The Ugly Bride Is An Unlikely Genius!

"Collin..."

Soft moans drifted through the ajar door into the hallway, reaching Marissa Spencer's ears.

She heard Collin Anderson and his adopted younger sister, Zoe Anderson, kissing, along with his muffled groans.

"Shh. Keep your voice down," Collin murmured.

"Why? Marissa can't hear us. You're marrying her in two days, and I can't stand it. I had to have you here, in the bed she'll sleep in after the wedding."

Collin gave a low grunt and spoke again in a teasing voice. "Are you jealous? You know you're the one I love. It's just that, because of who we are, Grandpa would never let us be together. Why do you think I'm putting on this whole act?"

He added, "And we agreed you'd take her place at the wedding, remember? All you have to do is pretend you're the bride. She's ugly, she can't hear, and she never goes anywhere. She'll never figure it out. I only agreed to marry her because she can cure my mother's headaches. Now come on, lean against the door and bend over."

Marissa stopped dead in the hallway. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

She had had a car accident and Collin saved her during a storm three years ago. When she woke, she had lost her memory, her face was disfigured, and she couldn't hear. She had pieced her name together from what little she could remember.

He brought her home because she had nowhere else to go. Cynthia Anderson, his mother, suffered from severe migraines that none of her doctors had been able to treat.

Somehow, she knew what to do. She eased Cynthia's pain with one acupressure massage, and the Andersons let her stay.

She was grateful to Collin for what he had done for her. He cared for her so gently that she fell in love with him.

Her hearing had finally returned, and most of the damage to her face had healed. She had also been trying to get past her aversion to touch so she could be close to him on their wedding night.

All this time, he had been sleeping with Zoe, his parents' adopted daughter. He had planned to use her to hide their affair. He thought she would be easy to fool.

Losing her memory hadn't made her stupid.

Now that she could hear, she knew one thing for certain. Collin's voice didn't belong to the man who had saved her from the wreck.

The door thumped steadily in front of her. Marissa's face hardened. She raised her leg and kicked it with all her strength.

The two people leaning against it lost their balance. Both cried out.

She didn't wait for them to come after her. She turned and walked away.

The car crash had left her with more than a ruined face and missing memories. A strange poison had stayed in her body ever since.

She had kept it under control for years with remedies she made herself, but she couldn't get rid of it.

To clear the poison for good, she needed to have sex with a man. Otherwise, it would remain in her system.

She had expected to be free from the poison after marrying Collin.

Now she couldn't bear the thought of him touching her.

Time was running out, though. If she didn't sleep with someone soon and clear the poison from her body, the next flare-up would kill her.

She ran through the men she knew, looking for someone she could turn to.

One name kept coming back to her: Shane Anderson. Collin's uncle was only six years older than he was.

She didn't know many people, and Shane was the only unmarried man among them. He was an Anderson, too.

Collin had made a fool of her. Marrying his uncle would give her a way to get even.

She would switch grooms at the wedding and make that cheating bastard call her Aunt.

Shane had his own problems, though. Leonard Anderson favored him over his other illegitimate children, but Shane had a reputation for chasing women and burning through money.

At least Shane made no secret of what he was like. He had dated more women than she could count, yet every one of his exes still had good things to say about him.

She could worry about that later. Her choices were limited, and she wanted to see what made Collin's uncle so special.

Marissa took out her phone and searched a local gossip forum.

Within minutes, she found out where Shane was.

He was at Crimson Lounge, Arcstin's most notorious place to waste money. Spending there started at one hundred thousand dollars per person.

The VIP suite was packed with wealthy young men enjoying themselves.

Club hostesses in revealing clothes lounged across the couches while the men touched them as they pleased.

One man sat apart from the rest on a sofa. He had his long legs crossed, and no one dared go near him.

He held a cigar between his fingers. Smoke rose past his face whenever the tip glowed, briefly hiding his sharp features.

One hostess tried to get close to him anyway. He pressed the lit end of his cigar against the back of her hand.

