Cold CEO's Bride novel Chapter 2

It all began in a magnificent villa. The roof was covered with a thin layer of snow, and the gently floating snowflakes made it look all the more charming and beautiful. This was the main house of the Leng Family.

The Leng Group had been prosperous for over twenty years now. However, ever since they had lost two of their family members in a row, they weren't as successful as they used to be. Management became hard, and for some time they were only making enough to make sure that the company didn't die out. Despite this, the Leng Family still remained to be one of the most powerful households in J City.

On that snowy day, Kelley was inside the grand villa, kneeling on the ground as she wiped the marble floors. There was no way she could use a vacuum cleaner or even a mop to clean the rooms in the villa. The only thing she could use was this small piece of cloth. This was a task she had to do every single week.

Almost mechanically, Kelley would rinse off the rag in a bucket of water, lift it up, wring it out, and wipe the floor. Since it was wintertime, the water in the bucket was almost as cold as the snow outside. During times like this, her hands grew incredibly numb. It was a lot more difficult to do tasks like this as she could barely move her fingers from how cold they were. The only thing that was warming her up was how much she moved her arms across the floor as she tirelessly tried to clean it.

As Kelley did this, she couldn't help but count how many rooms there were left for her to clean up. The house was much too big and had way too many rooms. It was her intention to finish this task as soon as possible so that she could still work part-time at a store downtown. Since it was almost Christmas, most people were doing a lot of shopping. The more items she sold, the more money she would have for her expenses.

An hour before noon, Kelley walked out of the villa and let out a tired sigh. Just when she was about to walk to the nearby bus stop, a woman gingerly approached her. She was wearing a fluffy hat on her head and had a digital camera in her hand. "Excuse me. Is this the villa of the Leng Family?" she asked as she stood on her toes, trying to get a better look in between the grills of the gate.

"Yes," Kelley replied in a trembling voice as she rubbed her hands together to warm them. "Who are you looking for?" A slight breeze blew, but it was enough to send a chill right down to her bone. The thin, velvet jacket she was wearing was not enough in this kind of weather.

The woman smiled politely. "Oh, I'm a reporter from the Daily Newspaper of J City. I've heard that Mr. Henry of the Leng Group just got engaged today. I'm here to interview him for a special segment." Then, she paused to cast another glance inside. "Why is it so quiet in there? Isn't the engagement ceremony being held here?"

'Mr. Henry is getting engaged today?' Kelley thought in surprise. All of a sudden, she burst into laughter. She couldn't help but feel how silly she was for thinking that she would have a chance with a man like him. Henry was like a god high up in the sky, whereas she was a nobody, a mundane girl who was struggling to survive. It was impossible to think that she would ever end up with a guy like him.

It was four years ago when she had first seen and fallen in love with Henry. She had just turned eighteen at that time. It was really nothing more than a strong infatuation as she knew in her heart that it would never be meant to be.

Just when the reporter was about to ask why Kelley was laughing, her phone suddenly rang. After answering the call, she started to apologize profusely, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. When the call ended, the reporter sighed heavily. "What bad luck! I thought that the engagement ceremony was going to be held here. Turns out it's happening right now at the Imperial Hotel. I don't know if I'll still be able to make it on time."

Hearing this, Kelley came back to her senses. "Well, you need to get there even if it's already a bit late. Besides, you have a report to do! I'll even come with you if you like."

The reporter took a look at Kelley, and thought for a while. "Okay, my car is over there. Let's go!"

The Imperial Hotel was one of the most prestigious places in J City. Only the highest ranking officials or rich businessmen could afford to stay a night there, let alone hold an event.

Kelley, however, wasn't in the mood to appreciate the magnificent hotel. All she wanted to do was catch a glimpse of Henry.

He was the only eligible heir to the Leng Group. When he was only two years old, he had been completely shut off from the public eye. There had been no news of him for nearly 20 years. And now, he had suddenly reappeared, and was engaged to the daughter of the Shen Family. All of the major media outlets came to cover his story.