Love Contract: If I Had Your Love

The ambience outside was warm through the yellow brightness of sunshine, but the room felt wintery in the inside.

"Mom, I don't want to be Cory Luo's mistress. There are other ways..." Melissa Wen begged but was cut short.

"Other ways?" Mrs. Wen screamed, "You mean other ways that rely on you?

Do you know how your father started his company? Every single ounce of that startup came from my parents' money!" Mrs. Wen's sharp nails pointed at her daughter's face. It was as if the malice and disgust in the former's heart had burst out in one single load.

"Mom..." Melissa Wen continued to beg, though her voice was lost to her crying. Her heart was stung deeply. Trying to hold back her tears, she looked straight into Mrs. Wen's eyes.

'Her dislike for me has reached a point where we are totally incompatible. I am in a fine pickle now!

On one hand, Dad's company is in danger, and on the other, Mom is being extremely unreasonable.

What do I do?'

With a mocking smile, Mrs. Wen looked at Melissa Wen, as if measuring her up.

The hatred she had in her heart had only grown from the day poor Melissa Wen was born, and it had become unreasonable levels after seeing that the latter was growing up to be more and more beautiful every day.

"You'd better be ready for that." And with that final injury, Mrs. Wen left with her limited edition bag slung her shoulder.

As soon the mother had left, Melissa Wen couldn't hold on any longer and fell to the ground, sobbing in anguish.

It was the same night that she came up with an astonishing decision.

Sitting in the reception room of the Ren Group building, Melissa Wen held on to a kraft paper folder and gazed at the clock on the wall with a nervous glance. As time went by, her fear and uneasiness grew.

She had no way of knowing whether what she was about to do was right to wrong.

But she had to do it, because it was the only way out she could think of.

She knew that the current CEO of Ren Group was Charles Ren, who was also the brother of her best friend, Elisabeth Ren. Melissa's acquaintances were limited, and Charles Ren was also the only rich and powerful man she knew.

If she hadn't been pushed into such a desperate situation, she wouldn't have come up with this impossible idea of running to the Ren Group.

"Miss Melissa, I'm so sorry. It's time for us to get off work." The secretary suddenly came over in high heels with an apologetic look on her face.

"No, that's okay! I was being too abrupt. I should have made an appointment first." Melissa shook her head with a bitter smile on her face. 'How can I see Charles without an appointment?

I mean I only meet him just a few times when I came to the Ren mansion.'

Melissa put the kraft paper folder into her backpack and was about to leave.

"Miss Melissa."

The elevator door suddenly opened and a slender man in a custom-fit tailor-made suit walked out with a hand in his pocket. He called out her name at first sight.

"Mr. Charles." Melissa stood aside. She had never even imagined that Charles Ren wouldn't be in the building the whole afternoon and would arrive now.

And she had not expected to see him just when she was about to give up.

She was a little surprised at this turn of fate.

"Please. Come in with me." Charles Ren untied his suit jacket and loosened the tie. The secretary had already pushed the office door open.

"Yes, sir." Melissa followed him quickly.

"Tell me, how can I help you?" The secretary had informed Charles Ren of Melissa's arrival as soon as the latter had come to visit.

Otherwise, there was no way she could have stayed in the reception room of the Ren Group building an entire afternoon.

Melissa brought out the documents she had spent the whole night preparing and put it on his desk. She then bowed her head and stepped aside with an expectant look on her face.

Charles raised his eyebrows and opened the folder. His eyebrows were raised every time he turned a page, and finally he finished reading them all.

"Do you want me to help the Wen Group?" Charles threw the folder back at the desk, and slid into a comfortable posture on his chair.

"Uh... Yes, you are right." Melissa braced herself and nodded.

"It seems like you yourself prepared all these documents. That being the case, you would also know the current situation of the Wen Group. Do you think it is worth my help?" Charles asked in an ironic tone. When his eyes fell on the submissive little woman in front of him, there were several complex emotions in his eyes that no one else could have understood. But very soon, he returned to a business-like manner.

