Fake Marriage, True Love

On the jubilant National Day, a dozen weddings were held orderly in Grand Courtyard International, the most luxurious hotel in Samite City.

In a dark cubicle on the 60th floor, Summer Pratt felt very sleepy.

In the dressing room this morning, she overheard the dressers talking about a mysterious wedding held on the 60th floor of Grand Courtyard International today.

Both the bride and the groom came from renowned families. The groom, in particular, was a famous figure across Samite City.

To avoid media disturbance, they had the floors from the 60th up blocked. Those without invitation letters were not allowed to enter.

Thanks to the gossip she overheard, she followed the crowd and secretly hid in the stairway.

She was forced to marry a man of her father's age so that the gambling debt of 600,000 yuan could be paid off.

Never had she thought that she could be worth so much money! 600,000 yuan! That was overvaluation.

In a hurry, she ran away from the wedding without the time to change her clothes. The wedding dress was tight and making her uncomfortable.

In a while, the music was played.

Summer was startled and curious.

This was the first time that she had seen such kind of luxury wedding.

With caution, she pushed open the door slightly for a glance at the emcee and the couple on stage. From that angle, she could only see the face of the groom.

The man looked so dashing. His eyes were deep, his features were sculpted, his brows were slanted, his lips were thin... his figure was tall, his suit was well-ironed, and the air about him innately noble.

Sure enough, that was the power of money.

Only the man looked expressionless and nothing like a happy groom.

"Mr. Tran, are you willing to take this beautiful lady Elena Flynn as your wife, love her, cherish her, respect her, care for her, and in the days to come, be you poor or rich, sick or healthy, always be faithful to her and love her till the very end?" The emcee declared in an exaggerated and cadent voice that reverberated through the venue.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you, say it again." The man known as Mr. Tran smiled wryly.

The emcee's voice was loud when he spoke through a microphone. He should have heard it. The groom's playful attitude upset the entire venue. The emcee looked down at the audience and sweated profusely.

"Mr. Tran, are you willing..." There was a quiver in the emcee's voice.

All of a sudden, the noise of the door opening came over.

Summer covered her mouth with one hand to avoid uttering any sound, struggling to get up and find another place to hide. However, her wedding dress was so long that she stepped on it and fell awkwardly after taking just a few steps.

As fate would have it, she fell to the center of the stage.

The emcee halted his speech with his mouth agape, and the woman sitting on the floor in a wedding dress caught everyone's attention.

With the sudden solemn silence, Summer realized that trouble was caused. She tried to get up, but her ankle was sprained.

"Heh heh... heh heh... sorry, I came to the wrong place." She had to laugh awkwardly on the floor.

"Many couples chose this auspicious day to get married. This is a little accident. Let's continued with the ceremony. Mr. Tran, are you..." The emcee tried to save the day.

"No." An icy voice came from behind. The groom, who just gave a wry smile, now looked emotionless, and his tone was indifferent.

There was an uproar in the venue.

"Howard..." The bride called out anxiously and desperately.

Summer struggled to get up and flee. In her heart, she muttered anxiously, 'Bummer, trouble.'

"I want to marry her."

Howard Tran slowly pointed to Summer who was grimacing and rubbing her ankle on the stage.

"Nonsense!" An old woman dressed elegantly off stage stood up with an angry face.

Everyone got his eyes on her.

What was going on? She pointed at herself incredulously and wonderingly.

Regardless of the round of sighs from below the stage, the man pulled a long face, strode to her, clasped her waist, picked her up, and complained, "Why are you here so late?"

What the hell! Was she supposed to be here?

This man was not in the same boat as the old man she was about to marry today, right? Their faces were a world of difference, not to mention their figures.

"Howard, how could you... treat me like this?" The bride could no longer hold back her tears and complained in a low voice.

Faced with the tearful bride, he kept his face straight and didn't even bother to look at her. After signaling to two men on the sides of the stage, he carried Summer in his arms and left smartly.

She was taken away before realizing what was going on.

"Hey, stop, put me down..." On the rooftop of the hotel, Summer frowned and took a glance at the man who broke the pledge of marriage with no good reason.

"How could you do that? You're so irresponsible. You treat marriage like children's play!" She spoke righteously to cover up her guilty conscience.

"Are you any nobler than me?" The corners of his mouth were full of ridicule.

The thought of her escape from the wedding deprived her of her confidence. She pursed her lips, trying to argue, but held it back under his awful air.

Before his eyes, Summer bowed her head and rubbed her wedding dress. Her long eyelashes and thin shoulders aroused his sympathy. In an instant, he softened his tone, "You're free to go. I'll transfer you the money in an hour."

"Money? What money?" Summer got excited as soon as money was mentioned.

"Although you were late today, I'll still pay you." Noticing her greedy look, Howard finished his speech coldly and turned away.

She was baffled. On second thought, since she ran away, that middle-aged man would not let her go easily. The exits of the hotel must have been blocked.

This man looked so arrogant and domineering. She might depend on him to get away.

"I don't want money, take me away." She hurriedly caught up and grabbed his arm.

