilling words echoed in her ear. “I’m not negotiating with you. I’m informing you. If you refuse, I could deny you the right to be Mrs. Morrison.”
Caroline clenched her fists against the cold chair.
Although it had already been three days, anger and disappointment surged in her chest whenever she thought of it.
She knew that Eddy was not joking around.
As the heir of the most prominent family in Osbury, he had enormous power to fulfill his goal. If it weren’t for Jude Morrison, his grandfather, Eddy might not even have told her about it. He would have just dragged her to the surgical ward.
Hence, to protect herself, she had to marry someone to prevent Eddy’s plan from coming to fruition.
Caroline gulped and replied, voice steely, “I won’t.”
Then, she looked at the man next to her.
Kirk Morrison. He shared Eddy’s last name.
She had read the information written on his profile. He had nothing to do with the Morrisons she knew. He was just an ordinary white-collar worker. The only thread he shared in common with them was that he was working in a company they owned.
However, his ordinary background did not change the fact that he had an exquisite face, a tall figure, and broad shoulders. He was so perfectly sculpted that it was hard to spot any flaws. When Caroline had first laid eyes on him, she thought he was the CEO of some well-established company.
“Ms. Evans.”
She’d been staring at him for too long. Kirk had spoken in a low voice and had a smirk on his face.
He was so alluring that it was hard to breathe.
Caroline snapped back to reality and brushed strands of her hair back awkwardly, covering her blushing face.
Kirk watched as she tried to hide her face and smiled. “Do you still remember our three rules?”
“I do.” As Kirk watched, Caroline said, “The marriage will last three years. We cannot involve our private matters in our marriage. And last, we cannot fall in love with each other. We will end this marriage immediately if we find true love within these three years.”
Kirk nodded in satisfaction. Caroline was perplexed. “Why are you suddenly bringing this up?”
He rubbed his fingertips together relaxedly and lowered his head a little, his eyelashes fluttering. “I’m afraid of you falling for me.”
Caroline was instantly speechless. She took a few deep breaths before smiling bitterly. “Don’t worry. I don’t like men.”
She would never fall for anyone again. Having her heart broken once was enough.
Kirk raised an eyebrow, his gaze as deep as an abyss. After a while, he lifted his head. “That’s good, then. Let’s go.”
The conversation had shifted too abruptly. Caroline was stunned for a moment before realizing that it was their turn to register their marriage.
She got up, seeing a couple of newlyweds who had just received their marriage certificates and were beaming happily.
Her vision blurred. She had had dreams of going through this with Eddy multiple times. In fact, while on the way to meet Kirk, she’d still been considering marrying Eddy. But that same moment, she had received a call from Eddy.
“When are you going to the hospital?” he had said, sounding annoyed.
When she heard that, Caroline found that she was not angry at all. Rather, ironically, she wanted to laugh.
Was Eddy so sure that she would be willing to sacrifice everything just to marry him?
Her hesitation and doubt had vanished at once. She grew even more determined to get married to someone else.
“What’s wrong?” Kirk said, pulling Caroline out of her thoughts.
She retracted her gaze, sighing deeply. Tears flooded the corners of her eyes, but her look was cold. “Nothing.”
From now on, she and Eddy had nothing to do with each other. She felt relieved at the thought.
Kirk could tell that some emotional baggage weighed her down, but he did not ask about it. He needed a wife, and Caroline had come recommended to him.
Since they had the same needs, they got together at once. Since they were not too concerned about their future, enquiring about each other’s past was unnecessary too.
Half an hour later, they received their marriage certificate.
Seeing it, Caroline placed a hand over her kidney, sighing in relief. With this marriage certificate, Eddy would no longer be able to force her to give up her kidney.
She was safe for now.
However, the second she thought of her parents, Caroline lowered her head.
She hadn’t had the time to tell anyone about this marriage, including her parents. Their wish was for her to marry Eddy Morrison, especially since the Evans family had been demoted to a lower-cla** family despite having once been one of the four defining families in Osbury. They had high hopes for her to marry Eddy and bring their family back to their former glory.
They would explode from anger if they learned that she had married some nobody.
“We should visit your parents next.” Kirk shoved the certificate into a pocket, revealing a gold watch under his white shirt when he took his hand back out.
Although it was only a fake marriage, they had to do things the proper way.
Caroline was shocked. “Right … right now?”
