Lilian quickly waved her hand as she shook her head. "No, you misunderstood me! I actually wanted to thank you for appearing at that moment. I would really be ashamed if no one volunteered."

Lilian couldn't thank Kayden enough for helping her, especially since she was in the worst time of her life. Lilian couldn't help but to look forward to the fact that after a year, she's finally moved on and will not feel any resentment with Benjamin and will finally recover her freedom. Unharmed. Unashamed.

Kayden was like a guardian angel that fell right out of the sky to help her.

Lilian was delighted and relieved that her absurd marriage seeking wouldn't bring her too much trouble.

"You're welcome. We just need each other. Although I can't go to bed with you, I'll make sure you'd be proud that you're my wife. But you must also fulfill your obligations. In addition to accompanying me on various business occasions, you must also take care of my daily life." Kayden glanced at her lightly. "Is there any problem with that?"

"Yes." Lilian hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and asked, "If I'm going to take care of your daily life, um... will I get a salary?"

"What?" Kayden frowned, surprised by the question's absurdity.

"I mean, I won't go abroad with you in a year. We are only bound legally, and I have to take care of you every day, so I'm afraid I can't go to work... I used to be an employee of Holmes Group, and now I'm sure I'll lose my job..." Lilian looked down and spoke incoherently.

"Are you short on money?" Kayden interrupted her and hit the nail on the head.

"Yes." Lilian nodded timidly.

"Okay, don't worry about it. My wife will never be short of money." Kayden smiled while looking at her little face. His slightly frowned eyebrows stretched out.

"Didn't you just say you had questions to ask me? You can ask now."

"No, I don't have a question now." She finally shook her head and looked up at him. His words dispelled all her worries, and she was glad that they had come to terms with their marriage.

"Then, Mrs. Brown, can we go back home now?" he asked, putting his hand around her shoulder.

"Go back... To your house?" she asked, uncertainty etched in her voice as she moved her body to the side uneasily.

"It's our house now, you know."

"Oh, okay." Lilian couldn't help but feel embarrassed about hearing that his house also belonged to her now.

After driving for more than half an hour, the black Bentley drove into a high-end mansion area in the suburbs. Lily was not shocked that Kayden owned such a massive and elegant house because she knew how rich Benjamin's family was.

As soon as the car stopped, Lilian hurriedly went out the door and opened Kayden's side. "I'll help you out," she said.

"No need." Kayden held her hand: "You don't have to do the work that my men and maids could do."

When he spoke, his eyes kept looking at her with a smile. His tone was very serious, but it seemed to be with interest.

"Oh." Lilian nodded obediently.

As soon as she opened the door and came down, Lillian saw a line of people standing by the side of the road and nodding respectfully to her. It looked like Kayden alerted all of his staff of their marriage.

Except for the driver and the two men who came down from the car behind, there were three women and three men. Kayden had more servants than the Holmes family, Lilian concluded.

"Hello, sir! Hello, madam!"

"Hello," Lilian greeted with a sly smile. She felt a bit embarrassed. It was the first time I addressed her with so much respect. All she received before was Benjamin's mother's sneer and judgmental looks.

"I'd like all of you to introduce yourself to my wife. She may be young, but you need to listen to her in the future," Kayden said as he controlled the wheelchair to enter the living room fully.

"Madam, my name is Jerry," a man started. "I'm Sir Kayden's personal assistant." Jerry smiled as he ushered Lilian into the house.

Lilian frowned at the word 'madam.' Benjamin's brother, Jack Holmes, used to call her that while she and Benjamin were dating. She couldn't help but remember her cheater ex-fiance.

Kayden signed a document and handed it to Jerry. "Tell President Neil that we will start a partnership with the Miller group."

Lilian had just finished getting to know Kayden's staff and heard what Kayden had said. With her curiosity prying open, she glanced at the document and saw the big font of 'Plan to Acquire Miller Group.'

She couldn't help but ask, "Are you buying Miller Group of companies?"

Kayden waved his hand to tell Jerry to go out, patted the sofa next to him, and motioned her to come and sit down. She willingly obliged despite her wildly beating heart.

