The Heirs: my bossy fiancé

After playing Temple Run for a thousand hours, I still can't shake them off when being chased by the bodyguards.

At the moment I'm running wildly through the hotel corridors, followed by three or four tall, black-suited bodyguards. They were hired by mom and dad to protect, oh no spy on me.

" Miss Thompson, wait, Miss Thompson, please don't run."

The charity dinner will be held tomorrow, and all the socialites in New York will be in attendance. My dear mom and dad, decided to auction my diamond necklace at the dinner. It's called auctioning the necklace, but it's actually to find a good buyer for their daughter. A family marriage, the highest bidder wins.

And I, as a great woman of the new age who is independent and aspires for free love, will not be controlled by my family to marry someone I don't like, I'm going far away tonight!

"Babe Mia, the the stairs in front of the corridor have been occupied by the bouncers! The original plan won't work. " came the guidance of Charlotta, my best friend, from my blue-tooth headset.

"Damn! I didn't realize mom and dad would react so quickly. "

I could see the end of the hallway ahead, and the sound of footsteps snapping behind me was getting louder and closer.

I panicked and swiped my card with Charlotta's stolen universal room card into the last room at the end of the stairs.

Open the door, get into the room, turn around, lock it.

All in one fell swoop.

I have to say that it would be a waste of my skills not to become a female spy.

Moments later, I heard footsteps outside the door stop.

The bodyguards gathered outside the door and whispered, "Miss went in, what should we do?" "Tell Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Thompson first."

I forced myself to calm down and surveyed the environment. It was a fairly clean room. The silk quilt was spread out flat on the bed without a single wrinkle. There was no clutter in the room. It appeared to be an empty room.

There came three knocks from outside the door. It could be heard that the knockers were extremely restrained.

"Mr. Miller, are you there? Mrs. Thompson said the housemaid stole the jewels and escaped. We are under orders to search the premises. Would it be convenient for you to open the door for us to check."

Mr. Miller? Is that the Miller family heir. I was shocked. The handsome face I saw when I was in junior high school suddenly surfaced before my eyes. His slender, upright frame stood at the podium in the school's auditorium and he spoke with ease and confidence about his internship in the family business. The man whose eyes bright as stars and eyebrows sharp as swords. The man who made a young girl in love fall in a second. Is he from this family? Besides, what did mom mean when she said the maid escaped? Doesn't even I deserve a name? Did mamma feel that her daughter's running away from home was a real disgrace to the Thompson family, and disown me as her daughter?

Only deadly silence. Suddenly there was the sound of a door card being swiped to unlock the door.

Damn!

Where to hide!

The closet? Oh I'm already thinking of the awkward scenario of the bouncer opening the door and us staring at each other in disbelief.

Refrigerator? That's turning into a criminal case!

The door's open! What to do!

A hand suddenly reached out from the bathroom and pulled me in. I was so shocked that I wanted to scream for help! However, my mouth was covered by another hand.

In the next second, I was already lying face down in the bathtub with my whole body. To be precise, I was on top of a man in the bathtub.

Pervert!

However, the bodyguards seemed to have opened the door and entered the room. It was only at this moment that I noticed that the bathroom had an electronic screen that allowed me to see the scene outside the door, which meant that every move I made before was all seen by this man! Why isn't he talking? He can't talk? My eyes switched back and forth between the electronic screen and this man in horror. The water in the bathtub was so hot, with roses floating on the surface, that I couldn't see what was going on underwater. I didn't mean that I want to have a look, It's worth mentioning that. The man's hand held my head, pressing it firmly against his chest.

"Mr. Miller? Are you there?" The lead bouncer asked tentatively as he moved into the room.

"Breaking into my room, who sent you? " His tone was calm but somehow gave off a sense of oppressiveness.

"Hey Mr. Miller, it's Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, said their daughter Mia, oh no the maid ran out and asked us to get her back. We were just following orders, so don't be angry sir."

"A maid?" He glanced down at me. "There is no maid here. You guys can search if you don't believe me."

I heard the sound of a cabinet door opening and closing, and it seemed that they had finished searching the outside rooms, leaving the bathroom.

"I wonder if Mr. Miller would mind letting us look in the bathroom."

I was startled subconsciously hugging the man tighter. Only then did I realize he was naked. Even though it was said that no one wore clothes in a bubble bath. But at the moment I was lying in the tub with him. What kind of picture is this? Renaissance art painting? A man taking a bath and a female outlaw?

The bathroom door was covered but unlocked. I glanced at the man in horror.

His expression was calm and composed, not a ripple to be seen.

"Hold your breath." He said softly.

"What?"