“Is something wrong?” Kirk looked at her.
Caroline’s red lips parted. She was unsure how to explain but was afraid he would overthink things. “No. Let’s go.”
It had to be done sooner or later.
On the way over, she received a call from Eddy.
Upon seeing the flashing screen, Caroline’s expression froze. She was reminded of how she’d behaved in the past eight years—she used to be the one who called Eddy, asking about his day. But Eddy had never called her.
She wouldn’t have received an ounce of concern even if she were in the hospital undergoing surgery. But now, Eddy was calling Caroline for Layla’s sake.
There was no way Caroline could compare to Layla.
“Aren’t you going to take that?” Kirk looked out of the window. He had been resting his eyes.
Caroline looked at his perfect face. Although she couldn’t see his expression, she felt like he was annoyed.
She hesitated for a moment before finally picking up.
Before she could even speak, Eddy’s angry voice came from the speaker. “Caroline! Get the fuck to the hospital now! Do you know how many specialists are waiting? Do you know how bad Layla feels? How can you be so selfish? I’ve already agreed to fucking marry you. What else do you fucking want?”
Caroline smiled bitterly. Although she knew that Eddy didn’t like her, she never would have known how lowly he thought of her.
If that was the case …
“Don’t you know what I want?” Caroline’s gaze grew cold. “I want your love. Can you give it to me?”
“You’re fucking shameless,” he mocked. “I would never fall for a woman like you! Get your a** here now, Caroline, and you might still be Mrs. Morrison. If you’re late, you’ll get nothing!”
Caroline looked up. She felt like even her heart was crying. “I’m already married,” she said.
Then, she hung up.
This was the first time she ever did that.
How nice it felt not to have to wait in misery.
On the other end of the call, Eddy trembled in hatred. Then, he sneered.
Married? Caroline only wanted to marry him. How could she marry someone else?
Her scheming was becoming more and more absurd. She wanted to fake a marriage to negotiate with him!
How scary she was!
…
After she hung up, the car lapsed into silence.
Kirk, who was looking out the window in annoyance, ma**aged his temples. The call had been too loud. He could hear everything without trying. On top of that, the man sounded familiar. He’d heard it somewhere before.
“It’s no wonder that you don’t like men,” he said, his charming voice filling the entire car.
The sudden feeling of being understood made Caroline’s tears fall like a river. She raised her head and tried to hold back her sobs. She said, gnashing her teeth, “Men are all fucking dogs!”
Kirk did not object. He merely glanced at her.
She was trembling all over. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel hard, and her knuckles were white. She was outraged. But despite that, her crystal eyes were determined, as if she had risen from the dead. She looked unafraid of what life could throw at her and was ready to break free of her chains and soar with her wings.
Something stirred in Kirk’s heart. “I’ll drive.”
Caroline stopped sobbing.
Kirk didn’t dare to look into her eyes. “I don’t want to die.”
Caroline was wordless. They swapped seats and went straight to Caroline’s home without sharing a word between them.
Reaching the entrance, Caroline had finally gathered her emotions. She looked at herself in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her lips looked pale and bloodless. Her skin was already fair to begin with, and she looked like a broken porcelain doll.
She put on some eyeshadow and lipstick and inspected herself before turning to Kirk. “I’m done.”
Caroline looked like a different person with makeup on. Her beautiful eyes were bright, full of calmness and gentleness. Her lips were cherry red, seductive, and alluring.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Caroline looked into the mirror again.
Kirk looked away, smirking. “I didn’t think you would look this good.”
It sounded different after he said it out loud. Caroline couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and anxiously looked at the villa, clutching her shirt. She took a deep breath and mustered up her courage before saying, “Let’s go.”
Kirk looked at the way she entered her own home like she was walking to her execution and raised an eyebrow. Then, he followed behind her in amusement.
“Mom, Dad! I’m home!” Caroline pushed the door open and looked into the living room.
Dan Evans pushed up his gla**es in surprise when he saw her and welcomed her. “Why are you back, Caroline?”
After she came of age, she had moved to the city to take better care of Eddy.
When she saw the wrinkles on her father’s face, Caroline’s eyes watered. She’d spent all her time and energy on Eddy and hadn’t noticed how old her parents had become.
Thank goodness she’d realized who she really should be caring for in time.
