Chapter 2 An Arranged Marriage

When Jerald caught sight of the utter despair etched across Nicole's features, an inexplicable pang twisted in his chest. He quickly suppressed the fleeting unease, replacing it with a derisive sneer.

In his mind, a woman as persistent and brazen as Nicole was would never truly absorb his rejection. He convinced himself that by morning, she would return, groveling and scheming for his attention-he refused to dwell on it further.

Nicole departed the hotel suite without a single glance backward.

Erika pressed her lips together, her eyes glistening with fake tears. "Poor Nicole... She has lost both parents. Jerald, she's so obsessed with you, and as her cousin, I never once yielded my place to her. Do you think I've been far too selfish?"

Jerald drew her close in a protective hug. "Don't talk nonsense. You've been by my side for so many years. I'll only love you in this lifetime."

...

Once her mother's final arrangements were settled, Nicole returned home with the urn.

At the age of ten, her father had died abruptly, entrusting his vast fortune to her uncle, Phillip Perry, with the explicit request that his family care for her. Yet, over the following ten years, they had repeatedly violated that promise, viewing Nicole and her mother as adversaries and relentlessly undermining them at every turn.

Having depleted her savings on her mother's prolonged illness, Nicole now required funds to secure a proper cemetery plot for her mother, forcing her to approach her uncle for assistance.

As Nicole's hand hovered near the door, a harsh voice-unmistakably her aunt's-drifted through from within. "That witch Nicole has no right to refuse the arranged marriage! We've housed and fed her for more than a decade-her marriage is ours to decide. And we're being offered a fortune for this match, so she'll wed the youngest son of the Reed family whether she likes it or not! And who cares if that bastard is blind? It's a blessing-he won't have to gaze upon her bloated figure every day!"

Nicole froze, her forehead creasing in anger.

Phillip responded cautiously, "You have a point, but we must ensure Nicole consents to the marriage willingly. Otherwise, if she makes a scene and things get ugly, we might offend the Reed family."

"No worries. Given her meek nature and strained financial condition, just throw her some money, and she'll go along without protest."

Nicole absorbed every word, piecing together her uncle and aunt's intentions. In the past, her uncle had repeatedly pressed her about the strategic union with the powerful Reed clan, but she had steadfastly declined each time.

Her plan had been to endure her uncle and aunt's abuse quietly until she grew strong enough to reclaim her parents' legacy-the inheritance and the family company-refusing to remain under anyone's control.

But now, with her parents gone and unbound by any lingering obligations, why should she continue tolerating their exploitation? Not only would she stop enduring any mistreatment, but she would fight to reclaim everything that belonged to her and her parents.

Fueled by this newfound determination, Nicole shoved the door open with force, halting their conversation mid-sentence.

Phillip hastily plastered on a false welcoming grin. "Nicole, you've returned."

Martha Perry, Phillip's wife, ever blunt and unfiltered, smirked before speaking. "Perfect timing. There's something important we need to discuss with you."

Nicole had no interest in hearing their rehearsed pitch. From the instant she entered, she had already made a bold decision. "Is it about the proposed union with the youngest son of the Reed family?"

Martha blinked in surprise, only for Nicole to continue evenly, "Very well. I accept."

...

Whispers surrounding the Reed dynasty painted them as an unstoppable force, dominating legitimate enterprises and shadowy underworld dealings alike. Their vast commercial network spanned the entirety of Zhedsa, securing their perennial spot among the nation's wealthiest elites. Countless women dreamed of marrying into such unparalleled prestige and power.

Yet, Connor Reed, the family's youngest son, was universally disliked. Gossip claimed his birth had doomed his mother to death that very day, as though he carried a malevolent fate. Blind and confined to a wheelchair, he was rumored to possess a savage and unpredictable temper, with dark tales suggesting he had driven multiple previous betrothed women to their graves through torment.

Thus, on the night of their wedding, Nicole concealed a pistol beneath the folds of her bridal gown.

Clutching her hidden safeguard firmly, she stood tensely in the dimly lit bedroom-stripped of any celebratory decorations-and observed Connor warily as he faced away from her.

He remained seated in his wheelchair, clad in simple gray leisurewear, his hair impeccably styled, his frame appearing strikingly tall and composed-far removed from the monstrous image she had envisioned.

"Nicole?" Connor said suddenly in a relaxed tone, shattering the heavy quiet.