"I..." Embarrassed, Melissa opened her mouth and then stuttered, "As long as you help the Wen Group get through the current difficulty, I'll be at your disposal."

"You?" Charles sneered. Was this woman a complete idiot? Or was she just being arrogant?

"Yes, me." Melissa nodded, feeling her arms go numb.

She felt like several ants were crawling across her skin, like a prey that had been targeted by a hunter and could be torn up at any time.

All her time playing with Elisabeth Ren, Melissa had felt like Charles was dangerous somehow, so every time she went to the Ren mansion, she would try her best to avoid him.

"Alright... Then tell me, how much debt is your father's company in at the moment?" Charles didn't want to force Melissa to leave. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her sharply.

She had on a light make-up, and a decent suit. Her short hairs were hanging over her shoulders, and a butterfly hairpin was resting on her head. Her previously round face looked much thinner now.

"Several... Several billions?" Melissa wasn't sure. She had only heard from Mrs. Wen that the debt was around that number.

After saying that, Melissa looked at Charles uneasily, who merely gave her an unfathomable smile in return.

"Several billions?"

He murmured and then said out loud, "Indeed! I guess nine point nine billions qualify for the term 'several billions'!"

"I, I'm sorry. I, I really don't know the exact number," Melissa apologized. Her heart was pounding.

"Those who don't know the truth are innocent. It's human nature," Charles suddenly said in a lighter tone, seemingly to help her stop panicking.

"I..." Melissa suddenly felt a sharp pain on her face, as if she had been slapped forcefully but could not defend herself.

"Okay then. Show me your sincerity." Charles knocked at the folder on his desk and smiled as if he was making fun of her innocence.

"Sincerity? I..." Melissa was completely stunned. What did he mean? She widened her eyes, which were as red as a rabbit's through fear and shock. She didn't know what kind of sincerity was needed, and neither did she know what Charles meant.

Could it be that Charles wanted to drive her away?

"I'm really, really sorry. I'm leaving now. Thank you for your time." Melissa reached out her hand to pick up the folder, bit her lips to hold back the tears in her eyes and was about to leave.

However, Charles wouldn't let her leave so easily. He reached out his palm on the folder with a long face.

"I... Mr. Charles..." Melissa wanted to ask why she was not being allowed to take the folder back, but her phone rang at that moment. She looked at Charles, and then looked at her backpack. She was once again in a dilemma.

"Answer the phone," Charles ordered.

"I..." Melissa hesitated.

"Do you want me to answer it for you?" The ringtone seemed to become louder and louder, as if calling out to the receiver, and Charles's face was becoming grimmer and grimmer. He stood up and bent over to answer the phone for her.

"No, thanks. I'll do it!" Holding her bag, Melissa shook her head and took a few steps back.

"Answer it," Charles repeated.

"Hello..."

"Melissa, I'm at your home now. Where are you?" An obscene voice came from the other end of the line. Hearing that, Melissa's fingers tightened around the plastic shell of the phone. They turned pale due to the force she was applying.

"Uncle Cory, please leave my house." Melissa bit her lips and tried to calm down.

In response to her request on the phone, the insulting and threatening words of Cory arrived non-stop and made Melissa's eyes wet again. Tears began to fall down from the corners of her eyes.

"Fuck off!"

Charles suddenly grabbed Melissa's phone and roared at whoever was on the other end in a gloomy tone. He then promptly smashed the phone against the wall, dismembering it into pieces.

"Miss Melissa, I underestimated you. On one hand, you have come to me with the utmost sincerity, but on the other hand, you colluded with Cory from the GM Group. Did you come to me as a backup plan?" Charles suddenly asked in a cold voice.

Tears kept on falling down Melissa's face. She was at a loss and had no idea what had just happened. Why was Charles so angry with her?

"No, it's not like that." Melissa didn't know how to explain it, so she could only step back in fear.

Facing a furious Charles, she felt flustered and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

However, as soon as she took that step, Charles grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

"Why are you so afraid of me, Miss Melissa?

