Eileen Grandelle has tied the knot.
But the groom is not Jayden Kalmien, her beloved of eight years.
Instead, it's a man she met less than five minutes ago, barely acquainted with.
"You can still change your mind now," the man looked at Eileen cynically in the City Hall.
Fidgeting with her almost crumpled clothes, Eileen couldn't shake off the image of Jayden's cold and indifferent face.
Just three days ago, Jayden, who had always avoided her like the plague, unexpectedly invited her to dinner. At that moment when she received the call, she naively thought that her eight years of devotion had finally garnered a response.
She meticulously dressed up for the occasion, only to find not just Jayden waiting for her, but also Lori Grandelle sitting beside him in a wheelchair, their fingers intertwined, smiles sweet.
Lori was her cousin!
Before she could take in their relationship, Jayden dropped a bombshell.
"Give your kidney to Lori, and I will marry you," he said.
Eileen was struck dumb, unable to believe her ears. While the man across from her maintained a look of cold disdain, as though facing not his fiancée of eight years but an archenemy.
Eileen felt like she was plunging into an icy abyss.
Eileen and Jayden had been promised to each other since childhood. At sixteen, after returning to the country, she had fallen hopelessly in love with Jayden.
Over the past eight years, she had done everything to take care of him - learning to cook, learning art and music, despite knowing his aversion towards her, she continued to love him selflessly, hoping that one day, he would see her worth and marry her sincerely.
But reality slapped her hard in the face. Not only did Jayden not love her, but he also fell in love with her cousin.
He even married a woman he didn't love just to save his lover.
And knowing how much she wanted to be his wife, he chose to fulfill her through a transactional deal. It was a blatant humiliation!
Her heart, once filled with love, now burned with hatred.
She wished she could kill them both. But she didn't even have the ability to protect herself.
The chilling words Jayden uttered that night still echoed in her mind.
"I'm not asking for your opinion, I'm informing you. If you disagree, I could deny you the right to be Mrs. Kalmien."
Clutching her fists tightly, she braced herself against the cold chair.
Even though three days had passed since the incident, every time she thought about it, she couldn't help but feel angry and hopeless.
She knew Jayden wasn't joking.
As the future heir of Northlake's first family, he had immense power and means to achieve his goals.
If it weren't for Mr. Kalmien's face, he probably wouldn't have proposed marriage in exchange but would have tied her to the operating table.
So, for her own sake, she had to find someone to marry and cut off Jayden's retreat.
Swallowing hard, Eileen said firmly, "No."
With that, she looked at the man beside her.
Rafael Kalmien, with the same last name as Jayden.
She had seen the information sent by the matchmaking agency. He had no connection to the Kalmien family, just an ordinary working man. The only association was that the company he worked for was under the Kalmien Group.
But this seemingly ordinary man had a face that could turn heads - tall, well-built, perfect in every way. When Eileen first saw him, she thought he was the CEO of some listed company.
"Ms. Grandelle," Rafael's lips curled slightly as he spoke, his voice carrying a mischievous tone that sparked curiosity in the young woman's eyes.
Eileen snapped out of her reverie, embarrassedly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear to hide her flushed cheeks.
Rafael, watching her every move, smiled knowingly. "Do you still remember the three articles of our agreement?"
"I do," Eileen said slowly under Rafael's gaze. "The marriage contract lasts for three years, neither party can interfere with each other's private lives, neither can fall in love with the other, and if one of them finds true love, the marriage contract is immediately terminated."
Rafael nodded in satisfaction.
Eileen was puzzled. "Why did Mr. Kalmien suddenly ask about this?"
Leisurely twirling his fingers, Rafael lowered his head slightly, revealing a dark red mole at the corner of his eye. "I'm afraid you'll fall in love with me, Ms. Grandelle."
Eileen was speechless for a moment.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled sadly. "Don't worry, I don't like men!"
From now on, she would never fall in love with anyone again! One heartbreak was more than enough!
Rafael raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes resembling spilled ink, swirling for a moment before he lifted his chin satisfactorily. "That's good then, let's go."
The change of topic caught Eileen off guard for a moment before she realized it was their turn to process their marriage certificate.
She stood up and caught a glimpse of the newlyweds passing by, their eyes full of smiles.
Her eyes dimmed.
She had imagined herself and Jayden getting their marriage certificate more than once. Even on her way to meet Rafael, she was still hesitant about getting married. But as soon as she arrived at the café, she received a call from Jayden.
On the phone, Jayden impatiently asked her, "When are you coming to the hospital to sign?"
Upon hearing this, Eileen found herself not the least bit angry, but rather amused. Was Jayden so certain that she would sacrifice everything to marry him?
In an instant, her hesitation vanished, and she became even more determined to get married.
"What's wrong?" Rafael's voice brought Eileen back from her reverie.
She looked away, exhaling deeply, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, but her gaze clear. "Nothing."
From now on, she and Jayden were strangers.
Thinking about it, she unexpectedly felt a sense of relief.
Rafael could sense the heavy burden on the young girl's heart, but he didn't ask further.
He needed a wife.
The matchmaking agency had just recommended Eileen to him.
They hit it off immediately, caring neither about the future nor the past.
Half an hour later, they obtained their marriage certificate.
Seeing the certificate, Eileen breathed a sigh of relief, her hand pressed against her kidney. With this marriage certificate, Jayden couldn't force her to trade marriage for a kidney anymore. She was temporarily safe.
But...
Thinking of her parents, Eileen's long eyelashes drooped.
She hadn't had a chance to tell anyone about the marriage, including her parents.
And her parents had always hoped she would marry Jayden.
Especially after the Grandelle family's sudden downfall, from being one of Northlake's four major families to a nameless third-rate family, they had been even more relentless in their hopes. They hoped that after she married Jayden, she could lead the Grandelle family back to its former glory among the four major families.
If her parents found out she had married a commoner, they would definitely be furious.
"Next, we should visit your parents," Rafael said, casually tucking the marriage certificate into his pocket and raising his wrist to reveal a gold watch under his white shirt.
Although it was a fake marriage, they still had to follow the procedures.
Eileen was taken aback. "Now?!"