Chapter 2

"What are you doing?" It was a young man in a glittering green suit.

He was decked in luxurious brands from head to toe.

Chloe realized she was standing too close to him and subconsciously took a step backward.

Lewis' face paled when he recognized the man.

"Mr. Kendrick, I had no idea you would be visiting today. If I knew, I'd have given you a proper welcome." Lewis sounded nervous as he hurried towards Jonas Kendrick.

Jonas Kendrick had a proud smile on his face as he waved Lewis aside. "I didn't know I'd be visiting either."

Then his eyes settled on Chloe who immediately looked away from him. He took long strides towards her then held out the rose flowers with him towards her.

"There's no need to be shy. We're going to be married sooner or later. So go on and take it.." He said, pushing it towards her hand.

Chloe evaded the flowers and stepped backward.

"Mr. Kendrick, my sister is aller—" Claire was saying when Lewis loudly interrupted.

"Mr. Kendrick, I heard you flew in different roses from across the continent. Please do not tell me you did all that for my cousin." Lewis widened his eyes in surprise.

"Of course, I did! I'm not joking when I say I want her as my wife!" Jonas nodded with a tight smile.

"That is so kind of you. Mr. Kendrick." Lewis gasped in surprise. Then he shifted his attention to Chloe and the flattering file on his face hardened.

"Don't be ungrateful and take the flowers, Chloe. Mr. Kendrick didn't just buy them from a flower shop here in Springdale, he had it flown across another continent just to give it to you!"

However, Chloe didn't budge.

While it was true that the Kendrick family flew in flowers from another continent yesterday, it wasn't done by Lewis and it was flown in for an entirely different reason.

But since Lewis made mention of it, Jonas knew it wouldn't cost him anything to agree.

Chloe finally looked up at Jonas' and shook her head apologetically. "I'm allergic to roses."

Before Jonas could say anything, Lewis furiously pointed a finger at her nose and hollered, "So what if you're allergic to it?! Mr. Kendrick didn't know any of that so he got you what he thought you'd like. Refusing to take the flowers will only make his good intentions go to waste!"

"That's okay, Lewis. I didn't know she was allergic to roses otherwise I wouldn't have gotten it." Jonas said gently then shifted his attention to Chloe again. "Which flower is your favorite? I'd be sure to get it for you next time."

"Mr. Kendrick is so magnanimous. It must've cost you a fortune to fly in the roses only to get it rejected by Chloe. I ask that you don't pick offense with the William family because of this." Lewis begged.

"You don't have to worry about that. And talking about the William family, the Kendrick family has decided to do business with your family given you let Chloe William marry me." Jonas informed, revealing the reason for his visit.

Lewis' eyes bulged in excitement.

The Jonas family, which was almost a second tier family in Springdale, was offering to do business with the William family who was still struggling to be a third tier family. It was good news for the William family. One Lewis didn't expect to happen in a long time.

"My grandpa didn't come to the company today. But he'd be overjoyed to hear this news. Why don't I keep you company in my office while I call him to come?" Lewis immediately offered and Jonas agreed with a slight nod.

"Being Miss Springdale sure has a lot of benefits. Despite being a disgrace to herself and family, there's still someone willing to marry her. Sigh." A member of the William family sighed, green with envy.

"Mr. Kendrick has such a big heart. He's even willing to marry her despite the fact she has a bastard child for that man she slept with six years ago." Another chimed in.

"I'm not getting married to you, Mr. Kendrick." Chloe's one sentence put an end to the chattering and made Jonas and Lewis who were already walking away, pause.

"Yes, you will. Because that's the only way to repair your broken relationship with grandpa. And you'd do anything to repair it, won't you?" Lewis scoffed and raised a threatening brow.

"I will do anything to repair my broken relationship with grandpa except marry a man." Chloe retorted in a trembling voice.

Lewis felt his face with his left palm and laughed in disbelief. Then he asked mockingly.

"You relinquished your ability to make your own choice when you slept with that bastard and gave birth to a bastard daughter which almost ruined the William family. Now you have a chance to make everything right. You owe it to this family!"

"No offense to you, Mr. Kendrick. But if she says she's not doing it, then she's not doing it!" Claire butted in angrily.

Blood rushed up to Lewis' nose out of anger. "You will stay out of this, Claire!"

Jonas also realized the situation was spiraling out of control and frowned slightly.

Despite being a disgraced figure in Springdale, there were still a lot of men lining up to marry her. Not because she was in-love with them, but because she had somehow found a way to remain the most beautiful woman in Springdale.

Marrying the most beautiful woman in Springdale would not only elevate their status, it'd also elevate that of their family's.

He was a man as well and naturally had the same train of thought. Given his status, marrying a woman saddled with a child would make a lot of people view him in a different light.

While some would likely shake their heads at his choice in a spouse, most people would nod their heads at his choice of spouse. After all, he could always divorce her once she was no longer of any use to him.

Taking in her daughter would also paint him as a man who understands what it's like for a girl child not to have a father in her life.

He was so close to achieving all these, but Chloe was being persistent. He prepared too much for his future to have it ruined by her persistence.

So he directly took out a document and called out to Lewis.

"I brought the engagement agreement papers with me. I already have my name written down. Once I have hers, we'd he ready to go and the William family will become in-laws with the Kendrick family."

That was the last push Lewis needed.

"Go, sign your name on the document and give back what you took from this family!" Lewis said as he extended a pen towards her.

"I'll give back to this family in the future. But I'm not doing that by marrying into the Kendr—" Chloe was still saying when Lewis shot out his hand and grabbed her.

He tightened his grip on her wrist and was about to drag her towards Lewis when a figure darted into the room and another was sent flying towards a wall.

It happened so quickly that the people around only realized what happened after Lewis crashed against the wall and screamed in pain.