Chapter 1 The red paper was still there. Celine Taylor stood in front of her little shop in Brooklyn and stared at it. Last Notice Celine Clothing: 10 Days to Vacate That paper had been taped there five days ago, which meant she had five days left before she lost the only thing she and her mother had ever built. She tried the door, and it opened. It was a surprise that the landlord hadn't changed the lock. Maybe he had been lenient. Stepping inside, she could see her mother's sewing machine and the dresses they made together. The air smelled of old fabric and machine oil. Inside a glass cabinet on the right were design sketches made by them. Celine ran her finger slowly along the glass, the way her mother used to check a hem for dust. Her throat tightened. She had no zeal to do anything, so she stepped out of the store and locked it. Was this really how she was going to lose her store? She sighed. Twenty- one years old, and Celine felt like sixty. She checked her bank app. She knew what it would show, but she checked anyway. Balance: $47.42 She locked the screen and pressed the phone against her chest, as if that could make the number grow. Ring. Ring. She flinched. Hilltop Hospital again. Her thumb hovered over the screen for three rings before she answered. "Hello, is this Miss Taylor? Regarding your mother's bill for last month's... Since there's no insurance on file, the balance has to be..." Celine's nails dug into her palm. Three months. Her mother had been lying in that bed in a coma for three months, and every day the bill grew while the machines beeped on. She ended the call before the woman could finish. Ding! A new notification popped up on her old phone. The screen flickered sharply. It was from the legal firm representing the bank she had taken the loan from. The subject line clearly showed: Final Notice: Asset Liquidation Schedule. Her body turned stiff. They were no longer warning her; they wanted to execute what they had warned her about. Celine opened it with trembling fingers. $350,000. That was what she owed. The document carefully detailed the exact date and time her store would be seized, along with her designs and equipment. The words swam. Her breath came out in short, ugly wheezes, and her knees gave way. She slumped to the ground, and the pavement was cold and gritty against her palms. This was the end. She had finally given up. A woman passing by quickly ran up to her and helped her up. She sat Celine down on the chair across from the store and handed her a bottle of water. Celine took the bottle and drank a gulp before handing it back. "Thank you," she managed to say. "What's wrong? I saw you slumped on the ground," the woman asked gently. Celine closed her eyes and didn't give a reply. She had started from nothing, and now the little she had built was crumbling away before her very eyes. The woman didn't push. She just sat beside her and began to hum, soft and low, a tune that Celine couldn't place. She only knew it made her chest ache in a way she couldn't explain, and her shaking hands slowly went still. "What about your family or friends?" the woman asked softly. "Maybe I can give them a call to pick you up, or would you rather call them yourself?" Celine slowly opened her eyes and looked at the woman. She let out a bitter laugh. "Family? Friends? Nah, I've got none of that." Her father had walked out on her and her mother a long time ago, and she had learned to struggle without him. Her only family now were her mother and her mother's sister. Her mother was in the hospital, and her aunt was there looking after her. Celine didn't want to burden her with more problems. "So you are all alone?" the woman continued. "But even if you are, you should at least have a friend." "No. I don't have time for that." Celine waved her hand, then looked at the woman with interest. The humming had stopped, and she found herself missing it. "What's your name?" she asked. "Oh, my name is Lina. What's yours?" "Celine. You know what? I'll catch up with you later," she replied, standing up. "Oh... okay. See you another time," Lina answered. "Yeah," Celine murmured, and walked away. Behind her, the soft humming started again. Her destination was Hilltop Hospital, as she needed to see her mom. She didn't know that a pair of eyes was watching her. From a black car parked down the road, someone had been following her since she left her shop. "You have four months, Bryan." Those cold, short words boomed in Bryan's head, causing him to hit his head angrily. They were the words his grandfather