I received many texts and calls after I went home that day.

Most of it was a screenshot of Zoe's social media post.

The most eye-catching thing in her post was the engagement ring she was flaunting.

I closed the message app and did not reply to any of the texts. I did not answer any of the calls either.

My face was still a little swollen, so I put an ice pack on it.

When I returned, I saw a text from the bank that I had received a transaction.

I was confused. Then, I was stunned when I saw the series of zeros after I opened the message.

Before I had the chance to count them, my phone rang.

The contact on the screen was a name I had saved—Mr. Blackwell.

It was the first time James had called me after our engagement was confirmed.

I felt my heart pounding. I took a few deep breaths before I answered the call.

"Have you received the money, Ms. Young?"

"I've received it, but Mr. Blackwell, you've already given us a wedding gift," I reminded him softly, wondering if his subordinate had made a mistake.

"The wedding gift was for the Young family. This money is meant for you," he replied.

I held my phone in a daze before softly saying, "Mr. Blackwell, you don't have to do this. I was once engaged to someone else. My reputation is not a good one."

"It's fine." James' voice was extraordinarily deep and pleasant to the ears. It also had the power to comfort others.

I thought about the rumors about him. He was supposed to be cruel, ruthless, temperamental, and violent.

However, his voice did not sound like it at all.

"You said it yourself. That's before, so it's all in the past now. Just forget about them, Ms. Young. You'll soon come to a faraway city to get married. If there's anything you like, just buy and bring them to Clason City," he said.

Tears started welling in my eyes, but I smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Blackwell."

Nobody had heard a peep about me getting married into the Blackwell family.

That was what James wanted.

The people that the Blackwell family sent to escort me had long arrived in the capital. With them around, the Young family became incredibly well-behaved.

Because of that, no soul in the capital city knew I would get married in a faraway place.

Three days before I left, I had all my luggage packed up.

I looked at the exquisite treasure box on my vanity. There was a coupon that had turned yellow on the vanity as well.

Brad had given me the treasure box when he pursued me back then. There were nine layers, and each of them was packed with all kinds of jewelry.

The coupon to trade for a wish was a thank-you gift he had given me when he was 12.

Of course, he had long forgotten about it.

I once thought of using the coupon to get him to marry me.

However, in the end, I was unwilling to waste my life on a man like him.

The jewelry was too precious. Of course, I had to return them.

The coupon had his signature, so I could not let it fall into someone else's hands.

I packed up the things carefully and called Brad's personal assistant.

"These things are very valuable. You must hand them to him yourself," I said to Brad's assistant.

He was polite, but he was clearly annoyed.

"A bit of advice to you, Ms. Young, stop wasting your time. Mr. Coleman is getting engaged soon. It's better for both of you to go your separate ways."

He thought I wanted to pull some tricks and beg Brad to take me back.

I wanted to explain, but he clearly could not even be bothered to brush me off. He threw the box in the trunk and drove off.

I quietly left the capital city with the people the Blackwell family sent to escort me.

Two days later, I met my future husband for the first time.

He was James, the heir of the Blackwell family.

He wore a sharp black suit and looked elegant and handsome.

He was in a wheelchair and had a thin blanket covering his knees. However, his back was straight, and his shoulders were broad and powerful. So, because of that, people would completely forget about his disability.

"Leah," he called my name in a deep voice.

I took a deep breath and quickly walked up to him. Then, I crouched down and met his eye level.

I must have been incredibly nervous and timid. That was because I saw a tiny version of myself in his deep-set eyes, and even my lashes seemed to be fluttering.

I secretly took a deep breath, plucking up my courage to raise my hand. Then, I held his hands, which were placed on the blanket.

"Hello, Mr. Blackwell. I'm Leah Young," I said.

I heard the people around me gasping when I held his hands. However, I was so nervous that I could not care about all that. I subconsciously held his hands tighter instead.

James did not push me away.

His hands were big, and his fingers were long. I could not even hold them in my hands.

Right as I was about to suffocate because of my nerves, James held my icy hands. He wrapped my freezing hands in his palms and held them tightly.

"Leah, push me to my room," he said.

I quickly got up, but I staggered and almost fell.

James reached out and grabbed my waist. "Be careful," he said.

He let go very quickly, but my cheeks were a little flushed.

I hummed softly in acknowledgment and took over his wheelchair from the household staff. Then, I pushed him to his room.

Once the door was shut, the warm lights turned on.

James glanced at me and pointed at his legs. There was a faint grin on his face, but it also seemed like it was just my illusion.

"My legs don't work, Leah. I'll have to rely on you tonight."

I lowered my head, not daring to look at him. I nodded a little and pinched my earlobe awkwardly just to find that it was burning…

Before Brad got engaged, he had a gathering.

His fiancée-to-be, Zoe, was not there. It was just his friends.

After a few rounds of drinks, they all were a little drunk. Someone with a big mouth suddenly mentioned Leah's name.

"Brad had many girlfriends, but I still think Leah is the prettiest."

"That's right. All of us agree."

"Honestly, If Brad hadn't warned us, I would've gone after her."

"Get in line, dude."

The few of them were getting more and more overboard as they spoke.

At some point, Brad put down his glass. He leaned against the couch, staring at them.

Gradually, the conversation stopped.

"Um, Brad, we were just talking nonsense."

"We're a little drunk. We're just fooling around. Don't take it seriously."

Brad, however, smiled.

"You know what? Now that you mentioned her, I'm reminded of her. But is she dead? It's been a while since I last heard from her."

His voice sounded cold and indifferent.

It was as if he genuinely had just thought of Leah. It was as if it was a minor deal that did not matter at all if she had died.

However, the entire room suddenly fell silent.

Brad's assistant, Sean Lowe, smiled apologetically and said, "It's my fault, Mr. Coleman. I forgot to tell you that Ms. Young asked me to hand you some things a few days ago. She said they were quite valuable.

"I figured she was probably trying to get back together with you, so I gave her some advice. That's why she hasn't come to you or made a scene."

Brad glanced at Sean and sneered.

"Look at you go, Sean. You're getting bolder," he said.

Sean was so frightened that he quickly got up and said, "Mr. Coleman—"

"Who are you to make decisions for me?" Brad barked.

"Yes, I've crossed the line." Sean bowed his head, drenched in sweat.

Brad looked down. He spun his ring on his middle finger out of habit and said, "Call her. Tell her to get here in 30 minutes."

Sean was stunned. "Pardon?"

Brad turned his head to look at the pitch-black night sky.

"If she doesn't get here in time, I'll get engaged to Zoe tomorrow," Brad said.