Conduct the Marriage Ceremony

Those were photos from the bar last night.

Rose wondered who had taken them.

She felt like her head was buzzing.

"Dad, calm down. Don't let your anger affect your health. Rose probably wasn't thinking straight.

"It's a good thing Nixon bought those photos. If not, when the photos get leaked to the public, it would affect the Celeste Jewels' share price."

Kelly coaxed in a gentle tone, but she was gloating inside.

Last night, she had asked Maya to take Rose to Nightfall Lounge. She also arranged a few strong men for Rose. She wanted to take photos of Rose making a fool out of herself in public.

But by the time Maya went back, a man was already taking Rose away.

Maya could only snap a few photos hastily.

Still, those photos were enough for Nixon to call off his engagement to Rose.

Kelly stared at Rose with the expression of an innocent child.

She suddenly noticed the man's shirt Rose was wearing. "Rose, your shirt … looks so weird! Why does it look like a man's shirt?"

Not only that, she could also see a few obvious hickeys on Rose's pale skin near the collar. With just a single glance, she knew what had happened.

"You're such a debauched girl, Rose!"

Jamie's face was filled with disdain. Raising his hand, he was about to hit Rose when Nixon stood protectively in front of her.

Nixon stared at Rose. "Rose, even though you betrayed me, I won't hold it against you. I love you. As long as you behave yourself in the future, I'm still willing to marry you."

Rose was speechless.

She could not believe her ears.

He said she betrayed him.

Who had been the one in bed with Kelly yesterday?

She could not believe he claimed to love her and wanted to marry her.

He looked at her with scornful eyes, and yet he pretended to be gracious and loving!

Was it because she was the only heir to Celeste Jewels?

The company, Celeste Jewels, belonged to Rose's mother, Celeste Young. Celeste had founded it before she got married.

After Celeste's death, Jamie took over management of the company.

But Celeste had left a will.

Once Rose got married, she would inherit Celeste Jewels and all of Celeste's properties.

Rose recalled how Nixon spared no effort to court her. Had it only been because he wanted Celeste Jewels?

A mocking smile appeared on Rose's face.

She stared at the hypocritical look on Nixon's face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kelly biting her lip with slight indignation.

Rose's eyes flashed viciously as she said, "You're willing to marry me. But what about Kelly, then?"

Nixon's expression instantly turned dark.

Hastily stepping forward, he grabbed Rose's wrist and pulled her out of the villa.

Gritting his teeth, he warned her, "Rose, you'd better appreciate it while I'm playing nice. You've done such terrible things, yet I'm still willing to marry you. You should be grateful.

"If you tell Mr. Shaffer and Ms. Sutton about me and Kelly, Kelly will be disgraced!

"Unlike you, Kelly is a simple and innocent woman. She loves me, and I'm the only man in her life. She said she doesn't care about status as long as she can be with me."

Rose felt so disgusted that she wanted to throw up. "How long?"

Nixon was startled.

"How long have you been going behind my back and cheating on me with her?"

Since the truth was already out, Nixon did not see the need to lie.

"It's been three years. I wanted to get more intimate with you on the night of your birthday, but you rejected me."

"So you turned around and slept with Kelly instead?" Rose sneered.

Nixon felt a little guilty. He instantly lost his patience as well.

A few of his businesses were in trouble. He had to get married to Rose as soon as possible so that he could get his hands on Celeste Jewels.

"It's Grandma's 70th birthday tomorrow, and Uncle Jonathan has come to Aquastead.

"Grandma wants us to get married while Uncle Jonathan is in town. He can conduct the marriage ceremony for us.

"Grandma will invite Uncle Jonathan to attend the birthday banquet tomorrow. Be prepared. I'll introduce you to him."

When Nixon mentioned his Uncle Jonathan, he did so with a look of admiration and respect.

Initially, Rose had been uninterested in Nixon's Uncle Jonathan.

But when she saw how excited Nixon was about meeting him tomorrow, she changed her mind abruptly.

Get Married

"Alright. I'll meet Uncle Jonathan tomorrow. He's an elder, so I'll prepare a huge gift for him. Don't worry, I'll behave myself."

…

After Nixon left, Rose picked up the photos on the floor.

She glanced at Maya coldly while saying, "These are pretty good shots. It's a pity that you didn't capture his face."