The faint smell of burned skin reached him, and he smiled at her screams.

A wealthy young man nearby waved her away. "Get out of here, idiot. Shane just broke up with someone. He doesn't want women near him right now."

Shane sighed and picked up his whiskey. He gave the glass a slow turn, though he didn't look upset in the slightest. "Tell me something, Declan," he whispered. "I loved her. Why did she have to go and ask me to marry her?"

Declan Hoffman had known Shane since they were children. He knew exactly how heartless his friend could be. Even so, the question caught him off guard. "Shane, she wanted to marry you because she loved you."

Shane looked at him from the corner of his eye. "I don't do commitment. I'm never getting married."

Both married men choked and spat out their drinks.

Laughter swept through the suite, and the jokes grew cruder as the drinks kept coming.

Everyone figured Shane was in no mood for a new fling.

Then someone pushed open the heavy door. A woman in a veil, a plain white shirt dress, and white sneakers walked into the VIP suite.

She looked out of place there. Her eyes narrowed in the dim light as she searched the room and found Shane.

No one had time to react. She went straight to him, settled onto his lap, and slipped her arms around his neck.

"Mr. Anderson," she called out, "I have an offer for you. Can we talk alone?"

Marissa spoke with such calm politeness that no one expected the impact of her words. Declan's wine glass nearly slipped right out of his hand.

"Holy shit, girl, you'd better get off him now," Declan blurted out. "Otherwise, if Shane ends up tearing you to pieces, don't expect me to step in and save you."

The room reeked of cheap perfume and alcohol. Then Shane picked up another scent beneath it all. It was light, sweet, and surprisingly fresh.

His eyes narrowed as he slowly lifted the hand he had left draped over the back of the sofa.

Everyone in the private room went quiet. They were already waiting to see how badly the woman would regret provoking Shane. Instead, he placed his hand around her waist and gave her a teasing squeeze, almost like he was checking the quality of something he had just been handed.

"Soft enough," he murmured. "Not bad at all."

Declan and everyone else could only stare at him.

"Shane, seriously? You're interested again already?" Declan exclaimed. "Man, you move fast."

Shane looked over at him. There was a slight curve to his lips, but his eyes stayed cold. "Didn't you hear what she said? She wants to talk to me alone. So we're going to have a nice private conversation. Unless all of you are planning to stay and watch?"

The room immediately filled with laughter and teasing shouts. Declan got the message and quickly started herding everyone toward the door.

Their voices gradually disappeared down the hallway until silence settled over the private room.

Shane still didn't let Marissa go. His hand moved slowly along her waist before his fingers closed around the back of her neck. Then he pulled her closer until hardly any space remained between them, close enough for her to watch every movement of his lips. "So, Marissa," he murmured, "tell me what you came here to talk about."

His voice dropped lower. "And more importantly, how exactly were you planning to have this little talk with me?"

The rumors clearly hadn't exaggerated much. Even after realizing exactly who she was, Shane still didn't bother holding himself back.

Marissa stayed right where she was. Sitting comfortably on his lap, she finally took the chance to study the man in front of her properly.

Shane and Collin looked somewhat alike, thanks to the features they had both inherited from Leonard, but that was where the similarity ended.

When it came to looks, Shane was in a completely different league.

Love had nothing to do with what she wanted, so as far as she was concerned, he was almost perfect for the role.

There was no reason to drag this out.

"I can hear you just fine, so you really don't need to be this close," she responded. "And I'm not marrying Collin anymore. He's sleeping with Zoe, and after that, I can't even look at him without feeling disgusted."

She held Shane's gaze. "I heard your father won't stop pushing you to get married, but you don't want some woman clinging to you and asking for more than you're willing to give. So here's my offer. Marry me. I won't ask you for anything, and after one year, we get divorced. Your father gets off your back, and when it's over, you walk away without any strings attached. Interested?"

Then she lifted a hand and removed her veil.

Before coming here, she had put on just enough makeup to hide most of the faint scar on her face.