The next second my entire head was pressed into the water.

I instinctively closed my eyes. But before I could close my mouth, water rushed into my airways through my nostrils and mouth. Damn it, I was going to drown. My heart pounded as though it was about to burst out of my chest. The oxygen in my lungs was running out. I wanted to struggle, but my head was held down firmly, immobilized

Murder, this was murder!

Excuse me!" The bodyguard who barged in was startled to see Mr. Miller taking a bath, and quickly backed out. However, in just those few seconds, the well-trained bodyguard managed to scan the entire bathroom, and indeed, there was no sign of Miss Mia.

"Finished checking, your maid is indeed not here, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Miller, this..." the lead bodyguard replied.

"I clearly saw the young lady run in there," another bodyguard whispered.

"Let's go back and report to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson."

"Sorry for disturbing your rest, sir."

The moment the door closed, I leaped up from the water. I knelt in the bathtub, my upper body rising above the water surface, my chest heaving, breathing heavily. This nearly 40-second ordeal almost took my life. I, the unrivalled beauty, almost died here today!

And that man, he lay in the bathtub at the moment, watching me leisurely, his eyebrows slightly raised.

"How about..." "Are you crazy?"

Both people spoke at the same time.

My words seemed to surprise him.

"You're crazy, I almost drowned!" I glared at him.

He laughed lightly, lifting his hand to tuck my wet hair behind my ear, "I was saving you."

"Mind your own business!" Being caught and locked up was the worst that could happen, but his brilliant idea almost drowned me in the bathtub.

I got up angrily to get out of the tub, one foot stepping onto the floor. The floor was too wet, my foot slipped, and I almost fell.

"Ah!" This time I was scared enough to scream.

The man got up and held me, I instinctively grabbed his shoulders. In the moment our eyes met, I noticed his eyes were a dark green. In his bright pupils, my stunned face was reflected. His facial lines were clean and sharp, high nose bridge, and a mole near the corner of his eye. My body, completely soaked by water, was pressed tightly against his chest. Soft yet firm. I could hear my heart pounding.

Why is he so handsome? Wait, is this what I should be thinking right now?!

"I saved you again," he said with a light laugh. His eyes seemed to be teasing.

"I don't need you to save me." I spoke gritting my teeth word by word.

The arm holding me suddenly relaxed. I instinctively wanted to grab onto something but failed, falling onto the floor with a thump.

My butt felt like it had split into a thousand pieces. Pain spread in between every piece.

The pain made me cry out, but I still struggled to get up.

"Miller, I don't know which Miller you are, probably the most shameless Mr. Miller in your family, don't let me see you again!" I ran out of his room rubbing my butt.

A disdainful laugh came from behind.

"You're staying in your room all day today! No going anywhere!"

Ugh, I managed to sneak out but still got caught. The bodyguards said they followed a trail of water to find me. I swear they're the Sherlock Holmes of New York. It's all because of that idiot in the bathtub who nearly got me killed. After all that trouble I still got dragged back.

Now I'm lying in bed, bored to death.

I roll off the bed, wanting to go out for a walk. The bodyguards on either side of the door immediately block it shoulder to shoulder. "Miss, your mother ordered you to stay home today and not go anywhere."

"I just want to go buy a Starbucks."

"Contact the butler, he'll bring it to you."

So annoying! I flop back onto the bed.

Charlotta calls.

"Babe Mia the auction is starting!" As the second daughter of the James family, she's also attending the charity dinner today.

"I know, I know."

"Why are you so impatient? This is about your future husband, a hugely important event! Don't you want to know who he'll be?"

"I don't want to. Marrying someone without love would be more painful than death."

Yes, a perfect woman like me deserves an equally perfect man. I've always fantasized about a prince charming coming into my life. He must be handsome, dashing, charming, capable of anything, bullets bouncing off him - in short, completely perfect. When we meet, a shooting star streaks across the night sky. The city is quiet, and we kiss atop a Ferris wheel. At sunrise he proposes in a hot air balloon over Turkey, the dawn lighting up our faces pink. In a wooden bird's nest in a Norwegian forest we carve our wish to be together forever. That's the love I want, pure and beautiful.

Not like this, auctioning off my happiness in front of a bunch of strangers I've never met!

"I protest!"

"Protest denied!"

After countless unsuccessful attempts to oppose my parents, I had no choice but to run away from home. Of course, this was a failed escape, and it ended with me being caught and brought back.

"Babe Mia, your necklace is the next item up for auction!" There was undeniable excitement in Charlotta's voice.