"Why are you asking?" Kayden asked with his brows raised. "Are you interested in business?"

"No, not because of that. I was a saleswoman in Holmes Group and had business contacts with Miller Group. Miller Group is one of the leading enterprises in JC City. Did you just buy them out?" Lilian said honestly.

The Holmes family was already a famous family in JC City. Even Benjamin's father didn't dare to think of acquiring Miller Group, which was on an equal footing with Holmes Group. But Kayden had just returned home and acquired Miller Group so easily.

It seemed like Kayden was a powerful man. Much more powerful than the Holmes family. She couldn't help but be curious about Kayden's real identity. Was he some secret billionaire in the US?

Kayden grinned. "I had to work hard so my wife wouldn't be short of money," he answered lightly.

Lilian rolled her eyes. "Please. That sounds like a really fake reason," she whispered.

"What did you say?" Kayden confusedly asked.

"Nothing!" She waved her hand.

"Hmm. Nothing, huh." Kayden hummed. "Fine, then. Come and help me take a bath so we can finally have our dinner."

"Help you take a bath?" Lilian stood up from the sofa and stared at him. A loud ringing echoed in her ears due to shock.

Kayden tilted his head and gave Lilian an innocent look. "Do you expect me, a disabled person, to bathe alone?"

***

"But you said we were only married in the paper? We won't act as a real husband and wife?" "Lilian's small face flushed, "How can I assist you in taking a bath?"

"I also said you had to look after me. What's the matter, Mrs. Brown? You dislike a disabled person like me?" Kayden narrowed his eyes and looked at her. His expression was cold and sullen, and his tone was unhappy.

He was angry.

Lilian looked at his gloomy handsome face and lowered her head. "I didn't mean to say it that way. I'm sorry."

"Then stop hesitating and just do it. You don't have to worry. I won't feel anything if you take your clothes off before me. I cannot feel anything in my waist down, do you understand?" Kayden's frowned eyebrows stretched out slowly as he saw Lilian's face become more blushed.

He controlled his wheelchair and went to the elevator. "Come on, follow me."

Lilian stood in her place for a brief moment as she hesitated; she bit her lips hard and followed up after a few seconds. She was determined to assist Kayden in taking a bath. As he had stated, she could treat him as a patient, another woman, or even cabbage.

It was her first time seeing someone's home with an elevator installed. 'If it was inconvenient for him to go upstairs, why didn't he just live on the first floor instead?'

Lilian gently pushed Kayden into the elevator and stood behind him. She couldn't help but whisper, "What a pretentious rich man."

"A wife who is unwilling to bathe her disabled husband is more pretentious," Kayden pointed out upon hearing what Lilian whispered. He noticed Lilian curling her lips angrily from the visible metal panel on the elevator's sides. A soft light shone into his dark eyes.

After entering the bedroom, Kayden pointed to the large king-size bed and said, "You have to sleep in the same bedroom with me so the maid won't get suspicious. I'll sleep in the study room next door most of the time, anyway, and even if I go back to my bedroom to sleep, the bed is big enough to keep us at a distance while sleeping."

She nodded, saying, "Oh, okay." without hesitation. She walked directly into the bathroom after briefly exploring the room with her eyes.

She was grateful to Kayden. She desired marriage but believed she would pay for her rash decision. She was lucky to meet Kayden, who would only be her husband for one year, and she didn't have to fulfill the wife's obligations, such as sleeping with him if needed.

After entering the bathroom, Lily discovered everything was designed for a disabled person like Kayden. The wash basin was shallow, and everything was within his reach.

The bathtub was also built-in, the height was nearly the same as the wheelchair, a large table, the pool walls were all non-slip, and an inside massage chair-style seat.

As Lilian put water into the bathtub, she thought that with such a convenient facility, he could take care of himself completely; however, he asked her to serve him.

'What an arrogant idler!' she thought.

After the bathtub was ready, she turned around and saw Kayden had come in.

"W–well, the water is ready." She couldn't help but blush and stammer because Kayden had taken off his clothes on the upper part of his body and only wore trousers.