Her skin looked flawless, and her delicate features gave her a soft, almost innocent beauty. At the same time, there was something quietly seductive about her that was hard to ignore.

"Think of this as proof that I'm serious," she continued as she let him get a clear look at her face. "I'm not ugly, so it's not like you're getting the short end of the deal."

Shane went completely silent. The playful look he had been wearing disappeared the moment the veil came off. His throat moved as he swallowed. When he finally answered, his voice stayed cool, though something rougher had slipped into it. "So you're asking me to fake a marriage with you?"

He had known for years that Collin was trash, so hearing about the cheating didn't shock him in the slightest. What caught him off guard was the woman sitting on his lap and calmly asking him to marry her.

"That's one way to put it," Marissa said after thinking for a second. "But I have one condition too. If we get married, I want us to act like a real husband and wife. You don't exactly have a reputation for avoiding sex, Mr. Anderson. I can't imagine that part would be too difficult for you."

Shane's mouth went dry at once. Something in his gaze changed as he looked at her, and the intensity in his eyes deepened. "When you say you want us to act like a real husband and wife, what exactly are you talking about?"

"We have sex. Obviously. But as long as we're married, you don't sleep with anyone else. That's my only condition. I don't want your money, and I won't ask you for a single cent." Marissa's tone stayed calm and practical. The serious look in her eyes made it obvious that she meant every word.

That only made Shane more curious.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the woman sitting on his lap.

Her face looked almost innocent, yet there was something undeniably tempting about her. Hearing such bold words come out of her mouth would have tested any man's self-control.

He was no exception.

He lifted her chin and ran his slightly rough thumb across her soft pink lips.

They were full and moist, and the sight of them made it difficult not to think about kissing her.

"I don't believe that's the whole story," he murmured. "Look at you, Marissa. You could have your pick of men. You've spent all this time hiding behind a veil and letting everyone think you're ugly, and now I'm supposed to believe you came to me just because you want my body?"

His meaning couldn't have been clearer. He didn't trust her.

Marissa wasn't offended. They had crossed paths a few times, but they had never had an actual conversation before tonight. If their positions were reversed, she wouldn't blindly trust him either. Someone had to earn that kind of faith.

"I wasn't pretending to be ugly. The scar only healed recently. My hearing has just returned too. There's still poison left in my body, and sleeping with a man is the only way I can get rid of it." And yes, getting even with Collin is part of the appeal." Marissa's gaze slipped toward his stomach. Then she remembered something she had read on a gossip forum earlier that night while trying to figure out where Shane was.

Someone had started an entire thread guessing about the size of his manhood. One woman who claimed she had experienced it herself insisted he was well-endowed.

Without meaning to, she looked lower. His partly unbuttoned shirt gave her a glimpse of his stomach, and the defined muscles underneath were impossible to miss. Her attention continued downward.

Before she could think better of it, she reached out. Her fingers were warm as they moved over the firm lines of his stomach, though the slight tremble in her touch betrayed how inexperienced she was.

"I need this tonight," she whispered. "How about we do it this way, Mr. Anderson? You can see what you're getting first. I know I have a good figure, so I doubt you'll have any complaints. Just make sure you don't disappoint me either."

The warmth of Marissa's skin brushing against Shane's sent a seductive thrill through him.

Shane made no attempt to retreat. If anything, the intensity in his eyes deepened. "Are you not worried I'll tell Collin?"

"You won't." A barely noticeable smile touched Marissa's lips. It was the first time she tried to entice a man, yet there wasn't even a trace of hesitation in her manner. When she raised her face, her long lashes trembled delicately, and her clear eyes carried an almost disarming innocence.

She continued, "You and Collin have never been close. And for someone with your reputation, it's strange that I've never heard a single woman speak badly of you, not even on those vulgar gossip sites. That tells me you'll probably make a decent partner in bed. Whatever happened before doesn't matter to me. But from this point forward, I need you to stop screwing around."

Her challenge was unmistakable. Backing out would make him look like a coward.

Shane bent down, lifted her into his arms, and headed straight for the door. "Fine," he said under his breath. "Let's go somewhere else and see what I am getting."

