Jane's usual air of superiority since Ryder had met her some minutes ago shifted to vulnerability when he locked eyes with her. It made him curious about why they were there in the middle of the night, especially considering how serious she sounded.
"What is it?" He asked her, her expression unreadable. Slowly, she walked closer to him, closing the gap between them. But with every step closer, his curiosity grew. When they were just a few steps apart, she finally spoke. “I don’t even know where to start. I had it all planned out in my head, but honestly, I’ve forgotten it.” She closed her eyes momentarily, holding her breath, and opened them, a faint smile plastered on her face. "This might sound weird..." She sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "Oh God! I had this all planned out." She apologised to him for her lack of composure while he stared at her, his mind consumed with curiousity. He could see the hesitation in her eyes from the way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. He kept his gaze steady, trying to coax the words out of her. “You know you would have to tell me eventually, right? Just say it however it comes to you.” He was trying to help—to push her over the edge. He couldn’t wait any longer to hear why she had gone through so much trouble for him. He knew if he didn’t, they might spend the entire night standing there in silence. She took a deep breath, then let out a shaky exhale, her fingers brushing through her hair in frustration. "Okay..." She closed her eyes as if to summon the courage she needed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Then, almost as if the words had been burning inside her, she blurted them out. “Can you marry me? No…” She quickly shook her head, keeping her eyes shut tight. "I will appreciate it if you marry me. I need you to." He blinked, unable to believe what he had just heard. His mind tried to process her words, but they didn’t fit anywhere. It was the strangest thing anyone had ever said to him. A proposal? Here? Now? From her? Her heart raced as she waited for his reaction, terrified of what his response might be. Slowly, she opened her eyes, bracing herself for whatever was to come. But what happened next made her heart nearly stop. He suddenly burst into a hysterical laugh, so intense that he doubled over, his sides aching, and a few drops of saliva splashed onto her face. “I’m sorry,” he managed to say between fits of laughter. "You are joking, right?” But when he looked up, his laughter died in his throat. She was not joking. Her face was twisted in an expression of hurt, embarrassment, and something else—something that made his stomach twist. She looked like she was about to cry, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, and the sight of it hit him harder than he expected. “Wait,” he said, stepping closer to her. "Were you serious about what you said?” His eyes widened in shock, disbelief etched into his face. She didn’t answer with words. Instead, she nodded slowly, her gaze dropping to the ground in embarrassment. He scoffed in disbelief. "Do you realise how absurd this sounds? We haven't even met before until now, and you expect me to accept your proposal? You expect me to take it seriously?" He sucked his teeth. "We have, actually," she muttered. Her claim made him ask when and where they had met. “I bought from you at the market a few weeks ago,” she said. "And to be honest, it was love at first sight, even though I never believed in that sort of thing.” She slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. “I just didn’t have the courage to tell you until tonight. But when I heard about your wrongful arrest, I decided to take action to get you released.” He smirked, amused by her words, because he knew she was lying. He had a knack for recognising everyone who had ever bought skewers from him, even if it was just once. When he told her this, he watched her squirm awkwardly under his gaze, confirming his suspicion. This made him certain that there was more to her proposal than she was letting on, and he was determined to find out the truth. Sensing his doubt, she quickly spun another lie. “I wasn’t the one who made the purchase directly. It was my driver. I just admired you from a distance when I saw you.” Even though he knew that she was lying, he decided to pretend as if he believed her. "Okay, fine." He sighed. "But I'm sorry if this will hurt your feelings but I don't feel the same way. I really appreciate you getting me out of there, but I can’t repay your kindness by agreeing to this proposal. If I ever do owe you anything, it won’t be this." Then, to his shock, she did something he never saw coming. She dropped to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. “Please, all I need is for you to say yes. Everything I’ve worked for—my entire life—is at risk if you don’t accept it. This proposal is the only way to solve my problems.” He watched in disbelief as she crawled towards him on her knees, completely unfazed by the rough granite under her, until she reached his legs and clung to them desperately. “Just tell me what you want,” she begged. “Money? Fame? Connections? I’ll give you anything—anything you ask for. Just please, don’t just say no. Please.” Her voice broke as her tears fell harder, echoing through the still night. "Ma'am, is everything okay?" The driver, who had disobeyed her orders by stepping out of the car out of curiosity, called out cautiously. "Get back in the car and follow my damn orders!” she screamed, her voice cracking with emotion. But despite her tears, her desperation, and the life-changing offer she dangled in front of him—something most people would jump at without a second thought—he remained unmoved. None of it reached him. Yet, beneath his calm exterior, he was determined to figure out why his answer mattered so much to her