"A marriage? What?" Avelina stared at the man with wide eyes and disbelief. Had this man not just said he was not taking anything in return?
'Just as I thought… this was too good to be true. Why do you people always have to take something in return? This is why I hate men,'
she said to herself angryly, her eyes fixed on him.
She had thought she had finally been saved, but she had spoken too soon.
A lump formed in her throat. It was almost painful..after feeling that joy, already strategizing what to do with the money..yet this man kept confusing her.
And who in their right mind sees a stranger on the road and asks for marriage proposals like it's some daily meal?
"Thank you for the offer, sir, but unfortunately, I have men phobia," she said, as the chauffeur stared at her in shock, not expecting this masked lady to act like this.
In fact, the ease with which she spoke without manners or hesitation—shocked him. But this was not how Avelina normally behaved. At this moment, she was desperate, and the money was tempting.
She could pay her sister's medical fees, her exam fees, and even buy a new home. The money this man had handed her could already cover her exam fees and support a lot of her family.
Not to mention, her father was unemployed and her mother was a housewife, so things were a little tight.
Imagine if he were to engage her with three times this amount—she did not want to miss this opportunity, yet fear held her back. Her lips opened and closed, but no words came out as her mind raced. She did not want to regret anything. Her emerald-green eyes stared at him intently.
"Fine. I'll sign it. You're rich anyway; I have nothing to lose," she said with a wide smile. The man stared at her again, surprised. This woman did not know how to sugarcoat her words in the slightest, and the way she said them without any filter—shocked him. And they had just met.
He picked up the contract.
"Wait," Avelina raised her hand, rubbing her thumb with her other fingers.
"Cash. I need cash first payment before service," she reminded him. She didn't want to take any risks. What if she signed the contract, and just as she did, he zoomed off? That would be her loss. She smiled softly And there it was—that smile, the one that could bring any man to his knees. A slight tint appeared on the chauffeur's ear.
He handed her the bag of money. Avelina opened it, her eyes wide in shock as she stared at the bundle of cash, her hands trembling.
Never in her life had she seen such money before—not even on television. She had never had any to begin with.
"Is this money real? I need to check," she said, pulling the bag close to her nose as if to sniff it. The man stared at her, his lips slightly parted.
This woman was unbelievable.
"At least take the condoms." She said as she did not want to feel guilty. Taking both the money and the condoms would make her feel selfish, and this way, she would feel less guilty. The man nodded, understanding the seriousness in her voice—she did not take no for an answer.
"Give me the contract," she said. The man moved and handed her the golden-sleeved, shielded papers with a pen stuck on them. Avelina could not believe her eyes—even the paper screamed wealth.
'This person must really be insanely rich.'
What's the worst that could happen? she thought. She was happy; she could finally pay her sick sister's fees, her brother's owed school fees, her own exam fees, and they could move into a new home.
'I could put a fake signature,' she thought to herself , feeling even more guilty. This man was helping her, yet this was what she was "paying" him in return.
To ease her guilt, she decided to ask him.
"If I may ask your name?" she said, ignoring the contract. It was a fake signature anyway, so nothing bad could happen. Besides, they could get a divorce if anything went wrong.
"Mark," he replied. She nodded. Avelina pushed up her hoodie to cover herself more—they might not even recognize her, except for her eyes that was even better.
She could barely be recognized; if she wanted, she could even wear brown contact lenses to hide her green eyes.
"Mr. Mark, I am guessing you are in need of a wife, but just asking a random stranger is a little risky. But we're married now, so that won't be a problem,well, my name is Lina" she spoke gently as the man then said.
"We will be meeting tomorrow at the masquerade party." Avelina's eyes almost bulged out. Masquerade? What?
She managed to keep a calm expression. Lord, she had already signed the contract—thankfully, it was a fake signature.
She nodded calmly, trying not to seem nervous. Why were things moving so quickly? She had just wanted to sell condoms for money, and now here she was signing a marriage contract and talking about a masquerade party. Weren't those for the wealthiest of the wealthy?
Just how rich is this guy?
"Of course," she said, noticing the man holding out a goldish-black exclusive card. He handed it to her.
"The address is there. This is your invite as well," he said with a smile. Avelina managed a nod and slipped the card behind her jean pocket. She wasn't going anywhere—she had reading to do.
"Thank you. Before I forget, your condoms given we are married now; you can sell them or give them out," she said softly, handing the well-packaged item to him. He nodded as she waved and turned.
The car zoomed off.
At the back of the car, a pair of grey steel eyes stared at the condoms, expressionless. His icy aura seeped through.
"Did she sign it?" His deep, cold voice sliced through the air, his eyes still fixed on the condoms.
"Yes, boss." A sinful smirk stretched across his lips, his eyes giving nothing away as he finally spoke. His voice was low, yet deadly.
"Welcome to my den." Slowly his gaze tore away from the pack, flashing red with an intensity that made the air freeze. "Once you step in… there is no turning back."