“Dad …”
“And this is?” Dan instantly noticed Kirk, who was standing behind Caroline. With his sharp instincts, he knew there was more to this man than what was on the surface.
Caroline said in hesitation, “He’s my …”
“Carrie, you’re back!” There was a gleeful exclamation. A red figure rushed toward Caroline from the second floor. “Eddy called me and said that you’re going to get married. Is this true?”
Caroline was stunned. “What?”
Eddy had gone ahead with the marriage by himself.
Dan didn’t notice his daughter’s reaction and asked his wife excitedly, “Is that true? Has Eddy finally agreed to marry Carrie?”
They’d been waiting for this moment for over a decade.
When she saw how happy her parents were, she bit her lip.
How despicable. Eddy had guessed accurately that she would not go against her parents and was using them to coerce her! He would use every tactic in the book to achieve his goal.
When Caroline felt like she was about to suffocate, Kirk rested his hand on her shoulder. His deep, charismatic voice sounded from above her head. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Evans. I’m Carrie’s husband. It’s nice to meet you.”
Caroline’s heart thumped in her chest. It felt like a lifebuoy had been thrown to her in the open sea.
She looked up and met Kirk’s gaze. The amusement in his eyes had vanished, replaced by deep emotion. For a second, even Caroline believed it.
She quickly looked at Dan and Sarah White, her mother.
They were so shocked that they both collapsed onto the couch. After a beat, Dan reacted first. He looked at Caroline and asked, “Carrie, what is this?”
Before she could speak, Kirk shielded her behind him. Her mind went blank at the feeling of protection he gave her.
He said in that husky voice of his, “We just registered our marriage today. It was so rushed that we didn’t get the chance to inform you.”
Dan was furious, but he kept his composure. “Carrie!”
Caroline gritted her teeth and said, “What he’s saying is true. I married him because I didn’t want to marry—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Sarah rushed toward her and squeezed her shoulders. “What happened, Carrie? Didn’t you always like Eddy? Now that he’s finally agreeing to marry you, why are you—” Then, she looked at Kirk warily and said in a low voice, “Tell me, have you been threatened?”
Sensing that her mother had misunderstood Kirk, Caroline hurriedly said, “No one forced me to do anything. I just don’t want to marry a man who doesn’t love me!”
She was exhausted. She did not want to carry on anymore.
Sarah’s fingernails dug into Caroline’s flesh. “Do you know what you’re saying, Carrie? From the moment you got engaged to Eddy, we raised you to be his wife. You are going to marry him to elevate our family, not for love!”
Caroline’s shoulders hurt so badly that she sucked in a breath of air. “Mom …” She looked at Dan.
Dan looked at her in disappointment. “Carrie, divorce him immediately before Eddy finds out! You are Eddy’s wife. How could you be so foolish?” He frowned as he said that last sentence. Whatever warmth he had toward Kirk was now all gone.
Caroline saw red. She didn’t care if there was an outsider present. “Do you know why Eddy agreed to marry me?”
Dan turned away. “I don’t want to hear it. Divorce this man immediately.”
Caroline was stunned. Heartache welled up her chest. Looking at her father’s back, she said pitifully, “He said that he would marry me if I donated my kidney to Layla.”
The room fell into silence.
Dan and Sarah met each other’s conflicted gaze.
Kirk lifted his gaze lazily, looking at Caroline’s parents. He frowned slightly. A part of him felt uncomfortable. He couldn’t describe why.
Caroline sniffed and continued, “You know how I’ve cared for him these eight years. But he never loved me and got together with Layla when he was still engaged to me. Now, he wants to use my kidney to save Layla. I can’t imagine what would happen if we married. If Layla wanted my life, he—”
Caroline couldn’t go on anymore. Layla was her uncle’s daughter. Caroline had spent all of her effort on Eddy and hadn’t spent much time with her cousin. Although their bond was not very strong, Caroline tirelessly helped in the search for a compatible donor when Layla’s kidneys began deteriorating half a year ago.
But in the end, they weren’t just ungrateful. They both stabbed her in the back, demanding a kidney from her without prior discussion.
They wouldn’t do this to a stranger, much less family.
Sarah looked at her husband wordlessly, both of them reaching a mutual agreement. Then, she tugged Caroline’s hand gently. “Carrie, I know you’re upset, but think about it. Donating a kidney wouldn’t affect you in any way, and you’d be able to save Layla and become Eddy’s wife. It’s killing two birds with one stone. What a wonderful thing that is!”
