I pretended not to notice. Only an idiot would turn that down.

Valerie walked over to me. "Give me your PayPal account."

I had no idea what she was planning, but I obediently gave her the account number anyway. A few moments later, my phone chimed with a pleasant notification sound.

[PayPal transfer received: 5,000,000 dollars.]

I froze in shock.

How much?

Five million was an astronomical figure to someone like me.

Valerie looked at me calmly. "If it's not enough, tell me and I'll send more."

I swallowed hard. "Isn't five million a little too much?"

One of the servants nearby could not hold back a laugh. Who in the world complained about getting too much money?

Maybe I just was not used to receiving this kind of amount. If it happened a few more times, I would probably get used to it.

Besides, Grandma was still lying in the hospital waiting for surgery money. There was no way I could refuse.

Tristan shot me a vicious glare before turning to Valerie.

"Valerie, we still haven't figured everything out yet. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to give him that much money already?"

Valerie replied flatly, "It's only pocket money. There's nothing inappropriate about it."

Pocket money?

That was when I finally understood just how absurdly rich the Cooper family really was.

At that moment, Madam Cooper came downstairs. The moment she saw me, she warmly patted my shoulder and handed me the keys to a Maybach as a welcoming gift.

I had seen that model online before. It was the kind of car money alone could not guarantee you could buy.

Startled, I quickly said, "This car is way too expensive. I can't accept it."

That was when I learned what had happened.

Apparently, reporters had been waiting outside the hotel room that morning and secretly photographed me leaving in a panic. The pictures had already spread across the internet, and the entire city was talking about it.

The Cooper family was old money with a spotless reputation. They could not afford a scandal like this, so they demanded that Valerie marry me.

Madam Cooper forcefully stuffed the keys into my hand.

"No need to be polite. Thanks to you, Valerie's condition can finally be cured."

I blinked in confusion. "Condition?"

Madam Cooper glanced toward Valerie, then pulled me aside and lowered her voice.

"Oh, Valerie has never been interested in men since she was little. She's never even dated anyone."

Her eyes drifted toward the fading scratch marks around my collarbone, and her smile widened even further.

"But you're different. You're the only one who can let her live like a normal woman.

"Once you two get married, work a little harder. Maybe next year I'll finally get a grandchild."

My face instantly turned red.

So Valerie had never been interested in men?

And her body only reacted to me?

Which meant if the Cooper family wanted an heir, the only option was for Valerie to marry me.

Valerie probably guessed what we had been talking about. She cleared her throat lightly and looked at me.

"I'm marrying you out of responsibility. Don't read too much into it."

In other words, she was warning me not to get any inappropriate ideas about her.

I smiled. "Don't worry, Ms. Cooper. I'll remember what you said."

A flicker of surprise crossed her face.

After all, every man in the city practically threw themselves at her. There probably was not a single man who did not like her.

But I did not seem to react the same way they did.

Madam Cooper, however, looked dissatisfied with my answer. She had finally seen hope for her daughter to live a normal life and clearly feared the opportunity might slip away.

Without hesitation, she insisted that I move into the Cooper residence immediately.

"You're getting married anyway. Moving in earlier is a good thing."

I originally wanted to refuse, but when I met Tristan's resentful gaze, I worried he might try something against me again, so in the end I agreed.

I took the money straight to the hospital to pay Grandma's surgery fees and even hired a caretaker for her.

I was an orphan. Grandma was the one who raised me.

In my previous life, after Tristan got me killed, Grandma also died in the hospital because she could not afford treatment.

The thought made my chest ache.

Holding her hand tightly, I whispered, "Grandma, I'm going to make sure you live a long, long life."

After that, I went back to pack my things and officially moved into the Cooper family estate.

The bed in my new room was so soft and comfortable I barely wanted to get up.

Every meal was filled with things like caviar, black gold abalone, and king crab. I had only ever heard of those foods before. I had never actually eaten them.

It felt like I had suddenly landed the ultimate golden-ticket life.

However, I also understood something very clearly: if I wanted to survive in a family at this level of wealth and power, I could not afford to become lazy or useless.

So I started working out, signing up for classes, and doing everything I could to improve myself.

A week later, Valerie returned from a business trip.