had spoken early this morning, before he came to the company. The bitter taste of the black coffee he had forced down at breakfast still lingered on his tongue. He had just four months to get married, or the shares he possessed would go back to the board. The office was too quiet. The air conditioner hummed softly, and the city far below was only a faint murmur behind the glass. Knock, knock. The door opened with a soft click, and a man in his late twenties came in holding some documents. His polished shoes squeaked faintly on the marble floor. "Mr. Bryan, the documents you told me to print yesterday are..." "Drop them on the table and leave," Bryan cut him short. "Oh... Okay, sir." The papers landed on the mahogany table with a dry slap, and the smell of fresh ink drifted up. Harry turned to leave. "Harry," Bryan called coldly. "Ye... yes, sir," Harry answered fearfully. Whenever Bryan called his name like that, it spelled trouble. "How am I supposed to get married within four months?" Being perceptive and able to quickly piece things together, Harry got a rough idea of what Bryan was talking about. He had expected it, but not so soon. "Sir, because the time frame is short, I suggest that you talk to your grandfather and ask him to be more lenient," Harry said honestly. "And you think he'll be lenient?" Bryan barked so loudly that Harry took two steps backward, and the glass of water on the desk trembled. The office went quiet again. Even the air conditioner seemed to hold its breath. Bryan looked at Harry's tight shoulders and the way his fingers kept twitching at his sides, and something in his chest twisted. Harry had never once let him down. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long breath. "Sorry," he said, in a lower voice. "That wasn't meant for you." Harry blinked, surprised. "It's okay, sir." "Get yourself a coffee on me," Bryan muttered, not quite meeting his eyes. "What's my schedule?" "Erm... yes, sir, you have a meeting with the board members at 11:00 a.m.," Harry answered softly, a small, relieved smile tugging at his lips before he hid it. Oh! He would have to deal with those old fools after his grandfather had spoiled his morning, he thought inwardly. He knew they were desperate to take the position from him, but he would never allow it, and he needed to take action. The wall clock ticked on, steady and unbothered. His grandfather was serious this time, and the board was already waiting to drag him down. A contract marriage. The thought...

Chapter 2: A contract marriage. The thought sparked quickly through his mind. It was a desperate measure, but desperate situations called for desperate action. A contract marriage was therefore the action he had to take. Turning to Harry, Bryan flashed a faint, cold grin. "What do you think about a contract marriage?" Harry rubbed his chin. "Sir, that would be a perfect idea. You can just pay a lady to act as your wife, and after you've gotten control of the company, you both can go your separate ways." Bryan's eyes glinted with a dark, amused edge. He reached out and gave Harry a gentle pat on the shoulder. "You and I are kind of linked together. We think in the same direction." Harry's face turned to one of shock. Just when he thought Bryan had finally praised him, he heard him continue. "It's just that I think faster than you." All the pride that welled within Harry melted away like ice cream. He gave a nervous cough. That's right, Bryan could never really praise anyone. Ring, ring. The sound of Harry's phone ringing broke the awkwardness in the air. "Did you forget the company's rules?" Bryan asked coldly. "No... no, I forgot to turn off the notification," Harry replied nervously. "I will do just that." He continued as he took the phone out of his pants pocket. "Sir..." "What?" "It's your uncle, Paul." Bryan felt a familiar knot tighten in his gut. He furrowed his brows. "Answer it," he said in a low voice. Harry answered the call and put it on speaker, and a manly voice boomed out. "Harry, tell your boss to get down to the meeting room as quickly as he can." "What for...?" Harry asked, but the call was cut abruptly. Harry may not have been able to detect the underlying excitement in Paul's voice, but Bryan did. He knew that Paul already knew about what his grandfather had told him, and that gave Paul the audacity to quickly summon him to the meeting room. He needed to do something about this situation, and he needed to act fast. "Let's go," Bryan finally said, standing up and walking out of the office. Harry quickly picked