Caroline turned cold. “What are you talking about, Mom?”
Eddy had betrayed her. Why did she have to make him and his mistress happy?
She looked at Dan beseechingly, but he looked at the ceiling. “You’re not a child anymore, Caroline. It’s a fair trade. Don’t be stubborn.”
“Fair trade.” Caroline trembled. She nearly fell, but Kirk pulled her up by her wrist. She stood squarely on her feet and looked bitterly at her parents, who had doted on her since she was small.
If Eddy’s betrayal had hit her like a truck, her parents’ words were hitting her like an army tank.
“So, in your eyes, my happiness is not as important as marrying Eddy and taking the Evanses to greater heights.” Fat tears fell from her eyes. She could no longer hold back the frustration that she had been accumulating within her.
She turned and ran out of the house.
She couldn’t take it anymore. How could her loving parents not understand her either?
Dan and Sarah were about to run after her, but Kirk blocked them off coldly. His face was devoid of warmth.
“The damage has been done. There’s no use pretending anymore.”
His words hit the nail right on the head. Dan yelled guiltily, “What right do you have to stop us? Caroline is our daughter.”
“So you know that.” Kirk scoffed sarcastically. “I thought she was your maid considering how you talked to her.” Then, he stepped back and looked down at both of them. “She is my wife. I will not let anyone hurt her. Not even her parents.”
His domineering aura stunned Dan for a couple of seconds before he snapped out of his trance. He yelled at Kirk, “Who the fuck are you to lecture us? You must divorce her at once, or I’ll make your life in Osbury a living hell!”
But Kirk had already left the house. He ignored Dan’s anger completely.
Once he was out of the house, Kirk looked at the woman slumped against the steering wheel, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed.
He stopped in his footsteps.
He needed a wife to stave off unwanted troubles. He had already attained his goal. He did not have to care about things like this.
He turned, but the determination that was in Caroline’s eyes despite her bitter desperation flashed through his mind.
He frowned in annoyance and strode forward. But then, he stopped and looked back at that meek figure again. He turned around and strode toward the car, pulling the door open. He nudged her and said crossly, “Move over.”
Still wallowing in her sorrow, Caroline looked up numbly. Before she could react, a pair of hands circled her waist. In an instant, she was cradled in Kirk’s arms.
She was so stunned that she forgot to cry. Her beautiful eyes looked at Kirk in shock.
“What … what are you doing?”
They had agreed that this would be a fake marriage.
Kirk shoved her into the pa**enger seat with a steely face. He then got into the driver’s seat and shut the door.
Caroline was so startled that she jumped a little. She snuck a glance at Kirk’s unpleasant expression, perplexed. She was the one who should be angry. Why did he look more enraged than she was?
At once, Kirk started the car and sped into the distance.
Caroline nearly flew out of her seat. She grabbed the handhold tightly, her voice sounding distorted in the wind. “What are you doing?”
It was as if Kirk hadn’t heard anything. He stepped on the gas, staring straight ahead as if he were a beast in the night.
At once, the Audi A6 sped through the streets like a rushing river.
Caroline turned pale. She could barely hold on. The wind swept her questions away, her voice drowned in the breeze.
Finally, Caroline stopped struggling and let the wind tousle her hair. Kirk was like a madman, driving her toward the unknown.
Three days ago, she’d thought about dying. But suicide would hurt too much, and she couldn’t bear to do it. Besides, she felt that even if her parents wished for her to be Mrs. Morrison, they would understand her when they heard Eddy’s outlandish request. This was why she had the guts to let them meet Kirk.
But in their eyes, elevating the Evans family was more important than her happiness. 20-something years of joy evaporated in an instant.
The wind beat violently against her face. She had no more tears left to cry.
Her heart was just dead.
The car gradually slowed down. She looked out of the window, numb.
They were at the seaside. Only a few people were on the beach during the sunset, appearing like ants moving around on the sand. Clouds decorated the entire sky, floating in large shapes of orange and red. It was a tranquil scene.
Caroline had lived in Osbury for many years but never knew such a beautiful place existed here.
“Aren’t you going to take a look?” Kirk asked lazily.
Caroline looked at him. The anger had dissipated from his face, as if her eyes had merely played tricks on her earlier.
He had one hand on the steering wheel while the other rested on the seat. He stared out at the beach beyond.