I am not going to eat you up now, am I?" Charles leaned against Melissa's ear and asked. His suddenly gentle voice was totally different from the gloomy tone that she had heard just now.

"No, no, I'm not afraid of you. Not like that." Melissa denied the claim, shaking her head rapidly, with her hands pressed against Charles's chest.

"If you are not afraid, why did you want to leave?" His voice was still low and pleasant, like the soothing echo of a violin, reverberating around in the office and touching her heart.

"I..." Hearing such a pleasant voice, Melissa forgot what she was going to say. She flushed and her eyes became somewhat blurred.

"My good girl, I can help you, but you have to promise me one thing. One thing totally within your ability. What do you say?" Like Wolf Grandma who had tried to seduce Little Red Riding Hood, Charles slowly put out the bait in front of Melissa.

"What... What is it?" Joy flashed through Melissa's heart. 'He is going to help me...

But why do I feel so unreal?'

"Well. Let me think about it. Wait a moment." Charles then slowly reached out and raised Melissa's chin with two of his fingers. Her lips were only a mere centimeter away from his.

"Have some dessert first. Then I'll tell you." A soft and passionate kiss, planted with extreme affection on her lips, brought the ignorant girl who was still hazy about the concepts of love into a whirlpool of emotions.

'This is my first kiss. How can it be...'

At first, she was struggling, but as the air in her mouth became thinner and thinner, her mind became muddled. Then, her hands unconsciously wrapped themselves around Charles's neck to support her falling body.

The sweet feeling of being kissed so passionately spread in Melissa's heart. It was the kind of feeling that was immediately addictive to whoever tasted it.

The kiss lasted so long that Melissa almost fainted in Charles's arms.

Finally, he let go of her after seeing that she was out of breath. He then held her in his arms and sat her down on the sofa.

But he was still holding her in his hands. They looked like a couple who had been in love for a long time now. His fingers ran through her half long hair softly, twisting, and a doting smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. Then he whispered his request in her ear.

"What did you say?" Her hands resting on Charles's chest, Melissa couldn't help but scream out softly. The blush on her face caused by the passionate kiss was quickly replaced by pale spots.

"Sorry, can you say it again?" Melissa was afraid that she had misheard. She couldn't believe that Charles would make such a request in return for agreeing to help her.

'Marry Charles?

My background, history, knowledge, nothing I have is good enough for him.

How can he make such a request? It must be an illusion.

Yes, it is just an illusion.'

Melissa assured herself and stood up hurriedly from the sofa.

'Oh my God! What happened to me just now?

Everything has become a mess. It shouldn't be like this!'

"Is it so difficult to marry me, Miss Melissa? Or did you take it for granted that I would help your family for nothing in return?" There was a flicker of anger in Charles's eyes all of a sudden. He fixed his deep black eyes on Melissa. She could see the anger and her own reflection in his eyes.

"No, it's not like that. I didn't mean it that way." Melissa shook her head desperately.

"I thought that I would only need to work in the Ren Group to pay back my debt. If everything else fails..." Melissa bit her lips tightly. She couldn't speak out the remaining words.

Charles burst out laughing, which made Melissa's heart tremble.

"So turns out that Miss Melissa regards me as someone like Cory. Did I overestimate myself? Or can it be that I overestimated Miss Melissa's character?"

Charles stood up and walked towards Melissa with heavy steps, forcing her to back down into a corner. He grabbed her chin as saying, "Miss Melissa, listen carefully. I'm short of a wife now. And that is all I am short of! I have a lot of lovers, so I don't need you to be my mistress.

It's up to you to decide if you want my help. In any case, it's not my company that will go bankrupt." Charles let go of her and strode back to his desk. He then turned his attention towards the table full of documents, writing down something swiftly. He didn't even look at Melissa anymore.

A dull pain arose in her chin now, but it was not as painful as what she was feeling in her heart.

She had humiliated herself right now!

If she had consented to Charles's request, the Wen Group would be saved. But the problem was, Melissa couldn't take such a big step just like that!

She felt so humble in front of Charles.

Even when she were hugged and kissed by him, it was like a dream and it felt totally unreal.