The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up.

Madam Cooper noticed the unmistakable admiration in her daughter's eyes. Eager for grandchildren as soon as possible, she immediately started pushing us together.

"Felix, why don't you just sleep in Valerie's room tonight?"

Valerie rejected the idea coldly.

"No."

I quietly let out a sigh of relief. After all, we were not officially married yet.

Ever since Valerie returned home, Tristan had been coming around constantly. Every time he appeared, I could hear the venomous thoughts running through his head.

"A worthless poor b*stard like him actually thinks he can marry above his station. He really has no idea what's good for him.

"The only person who can marry Valerie is me!"

I had no idea what Tristan was planning, but the more I heard his thoughts, the more uneasy I became. All I could do was stay on guard.

That afternoon, the butler brought me a tailored suit and told me to accompany Valerie to a banquet that evening.

By nightfall, the ballroom was alive with clinking glasses and lively conversation. Valerie entered with her arm linked through mine, instantly becoming the center of attention.

People crowded around her to exchange greetings. I was never comfortable at events like this, so I used the excuse of going to the restroom and slipped away to a quieter corner, planning to sit down, grab something to eat, and rest for a bit.

The moment I picked up a glass of red wine, I saw Tristan standing across from me.

He was here too.

Then I heard his thoughts.

'Once he drinks this wine, he'll pass out. I already prepared ten women for him. Let's see how he explains that to Valerie.'

A chill shot down my spine.

Tristan really would stop at nothing.

But if he wanted a show so badly, then I might as well give him one.

I tilted my head back and drank the wine.

The moment Tristan saw the empty glass, a triumphant smile spread across his face.

Not long after, I pretended to grow dizzy and booked a room upstairs.

Tristan immediately rushed off to find Valerie, deliberately acting hesitant as he spoke.

"Valerie... I just saw Felix Whitmore sneaking into one of the upstairs rooms with a bunch of women..."

To make sure everyone heard, he intentionally raised his voice.

Whispers instantly spread through the crowd.

Valerie frowned and followed him upstairs to the room.

Furious, she kicked the door open.

The blanket on the bed was moving suspiciously beneath the covers. A flash of satisfaction crossed Tristan's eyes as he angrily declared:

"You've treated Felix so well. How could he do something this shameless to you?"

Valerie strode over and yanked the blanket away.

Then she froze.

The ten women on the bed all had their hands and feet tied up, with cloth stuffed into their mouths.

Tristan stared in disbelief.

"How is this possible? I clearly saw Felix enter this room. Where did he go?"

He tore through the entire suite searching for me, but I was nowhere to be found.

Valerie's face darkened. Without saying a word, she turned and walked back downstairs.

When she returned to the banquet hall, she found me lounging on a sofa, calmly eating desserts.

Tristan followed behind her. The moment he saw how relaxed I looked, his expression twisted violently.

"Felix!"

I smiled lazily.

I was not an idiot. There was no way I would actually swallow drugged wine. I had only held it in my mouth before turning away and spitting it out.

Tristan hurriedly tried to explain himself.

"Valerie, believe me, I really saw him with my own eyes–"

Valerie cut him off sharply.

"That's enough, Tristan. How much longer are you planning to keep this up?"

Seeing her genuinely angry, Tristan did not dare say another word. He could only glare at me viciously.

Then I heard the furious thoughts in his head.

'Why is Valerie defending Felix instead of believing me? Don't tell me she's actually fallen for him?'

Valerie liked me?

How come I had never noticed?

The next few days, Tristan stopped coming to the Cooper residence altogether.

Meanwhile, I was busier than ever preparing for the wedding. Every time I thought about the fact that I was actually going to marry Valerie, it felt surreal.

Was I really about to marry into a wealthy family?

On the wedding day, the entire city was buzzing.

The venue itself looked straight out of a dream, lavish and breathtaking in every detail.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored groom's suit, I looked at Valerie's beautiful face and felt my heartbeat quicken uncontrollably.

Soon, it was time to exchange rings.

I lifted Valerie's hand and was just about to slide the wedding ring onto her finger when Tristan suddenly burst into the venue.

"Valerie, I finally figured it out! The man who entered your room that night wasn't Felix at all. He lied to you!"