Destined Marriage with Uncle Kayden

"Ben, please, do not marry that silly girl. My heart will break…"

"Dear, the only way I can protect you is to marry that stupid Lillian."Benjamin's voice made Lillian Wilson stop in her tracks. She could feel her ears ringing from the shock, but instead of running away, she peeked through the door to confirm what she was thinking.

And she was right.

Benjamin Holmes, her groom, was standing so close to another man. Her knees weakened as she could feel herself retching from the sight.

She was in love with Benjamin for three years but never did it occur to her that he was not a straight man. All of her dreams shattered as she watched Benjamin hold the man tightly in his chest.

It disgusted her. How could Benjamin do this? Right actually before their wedding! If he had admitted the truth to her earlier, and she would willingly step away!

She shook her head as she took a step back, and small tears started to stream down her face, which she immediately wiped away.

However, a soft gasp escaped from her lips. The two men inside turned their heads, and their faces were etched with fear and surprise upon seeing the woman in a white wedding dress at the door.

"Lily…" Benjamin uttered. "Why are you here? You're not supposed to be here."

Lillian's glance went to the man beside Benjamin. His face showed sadness and anger towards her. She shook her head and took a step back again, still could not fully process what she had just found out, but before she could run away, she stepped on her gown and stumbled.

"Lily!" Benjamin grabbed her before her face could meet the floor. Benjamin even put his hands on her shoulders and helped her stand straight again.

"I'm sorry," he added.

"Sorry?" Lillian whispered, struggling with what words to say first. She laughed without humor as she looked at Benjamin again. "That's all you could say? What if I haven't seen you two? What will happen to me, Benjamin, huh? We'll continue the wedding, and I, the silly girl, would be a cover for you for this man's relationship?"

Benjamin remained silent, but after a few minutes, he clenched his jaw. "Don't worry; I'll announce that we won't go through with the wedding."

"My family will compensate you and your family, too," he added quickly before Lily could speak another bout of hateful words. Benjamin glanced at the man beside him and whispered, "Let's go."

The two of them walked away, their hands holding one another.

"You're disgusting," Lily roared, ensuring that Ben would hear. She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth, trying not to let her tears fall.

She didn't imagine being rejected on her wedding day. She loved Benjamin for years; how could she not notice that…

How…

Lily sighed but immediately covered her mouth when she felt her stomach roll, wanting to vomit the disgust she had been feeling.

Meanwhile, Benjamin came to the banquet hall and picked up a microphone. He walked to the stage confidently despite the hundreds of guests' evident confusion.

When he reached the front, he spoke in a deep voice, "I would like to announce that my wedding with Ms. Lillian will be canceled. We apologize for the trouble. All of your travel fees will be covered, and everyone will get extra payment. We'll explain it to the media sooner or later."

"Wait!" Before everyone could come back to their senses from the shock of the groom's words, the bride Lillian suddenly went to the stage, grabbed the microphone from Benjamin, covered the scarlet in her eyes, and smiled gratefully at everyone.

"Lily!" Benjamin frowned and raised his hand to grab the microphone in Lillian's hand, but she was too quick to push it out of his reach.

Lily could notice the tension on Benjamin's face.

She smiled at him and heaved a heavy breath, trying to hold back the emerging tears from her eyes.

Then, she asked the guests, "Is there anyone here willing to marry me? I will marry you right here, as long as you're a straight man."

The guests broke into a sea of murmurs as they watched Benjamin leave in embarrassing and Lily waiting at the stage for someone to marry her.

"What happened? Has the groom broken the engagement?"

"It seems so! The bride is seeking a groom onsite. It's too impulsive!"

"She's so rash! Is she in her right mind? What if some poor old man asked her for marriage? She would marry him, then? As long as the man is not gay? Wait, is that means... OMG!"

Lillian's eyes traveled around the room. There was a lot of discussion among guests, but no one stood up to take her offer.

Suddenly, a low, steady, heavy, and magnetic voice came from the banquet hall door.

"I'd marry you."

Lilian's eyes found the man who spoke.

He was sitting in a wheelchair; his wellfit suit made him stand out among the guests. Lily also noticed his sharp features were extraordinary; his handsomeness differed from the usual men she saw.