The man last night had extremely good looks. He was as handsome as the hottest male celebrities.

Maya felt a little guilty. She knew Rose would suspect her for what had happened last night.

She was about to argue when Rose looked at Kelly instead.

Kelly had an innocent look on her face. She looked gentle and harmless, but deep down inside, her heart was filled with hatred.

She did not expect Nixon to proceed with the marriage—not after Rose had been caught making out with another man.

Kelly refused to back down. She wanted to press on with this incident and fan the flames so that Jamie would drive Rose out of the house.

Just then, Rose smiled. The next words that came out of her mouth hit Kelly right where it hurt.

"They're holding a birthday banquet for Mrs. Lane Senior tomorrow night. Nixon wants me to get ready to discuss our marriage plans. Will you be attending the banquet as well, Kelly?"

Kelly was silent. She was so mad that she began trembling.

Nixon had never allowed Kelly to go to the Lane residence. He would never appear in public with her either.

Kelly and Rose were both daughters of the Shaffer family. She did not understand why Rose got to move around in public, while she could only hide in the shadows.

Her harmless and gentle expression faded away. It slowly turned into one of reluctance and jealousy.

Rose sneered as she watched.

Was this the woman Nixon thought of as innocent? The woman who would give up on status to be with him?

Before Rose found them in bed yesterday, she received a message from Nixon telling her to see him.

Kelly must have sent that message.

What an innocent woman indeed.

Rose eyed Kelly mockingly. Then, she took the photos and left the villa.

She was not going to marry Nixon.

But she would give him a surprise during the birthday banquet tomorrow!

Nixon wanted Celeste Jewels, so she was going to foil his plans.

The best way for her to achieve that was for her to get married, but not to him!

Rose wondered who she should pick to be her bridegroom.

Suddenly, she noticed the man in the photos. She immediately narrowed her eyes.

"Haha. I have just the right person."

…

Rose arrived at Nightfall Lounge.

It was noon, so the lounge was not open for business yet.

Rose stared at the closed entrance. She wondered how she could contact the man from last night as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, a bodyguard was showing Jonathan the surveillance footage on a tablet. They were in a room on the second floor of Nightfall Lounge.

"Mr. Finch, there's a woman sneaking around the entrance. Should we deal with her?"

Zac was the official owner of the lounge, but Jonathan was the biggest shareholder. He had invested the most into the lounge.

Jonathan had encountered an assassin soon after he arrived in Aquastead. Hence, he left Charlie and a group of bodyguards at Aquastead Hotel.

Then, he came to the lounge alone. No one knew of his whereabouts.

At this moment, Jonathan's mind was filled with the woman from last night. She had stolen his clothes and humiliated him with a coin!

Jonathan wanted to ask the bodyguard to drive the woman away.

But then, he caught sight of the woman through the surveillance footage.

It was her!

He narrowed his eyes and his gaze sharpened.

A cold and dangerous smile spread out across his face as he gave his orders, "Bring her in here!"

Moments later, the doors to the lounge opened.

A few muscular men in black suits walked up to Rose. "Please come with us, miss. There's someone who would like to see you."

Taken aback, Rose followed them into the lounge.

When she finally regained her senses, she immediately realized something. She could ask these people for the man's contact information.

She was about to speak when she realized she did not know the man's name.

Could she refer to him as … the star escort?

The man had a handsome face, and he was very professional at what he did. It would make sense if he was the star escort.

"Excuse me, but your star—"

Before Rose could finish speaking, the door slammed shut behind her.

It was only then that Rose found herself in a room.

The room was dimly lit. The only source of light was aimed at a painting on the opposite wall.

A man stood in front of the painting.

He was wearing a black satin shirt, just like the one she was wearing. His figure was tall and stately.

Rose found the silhouette rather familiar somehow.

Suddenly, the man turned around. When Rose saw his face, she grew excited.

"It's you!"

It was the star escort she was looking for!

Jonathan stared darkly at the woman standing by the door. There was a cold look in his eyes.

"Yes, it's me!"

He had been looking for her, but she showed up of her own accord instead.

She was still wearing the shirt she stole from him.

The half-hidden hickeys near the collar reminded him of how he had lost control last night. He also recalled the humiliation he felt when he saw the coin this morning.

She would pay the price for humiliating him.