"Heh heh... too many women want me to take them away."

Here his arrogance came again. Did he regard himself as a heartthrob? Then again, escape was what mattered.

"Please, I need no money and only want you to take me away." Summer immediately shed tears and begged.

"Let go."

He was not only arrogant but also ruthless!

Just then, a man in a black suit about Howard's age came over. Following a bow, he drew close to his ear and whispered. Then both of them looked at Summer with complicated expressions.

Still showing an innocent look, Summer shook Howard's arm and implored.

"You're the runaway bride from the 58th floor?"

Summer slid him a sideways glance, guiltily nodded her head, and cautiously yet innocently asked, "What's wrong?"

"Because of your escape, all the elevators in the hotel have been locked down. The person we hired couldn't get in and almost wretched our big plan." The man in a black suit also looked expressionless and sounded cold.

Aware of the great trouble she caused, Summer bowed her head silently.

"What's your name?"

"Summer Pratt."

"Born in summer?"

"Yes! Wow, richer people have higher intelligence, I salute you!"

Flattery would not hurt if she could escape from the place.

"No wonder your wedding is so casual, but your name is casual." There was another round of sarcasm and mockery. His tone was biting when he taunted her.

"Aren't you the same?" Summer couldn't help but shoot back.

"Miss Pratt, this is the CEO of Transcendent Group." The man in a black suit looked nervous and whispered.

What? The man breaking the pledge of marriage was the CEO of Transcendent Group?

Since he was the CEO of Transcendent Group, his arrogance and domineering attitude were reasonable!

Although she knew little about this man, she knew Transcendent Group as the leading enterprise, the largest consortium in Samite City, and the lifeblood of the city. The company had investments in pretty much all the top enterprises.

When Summer was taking economics as an elective course, Transcendent Group was often cited as a case study, so she knew a thing or two.

But now, she didn't have the time to think about it. Her priority was to get out of the terrible place by seeking Howard's help. With the thought, she instantly feigned weakness and sorrow, "Sorry, Mr. Tran, it was not my intention to offend you. I've been lax in the discipline since my childhood and blunt in my speech. You're a big man with great magnanimity. You..."

"That's enough." Howard impatiently interrupted her drama.

"How are things going in the venue? And, that woman..." Howard's eyes were filled with indifference.

"The old lady felt unwell perhaps out of anger. I've asked John to take her back. Dr. Eric has been informed to wait for a diagnosis at home. Mr. Gaines has been told to handle everything in the venue."

Howard nodded his head, seemingly satisfied with the arrangement.

"But I'm afraid the old lady would not relent... if you come home alone. Before her departure, she requested you to come back to the Tran's house tonight." The man in a suit looked at Summer and said meaningfully.

Howard thought for a while, pulled Summer over, and smiled devilishly, "Take her back."

"Okay, okay!"

Whatever his intention was, she just wanted to get out of this place.

"Mark, wait for us at the underground parking lot. I'm taking her to change her clothes and get down by the dedicated elevator."

Then Howard and Summer left Grand Courtyard International. Since no one dared to stop the car of the Tran family, Summer got away from the hotel smoothly.

Not long after that, she saw a subway station by the road and spoke excitedly, "Well, Mark, right? Pull over and drop me off at the subway entrance. I can go home by myself."

The driver ignored Summer, raised his head, looked at Howard in the backseat through the rearview mirror, and waited for his instructions.

"You wanna burn the bridge?" Howard said blandly, "Veer the car and take Miss Pratt back to Grand Courtyard International."

Driven by the desire for survival, Summer said hurriedly, "No, no!" After weighing her options, she forced a smile at Howard, "Mr. Tran, you're my savior, so I'll follow your arrangements."

"Come home with me." Howard frowned slightly and spat.

"Huh? G... going home?" Summer was struck dumb.

"You just said that I'm your savior. Now I'm in trouble, shouldn't you make a little sacrifice and return the favor?" Howard's tone was frivolous.

"How do you want me... to repay you?" Summer looked at the smirking man, involuntarily held herself, and asked cautiously.

"Marry me... of course." Howard reached out, lifted her lantern jaw, and said ambiguously.

"Pervert!" Summer shoved his hand away, blushed from ear to ear, took a look at the snickering driver, and sulked.

Howard was amused by her cute look. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she boasted perfect appearance and figure as well as billions of family fortune.

Those women he used to come into contact with were either fair ladies or voluptuous coquettes. This was the first time that he met an innocent girl who couldn't bear the slightest tease.

Appalled by his joke, Summer lost her bearing, shut up her mouth, and looked out of the car window.

The car stopped for a while when a beep came over. Then an automatic gate opened slowly.

Only then did Summer notice it was getting dark and the car was pulled off by a fountain in a large courtyard between the door of the house and the gate of the villa.

There was a five-story white building in the courtyard. Begonia trees were planted everywhere. A large golden character 'Tran' was engraved in the middle of the gate.

When Summer looked around the big villa, her legs trembled. The courtyard wall should be around two meters high. It was not easy to climb over it and escape.