Chapter 2 What Was She Up To

"My name is Elyse Lloyd. If it's all right with you, we can get married today," she proposed confidently.

Her bold proposal left the crowd in shock, prompting several to capture the moment with their phones.

"Miss Lloyd, are you certain about this decision? Given my disability, I may not be able to provide the future you envision," the man replied openly, without hiding his condition, and gently urged her to think it over.

"I've made up my mind," Elyse responded with determination.

"I'm Jayden," he introduced himself.

Seeing her resolve, Jayden Owen grasped her hand and shared his concern, "I fear you might regret this choice later on."

Elyse chose not to respond. She was sure of her decision. She had once been solely focused on marrying Theo, who never truly reciprocated her love. Now, who she married seemed inconsequential.

After efficiently wrapping up the wedding formalities at City Hall, Elyse and Jayden were now bound by matrimony, officially united as husband and wife.

With the marriage certificate in hand, Elyse experienced a profound sense of relief.

Theo had broken her heart, and she was resolute in never returning to him.

Regarding her father, since she would not be marrying into the Ward family, he had another daughter to think about.

She understood her little sister Mabel too well. As someone driven by greed, how could Mabel resist the temptation to become Theo's wife and a member of the Ward family?

Thus, marrying Jayden was Elyse's perfect escape from her family's clutches. She had no intention of going back home again.

While she gazed thoughtfully at the marriage certificate, Jayden asked, "What's on your mind? Regretting your decision to marry a disabled man?"

Elyse shook her head, took hold of the wheelchair, and replied, "I think it was a good decision."

Jayden smiled slightly, though his eyes betrayed a hint of skepticism and mistrust.

How could any woman genuinely want to marry a disabled man? He figured she was just putting on an act-an act that couldn't last forever.

He needed a bride momentarily to distract his family while he pursued his own goals. Well, he decided, he might as well see what she was up to.

Elyse helped Jayden into the car, and they drove to his house.

Jayden's home was opulent, complete with a garden and a swimming pool, and staffed with a butler in a tuxedo and uniformed maids.

As Elyse stepped onto the plush wool carpet, she truly realized that her new husband was far from ordinary.

The butler, Driscoll Lee, approached them respectfully and inquired, "Mr. Owen, is this your bride?"

Surveying the opulent house and recollecting her newlywed husband's full name, a sudden realization dawned on Elyse.

The Owens were the most influential family in town, and Jayden Owen was particularly notable among his peers for his business acumen and exceptional talent. He was one of the wealthiest men around. However, after a car accident a year ago that cost him his legs, Jayden had faded from the public eye and his prior achievements were largely forgotten.

So, she had married the legendary Jayden Owen?

Elyse recalled hearing rumors about his engagement to a girl from the Foster family. The bride who had disappeared on her wedding day was supposed to be that Foster girl.

Upon hearing Jayden's full name at City Hall, Elyse hadn't dwelled on it much. If she had known his background sooner, she wouldn't have had the courage to broach the topic of marriage with him.

Jayden noticed the shock and panic on her face but remained silent. He still doubted that she truly hadn't recognized him. After all, his disability was well known.

"This is Elyse Lloyd, my wife. From now on, she will be the hostess here," Jayden introduced her firmly.

"Joanna Foster escaped on our wedding day because she didn't want to marry a disabled man," he added bluntly.

"Joanna Foster disappeared on the wedding day?" Driscoll expressed his surprise. The Foster family had been eager to forge a union with the Owen family through marriage, pushing for Jayden to marry Joanna.

On the wedding day, however, the bride had disappeared. Wasn't this a deliberate humiliation of Jayden?

Driscoll felt sympathy for him and offered some consolation, "Sir, perhaps it's for the best that she left. It seems you might have found the right person after all."

Elyse had shown no concern for Jayden's disability and was willing to marry him. That indeed counted for something.