The man smiled at her as his wheelchair moved forward slowly along the carpet. Everyone buzzing like bees a while ago fell silent; their eyes moved together with the man's movement.

"Who is he?" a lady whispered to her friend.

"He looked so handsome. Is he a friend of the bride or the groom?"

The woman giggled. "It looks like he's rich, as well. Look at his watch and clothes. Too bad he's disabled."

The wheelchair stopped a few steps away from Lilian. The man raised his head to look at her with sincerity.

"I'd like to marry you," he said with a faint smile. "Do you want to check first if I'm straight or not?

Lilian's mouth parted as she stared at the man in front of her. For a moment, Benjamin's betrayal seemed to vanish, replaced by panic and confusion.

The man grinned wider, his eyes filled with amusement. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you regret seeking out a husband impulsively? Or are you thinking about how to check if I'm straight or not?"

"Wwhat are you...." Lilian stammered uncontrollably; she couldn't even continue her sentence. She didn't regret announcing something so rash in front of their guests, but she didn't expect that someone would be willing to marry her now.

It was just for show, so people would not take pity on her!

"I'm asking you, do you regret it?"

Seeing that Lilian would not talk, the man spoke to introduce himself with seriousness in his voice, "My name is Kayden Brown. I'm also from JC City, unmarried and heterosexual."

The man smirked upon seeing Lilian stare at him, unmoving as if the woman froze in her spot. It looked like she was not interested in marrying on the spot. Still, he was curious about where her impulsiveness would take her, so he spoke again.

"Miss Lilian, can I ask what the things you're looking for in a husband are? Maybe I could check and see if I meet your requirements?"

Before Lilian could answer, suddenly, a female voice came from behind the crowd. The sound was firm and eager.

"Kayden, what the hell are you doing? Don't cause trouble here!"

The crowd turned and checked; they all focused on the lady who came in a hurry. It was Benjamin's mother, Molly Brown, the wife of the chairman of Holmes Group. Lilian's gaze traveled back and forth between Molly and Kayden.

Kayden frowned slightly, his head turning to address Molly. "I'm not causing trouble, Molly. Stay out of this. After all, Lily announced she wanted a groom now."

"No! Benjamin's cancellation of the wedding hasn't been clarified yet. It's okay that you don't help in the family, but why are you making this even more complicated? You're Benjamin's uncle, have some respect!" Molly sternly refused.

There was a commotion in the crowd as a result of her statements. The guests' gasps echoed around the hall as they realized the man was the supposed groom's uncle. They couldn't believe what was happening, but most of the guests thought that the drama was so much better than the wedding.

Molly looked around, her smile sheepish and forced. "My brother must be exasperated from his travels. He just got off the plane, so his lack of sleep made him do such things," she reasoned before turning back to Kayden. "Come on, Kayden. Let's go home."

Molly never thought that her mostawaited day would perish in an instant. She was ushering some guests into the VIP room before she heard that Benjamin had canceled the wedding, and on top of it all, her brother was causing all kinds of shame to their family name.

They have been disgraced too much for a single day.

However, the shame didn't end. It advanced as Lilian stepped down the stage and squatted in front of Kayden's wheelchair. Her eyes were burning through the man's skull as she stared at him with a calculating gaze.

Then, she spoke in the microphone with a challenging voice, "A gentleman's words are to be taken seriously, right? Let's start the wedding now."

Lily initially hesitated, but when she heard that Kayden was Benjamin's uncle, only two words popped into her mind: marry him!

Benjamin had hurt her badly today. Since Kayden was willing to finish what his nephew had started, Lily thought that it would be better if he addressed her as his uncle's wife.

"Lilian, don't you feel ashamed by what you're about to do?" Molly said fiercely, her voice in a controlled rage. "My son refused to marry you, so you want to marry my brother? Are you that lonely to marry any interested man? Are you that desperate?"

Molly spouted offensive words, her eyes squinting as if she wanted to lash out and hurt Lily. But Lilian remained motionless, her gaze firmly locked with Kayden.

"You said you love my son. I guess that wasn't true," Molly added. She never liked Lilian. She would disapprove of that woman if it weren't for Benjamin. Lily was a nameless girl in society; Molly even made sure that Lily won't rip off her son by making Lily sign a prenuptial agreement.

