Eden's jaw dropped.
He couldn't believe a woman like her was going to be bold enough to put herself into trouble, especially this time when his hot-tempered master was having a really terrible moment.
Meanwhile...
Westley's expression remained unreadable, but briefly, a hint of intrigue flickered in his eyes.
He raised an eyebrow, "You're suggesting we marry each other, and also we are complete strangers?"
Evie nodded in confidence.
"Why not? We're both clearly compatible, and this way, we can both save face and gain a partner, except for the fact that this will be a contract marriage of six months."
Westley's gaze lingered on hers as if sizing her up. Then, he nodded slowly. "Very well, let's do it."
Now looking serious, he added, "But first I need your details to be sure that you aren't a spy, a con artist, or someone with ulterior motives." He paused, a glint entering his eyes, "And I'll need a comprehensive medical report to ensure there are no surprises down the line. This is a serious arrangement, after all, and I expect full transparency."
He pocketed his hands, observing her reaction. "Do we have a deal, Miss?" he questioned.
Evie's smile didn't falter, even at his stringent demands. "Perfectly understandable, Mr. Lu," she replied, and then gave his dumbfounded assistant her complete details to search on the web.
As soon as he got the findings, he immediately offered them to his boss, who quickly read through them and nodded in satisfaction.
"Good." He mumbled before handing the phone over to Eden.
"I'll provide you with my medical records later, and I assure you, my only motive is the same as yours; a mutually beneficial arrangement to get over something," Evie explained.
Just when she expected a soft response from Westley, Eden interrupted with a sharp gasp. He stared at his phone in horror before turning the screen to show his boss what he had just found.
"Master, take a look at this."
Westley's expression turned ice-cold the moment he saw the screen.
Evie's legs wobbled slightly. She felt a sudden wave of unease, wondering what was happening.
Did he catch wind of any of my secret identities...? She quickly shook the thought away; that probably wasn't the reason for his cold expression.
Maybe he found out I'm the illegitimate daughter of the Yong family? she mused, fearing he might reject her on the spot. Maybe it's worth it?
She felt downcast and lost in thought. After all, her entire life had been defined by misfortune, and she expected nothing less from this moment.
Still lost in thought, Evie felt a cold hand on her face. She snapped back to reality only to find Westley standing dangerously close to her.
"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned as he withdrew his hand.
"Errr... yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Evie stammered.
Westley didn't look convinced. His gaze softened. He went on asking, "You seemed... far away. What were you thinking about?"
This time, Evie started to think if he was about to torment her before rejecting her. Nevertheless, since he already knew about her illegitimacy, Evie couldn't seem to care less about hiding it from him and better accept his rejection.
For a moment, she almost confessed about her illegitimacy, but then, he said,
"The video of your wedding seems to be trending on the Internet. It's really a bad one as you can see." He showed her the video.
Evie acted almost shocked, but quickly composed herself. "Of course!" She replied faintly. She actually thought he found out about her illegitimacy, or maybe something bad enough for him to reject her, not knowing it was just the video of her ruined wedding on the internet that made him cold.
Westley took a quick look at the Civil Affairs Office and stated, "Let's go get our marriage certificate. It's getting late already." He then led the way into the registration office, with Evie following closely behind.
.…
Once the couple's registration process was completed, Westley and Evie strode out of the Civil Affairs office with their marriage certificate in their hands. They were now legally married, except that they had agreed to divorce after six months of their relationship.
"Master Lu, can I drive you home?" Eden inquired as he sat behind the wheel, closed the door, and slowly fastened his seatbelt. Westley raised his head to look at him from the inside rear-view mirror, "Not yet." He continued, "And please can you give us some space, we want to have a very important discussion here."
Eden nodded reverently. He immediately made his way out of the car.
For over twenty minutes, Evie was telling Westley about her family background and her personal struggles, which she had endured, right from childhood till the present moment of her ruined wedding with Lucas.
While she was explaining it all, she noticed his sullen facial expression and couldn't help but ask, "Are you ok?"
"No." He said, flatly. "The people you mentioned don't deserve to be called your family; they're nothing more than strangers."
Evie smiled bitterly. She hasn't told him about her illegitimacy.
I will probably tell him about it later. She mused.
As the car fell silent, Evie sighed, looking Westley straight in the eye. His passive face held a graceful calmness, and his extraordinary aura was captivating, making Evie feel no regret over her decision to marry him.
"Mr. Lu, I really want to appreciate you for listening to my story. Actually, you are the only person to be interested in listening to them and also feeling my pain." She smiled beautifully, "I also want to thank you for accepting my proposal. It did mean a lot to me." Evie was totally clear with her words.
"You don't have to thank me, Miss…..umh…." Westley's voice trailed.
"My name is Yong Qiyue, but I prefer to be called Evie since it is the name given to me by my late mother and also the name most people know me by."
Westley nodded slowly and felt a bit silly for not knowing her name, despite getting her details on the Internet some hours ago and also from his marriage certificate.
"Evie," he repeated, testing the name out and noticing how well it suited her.
"Well then, Evie, it was my pleasure. I believe everyone deserves to be heard, and your story... It's quite touching." He leaned back into the car seat, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
Then, he suddenly asked, "So, do you intend to get back at the people who betrayed you?"