"The Thompson family has brought a necklace today, named Hummingbird Heartbeat. It was a gift from Mia's grandfather when she was born. The intertwined necklace is composed of 100 transparent diamonds. At the center is a 51-carat unheated blue sapphire from Kashmir, rich in royal blue color and of high purity. This is the Thompson family's heirloom. Their presence at our charity dinner tonight shows the significance Mr. and Mrs. Thompson place on this auction. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson also hope that the destined person will cherish their beloved daughter's treasure."

The auctioneer paused, "The starting bid is $2 million dollars."

This is a gift from my grandfather when I was born. Bringing such a valuable jewel to a charity auction, everyone must understand that the Thompson family is not simply auctioning off jewelry, but seeking a wealthy and sincere husband for their daughter.

"Here it comes! Here it comes!" Charlotta's voice jumped an octave.

"$3 million dollars, Mr. Koch bids $3 million dollars," the auctioneer excitedly announced the first bid.

"This Mr. Koch is a big shot in the industrial world, and he's only 35, young and promising. It's just... it seems like he's bald," Charlotta's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Are you sure he's 35 and not 55?" I said impatiently. Although I seem indifferent to the auction results on the surface, after all, it's about a marriage partner, so I'm a bit nervous.

"$5 million dollars, Mr. Walton bids $5 million dollars."

"Good news, Mia, this Mr. Walton has hair. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Just... when he smiles, he looks like Voldemort."

"What?"

"$7 million, Mr. Beckett has bid $7 million."

"The Becketts are here too? And you're not going to believe this, but their guy is handsome. Broad shoulders, slender waist, long legs, just like a model, looks like a 23-year-old Leonardo."

"Oh?" My eyes lit up.

"No, wait, this is the son of the bidder! You're going to be his stepmother!"

"What!" My vision darkened, "No way, I need to start planning an escape now!"

"$20 million!" The auctioneer shouted in an almost breaking voice, "This gentleman has bid $20 million!"

"Did I hear that right, Mia? Someone bid $20 million, but the market price for this necklace is just $6 million!"

My heart skipped a beat, "Who is it?"

At that moment, the air froze. There was no sound from the other end of the phone.

I looked at my phone screen, it automatically shut off because it ran out of battery!

What!

I jumped out of bed to charge it.

Who could my future husband in name be? Honestly, if he's handsome, I could barely live with him. If our values clash too much, I'll just move to the Sahara desert. If he's a controlling freak, I'll buy a one-way ticket to Mars from NASA!

Finally, the phone screen lit up again.

A message from Charlotta appeared in the notification bar.

"It's the Millers! It's the son of Mr. Miller!" Charlotta exclaimed.

I couldn't help but hold my breath.

The Miller family only publicly acknowledged one male heir, if I remembered correctly.

I quickly scanned all the media news. Yes, it was him.

Locus Gray!

"The Miller family said they wouldn't attend this auction, didn't they?" I asked.

"Yes, they did, but for some reason, they said yesterday that they would send a representative today. Locus Gray is the dream lover of all the daughters of high society families! Babe Mia, you hit the jackpot!" Charlotta sent me a voice message.

A figure from my childhood flashed in my mind. I was only 15, still in middle school. He was already 23, wearing a well-tailored gray suit, sharing his experiences leading the family's medical business at our school. My male peers were like monkeys from a circus, noisy and restless. Locus's calm gaze and straight posture made my young heart flutter. I secretly vowed, "When I grow up, I'll marry someone like him!"

Just like people who have seen the ocean no longer care about a small pond, I stopped paying attention to the "monkeys" around me. At least I didn't want to date them; it was a waste of my time. I'd rather go shopping and watch movies with my girlfriends than waste time on boring men. Now, I'm 22. Locus, at 30, might be even more charming as a mature man!

Just moments ago, I was doing everything I could to escape this arranged marriage, but now I'm suddenly a bit excited. Maybe he will be gentle, pat my head softly, peel shrimp for me. When he looks at me, his deep green eyes would sparkle, reflecting my beautiful, happy face. Every night, we would take a bath together, snuggle up in bed, and then he would spoon me as we drift off to sleep.

Why am I suddenly looking forward to this?

Fickleness, thy name is woman

"Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, Mia has stayed at home all day as per your instructions."

My parents arrived, their faces filled with joy. It was clear that they were very pleased with this potential marriage alliance.

"The one who won the bid for the necklace is the heir of the Miller family, you've heard, haven't you?"

"Yep," I obediently nodded. My heart was racing, yet I maintained a neutral expression on my face. After all, I was the one who had tried every possible means to escape this arranged marriage. I couldn't afford to lose face and be the butt of the joke for my parents.