When he was in the wheelchair, she could only see Kayden's long and slender legs. His muscular and tight chest and abdominal muscles were exposed, as were his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and his honey skin was revealed in the steamy bathroom.

"Come, help me take off my pants." He controlled the wheelchair to get closer to her while speaking in a natural tone.

Lilian immediately walked over as she clenched her teeth. She squatted in front of him and hesitated as she lowered her head to untie his belt.

Lilian's clumsy little hands trembled while undoing his belt. She deliberately closed her eyes when she went to unzip Kayden's pants. Kayden looked at Lilian's closed eyes, and he smiled.

Kayden raised one of his eyebrows and said, "Is your husband in such bad shape that you can't even look at it?"

"Your body's so great that I'm scared I'll get a nosebleed if I look too much," she sarcastically replied with an awkward smile.

Lilian had been in sales for three years; she was very good at flattery. She also considered herself best at communicating and making other people like her.

After a short while, Kayden was only wearing thin, white shorts. Lilian hurriedly looked away; however, a question suddenly appeared in her mind.

'If he had no consciousness below the waist, wouldn't he ask her for help when he wanted to go to the toilet?'

"Go on, take it off," Kayden ordered as he noticed Lilian stopped for a moment, interrupting Lilian's thoughts.

'He still wanted me to continue? Do I have to help him take off his last pair of shorts?' Lilian thought, questioning Kayden in her mind.

She was helpless; however, she had no choice. She turned to look away while stretching her hand out to his waist.

'Do not be afraid.' Lilian thought to herself as she slowly touched the edge of Kayden's shorts. 'Don't be shy. Just think of it as a cabbage you needed to open.'

Warmth and electricity spread through Lily's skin, but it didn't feel like the texture of the shorts. That was why she opened her eyes. Kayden's frown and clear annoyance greeted her, and when she looked down, his hand was already holding hers.

"Fine. Don't take this one off," he said, his voice laced with irritation.

A deep sigh of relief escaped Lily's lips. "O-okay."

She stood up, her cheeks filled with blush, and assisted Kayden into the bathtub.

"I'll grab your waist. You should hold my neck," Lilian said, and without saying anything, Kayden gently encircled his arms around her neck.

"Are you sure you can carry me?" Kayden asked, doubt filling his head.

However, the woman carried him swiftly into her arms. It looked like Lily didn't even sweat, as if she was used to the weight. Kayden's mouth went into a thin line. He didn't expect his wife to have the strength to carry his total weight; he thought that she would ask for help from their maids.

Lilian glanced at Kayden and giggled when she saw his expression. "I may be thin, but I'm not a tree branch that could easily break. I used to work at Holmes Group's storage area, you know? I was used to carrying boxes that weighed fifty kilograms."

Kayden stared at Lily, observing the woman's smile. He noticed that Lilian had two canine teeth; it didn't bother him; instead, he found it even cuter, especially whenever she was smiling.

A struggling sound came from Lilian's lips as she tried to put Kayden down into the tub. She was about to continue, but another groan came out of her due to the man's heavy weight.

"Forget it. If you continue that, I'll be completely disabled," Kayden uttered and removed his hold on Lilian.

Kayden put his two robust arms on the bathtub's edge, used a little force to pull himself into the bathtub, and sat steadily. His quick movements seemed like he was used to getting into the tub that way.

Lilian stared at Kayden blankly. She wanted to ask Kayden why he asked her to marry him and if he could do that, but no words came out of her.

She only returned to reality when a handful of water splashed on her face. She groaned and wiped the water away as she heard Kayden's chuckle.

"What are you doing standing there? Pass me the bath sponge," he said.

Lilian's brows furrowed; she stomped her feet on the ground, annoyed as she went to grab the sponge nearby. She wanted to throw it in Kayden's face but decided against it, thinking it would not do her any good.

"Here's your sponge."

Kayden raised his arm to grab it. However, just before Lilian could let the towel go, Kayden grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the bathtub. He dragged her entire body and placed her directly on him.

