Chapter 1 Outrageous Behavior

"Drop the knife this instant!"

At the Lewis Group's project bidding meeting, chaos broke out when Elijah Lewis, the CEO, was suddenly confronted by a woman wielding a knife. The crowd went wild: some shocked, some amused, and many scrambling to record the unbelievable scene on their phones.

Fortunately, Elijah's assistant, Phillip Cooper, stayed calm, quickly calling in the security team and barking at the woman to stop at once.

But she showed no trace of fear whatsoever.

Completely ignoring the chatter and panic around her, she leaned lazily against the table, eyeing the knife she had playfully waved right in front of Elijah's handsome face.

"Mr. Lewis, since I've already made my move, you don't need to keep playing hard to get anymore," she said slowly, tilting the blade so a streak of light flashed across Elijah's eyes.

Their eyes met, and for a brief second, the woman faltered.

It wasn't the least surprising; Elijah's striking looks were enough to daze anyone.

He had a calm and commanding way of carrying himself. Even his shirt and trousers were always neat to perfection, every button fastened. There was such an elegance and aloofness about him.

The whole time, he was carefully studying the bold, reckless woman before him.

He knew who she was. Not only because she was Adeline Wright, heiress of the Wright Group, but also because of her well-known reputation. Everyone in the city said she had tiny eyes, thick brows, a mole-covered face, and that she was overweight.

And now, she seemed to be quite crazy as well.

She looked nothing like the heiress of a powerful family.

Yet here she was, flirting shamelessly with him in public, speaking as if they shared intimacy. If this continued, Elijah knew the next day's headlines could destroy his reputation.

"Adeline Wright, are you done causing trouble already?"

Elijah didn't know her well, but given the situation, he had no choice but to put a stop to this drama sternly. Still, he didn't dare make any reckless move.

After all, she was armed, and the way she held the knife showed she wouldn't hesitate to use it.

"Elijah, don't be so serious. I'm just playing with you," Adeline replied. She puckered her thick lips in a mock-coquettish way, acting all theatrical and unhinged, her voice sugary sweet.

She leaned in dangerously close, almost brushing her lips against his, making some of the onlookers gag in disgust.

"Is Adeline out of her mind? How dare she mess with Mr. Lewis like this!"

"What a shame. Her father worked so hard to build the Wright Group, and after losing both legs in that accident, everything ended up in the hands of this foolish girl!"

"Maybe she lost her senses after what happened to him."

"Or maybe she's pretending to be crazy to win Elijah's sympathy!"

"Exactly. There's no way the Wright empire would be handed to such a fool. They say her father never liked her, and he probably has other illegitimate children out there more capable than she is."

The murmurs buzzed around Adeline, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she regarded Elijah with a mischievous look.

At first, Elijah was surprised she was unfazed by the remarks. Then, unexpectedly, he broke into a smile, utterly amused.

"You're surprisingly calm. Or maybe I should say... you're..."

He left the sentence unfinished, waiting to see her response. To his surprise, she moved even closer, answering without hesitation, "Shameless? Is that what you wanted to say?"

Now that they were so close, their breaths mingled.

The onlookers gasped, stunned by her audacity. Adeline only chuckled, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "Mr. Lewis, you've yet to see just how shameless I can be."

Saying that, she yanked his tie, winding it around her fingers and pulling him roughly into her arms. The knife spun easily in her hand before she clamped the handle between her teeth, the blade pointing downward.

Suddenly, Adeline roughly bound her arm to Elijah using his tie, dropping the last bit of courtesy she had shown.

She was convinced that Elijah wouldn't resist, not when she was holding a knife.

To a third party, the scene looked utterly indecent.

The journalists in the room were ecstatic, their cameras flashing nonstop, some already drafting explosive headlines to publish.

What a sensational story this would be!

Elijah Lewis-the young, handsome, wealthy CEO, admired across the business world-now literally tied to Adeline, the infamous ugly heiress of the Wright Group! Elijah's dignity was in shreds.

Nothing had ever prepared Elijah for Adeline's outrageous behavior.

His assistant, Phillip, was frozen in shock, while the security guards were thrown into confusion, rushing to call for reinforcements. This wasn't just any woman; this was the Wright family's heiress.

Realizing that Adeline wasn't doing this out of desperation but with a clear plan, Elijah thought carefully. She wasn't short on money or power. She had to want something.

"Are you doing this because you want me to give you a recommendation for Apex Medical Aesthetics?" he asked calmly.

Apex Medical Aesthetics was famous across the region for its world-class cosmetic surgery team and was one of the most profitable businesses owned by the Lewis family.

At his words, Adeline's expression changed in an instant.

Then she forced a laugh. "Ha-ha, Elijah, I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Even now, you still manage to joke."

His remark even drew a few laughs from the crowd. But Adeline scowled. She pulled harder on the tie and pressed the knife closer to his perfectly sculpted face.

"You..."

Elijah began, but she swiftly cut him off, her tone cold and menacing.

"I know you're desperate to end this madness, so do as I say. Remember, the knife doesn't care who you are."

Then she raised her other arm and addressed the onlookers. "I hereby announce that Elijah Lewis and I have been secretly dating for several months. Today, I'm officially declaring that our wedding will take place on the sixth of next month. We expect all our distinguished guests to attend and celebrate with us!"

Her announcement dunked the entire room into a horrified silence, broken only by Elijah's assistant, who shouted in shock, "What?"