Jonathan smiled menacingly. He was about to speak when Rose stepped forward and grabbed his wrists excitedly.

She looked at him with an enthusiastic and expectant gaze.

"Let's get married!"

Negotiation

Jonathan's sneer froze. He could not believe his ears.

After what felt like an eternity, Jonathan finally spoke.

"What … did you just say? Say that again!"

Blinking, Rose said earnestly, "Let's get married!"

She could pay him for it.

She had already thought things through. To avoid unnecessary trouble, the easiest way was to make it a trade.

There would be no emotional strings attached. She would pay him to marry her, and he would take the money.

Also, due to the special nature of his job, he was the perfect candidate!

Jonathan thought about it for a moment. Then, a look of disdain and disgust appeared in his cold eyes.

He could tell what she was trying to do now.

Scoffing to himself, he assumed that despite not knowing who he was, she knew he was no ordinary man. Therefore, after heading home and thinking about it, she came back to him.

Was she trying to marry a rich man, or was it the money she was after?

Jonathan recalled the red stain on the sheets this morning. The guilt he felt dissipated.

After all, he had taken her last night. He would give her a sum of money to dismiss her.

Jonathan's curt voice was flippant as he said, "I've met many women like you. How much are you asking for?"

Stunned, Rose did not speak.

How much? Was he negotiating the price for marrying her?

Rose never expected him to be so straightforward. But now that she thought about it, she supposed it was to be expected from an experienced man like him.

Taking a step backward, Rose examined the man from head to toe.

She considered the price carefully.

For some reason, Jonathan suddenly felt displeased. She was looking at him as if she was sizing up an item or a product.

And he seemed to be the so-called product in question!

"How much?" Jonathan pressed impatiently.

"Three … million dollars?"

Rose felt uneasy as she stared at him.

He was rather handsome. Was the offer of three million too little?

As expected, Jonathan's well-defined brows creased.

Three million dollars?

He had expected her to take advantage of the situation and demand a fortune. But surprisingly, she only asked for three million dollars.

"Hah …" Jonathan chuckled in disdain.

Rose's heart skipped a beat. She hastily raised the price. "Five … Five million dollars. Five million dollars at most!"

After she graduated, Jamie did not allow her to join Celeste Jewels. She did not use her family's money, either.

Little by little, she saved up five million dollars by accepting design commissions. She usually received commissions from an upperclassman.

It was her entire fortune.

Jonathan looked even more scornful now.

He was convinced that Rose was an ignorant woman.

But it had been her first time, after all. He would not treat her unfairly.

Reminded of the humiliation he felt from that coin, Jonathan decided to give her ten million dollars. He would humiliate her with ten million dollars.

With a sneer on his face, he was about to say something when the woman spoke up first.

"Alright, fine. What about ten million dollars?"

Rose went all out. She looked pleadingly at Jonathan before she said, "Can I give you five million dollars first?

"As for the remaining five million dollars, it might take a month … Or maybe I can pay you in installments?"

Fearing that he would not agree, she continued, "Don't worry, I have the money.

"Give me your bank account number. I'll transfer five million dollars to you right now to prove my sincerity."

Rose took out her phone.

Once again, Jonathan's expression froze. He was shocked.

He wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him.

Did she say that she was going to give him ten million dollars?

"Come on. Give me your account number," Rose urged.

She looked at him in anticipation. It was as if she were a wolf coaxing a rabbit to fall into a trap.

Jonathan studied her intently. She could not tell what he was thinking by the look in his eyes.

A moment later, he gave her his account number.

Within a minute, he received a notification. Five million dollars had been transferred to his account.

Rose let out a long sigh. Even though she was reluctant to part with the huge sum, she had finally found her bridegroom.

The next step would be to register their marriage and become officially married.

Rose did not want to waste even a single second. "Let's go back to our respective homes and get the necessary documents. We'll meet at the county clerk's office an hour from now."

With that, Rose left.

Jonathan looked at the bank transfer notification on his phone. He was in a daze.

He could not believe that she had seriously given him five million dollars.

She had given him money to marry her.

"Hah …" He had never encountered anything like this before.

Jonathan was suddenly intrigued.

As if to see what she was up to, Jonathan made a call. "Uncle Charlie, do you have my identification documents with you? Yes, I have need of them …"