Marrying him would feel even more unrealistic.

Charles was like the king of Ancheng City. How could a woman as insignificant as her deserve the to be his wife?

"You want us to get married?" Melissa repeated with a pale face.

"Only then can I save the Wen Group?" She walked towards Charles's desk and sadly repeated what he had said.

"It's up to you, Miss Melissa." After signing some pieces of paper, Charles put the pen back in his suit pocket and took a meaningful look at Melissa.

'It's up to me?

But I have no choice here at all.' She thought to herself,

'The Wen Group is on the verge of bankruptcy. Mom is forcing me to be the mistress of Cory, and the road of retreat has already been blocked.'

The reality and the direness of the situation made Melissa lower her head and choose the most advantageous option she had.

"Alright. I, I accept. I will be your wife." Melissa raised her head and looked at Charles firmly, though her voice didn't sound as sure.

"Good! You really are a good wife. I appreciate Miss Melissa's guts the most." Charles stood up, clapped his hands and came towards her with a warm smile.

"To celebrate our engagement, I'll treat you to a dinner tonight and we can get to know each other too. What do you think?" Charles asked her politely.

The die was already cast. Melissa could never refute Charles's decision now, so she nodded.

Charles and Melissa were sitting by the window in a pastoral style restaurant. The general ambience practically shouted comfort and class through its soft and warm lighting.

The colorful night sky could be seen refracting in through the window. Several delicious Chinese dishes were laid out in front of them.

The soft and fragrant red date porridge had just arrived and Charles seemed to be in a mood to feed her that.

"Your face is a little pale. Take some red date porridge. It's really healthy." His voice was so gentle when he said that, and the way he looked at her was rather affectionate.

Those who didn't know the story behind their date would think that the duo had been in love for a long time if they could see them now.

Perhaps they were the only humans who knew that they had just started going out today.

"Thank you." Melissa took a bite of the porridge, which was garnished with red dates. The sweet taste eased her nerves and a smile appeared on her face unconsciously.

"Melly, you don't need to thank me for anything. We are a couple now. It's natural for me to love you." Charles leaned forward and looked at her with a gentle smile. His eyes were full of an unlimited quantity of affection

"I..." But a very soft and deep kiss broke her sentence. It was totally different from the violent one they'd had in the office.

'I would be loved in such a marriage, right?

I mean even if I can't see through the man who is kissing me, I would still be loved, wouldn't I? God, I hope I am not making a terrible mistake.'

Melissa was confused.

But very soon, she came to her sense. After they completed their dinner, he sent her back home.

During this entire process, nothing unexpected happened. It was all very calm and reassuring.

But the calm only lasted until the day the wedding was put on the table for discussion.

"Charles, have you really decided to get married?" Mr. Ren, who was the leader of the Ren family and two generations above Charles, sat down at the table. Coincidentally, he was also eating porridge. He asked Charles, who was reading newspaper and sitting right next to him.

"Yes, Grandpa. Isn't it what you've always hoped for?" Turning a page of the newspaper, Charles looked up at Mr. Ren.

"What I've always hoped for?" Mr. Ren was so angry when he heard this that he threw the bowl back on the table.

How dare the young man say that!

"Yes." Charles nodded sincerely, as if he were merely stating the truth like a robot.

"Alright! If you're going to do this, then I want a great-grandson as soon as possible. You hear me?" But in response, Charles's tone was so righteous and firm that Mr. Ren felt his teeth ache. How could the Ren family have such an infuriating grandson?

"Grandpa, if you really do want a great-grandson, then on the 6th of next month, you may attend the wedding!" Charles finished his words simply and left. Mr. Ren was still in a fit of toothache.

'Uh, this old age confounds me! If I were still young, I would never allow this little bastard to be such arrogant' Mr. Ren sighed in his heart.

"Alright, I'll handle your wedding myself." His only grandson was going to get married, so it was impossible for Mr. Ren to let anyone else be in charge. He wasn't going to let even his own son and daughter-in-law get involved. Charles' mother and father would have to sit this one out. At most, he would inform them, and handle everything himself.