He was laid back but haughty. His tousled hair made his perfect face even more enchanting. Although she knew that he was a nobody, her heart thumped.
She looked down hurriedly, avoiding that scorching gaze of his. “No.” Just looking at the place from afar was enough.
Kirk shifted his gaze to the woman’s animated yet dejected eyes. He remembered those determined but embittered eyes. His fingers grazed the steering wheel, and he looked at an eagle that was soaring high above. “Haven’t you thought about taking revenge?”
Caroline was bewildered.
“Your fiancé.” Kirk felt around his chest, then remembered his current persona and that he hadn’t brought a cigar with him. His fingers went back to the steering wheel. “He sounds like a bastard. Don’t you want to take revenge on him?”
Caroline smiled, her gaze misty. “Of course I have. But I don’t have the ability to do that.”
Eddy was the heir of the Morrisons. He could crush her like an ant.
Now that she thought about it, it was only because of Jude that she was allowed to be close to him. Once Jude stepped down, Eddy’s hatred for her might just drive him to kill her.
“I can help you with that,” Kirk said nonchalantly. He looked at Caroline and then at the eagle, which had swooped into the sea and caught a fish in its beak. Once he said those words, he felt at ease.
Caroline smiled. “Thanks for the offer. You’re a good person. However, he’s not just anybody.”
Amusement flashed through Kirk’s eyes when he heard Caroline’s praise of him.
A good person?
He’d been alive for almost 30, but no one had ever called him a good person during this time.
And just based on that …
“My promises expire. But as long as you say the word, I can help you with your revenge.”
Caroline smiled, not explaining further. “Sure.” But she couldn’t help thinking what Kirk’s face would look like if he knew that Eddy was the one he had to take revenge on.
Right this moment, Kirk’s phone rang. He took it out, his expression shifting when he saw the number. He opened the door and walked a distance away before saying, “Speak.”
“Sir, the driver who caused the car crash has pa**ed away. We could not retrieve any useful information.”
Kirk’s gaze was so sharp it could cut gla**. He was a completely different person.
“Only a few people know that I’ve come back. Keep an eye on them.”
“Yes, sir.” His underling paused, then continued, “Old Mr. Morrison called. He wants to invite you to a party. You …”
Kirk looked at Caroline, who was staring blankly at the sky. “Get it in order.”
“Yes, sir.” The underling understood at once.
Kirk hung up and walked toward Caroline. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I have some matters to tend to.”
“You can go. You don’t have to bother about me.” Caroline forced a vibrant smile. “I’m fine.”
Kirk swept his gaze over her. “Sure. And if you’re not, don’t say it’s my fault.”
Caroline was speechless. Why did he have to talk like that?
…
After Kirk left in a cab, Caroline received a call from her friend, Gwen Jameson.
Gwen was seething when the call went through. “Carrie, that bastard Eddy got together with Layla. I went to see my mother and—”
“I already know about that.” Before Gwen could ask, Caroline told her everything that had happened in the past few days.
After Gwen learned of it all, she was so furious she wanted to flip a table over. “F*** this shit! They’re so good at keeping shit in the dark that we never saw their scheme. You aren’t letting them go scot-free, are you?”
“What else can I do?” Caroline was exasperated. “I married someone just so that I wouldn’t have to donate my kidney. How can someone like me take revenge on them?”
“Hold up. What … what did you say? Married? Are you married now?” Gwen began coughing and spluttering. It went on for a few minutes before she roared, “Who did you marry? F***, he’s not Eddy’s relative, is he? This is such sweet revenge! If Eddy finds out abou
Caroline was amused by Gwen’s outburst. “You’ve read too many romance novels. I just picked him off the street. He has nothing to do with the Morrisons. The only thing they have in common is that he works in one of their companies.”
“Oh.” Gwen was disappointed. “So he’s Eddy’s employee. Doesn’t that mean that Eddy can bully you whenever he wants?”
Caroline’s eyes darkened. “He … probably wouldn’t because of Old Mr. Morrison. Besides, I’m already married. Eddy probably won’t come and bother me anymore.”
Gwen relaxed a little, but when she thought of Eddy’s hara**ment, she felt angry on her friend’s behalf. “If it were up to me, I’d have beaten up that man. Does he not know how much you wanted to marry him?”