"The Miller family's medical corporation is very powerful, and our family is in investment. There will be many opportunities for collaboration in the future. Mia, you can't behave as willful and unruly with Mr. Miller as you do with us. You have to consider the bigger picture. If we were to fall out with them, the impact on our family could lead to consequences we might not be able to bear."

"I understand, dad," I nodded.

In my heart, I thought differently. If there's mutual affection, naturally it will last. But if there isn't, even if the King of Heaven came, I would run. However, I have a lot of confidence in Locus. After all, I still remember our encounter from when we were children; it's hard to forget. I heard that Mr. Miller is very strict with his children's education. It can't be wrong.

"Here's his number. You can contact him on WhatsApp first. The engagement banquet is in a week, both families will arrange for you to meet then."

"Alright, dad," I replied, unusually obedient.

My mother looked at me, her expression saying, "My good daughter, finally getting married."

After my parents left, I opened my phone, entered the number, and searched for the WhatsApp account. The profile picture was an Afghan Hound, standing tall and proud, as if it was about to participate in a beauty pageant. Even the dog was so elegant!

I carefully sent a "Hi," followed by a blushing face emoji.

"Hi Mia. I think we both remember the scene of our last meeting."

What? Does Locus remember me? Among all the beautiful and rich ladies, he noticed me and remembered me! No wonder he suddenly attended the auction! So all these years, Locus has always been thinking of me.

I coughed a couple of times to calm myself and stop my wild thoughts.

"Yes," I replied. "I remember your emerald green eyes. They are beautiful." Please forgive me, this is the most romantic elementary school love letter I could write.

"Thank you. Get some rest early, Mia. Goodnight."

"Nighty night," I used what I thought was the cutest expression I could.

I turned off the light and lay in bed. The lights from the city reflected on the glass like colorful amber. The sound of car engines occasionally passed by outside the window.

The phrase "marriage partner" floated in my mind, and I fell asleep.

"Ding ding ding." The abrupt iPhone alarm almost gave me a heart attack. I reached over to the bedside to find my phone. The display showed it was only five in the morning. Damn, why did I set an alarm for five o'clock? It was still dark outside. Did I make a mistake? What was I supposed to do? Whatever, I thought, turning over and falling back to sleep. I lost consciousness and slipped into a dream.

In the dream, I was walking on a beach when a massive shark suddenly emerged from the sea, biting me and trying to drag me into the water. I screamed in fright, and upon closer look, the shark's head had morphed into the face of the man from the bathtub, biting my arm and smiling wickedly. I struggled desperately but was gradually pulled into the sea, submerged by the water. Just when I felt I was about to suffocate, a beam of righteous light came down, and a superhero carrying a large hammer appeared. He was tall and heroic, smashing the shark into a fish cake with one hit. Then he picked me up from the water. Looking into his deep, affectionate eyes, it was Locus, my destined fiancé. His handsome face leaned in closer to me, and I closed my eyes, just at the moment of our impending kiss...

"Ding ding ding."

The damn iPhone ringtone pulled me back to reality in an instant again. I grabbed the phone, and it was Charlotta. As soon as I answered the call, her anxious voice came through.

"Babe Mia, don't you remember you have to try on your engagement dress today? We had an appointment at six, and it's already nine!"

Oh right, I suddenly remembered that it had been exactly a week since the charity banquet, and tonight was the engagement party. I was supposed to have prepared the dress for the engagement banquet a few days ago, but my procrastination led me to put it off until the last moment.

"I'm on my way, I'm on my way! I'm sorry!"

I leapt out of bed, hastily put on my clothes, and got up. After a quick wash and makeup application, I grabbed my bag and headed out in one swift motion.

All the way, the driver was speeding, and we finally arrived at a high-end club at half past nine. The second floor of this club is dedicated to custom tailoring for VIP customers. As a regular here, Charlotta is familiar with the environment. She had sent my measurements to the designer in advance, and several dresses for the engagement banquet had been custom-made.

"Babe Mia, let me tell you, the designer here is very good at making dresses. They can perfectly highlight your figure, and I guarantee that Locus won't be able to take his eyes off you." Charlotta pulled me into the elevator.

Ding dong. We reached the second floor and the elevator doors slowly opened. Unlike the simple and understated decor on the first floor, the decoration on the second floor was extremely luxurious and intricate. The entire hall was decorated in shades of blue, pink, and white. The walls were adorned with colorful amber and glass mosaics, and one wall was entirely made of real flowers, each a flawless white rose. The white cloud-patterned marble floor reflected the soft glow of the crystal chandelier, and there were candles with a faint scent lit on several crystal candlesticks.