and why it held the power to change the course of her life. “I’m sorry, Jane, but I can’t. There are plenty of men who would jump at your offer, but I’m not interested. No matter how hard you try, you won’t change my mind with your offer or pressure,” he said firmly. “Don’t you get it?!” She erupted, standing up and glaring at him with an intensity he could not quite place. "You are the only one who fits what I need. Besides my feelings for you, you have all the qualities I’m looking for in a man—your humility, your strength, and your reliability. I need you to be there for me when things go wrong, to help me get what is rightfully mine.” She took a deep breath, her frustration evident. “I know I might sound selfish, and I don’t care if you think that. Just agree to be my partner in the public eye. You can cheat or do whatever you want in the marriage—I won’t make a fuss about it. Think of it as a facade. If you’re not willing to give my feelings for you a chance, we can stay apart and live separate lives, even as we share the same roof.” Her confession made it clear she had no real feelings for him, and this was their first meeting. He was certain that her plan was to use him as a pawn for her own purposes. Despite his curiosity about her motives, he could not tolerate her manipulative behaviour any longer. He scoffed. "You can shove your offer in your ass." With that, he turned to leave. As he walked away, he heard her footsteps fading, sounding farther away than closer. He tried to ignore it until her voice pierced through the distance. “Fine! If you won’t accept my offer, maybe you will be okay knowing you are the reason for my suicide!” The dangerous edge in her voice made him stop and turn around. What he saw next shocked him to his core. His eyes widened in horror as he saw her standing on the wrong side of the railing, arms outstretched as if ready to leap into the sea. “What the hell are you doing? Are you out of your mind?!” he shouted, panic rising in his voice. The driver, who had also stepped out of the car, tried to reason with her, but she shouted for him to stay back, threatening to jump if he didn’t. Ryder hesitated, reconsidering his decision as he realised the gravity of the situation, seeing how far she was willing to convinced him that her claim about needing him was serious. He could not afford to be the cause of another person's death, which had led him to the life he was living. Not again! "Okay...okay..." He began walking slowly and cautiously towards her. "I accept. Just get off the ledge, okay?” She smiled, her back still turned against him. "I will, only if you do one last thing for me." She then ordered her driver to give Ryder an envelope from the car for him to read through and sign when he had asked her what she needed him to do. Afterwards, she ordered the driver to return to the car. When he opened the envelope, he was surprised to find a marriage contract between them. He quickly skimmed the terms, found them acceptable, and signed the contract as she had instructed. She had already signed her part, ready for this moment. Even if he was not completely happy with the terms, he would have signed it anyway. He could not risk letting her die on him. After showing and telling her that he had signed it, she slowly got off from there, which made him relieved. "Thank you so much," she smiled as she approached him. He had expected her to request a hug to make the driver believe they were in a relationship, since that was one of the things she requested—to make the public believe they were in a relationship—but she didn't. Instead, she told him they should head to the car, in order to head to their respective homes. While he was determined to help her achieve whatever her aim was in all this drama, one thing was certain: he wouldn't fall in love with her.After Ryan was dropped off at his home, Jane reminded him that she would be picking him up the next day to go to the courthouse and register their marriage. It was all about keeping up appearances and making sure no one suspected anything.As he stepped inside his small, cramped room, he could not stop thinking about the whirlwind of events that had unfolded that day, especially that moment on the bridge with her. The idea of marrying someone he had just met was still ridiculous to his ears.He let out a dry laugh. "If someone had told me this would happen, I would have said they were out of their mind."But despite the absurdity, he could not shake the memory of her determined gaze. Whatever her reasons were, she was set on this, and he found himself committed to helping her achieve whatever goal she had in mind in the space of three years—the length of their marriage.Still lost in thought, his mind drifted to Mr. Lee. He remembered that Mr. Lee had told him earlier that he would no
As Ryan and Jenna walked towards the gate, he decided to have an important discussion with her before he left."Jenna," he began, his voice gentle but firm, "have you ever thought about living on your own?"She looked up, surprised. "What do you mean? I’m fine here.""I know," he replied, stepping closer. "But... you are smart and capable. It might be good for you to think about having your own place someday, maybe very soon, since you've gotten yourself a big job. It could give you some freedom and particularly a chance to really figure things out for yourself."She bit her lip, considering his words. "I don’t know... it is just so comfortable here with dad and the family.""I get it," he said, nodding. "But comfort is not everything. Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is the only way to grow."She stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to read his intentions. Finally, she nodded. "I will think about it.""Good," he smiled. "That’s all I ask, and it is for your o