Caroline said, “It’s already in the past, Gwen. In the future, Eddy and I will be our own people. We will not interfere with each other.”
“So your marriage …” Gwen hesitated. “It hasn’t been made known to Old Mr. Morrison yet, has it? If he comes to know about it, he’ll be sad.”
Caroline had just begun to feel calm, but now she was worried again. She felt guilty when Jude was brought up. It was him who had finalized her engagement with Eddy. When the Evanses met their demise, everyone waited for him to retract his statement and turn her into a joke, yet he hadn’t done that at all. Instead, he’d publicly announced that she was the only person he would accept as his granddaughter-in-law.
Because of her, he and Eddy had argued several times.
Now that things had ended up this way, Caroline only felt guilty toward Jude.
“I’ll tell him tonight,” Caroline said. She would rather have him hear it from herself than from someone else.
Gwen was worried. “Do you need me to go with you?”
“No.” Caroline smiled. “He cares for me so much. He won’t do anything to me.”
…
In the glittering halls of Starlust Hotel, Jude Morrison was sitting in the highest chair as a symbol of his power and status and was talking to Kirk Morrison. He chuckled. “You’re the one that my brother nurtured, after all. You’re ten years younger than Thomas, but you handle things with such composure. He can’t do that.”
Thomas, Eddy’s father, sat below Jude. He had a beer belly, but one could tell that he was once a handsome man.
“What Dad means,” Thomas said, unable to conceal the admiration for his younger brother, Kirk, “is that being able to put down all the things you were doing overseas to rush back home is an incredible feat that not many people can do.”
Kirk was pleasantly surprised by their praise. He brushed his finger against his lips elegantly. “Thank you, Thomas and Uncle Jude. Our country has been developing rapidly. I only came back because I saw the commercial potential in it.”
Jude nodded slightly. Then, he said sorrowfully, “What a pity your father hadn’t come home with you. Otherwise, my brother and I would have been able to get together again.”
Kirk’s eyes turned cold. He said indifferently, “It’s a good thing that he didn’t come then. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been able to see us.”
Jude knitted his eyebrows together. “What do you mean?”
“We had a car accident at the airport.”
“What?” Jude said anxiously. “Were you hurt?”
“No.”
“That’s good.” The old man sank into his chair, then asked concernedly, “What happened?”
“The cars collided with each other. Both drivers died.”
“Does that mean we can’t find out if this was deliberate or accidental?” Jude’s wits were sharp, and he caught on quickly.
Kirk had been observing his expression. He confirmed that the old man was indeed clueless before saying, “Yes. That’s why I need your help.”
“Of course I will help,” he said. “Your father and I are brothers. I would have investigated it without you even mentioning it.”
“Thank you, Uncle Jude. But I don’t want to bother you with that,” Kirk refused politely. “I will get to the bottom of it. Not many people know that I’ve returned. I think I’ll be able to find the truth very soon. However, I’d like you to help me stop any news regarding my return.”
Jude said in a low voice, “Are you suspecting foul play by the other families?”
He had only told the other three large families of Osbury about Kirk’s return.
Kirk’s slender fingers ran along the surface of the table. He did not answer but said determinedly, “I just hope that you’ll be able to help me.”
Jude hesitated for a moment, raising an eyebrow. Then, he broke the somber atmosphere with a chuckle. “Of course.” He looked at Thomas and changed the topic. “Where’s Eddy? Why isn’t he here?”
Thomas replied, “He might have gotten delayed because of work. He would have rushed here otherwise. He’s been wanting to see Kirk.”
“Yes.” Jude said, smiling. “Ever since meeting you a couple of times overseas, he began admiring you. I watched him grow up, yet I’ve never seen him respect anyone else so much.”
Kirk put on a smile. His thoughts wandered to Caroline.
Eddy? Wasn’t her fiancé also called Eddy? Would it be too much of a coincidence?
“Kirk?” Thomas waved a hand at him.
Kirk retracted his gaze and looked at Thomas.
Thomas teased, “What are you thinking about? You were so deep in thought.”
Kirk’s expression froze. Daydreaming was a sin to him. But because of that woman, he had committed it.
“My dad was asking if you’re married.”
Kirk collected his thoughts and sat up straight. “Yes.”
Jude’s interest was piqued. “When did that happen? Your father called me before you returned, and he told me to find you a partner. How did you find one so fast?”
So, that had happened.
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