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 …"

Star Escort Husband

An hour later, Jonathan stood outside the county clerk's office. He stared darkly at the marriage license he was holding.

Meanwhile, Rose excitedly planted a kiss on her copy of the marriage license. She was already looking forward to the Lanes' banquet tomorrow. That was when Nixon's plans would fall apart.

Suddenly, she looked at her "star escort husband" who was beside her.

He had such a wonderful figure and face that Nixon could not compare to him at all.

If he appeared at the Lanes' birthday banquet tomorrow, Nixon would be disgraced!

The more Rose thought about it, the more excited she became.

"Um … Do you have time tomorrow? Can you attend a banquet with me—"

Jonathan was still coming to terms with the fact that he was married. Without even thinking about it, he declined. "I'm busy!"

Rose fell silent. She felt a little disappointed.

But she soon got over it.

Nixon's uncle, Jonathan, would be attending the Lanes' birthday banquet tomorrow. It would probably be an extravagant event, so her husband might get intimidated by its grandeur.

Before they parted ways, Rose said to her new husband, "Since we're already married, you shouldn't go to Nightfall Lounge tonight. It'll be best if you never go there again."

"Where else can I go if I can't go to Nightfall Lounge?"

Jonathan frowned. He had not figured out who had sent the assassin yet, so Nightfall Lounge was the safest place for him right now.

But Rose misunderstood him.

Her gaze on him instantly changed.

She wondered if he was asking her for a house.

Popular escorts like him usually asked their patrons for houses and cars.

Rose despised such behavior. But when she remembered that she had bought this husband at a high price, she instantly forced herself to smile.

After taking out her phone, she tapped on it a few times.

Soon, Jonathan's phone buzzed with another bank transfer notification. This time, it was for 6,600 dollars.

Jonathan stared at Rose in confusion.

"Find a hotel to stay in for the time being. I'll make further arrangements later."

Rose smiled generously, but her heart was aching over the loss of her money.

After paying the five million dollars, she only had 6,650 dollars left in her account. She gave him 6,600 dollars and kept the remaining 50 dollars to pay for her ride home.

On the inside, Rose laughed miserably. It was not the absolute worst situation. At least she did not have to walk home.

Rose felt like she could not stay here any longer. Not even for a moment. She feared she would not be able to keep up her smile.

Before she left, she could barely maintain her smile as she suggested earnestly, "Um … you don't have to pick an expensive hotel. You can choose slightly cheaper hotels. They aren't all that bad …"

Jonathan could see that her smile had vanished completely by the time she turned away from him.

She even staggered a little as she jogged away. She seemed to be clutching her heart.

He wondered if her heart was aching.

"Hah …" He was beginning to suspect that she had misunderstood something.

Staring at the bank transfer notification on his phone, Jonathan suddenly felt curious. He wanted to find out if slightly cheaper hotels had pleasant environments as well.

Just then, he received a call from Zac.

As soon as he answered the call, Zac started teasing him.

"Mrs. Lane Senior told everyone that you will be attending her birthday banquet. The upper-class elites in Aquastead heard about this, and they're all clamoring to attend the event.

"Hmph! They're not going there for the Lanes at all. They're just trying to talk to you, the newly appointed person in charge of the Finch family!

"The Lanes just want to use you to make themselves look good. Tch. How cunning … But if you don't go tomorrow, there will be quite a scene at the Lane residence."

Charlie had told Jonathan about the Lanes' invitation.

The late Mr. Lane Senior used to be friends with the Finches, but the two families had drifted apart a long time ago.

Jonathan did not plan on attending at first, but he abruptly changed his mind. "I'll be attending the banquet."

If he did not want to keep staying in Nightfall Lounge, he had to catch the mastermind as soon as possible.

The Lanes' banquet was the perfect opportunity.

Staring at the marriage license in his hand, Jonathan had a dark look in his eyes. Before Zac could say anything else, Jonathan spoke up.

"Buy a house for me under someone else's name. Also, I need your help to look into someone …"

He recalled the woman's pretty face. She had a warm and radiant smile when they received their marriage license.

He looked at the marriage license and found her name.

"Rose Shaffer!"