The constant knocking on the door dragged Ryan out of sleep the next morning.Groaning, he stumbled towards the door, still in his undershorts. Yesterday had been exhausting, and he had stayed up late. But when he opened the door, his eyes widened in surprise—it was Jane. She looked just as startled, clearly not expecting him to be so unprepared on their big day.“Have you forgotten the significance of today for us?” she asked, frustration edging her voice.He quickly apologised, promising he would be ready in just a few minutes. He invited her in and hurried off to get prepared.When he walked out of his small bedroom, she was taken aback by how good he looked.Even though he was just wearing a simple white shirt with black stripes and black trousers, he looked handsome enough to make any woman turn her head."No wonder he has a reputation for attracting women," she thought inwardly.Still, even though he was exactly her type, she did not feel any romantic interest in him."This i
The morning air was still cool when Ryan's phone buzzed. Groggy and annoyed, he answered it to hear Jane’s voice on the other end."I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to pick you up as promised. I’ve got an emergency meeting out of state," she said, her tone brisk."What about your driver? Can’t he come and pick me up?” He asked, his irritation seeping into his voice."No,” she responded sharply. "You will have to find your own way to my house.”Before he could protest, she hung up. A few moments later, his phone pinged again—this time, it was a text with the address and some money for transport.He stared at the credit alert, his annoyance growing. "She is such a rude asshole,” he muttered, pocketing his phone. Even though they had agreed to keep things strictly business, he had hoped she would show a bit of common courtesy. Instead, it felt like she was going out of her way to make things difficult.“I guess that is what I will have to deal with for the next three years,” he sighed
As Ryan drove back to the estate gate, he stopped as the security guard approached the car before opening the gate to let him out. Ryan rolled down the window, smirking as the guard's eyes widened in shock at the sight of him in the sleek car.Ryan scoffed, locking eyes with the guard. "What, you think I stole it because I’m too poor to own something this nice?"The guard struggled to find words, his mouth opening and closing uselessly."Open the gate and let me out of here, you lowlife," Ryan snapped.He chuckled as he watched the guard trudge back to the gatehouse."It’s always the ones with nothing who look down on others when they get a taste of the good life," he muttered to himself.Once the gate was open, he drove forward a bit and stopped in front of the gatehouse."Is there... is anything wrong, sir?" The guard drawled."Sir?" Ryan chuckled.He leaned closer, his voice dripping with mockery. “Don’t worry, I won’t report you to your employer. Your job is safe... for now.”A s
As the officer approached the scene, the young man ran to him."Mr. Jackson!" The officer recognised him instantly."Thank God you are here." The young man—Mr. Jackson said."You see that scumbag over there?" He pointed towards Ryan, who was still standing with the girl. "You won't believe he humiliated me. Me, of all people!" A smirk crossed his face as Ryder's gaze locked with his.The officer quickly apologised to Mr. Jackson, assuring him that he would handle the situation, and then approached Ryder.After asking Ryder what had happened, which Ryder explained in detail, the officer informed him that he would need to come down to the station on charges of intentionally causing traffic and assaulting Mr. Jackson.Ryan scoffed, already predicting how things would unfold. "Intentionally causing traffic? Did you even listen to what I said caused all of this? Since you're clearly choosing not to believe me, why don't you ask the witnesses around?"But to Ryan's surprise, no one spoke u
For a long, tense moment, neither Ryan nor Jane spoke. The silence between them was suffocating as each second stretched out like an eternity. His eyes locked onto hers, searching for answers she wasn’t ready to give. His fists tightened at his sides as he struggled to keep his anger in check. He exhaled quietly, deciding to break the silence. “Jane?” he whispered. "What’s this slap about? What did I do to deserve it?” She scoffed in disbelief, taking a step back. "How can you even ask me that after what you have done? You’re unbelievable.” “I honestly don’t know what you are talking about. I’m completely in the dark here,” he replied, his voice calm, though anger simmered beneath the surface. She shook her head, frustration clear in her eyes. “I thought you were different, someone who wouldn’t abuse their change in status. But I guess I was wrong. Maybe people are all the same after all.” But Ryan was still clueless. “I don’t understand what all this is for. Just e
"Shouldn't you at least tell me where we are headed?" Ryan asked Jane as they drove toward the destination she had mentioned earlier.He was sitting beside her. "You will find out when we get there," she replied sternly, without making an attempt to look at him. The drive continued in silence until Ryan's phone rang, breaking the quiet.It was Rose."I thought you were dead," she joked as soon as Ryan answered. "Yeah, your call brought me back to life," he replied, and they both laughed.For the first time since the trip began, Jane glanced at him, surprised and curious about who was on the other end of the line."I was really worried, Ryan. I thought you had been imprisoned, and I couldn't make it to the station because of what you told me." Her voice was filled with concern. "I'm sorry," Ryan apologised, explaining that he was released the same night."How? Where are you, anyway? Everyone is freaking out, even Mr. Lee. He said he has not been able to reach you, and you have not