As the Caldwell left, I told Nathan about what had happened in the morning.
He arrived faster than I expected, dressed impeccably in a formal suit, and–to my surprise- carrying his household registration booklet.
I blinked, confused.
Nathan handed me an exquisite gift box, his cheeks tinged with faint pink.
“I had this dress custom–made for you,” he said. “Put it on. We’re getting married today.”
I was stunned.
Then he took my hand, his voice coaxing but firm.
“Emily, Ethan doesn’t believe you’ve moved on, does he? Let’s make it official. That way, I can move in and protect you properly. Sound good?”
His reasoning made sense.
But something about it still felt… off.
Then again, he wasn’t wrong. If we were getting married anyway, why wait?
I turned to f get my birth certificate and ID from Grandma.
To my surprise, she remembered the morning’s events–and raised her cane the second she
saw me.
“That bastard treats you like dirt, and you still want to marry him?!” she snapped. ” Have you lost your mind?”
I dodged her swings, hastily correcting her.
“Not him! Nathan Sterling!”
Grandma froze.
“Nathan…?” she murmured, lowering the cane. A strange, knowing look crossed her face
before she suddenly smiled.
#Chapter 6
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Hun
“Oh… him.”
She patted my cheek, her eyes softening.
“Good. That’s… exactly how it should be.”
“About time that boy got his happy ending.”
Before I could ask what she meant, she shuffled to her safe and handed me the necessary
documents.
“Go on,” she said. “Be good to him.”
The courthouse wedding was quick and simple.
Standing before the judge, Nathan held both copies of our marriage certificate like they were priceless treasures the moment they were signed. Before we’d even stepped outside, he’d snapped a photo and posted it with the caption: [Took long enough. Mine forever.]
His joy was palpable–so much so that, for a moment, I wondered if this marriage was really just about business after all.
Maybe… he actually loved me.
On the drive home, I asked how he knew Grandma so well.
Nathan kept one hand on the wheel, the other entwined with mine.
“After you left for Milan,” he said lightly, “I made sure to check in on Dorothy regularly. We grew close over the years.”
I had a feeling there was more to it.
But before I could press further, my phone rang.
Ethan. Again.
He’d clearly gotten a new number just to harass me, his voice seething through the speaker.
“You’re really going through with this? Marrying Sterling?”
I laughed coldly. “You dare knock up your mistress and expect me to care? I just signed some
#Chapter 6
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papers. Why are you so pressed?”
He snapped. “Don’t forget–over sixty percent of Harper Group’s revenue comes through
Caldwell partnerships!” he spat. “Cut ties with me, and watch your family’s empire collapse by quarter’s end!”
The line went dead.
I rolled my eyes. Honestly? I’d almost forgotten.
It was time to divest Harper Group from all Caldwell–linked ventures. Otherwise…
Well. When Nathan Sterling set his sights on a target, men twice his age wound up losing their shirts–sometimes literally.
The man they called “The Reaper” in financial circles had made his name by dismantling three major corporations in a single night during his early twenties.
Wall Street Journal later revealed those companies had been fronts for money laundering and other shady operations, but by then Nathan’s reputation was already cemented–equal parts genius and ruthless operator.
I studied him now–the crisp white suit, the long fingers resting on the steering wheel, the sharp profile accentuated by those gold–rimmed glasses. He looked unbearably pleased with
himself.
“…Dangerously handsome bastard,” I muttered.
Nathan threw his head back and laughed–a rich, unguarded sound that made my stomach flip.
#Chapter 6
