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Woke Up Engaged To My Rival
img img Woke Up Engaged To My Rival img Chapter 7 No.7
7 Chapters
Chapter 9 No.9 img
Chapter 10 No.10 img
Chapter 11 No.11 img
Chapter 12 No.12 img
Chapter 13 No.13 img
Chapter 14 No.14 img
Chapter 15 No.15 img
Chapter 16 No.16 img
Chapter 17 No.17 img
Chapter 18 No.18 img
Chapter 19 No.19 img
Chapter 20 No.20 img
Chapter 21 No.21 img
Chapter 22 No.22 img
Chapter 23 No.23 img
Chapter 24 No.24 img
Chapter 25 No.25 img
Chapter 26 No.26 img
Chapter 27 No.27 img
Chapter 28 No.28 img
Chapter 29 No.29 img
Chapter 30 No.30 img
Chapter 31 No.31 img
Chapter 32 No.32 img
Chapter 33 No.33 img
Chapter 34 No.34 img
Chapter 35 No.35 img
Chapter 36 No.36 img
Chapter 37 No.37 img
Chapter 38 No.38 img
Chapter 39 No.39 img
Chapter 40 No.40 img
Chapter 41 No.41 img
Chapter 42 No.42 img
Chapter 43 No.43 img
Chapter 44 No.44 img
Chapter 45 No.45 img
Chapter 46 No.46 img
Chapter 47 No.47 img
Chapter 48 No.48 img
Chapter 49 No.49 img
Chapter 50 No.50 img
Chapter 51 No.51 img
Chapter 52 No.52 img
Chapter 53 No.53 img
Chapter 54 No.54 img
Chapter 55 No.55 img
Chapter 56 No.56 img
Chapter 57 No.57 img
Chapter 58 No.58 img
Chapter 59 No.59 img
Chapter 60 No.60 img
Chapter 61 No.61 img
Chapter 62 No.62 img
Chapter 63 No.63 img
Chapter 64 No.64 img
Chapter 65 No.65 img
Chapter 66 No.66 img
Chapter 67 No.67 img
Chapter 68 No.68 img
Chapter 69 No.69 img
Chapter 70 No.70 img
Chapter 71 No.71 img
Chapter 72 No.72 img
Chapter 73 No.73 img
Chapter 74 No.74 img
Chapter 75 No.75 img
Chapter 76 No.76 img
Chapter 77 No.77 img
Chapter 78 No.78 img
Chapter 79 No.79 img
Chapter 80 No.80 img
Chapter 81 No.81 img
Chapter 82 No.82 img
Chapter 83 No.83 img
Chapter 84 No.84 img
Chapter 85 No.85 img
Chapter 86 No.86 img
Chapter 87 No.87 img
Chapter 88 No.88 img
Chapter 89 No.89 img
Chapter 90 No.90 img
Chapter 91 No.91 img
Chapter 92 No.92 img
Chapter 93 No.93 img
Chapter 94 No.94 img
Chapter 95 No.95 img
Chapter 96 No.96 img
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Chapter 7 No.7

"Eve, listen to me," Silas tried again, desperate. "Do you remember Andre? Andre Wilcox?"

Eve blinked, her expression blank. "Andre? The guy who delivers the paintings to the gallery? The one with the greasy hair?"

Silas gasped. "Greasy hair? You used to say he had the soul of a poet! You were in love with him yesterday!"

"Ew," Eve wrinkled her nose. "Silas, stop joking. He's not my type. He looks... cheap."

She looked past Silas, locking eyes with Charls again. "My type is standing right there."

Huldah walked in at that moment, followed by Franklin, Eve's father. They stopped, sensing the strange energy in the room.

"What is going on?" Huldah demanded.

"Mother," Eve said happily. "Charls is here. I was just telling Silas that we don't need to hide it anymore. The crash... it made me realize life is too short."

Huldah looked from Eve to Charls. Her eyes narrowed. She saw the confusion on Charls's face, the panic on Silas's, and the absolute conviction on Eve's.

She was a shark. She smelled blood in the water. And opportunity.

"Is that so?" Huldah said slowly.

"Mrs. Franks," Charls stepped forward, panic rising in his chest. "I need to speak with you outside. Now."

"Charls?" Eve asked, her voice faltering. "Why are you leaving?"

Charls looked at her. He felt a strange tightening in his chest. "I... I have to ask your mother for her blessing. Officially."

Eve gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh! Go! Go now!"

Charls grabbed Huldah's arm with his good hand and practically dragged her into the hallway. Franklin followed, looking confused.

"She has amnesia," Charls hissed the moment the door closed. "She thinks we're engaged. You have to tell her the truth."

"Why?" Huldah asked calmly, smoothing her jacket.

"Because it's insane! We are competitors! I despise her!"

"Do you?" Huldah raised an eyebrow. "You saved her life last night. You've been pacing this hallway for six hours."

"That's basic human decency," Charls argued, though his ears turned red. "Look, tell her the truth. Or I will."

"If you tell her the truth now," Huldah said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "the shock could cause a setback. The doctor said no stress. And besides... think about the optics. I've already leaked the engagement rumors to the Journal. Wiley stock is up 4% this morning because people think a merger is coming. If you announce it was just a drunken mistake and dump her while she's in a hospital bed with brain damage... you will be the most hated man in America. The villain who broke the amnesiac heiress's heart."

Charls opened his mouth, then closed it. She was right. The PR would be a bloodbath.

"And," Huldah added, stepping closer, "if you play along... just until she recovers... Franks Enterprises might be willing to reconsider our position on the Midtown zoning dispute."

Charls went still. That was a fifty-million-dollar concession.

"You want me to lie to your daughter for profit?" Charls asked, disgusted.

"I want you to help her heal," Huldah corrected. "And if it helps us both... why not? Plus, it keeps her away from that artist loser."

Charls looked through the glass window of the door. Eve was sitting up, telling her father something with a bright, animated smile. She looked happy. Happier than he had ever seen her.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Fine," Charls growled. "But only until she gets her memory back. Then I'm out."

"Deal." Huldah smiled.

They walked back in. Eve looked up expectantly.

"Well?" she asked.

Charls forced a smile. It felt tight and unnatural on his face. He walked to the bedside.

"She said yes," Charls lied.

Eve squealed. She reached out and grabbed his hand-the one connected to his broken arm.

"Careful," Charls hissed in pain.

"Sorry, sorry!" Eve kissed his knuckles. "I'm just so happy, Hubby."

Charls choked on his own saliva. "Don't... don't call me that."

"Why not?" Eve teased.

"It's... unprofessional," Charls managed.

"We're getting married, silly. We don't have to be professional." She pulled his hand against her cheek.

Charls stood there, trapped by his own lie, feeling the warmth of her skin against his hand. He should pull away. He should hate this.

But as he looked down at her, he realized with a jolt that for the first time in years, he wasn't thinking about business. He was thinking about how soft her skin was.

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