up Bryan's iPad from the table and hurriedly followed him out. . . . . . . Meeting room. The room was broad, filled with chairs and tables made of cedar wood. The interior decorations were appealing and didn't fail to depict opulence and wealth. A group of men were talking in low voices. Some were old, while some were relatively young. These were the shareholders of Bell's Company. Amongst the men were Bryan's uncles, Paul and Donald. The sound of the door clicking open was enough to silence everyone who was talking. If it had been someone else, no one would have paid attention, but this was Bryan Bell, a man known for his coldness and ruthlessness. Everyone sat upright as Bryan elegantly walked to his seat with Harry trailing after him. Bryan gave the fellas a cold stare that sent shivers down their spines as he sat down. Seeing that stare, you would think the room had dropped ten degrees. No one breathed. Harry, still standing behind Bryan's chair like a loyal shadow, swallowed hard. He knew that look spelt trouble. Bryan leaned forward slowly, his fingers interlaced on the cedar table. His voice was calm, dangerously calm. "So," he said. "Why call an urgent meeting when the scheduled time of the meeting was 11:00 a.m.?" The old and young fellas exchanged glances. Most of them didn't even know why they were there at that time. They had just received an urgent call from Paul and rushed down. Those who were oblivious turned to face Paul. After all, he was the one who called them. Paul gritted his teeth and looked at them with disdain, as though they were all foolish and clueless. "Well... Bryan," he started with a smug expression plastered across his face. "I got to know that Jake, my father, your grandfather, gave you four months to marry, or the shares go to the board." "What!" "Oh my God!" "Mehn! Never expected that." Whispers and stunned expressions erupted from the members of the board. A cold stare from Bryan was enough to silence them all. But this only deepened the smug expression on Paul's face. "You know," Paul continued with mock sympathy. "Jake believes in a stable family man. He always says that if a man can have a stable family, then he can effortlessly handle the company's affairs. I know you won't be able to marry in four months' time, so I just want to ask, what are you going to do?" he asked with fake concern. Bryan clenched his jaw. "What I'm going to do is none of your business." "Oh, it is," Paul replied. "Because we, the shareholders, need to know what the future holds for us." "Yes, Paul is right," Donald said. He was Bryan's uncle, the third son of Jake. Bryan turned to face Donald. Unlike Paul, Donald was sharp and calculating, and his motives were hard to detect. Bryan knew he was like a slow person, very silent but dangerous. "What do you think I should do?" Bryan asked Donald deliberately. "Well, I don't know," Donald said, shrugging his shoulders casually. "Okay, my dear nephew," Paul said, standing up. "Since you've got no idea what to do about this issue, we'll take our leave." "You wanted to tell me this, so you packed all the shareholders here," Bryan said coldly. "Well, I just brought them as witnesses," Paul replied casually and walked towards the door. "Remember," he continued, "you don't have much time left." Bryan stared coldly at him. If looks could kill, Paul would have been six feet under. Unbothered by Bryan's cold stare, Paul opened the door and left, leaving Bryan and the rest of the shareholders, who dared not leave until Bryan left the room. After what felt like an eternity, Bryan finally stood up and walked out of the meeting room. Four months. He had only four months to find a wife, and he could not afford to waste a single day. . . . . . . Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, someone else was also running out of time. Celine hurried into the hospital premises and quickly went to the room her mother was staying in. She stood in front of the door for what felt like ages. Her hand hovered over the handle, trembling slightly. She didn't want to open the door, and at the same time she wanted to open it. She couldn't bear seeing her mother lying on the bed like a log of wood, and at the same time she couldn't bear not seeing her mum. Click. The door opened in front of her, and the sound jolted her back to reality. She hadn't realized how long she had been standing there. A woman in her late forties stepped out. It was Celine's aunt, Mara, the only sister of Celine's mother. "Oh, Celine," Mara said warmly. "It's been so long since you