"AH!" she yelled, her body now soaked with soapy and steamy water. Lilian immediately pushed herself away from Kayden, only to discover that her hands were resting on the man's muscular chest.

"What are you afraid of? I won't eat you, you know." Kayden looked at her panicked expression and smiled with a bit of evil charm on his face. She clung to him as soon as he grabbed her arm and pulled it.

The only thing separating them below was Lilian's thin skirt and Kayden's shorts.

"Hey!" Lilian struggled as she tried to escape his grip. "I have my period, remember? Aren't you afraid that blood will fill your tub? I can even smell it already!"

Lilian knew Kayden had no feeling from his waist down, so she was not afraid of what he would do to her. Her main concern was that blood might turn the water red. Instead of feeling refreshed in his bath, Kayden might experience dirt and sticky blood.

Fortunately, Kayden let her go, and she finally went out of the bathtub. Thanks to the wet skirt, Kayden's eyes followed Lilian's exquisite figure as she pulled herself free. With Lily's flushed face, the woman looked like a mature honey peach hanging on a branch, albeit a lovely one.

"Why would I be afraid? You're cleaning the bathtub anyway; it's your job." Kayden's Adam's apple rolled up and down. He paused before grabbing Lilian's wrist and pulling her closer so he could whisper in her ear.

"Help me massage my legs," he said in a low tone.

"Okay." The numb feeling in Lilian's ears spread all over her body. She quickly put distance between them and squatted in the water to massage her husband's legs.

Her heart was thumping loudly on her chest as her skin made contact with the man's legs.

She couldn't believe that she had done the craziest things in one day. She married a man she had just met and stayed in the bathroom with him. She knew it was not malicious because Kayden was a disabled man who needed help, but still, she felt weird and nervous.

Kayden looked at Lilian near his feet before he closed his eyes and spoke, "Okay, you can go out now. There are clothes Emma prepared for you. Go and get dressed. I will take a bath myself. "

"O–okay!" Lilian immediately stood up from the water, took her shoes, and walked out of the bathroom barefoot without looking back.

Looking at the small figure that seemed to run away, Kayden clenched her fists and slammed into the water, causing a huge splash. He closed his eyes tightly, wanting to bang his head into a wall.

'I have endured being away from that girl for years. When did I become so impatient?' Kayden thought, his brows furrowed. 'God, if I scared her away after that, everything I did would be in vain.'

Meanwhile, Lilian was astonished when she saw that the clothes in the room fit her well. Her mood also got lifted when she saw that the maids and Emma, the head housekeeper, were friendly towards her.

"Madam, these are Mr. Kayden's rules and preferences. You'd find everything you need to know about him in this file. Please keep them in mind." Emma handed her a document when she got to the living room.

Despite feeling shocked, Lilian nodded. "Okay." She opened the document and took a deep, calming breath as she realized five pages were in the file. And everything was in a small font.

The document contained Kayden's diet, clothes, living habits, and even his likes and dislikes. It turned out that Kayden didn't eat anything with onions, ginger, and garlic. He also didn't like the color black and had the excellent habit of watching the sunrise in the morning.

Aside from this, Lilian also saw that Kayden had different types of wines, and he would drink them according to his mood.

Lilian looked at the dense words and felt her head go numb.

Kayden soon came downstairs by himself using the elevator. He was moving towards the dining area when he passed by Lilian in the living room. The woman was standing still, a file of papers in her hand.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, his brows raised. "Come."

"Yep, coming." Lilian quickly put down the file on the center table.

After a long day, not only did she skip her meal, but she also vomited several times, her stomach churning after she witnessed Benjamin be romantic with a man.

Her stomach was empty, so when they sat at the dining table, she immediately grabbed the utensils and stuffed her plate with numerous dishes served in front. She even forgot that Kayden was with her for a moment due to hunger.

Kayden frowned, his eyes locked on his wife, who was busy eating. "Have an early rest after dinner. We'll visit my family tomorrow."