On the other hand, Lily truly loved Benjamin. She signed anything his mother gave her; she thought she could accept all the bad treatment she got from his family as long as Ben was by her side.

She thought wrong, though. Benjamin was never on her side. He was cheating on her. He made a fool of her for the last three years, pretending that he was a straight man.

Now, even if she didn't know who Kayden was a few seconds ago, she was willing to marry him. That way, not only did Benjamin have to call her aunt, and she could also have the position and power equal to Molly.

The time of her being a pushover was done.

"Miss Lilian, are you sure you want to marry a disabled person like me? I'll give you a chance to think about your decision," Kayden said calmly, ignoring his sister's rambling.

Lilian glanced at Molly, and after a few seconds, she nodded. "I'm sure. So what if you're disabled? I don't mind, as long as you're straight. I won't regret it."

The man's eyes lit up; his amusement was now through the roof. The woman was exceptional, and he couldn't imagine why Benjamin would cancel his wedding with her.

Kayden turned to Molly. "From now on, Lilian would be your sisterinlaw. I hope you'd respect her. I expect you won't say nasty things about her as you did now."

After that, he raised his hand. Suddenly, several men in suits came out of the crowd and nodded respectfully to him, awaiting his orders.

"Send the chairman's wife home, let the guests take their places, and order the staff to start the wedding." After Kayden spoke, he turned around and stretched his hand to Lilian. His light eyes reflected his tenderness.

"Let's go, my bride. Let's finally tie the knots."

A blush spread from Lily's cheeks to her neck. She was surprised that Kayden addressed her as his bride immediately. She barely knew the man!

"Thank you," she said with hesitation. Lily put her hand into Kayden's massive, warm hand, and together, they strode slowly in front of the stage.

Suddenly, she felt something cold on her finger, and when she looked down, she found Kayden putting a diamond ring on her ring finger. Her eyes widened in amazement as she gazed at the man, who had a faint smile on his mouth.

"I just borrowed this ring. Don't act so surprised."

Lilian glanced at the ring on her finger. Who was so generous to lend Kayden such a big diamond ring? But, of course, he must have borrowed it. Their wedding was not prepared, after all.

"Kayden, don't mess around!" Molly's face turned blue with anger, and she wanted to continue to oppose, but she had been dragged out of the banquet hall by Kayden's men.

With the sound of sweet music, the guests at the scene wholly recovered from the state of being stunned. They all took their places and whispered while watching the ceremony.

Media also started to appear; their cameras aimed at the new couple on stage. The Holmes family did not invite any media, but people at the ceremony must have posted something on the web for them to come in a hurry.

In a few minutes, the photos on the background wall had been removed and replaced with live video, and the groom's name had been changed from "Benjamin Holmes" to "Kayden Brown."

"Kayden Brown, do you take this woman, Lilian Wilson, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, until death do you part?" The wedding minister wiped his sweat as he put the microphone in front of Kayden. He was severely nervous and excited about this wedding; it was the first time the minister had witnessed a sudden groom change. He almost mispronounced the groom's name!

All the audience held their breath and focused on the man in the wheelchair. Kayden looked calm and collected despite the events before their matrimonial rites.

Meanwhile, Lilian's palm sweated profusely as she waited for Kayden's response. She even closed her eyes and held her breath. After all, Kayden had all the right to say no. He was Benjamin's uncle, and if he had a lastminute decision to change his mind as Benjamin did, Lily would be left with nothing but shame.

After a short silence, Kayden held Lilian's two hands together. With a gentle pull, he pulled his bride sit on his legs.

Lilian gulped, and her body froze as she smelled the unmistakable, manly smell. She tried to stand away from him, but his grip tightened and clasped her wrist.

Kayden leaned and whispered, "Don't move, Lily."

The warm breath swirled in her ears, and the feeling of itch spread over her body. She was immediately too frightened to move anymore.

Kayden took the microphone from the minister's hand and looked softly at the woman in his arms. "Miss Lilian, do you want to marry me?"

"I...." Lilian tried to muster her courage, but only a tiny sound made its way out of her mouth. She felt embarrassed, especially because Kayden was so close to her.

"II do," she uttered.

The man raised his eyebrows with satisfaction, and the smile on his face became bigger. "Then, I do, too, Minister."