came here. How are you?" "Not fine," Celine replied softly. Aunt Mara looked at Celine and saw how terrible she looked. She knew that Celine had been going through a lot lately, and it hurt her that she couldn't help out. She was a petty trader but had stopped after her sister had an accident and became unconscious. "I was on my way to get some apples," she said after some time. "Go in and see your mom, I'll be back shortly." Aunt Mara said and left. Celine forced herself to enter the room. On the bed lay her mother, who had been lying there for three months. Her face was pale and still, and the soft beep of the machine beside her was the only sign that she was still here. Celine's emotions overwhelmed her, and hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook as she pressed her lips together to keep from sobbing aloud. Oh, how she wished she had enough money. If only she did, she could have sent her mom to a better hospital. But life had been unbearably cruel to her. Suddenly, a surge of determination rose within her. She couldn't protect her mother from the accident, but she would not allow her to die. She would do anything to make sure her mother survived. She wiped away her tears and sat beside the hospital bed. Gently, she held her mother's hand and caressed it. Some minutes later, the door clicked open and her aunt entered the room, carrying a small polythene bag filled with apples. She looked at Celine's face and saw traces of tears. Aunt Mara sighed heavily and sat down. "Things have gone wrong, right?" she said. It was more of a statement than a question. Celine looked at Aunt Mara and fresh tears threatened to slip down her face. "Well...," Mara said, hesitation in her voice. "I know two people who can help."

"I know two people who can help." The moment Celine heard this, she rushed towards Mara and gripped her hands, so tightly that Mara felt her bones would break. "Please, Aunty, who is the person? Who are the people?" Celine asked fearfully. "Where do they live? Where do they work?" "Celine..." "Aunty, please, just tell me!" Celine screamed hysterically. "Alright, let go of my hands," Mara said. Celine loosened her grip, but she didn't let go. "The two people who can help are men," Mara said. "Oh... Oh. So?" Celine didn't care about their gender. What she needed right now was help from anyone, and a guarantee. "The name of one is Chen Li. He's the CEO of Li Tech, a multimillion-dollar company." "And the other one?" Celine asked. "Well... em... Let's just make do with Chen Li first," Mara said uneasily. Celine looked at her carefully and knew at once that Mara was hiding the other person from her. Maybe the other person is a bad person, she thought. "So when do we meet this Chen Li?" she asked desperately. "I can contact his P.A. right now." Mara reached for her phone on the medicine table, dialled a number and put it on speaker. After two rings the call connected, and Celine's ears became as sharp as an eagle's. "Hello, Sir," Mara greeted. "Yes, who's this?" a male voice asked. "It's Mara. A few years ago, your boss told you to give me your number." "Mara?" The voice paused, searching. "Which Mara?" Mara swallowed hard. "The woman who saved your boss the night he was shot. You came in with him. You remember?" There was silence on the other end. "Oh, that Mara!" he said suddenly. "I've been expecting your call for ages!" Celine's hold on Mara's hands tightened, her knuckles turning white. "Yes... please, can I speak with your boss?" Mara asked. "Oh, my boss is away right now," he said. "He went on solitude. He does it twice a year." "Please, can you just tell him that my aunt and I want to see him?" Celine couldn't help begging. "I'm afraid not. When he goes on solitude, nothing else matters to him and nothing disturbs him." "So when will he be back?" Mara asked. "Well... he'll be back after fifteen days." Fifteen days. Fifteen days. The words rang in Celine's head a thousand times. Fifteen days was too long. She couldn't wait even one. "Is there any way you can bring him to attend to us, or reduce his stay?" Celine asked, searching for a glimmer of hope. "I'm sorry, but there's no way," he said truthfully. "Okay. Thank you very much for your time," Mara said half-heartedly. "You're welcome, Ma'am." The call ended. Tears flowed freely down Celine's cheeks. The person she and her aunt had looked up to for help was on solitude and wouldn't be back for fifteen days. Was the universe being wicked to her? Why was everything going wrong? Had she offended someone in her past life? She