"Wow," I couldn't help but exclaim, "this place is even more beautiful than your house." Charlotta's mother was a famous designer and model before she got married, so her taste in fashion is top-notch. Charlotta's home is also exquisitely refined under her mother's care, like an art gallery. But coming here, I was still a bit surprised.

"This must be Miss Thompson." A man dressed in a grey silk suit came out to greet us. He was handsome, with a cool demeanor, and although he seemed to be smiling, his smile had a sense of distance. His brown hair was a bit long but clearly well-groomed, with a lock obscuring a part of his eyes.

"Yes, Daniel, please bring out the custom dresses for Mia to try. This is going to be the future mistress of the Miller family," Charlotta said, winking at me.

"Of course, please take a seat," Daniel gestured for us to sit on the nearby sofa and then left. Soon, two uniformed ladies came forward respectfully with tea and coffee served on exquisite silver platters.

I picked up a piece of pastry and was about to put it in my mouth. I had been in such a rush this morning that I hadn't eaten anything, and now I was starving.

"Hey, hey, don't just focus on eating, the dresses are here for you to try," Charlotta took the pastry from my hand and placed it back on the plate.

Two more ladies in the same uniform then came pushing two mobile racks. Each rack had three dresses hanging on it. I stared at the dresses, absolutely amazed. Each one looked like a princess dress from a fairy tale. Some were adorned with feathers that fluttered like waves, and some were iridescent like a mermaid's tail.

"They're so beautiful!" Charlotta and I exclaimed in unison.

"Go and try them on!" Charlotta told me.

I picked up a long purple dress with heavy embroidery.

"Follow me," Daniel led me into the fitting room.

After changing, I stood in front of the mirror. Wow, do I look like the winner of the Miss America pageant! I'm too beautiful. Charlotta was right, this dress made me look so good, even my skin seemed more luminous.

I pushed open the fitting room door to go out and get her opinion.

The moment the door opened, I collided with a man in a black shirt. My face solidly hit his chest. I looked up, a face both strange and familiar.

I quickly stepped back and apologized immediately, " I'm sorry, I didn't know there was someone at the door."

"Hmm," he replied with a slight hum.

Such a familiar voice.

I took another careful look, the next second it seemed like an alarm was ringing in my ears.

Bathtub man!

"Can't recognize my face after a few days?"

"I can recognize you when you're naked, who can recognize you when you're dressed?" The next second I realized I had said the wrong thing and hastily covered my mouth. "What are you doing here?" Feeling embarrassed, I tried to change the subject.

"Hmm, of course, I'm here to try on clothes."

"Charlotta said this place only serves VIPs, it seems you are also a VIP."

"The owner is my friend, I come when I want," the bathtub man still had his arrogant attitude. I hadn't settled the matter from last time, but I was about to marry Locus, we would be family, it's better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

I waved my hand to signal him to move out of the way.

"Hey, what's this attitude?" He raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by this attitude? I let go of the incident at the hotel last time, do you want to cause trouble again? Move away quickly, don't block my way, I have important things to do, I don't have time to chat nonsense with you."

The bathtub man frowned, his eyes sharp, "Last time I saved you, how come you were still caught by your parents?" As he said this, he suddenly chuckled softly.

"You dare to mock me, I..." Anger rose from my heart, I glared at him, then remembered that I was about to marry into the Miller family. Calm down, don't get angry, beauties never get angry.

"Forget it, I'll let you off the hook this time," I said, trying to slip away.

"What do you mean let you off the hook? You wanna run?" He grabbed my wrist in one swift movement, lifting it up, almost hoisting me up like a duck.

"What are you doing?"

He lowered his head and gestured with his eyes. Only then did I notice, on his black shirt, a flesh-colored foundation face was reflected, only the eyes and nose were black, there was even a lipstick mark! It turned out that when I bumped into his chest earlier, I had smudged my makeup onto his shirt.

"... I'll buy you a new one to compensate."

"This is custom-made, there's only one on Earth."

I felt his hand gripping my wrist tighten a little more.

"What exactly do you want, bathtub man, I'm warning you," my voice was shaking with nervousness.

"What if I misbehave?" He suddenly came very close to me, pinning me against the wall. His warm breath from his mouth and nose hit my face.

"I, I, I, I'll get someone to teach you a lesson."

"Hmm," he chuckled lightly.

"Don't you dare not believe me, I, I, I, I'll get..." Yes! I took out my phone with my other hand, fumbling to dial, "I'll get my fiancé! He's also from the Miller family, his status is higher than yours, he's very powerful, he..."

Ding, ding, ding. At that moment, the phone in bathtub man's pocket rang.