Then Kayden gave the microphone back to the minister's hand, held Lilian's face, and kissed her lips without hesitation.

Lilian's heart skipped a beat; she stared at Kayden with unblinking eyes. She wanted to break away from the man's hold, but he was too strong for her that she couldn't move at all. All she could do was let Kayden kiss her.

The air in his mouth was fresh; there was a faint smell of mint. Lilian's stiff body soon relaxed. She closed her eyes and let him kiss her aggressively.

She was the one who insisted on the marriage, anyway, so she would be considered a hypocritical woman by the guests if she acted so reluctant towards him.

Once their kiss ended, the guests clapped blissfully. The minister, confused by the couple's quick rites, announced hesitantly that the wedding ceremony was done and that the newlywed may live a happy life together.

Feeling that the woman in his arms was a little short of breath, Kayden finally let her go, looked at the blush on her cheek, and helped her up.

"Let's go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and get our marriage certificate immediately."

"Ookay," Lily answered. She was surprised that Kayden immediately wanted to get their marriage certificate. She knew the rites were simply a ceremony, but the actual marriage begins once they sign their marriage contract.

She couldn't refuse since she was the one who would take advantage of him.

Lilian excused herself for a while to change her clothes. She heaved a heavy breath as she slowly removed her wedding gown. Her original plan was to sign the marriage contract with Benjamin after their wedding and then go directly on their honeymoon.

In a blink of an eye, she would still do all those things, but with a different groom by her side.

Still, it thrilled Lily to see how Benjamin, the bastard, would face her in the future.

As for Kayden... Er, she would simply take it slow with him.

Lilian was led out of the hotel by Kayden's men. A black Bentley was parked in front, its rear door open, and Kayden was already sitting comfortably inside. The man waited for her to get in, but she simply stood frozen.

Kayden, seeing his wife's hesitation, raised his brows. "Are you afraid to sign a marriage contract with me?" he asked in a challenging voice.

"I'm not afraid!" Lilian's lips curled in anger. "Let's go," she added quickly as she got into the car.

Kayden ordered his driver to take them to the bureau’s office. Lilian watched the man stare at the iPad in his hand. A touch of cunning look flashed in his eyes as he sent emails. Seeing Kayden was busy with his work, she turned her head and simply enjoyed the view outside.

Suddenly, a burst of tight feeling pain came from her lower abdomen, and she felt the warm liquid coming out directly from below.

Something must be imbalanced with her hormones! Her period should be on next week.

Her menstruation was always on time, so she was not prepared right now. It frustrated her even more, when she realized that she was wearing a couple of white trousers.

As she tried to think of a way to settle her period, another bout of warm liquid flowed. She could now smell the faint fragrance of blood in the air.

She gritted her teeth, turned around, and smiled awkwardly at Kayden, who was thoughtfully staring at his iPad. "Mr. Kayden, I..." She couldn’t continue her words. "Just call me Kayden or honey,” the man said with a smirk.

Now that she could see Kayden up close, she realized that the man was extremely handsome. Like the type of boy straight out of a runway or television.

"Okay, Umm.. Honhoney, can we go to the bureau at another time?" Lilian didn't dare to look at him more, because his deep eyes were like a pool. She felt she would be sucked in if she looked at him more.

"Can you give me at least a reason why? Or you're just having doubts about our arrangement?" Kayden frowned slightly and asked.

"Don't worry, I definitely don't regret it! I... I..." Lilian felt another burst of tight feeling pain in her lower abdomen. She couldn't help raising her hand and covering her stomach.

"What happened? Is there something wrong?" Kayden put down the iPad and pressed her shoulder. Only then did he find that a thin layer of sweat had seeped from her forehead.

"Your face looks pale," Kayden said seriously in displeasure.

"I’m on my period, so it's normal that my face looks pale!" Lilian yelled out in annoyance."Just take me home; I'll clean up and go to the bureau with you!"

"You sure that you're okay?" Kayden finally understood what was going on; his face relaxed, and he leaned back again on his seat.

"Yes." Lilian smiled and said to the driver, "Hey, Leo, just take us home, please."

After that, she stuck her tongue out at Kayden playfully and quickly turned her head out of the window with a grin.