broke down, almost screaming in exasperation. But wait. Hadn't Mara said there were two people who could help? If the first one was unavailable, then she should go to the second. Celine suddenly stared at Mara. Mara felt uneasy under that gaze and shifted on her chair. "Aunty, please, who is the second person?" Celine asked softly, wiping her tears. Something inside her held on to the belief that this second person would surely help. "Well... Celine..." Uneasiness was etched in Mara's voice. "Mara, can you just tell me?" Celine shouted. Mara flinched but didn't respond. "What... are you happy that my mom is lying here lifeless, and that I'm almost losing my mind from the debts piling on me?" Celine asked coldly. Mara looked at her with concern. She knew Celine was going through a lot, and that it had thrown her mind into chaos and made her speak without thinking. "Celine, how could you say a thing like that? If I were happy, would I have abandoned my work and stayed to take care of your mom? Would I...?" "Then tell me who the other person is!" "Fine." Mara sighed in resignation. "Fine, I'll tell you." Celine quickly wiped her tears and looked at her expectantly. That look made Mara's heart tighten. "His name is Bryan Bell." Bryan Bell. That name rang a bell. Wait, is it the CEO of Bell's Company that Aunt is talking about? "Is it who I'm thinking of?" Celine asked softly. "Yes, it's him." "Then let's call him," Celine said quickly. "I don't have his number," Mara said. "But you can go and meet him at his company." Celine stood up quickly and dashed towards the door. "Where are you going?" "To meet him." "Meet who?" "Bryan Bell." "Wait, you can't..." Before Mara could finish, Celine had opened the door and gone. "It's not as simple as you think," Mara said quietly, looking at the closed door. ... Bell's Company The heels of Celine's cheap shoes echoed too loudly in the marble lobby. Her dress was two seasons old. Her hair was tied back. Everyone else looked like they had walked off a magazine cover. She knew she didn't belong here, but desperation had driven her. Unwelcoming eyes followed her across the lobby. "Who's this cheap fella?" "Looks like a maid or a cleaner." Celine heard the harsh words whispered by the workers, but she paid them no attention. She had never been the kind of person who cared what people thought or said about her. "What's all the noise about?" a feminine voice asked loudly. At the sound of it, the workers scurried back to their desks and went quiet. It was Irene, the supervisor of the department, a young woman in her mid-twenties. Irene saw Celine and gave her a mocking look. "Didn't know security now lets dogs in here." Celine didn't reply. She simply started walking towards the elevator. After all, she wasn't a dog, so she saw no reason to answer. This got Irene shaking with rage,her knuckles turning white. "You buffoon, stop right there!" Celine didn't flinch. She kept walking towards the elevator. Irene's face burned with shame. She strode up to Celine and yanked her hair hard. "Ouch..." Celine winced and turned to face her, anger written across her face. "What, you want to beat me up?" Irene asked sarcastically. "Look, everyone, this church rat wants to beat me up." Her face was dripping with a mocking smile. "Didn't know animals were employed in this prestigious organization," Celine said. The mocking smile vanished from Irene's face, replaced by shock and anger. In all her years of working there, nobody had ever thrown a jab at her. "Wait... are you... are you calling me an animal?" she managed to ask. "I never called anyone a name. But since you've decided to claim your title, it's fine," Celine said with a shrug. The office erupted. Laughter filled the air, some people laughed so hard they fell to the ground. Irene stood there, powerless, her face red with embarrassment. Meanwhile, in the CEO's office, Harry walked in with a smile he couldn't hide. Bryan looked at him, curious. "Won a lottery?" "Erm, no." "Then why the smile?" "Boss, you need to see what's going on right now on the first floor." Harry brought out his tablet and showed Bryan the surveillance video. Bryan looked at the slim girl on the screen, fair and beautiful. She wasn't dressed extravagantly, but she had a certain aura that drew him in. When he saw her refuse to be trampled on by Irene, he became intrigued, and he summed her up in one word: Unintimidated. He loved it. Her actions. Every single one of them. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he said to Harry: "Bring her here."