Mr. Ren was a decisive old man. Once he made a decision, he would immediately issue the orders for it to be executed. And anyone who didn't follow that order would only suffer.

The next morning during breakfast, the housekeeper of the Wen family dutifully informed of the message she had received. Mr. Ren was coming over!

The entire Wen family went in an uproar when they heard that, especially Mrs. Wen, who somehow became less mean and cruel than her usual self. She had been celebrating and therefore, in a good mood. And now, she began making a fuss out of Melissa.

"Melissa, Charles's grandfather is going to be here. Get up and get dressed quickly. Don't make him feel like you don't respect him.

Don't forget to wear a decent and virtuous dress.

You know what, forget it! Let me help you dress up!

I give you so much money every month. Why is there not a single decent dress in this closet?

Forget it. I am getting you a new dress from your sister's room. I bought it yesterday when I went shopping. It's a limited edition! Be careful when you wear it..."

Mrs. Wen kept on talking endlessly. Melissa didn't interrupt her. She was afraid that she would get scolded if she tried to say anything.

"Your appearance is average. It is the dress that fits you well." Mrs. Wen sourly scowled when she studied Melissa after the latter had dressed up. The anger in her had returned when she saw Melissa's smooth and delicate skin, and she was jealous to death.

Fortunately, the woman knew what was more urgent so she didn't want to make things too difficult for Melissa right now, but she did roll her eyes secretly.

As soon as Mrs. Wen went downstairs with Melissa, she heard a hearty laughter come from the living room. In between, a steady and aged voice could also be heard.

"Remember, behave well in there. Don't be a disgrace to the Wen family, otherwise..." Mrs. Wen didn't finish her words, but Melissa could understand what her mother meant. Her heart sank. Then she nodded.

'The Ren family? They are going to be the sugar daddy of the Wen family now. How can I offend them?

I can't and won't flatter them, but what I can do is to try my best to play my role.'

Sitting at the head of the table, Mr. Ren afforded Melissa a single cursory glance. She was wearing a floral dress and looked beautiful. Even Mr. Ren's serious face went soft.

"You are Melissa, right?" When Mr. Ren had first seen Melissa's photo, he had the feeling that Melissa and his grandson would be a perfect match. Now meeting this girl in person made him realize how much his grandson needed to be with this woman instead of that crazy woman...

Disgust and hatred flashed through Mr. Ren's eyes. If it hadn't been for that stupid woman, his grandson would have been in a much better place than now!

"Yes, my name is Melissa. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Ren." Melissa kept her head down and didn't look at Mr. Ren until she was directly in front of him.

'She is neither overbearing nor servile. With some training, she can become quite a bit of a qualified hostess.'

Mr. Ren couldn't help nodding secretly. His bastard grandson had finally found a good taste.

"Melissa, if you are willing to marry Charles, you two need to get along well in the future. No matter what difficulties you two encounter, a good couple always overcomes troubles together. Can you do that?" On one hand, Mr. Ren was here to discuss about the marriage, and on the other hand, he was also giving an indirect warning, especially to some people of the Wen family. That was evident from the way he glanced at the family members sharply.

"Yes, I can, Mr. Ren." Her mother was winking at Melissa rather quickly. Melissa's father, Vincent Wen, looked guilty and expectant. As for her brother and sister, one was just sitting there with a poker face and seemed alienated from her, and the other was in a fit of jealous rage.

"Alright. You two will get married on the 6th of next month. Next Monday, you and Charles should go to the Elyssa Wedding Hall. I'll arrange for your pre-wedding photo shoot. Time is limited now but I will try my best for you." Mr. Ren stood up and promised Melissa.

"Thank you, Mr. Ren." Melissa didn't know how else to express her thanks.

It had been only a few days since she had made the decision and now, the marriage was settled.

Melissa's world had undergone some rather strange and huge changes.

Mr. Ren left after getting the result he wanted. The Wen family went into an instant uproar once again, but Melissa felt like a stranger who didn't fit in here anymore. Not that she had ever fit in here before!