...

By then, a handful of people had already crowded the hallway.

Declan was practically glued to the door, stretching his neck and pressing an ear against it as he tried to hear what was happening inside. The door abruptly swung open, sending him tumbling backward onto the floor. His eyes widened when he spotted Shane carrying the veiled woman. He immediately scrambled upright.

"Holy shit, Shane! What's happening?" Declan exclaimed.

The others stared at one another before their faces broke into mischievous grins.

"Seriously, Declan? Can't you figure it out? Shane's getting some tonight. That girl must have really caught his attention!"

"I've been telling you all along. The fastest way to forget a breakup is to find someone new. A fresh body will make those old memories disappear!"

Laughter erupted through the hallway as the men hooted and whistled.

Shane's face turned cold. Without warning, he drove his foot into the man who had made the filthy remark. "Get lost. And don't fuck up my night."

His gaze swept over the others. "And you'd better show her some respect."

He stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for the highest floor, and left his stunned friends standing there.

What the hell had just happened?

Shane had never been the kind of man who abandoned his friends for a woman. More importantly, he had never cared enough about any woman to insist that his friends show her some respect.

The realization slowly sank in, sending an uneasy shiver through the group.

Come to think of it, despite the countless women Shane was rumored to have slept with, the women around him had always behaved themselves. None had ever been bold enough to touch him without permission. And they had certainly never witnessed him carrying one of them, especially not in his arms like a bride.

Could it be that Shane had finally fallen for someone? Who exactly was this woman?

The upper levels of Crimson Lounge had been converted into an exclusive luxury hotel, with each of the wealthy men maintaining a private suite there for long-term use.

Shane's room was especially extravagant. Every detail seemed designed for seduction. Bottles of wine, flowers, various props, and costumes were all within easy reach. Even the curtains billowing gently from the balcony carried a soft pink hue that gave the entire room an unmistakably sensual atmosphere.

He had brought women upstairs to rest before, but this was the first time he had ever carried one across the threshold himself.

Marissa clearly knew what she wanted, while desire was already raging through him. Yet when the moment finally arrived, his mind went blank. He suddenly had no idea what he was supposed to do next.

For the first time, his impulsive confidence seemed like a terrible decision.

Marissa slipped from his embrace with ease and kicked off her shoes. While Shane stood there looking completely lost, she took his hand and led him deeper into the suite.

"Are we doing it now?" Shane asked before he could stop himself.

"Not yet." Marissa's expression remained composed. "Show me your medical report."

She produced her own report first and placed it in his hand. "This is mine. I'm completely healthy. If you've got any infectious diseases, then our arrangement ends here."

The corner of Shane's mouth twitched. After a moment, he pulled out his phone and opened his latest medical records.

What timing.

He had undergone a checkup only yesterday.

Marissa quickly scanned the results. Everything was clear, and the tension in her expression eased noticeably.

As long as he was healthy, she had no reason to object.

"Good," she said. "You know what you're doing, so I'll let you take the lead."

She moved to the middle of the bed and stretched out on her back. Then she lifted one small hand and crooked a finger at him. "Come here."

Shane's expression instantly became rigid. He knew what he was doing?

A strange embarrassment washed over him. There was no way he could confess the truth now, so all he could do was force himself to play along. "What am I supposed to be? Some kind of human sex toy?"

Marissa went still. A second later, understanding dawned on her face. She propped herself up on one elbow, reached for the buttons of her shirt dress, and slowly undid them one after another. More of her smooth skin came into view until the white camisole beneath revealed the gentle curves of her figure.

She caught the strap with one finger and eased it down from her shoulder. Surely that was enough to count as seduction.

"Your turn," she said.

The words were ordinary, yet inside the charged silence, they landed like a direct challenge.

Neither of them could afford to retreat now.

Shane's final shred of restraint gave way. His jaw clenched as a daring edge entered his expression. He planted one knee on the mattress, leaned toward her, and caught her lips in a fierce, impulsive kiss.