"Sure," Lilian replied casually, her mouth filled with delicacies. She regained control of her senses after swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Your family lives at Ben's grandmother's house, right?" she asked as she finally realized she would meet that family again. Thinking about it, she now felt her appetite decreasing.

"Ben, huh?" Kayden asked as he placed a piece of vegetable in his mouth. "That's such an intimate call name."

Lilian bit her bottom lip. "No… I just… I was used to calling him that. I guess it's not appropriate anymore," she whispered, her voice filled with sadness and grief.

She remembered what her best friend, Bella, used to say to her. "You don't even need to eat or sleep anymore. It looks like just saying Ben's name gives you enough energy."

Lily could not decide whether it was good that Bella had to leave for business on her wedding day. She couldn't imagine what Bella's expression would be once she discovered that Lilian did not marry Ben but married Ben's uncle.

As Lily was consumed by her thoughts, Kayden could not help but stare at her with a calculating gaze. Slowly, he peeled a shrimp and placed it on Lilian's plate.

"It's okay. You can still call him Ben. He would have to call you aunt, anyway."

"Aunt?" Lilian asked in confusion, but after a few seconds, her face brightened.

Lilian had already forgotten that she was now Molly's sister-in-law, and Benjamin should address her with respect. Why was she afraid to meet with them in the first place? How could she forget that the sole reason she married Kayden was to anger and take revenge on the Holmes family.

Regaining her appetite, Lilian grabbed her spoon and fork again and continued eating with a smile flashing on her face. She popped the shrimp that Kayden gave her into her mouth, and as she chewed, she gave him a bright smile. "Thanks, hon," she said.

Kayden's mouth gaped open. He didn't expect Lilian to call him 'honey' willingly. Still, he was glad that the woman was in a good mood.

He shook his head gently and thought to himself, 'She's still a little girl with such a simple heart. Everything could be seen in her expression; it was obvious what pained and joyed her. No wonder Benjamin and their family bullied her.'

***

After dinner, Kayden went directly into the study room while Lilian took a bath and went to bed early. Her husband didn't need her to warm the bed; she could simply relax and sleep soundly without worries of someone harassing her.

Lilian bathed herself peacefully, and tucked herself comfortably in the bed. She was looking forward to the moment when Benjamin would call her' aunt', which was why she fell asleep with a light feeling.

When Kayden entered the room and found Lilian sleeping soundly, he opened the window to let the cold wind gush through. The moonlight streamed in, illuminating Lilian on the bed. Her body was curled up, and the blanket had slipped down her legs, but she slept peacefully.

Kayden's wheelchair slowly approached the bedside. He stared quietly at the woman's charming face. A faint smile gradually rose from the corners of his mouth as his thoughts drifted back to a memory twenty years ago, when he was a ten-year-old boy.

A young couple brought a cute three-year-old girl to their home. His father received them warmly and asked Ben, who was only three years old then, to hold the little girl's hand and play. Kayden's father, who was over sixty years old at that time, looked at the two little ones and said to the little girl's mother that Benjamin and the girl should get married when they turned eighteen.

Kayden's father also said that the marriage would make their father's wishes come true.

"I am older than Ben. Why will he have a wife first? Leah should be my wife in the future," Kayden remembered saying to his father.

But the old man didn't budge. Instead, he became angry at Kayden for interfering and being selfish.

"You are Ben's uncle. How can you marry her? You're older than both of them."

Kayden didn't agree with the decision, but he had no choice. However, he saw how Benjamin pushed Leah to the ground. Kayden had no idea where he got the courage, but he went straight to push Benjamin, which made his nephew stumble.

He could still remember his father's hard slaps on him that day. Kayden even went a day without food as his father's punishment for hurting little, innocent Benjamin.

Kayden had long forgotten what the girl looked like in his memory because he never saw her again after that encounter. Later, Kayden discovered that the girl and her family had vanished without a trace.

He only remembered that her surname was White and the little girl's name was Leah.

However, the woman in front of him…

Kayden knew that Lilian was not the little girl who caused his father to beat him up. However, when he saw Lily's picture before his flight to attend the wedding, he made up his mind.

He knew he wanted Benjamin's woman to be his.