Kayden didn't say anything. He took a blanket, and put it on her.

When Lilian turned and wanted to say thank you, he leaned back on his seat and closed his eyes.

Lilian's cheeks warmed, appreciating Kayden's consideration.

When the car stopped at South FC Apartment, Lilian wrapped a blanket around her waist and quickly got out of the vehicle.

After she glanced at the bright red on the beige leather seat, Kayden shook his head , and his eyes were full of soft smiles.

"She is still that little girl after all these years."

Lilian quickly changed her clothes and went downstairs. She was determined to clean the seat she was on, but someone had already cleaned it when she came.

She only smiled sheepishly at Kayden. "I'm sorry," she uttered.

"Why are you so polite?" Kayden asked, his brows raised, then his gaze landed on the bags behind her. "You brought everything things?"

"Yes. I’ve bring enough pads for today." Lilian patted her bag, a ting of warmth spreading to her face as she realized that Kayden had just asked her if she had sanitary pads for her period.

But Kayden coughed and cleared his throat, averting his gaze.

"What I mean was, have you brought your documents for register? Such like IDs and all?"

Lilian felt a bucket of ice being thrown at her. She didn't realize that Kayden was talking about her necessities!

She smiled awkwardly. "Yes, I brought them, too." She always brought her IDs wherever she went. And she already planned that she would go to the bureau to sign a marriage contract with Benjamin.

"Let's go, then." Kayden nodded with satisfaction.

When they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau, Lilian got out of the car and stood at the door. Looking at the slogan "Free Marriage, Registration According to Law," her eyes were stained with a touch of disappointment.

An Audi followed behind the Bentley, and a man with glasses got off and helped Kayden out of the car with the driver, Leo, and got him into a wheelchair.

The man with glasses handed Kayden the documents and materials in his hand and asked in a low voice, "Sir Kayden, I know that Lilian might be the girl you're looking for, but it had no further proof that she was that little girl. Besides, how could your sister and her husband didn’t notice that if she was that girl?"

Kayden's slender fingers stroked the dark red booklet, and his deep eyes narrowed slightly. "Jerry, do you believe in the familiarity of smell?"

Jerry shook his head. "Do you mean she has a familiar smell? Do you remember it? That's why you decided to marry her?"

"Of course not." Kayden shook his head and took a meaningful look at Lilian, absentmindedly standing from a distance, and said. "I like the smell of her. Even if she is not that little girl, it doesn't matter. She's the woman Benjamin should have married."

"Oh, I see." Jerry pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose and nodded.

He thought everything was under his boss' control. Still, the girl's impulsive decision to marry immediately made Kayden's effort easier. His boss didn't have to worry about how to steal her from Benjamin anymore.

Kayden doesn't care who Lilian is. What mattered to him the most was that she was the woman he "robbed" of the Holmes family.

"You hesitated to get here, didn't you? That's why you got here late."

A teasing voice came from behind. Lilian quickly took back her thoughts and turned around. "Who hesitated? I'm just waiting for you?"

Then she helped Kayden to the marriage registry.

Although she was not a woman of her words, she couldn't break her promise. She was determined to be Benjamin's auntinlaw.

The process of getting the marriage certificate was very smooth. Soon, Lilian pushed Kayden out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, and they each had a copy of their marriage certificate.

"Mr. Kayden, I wanted to ask you something. I was hesitant initially, but now that we're officially married, I think I can ask you now."

"I can't hear you," Kayden teased as his driver, Leo, helped him get in the car.

"Mr. Kayden," Lilian called loudly. But the man completely ignored her even if they were now inside the vehicle.

"I still can't hear you," he said.

Lilian's lips curled as irritation grew in her chest. "Fine! Honey."

Kayden then smiled, raised his hand, and touched her head lovingly. "Before you ask, there are a few words I want to tell you first."

"Well, tell me." Lilian nodded.

Kayden put down his hand, looked directly in front of the car, and restrained all the expression on his face. "I'm seven years older than you and Benjamin. I recently returned after several years spent abroad. One of the purposes I returned home was to find a woman to marry. I didn't expect to meet you today, but since we met each other's requirements, I think our marriage benefits one another.

I'll be departing once more in a year. It will be up to you if you want to come with me or not. But, you need to know one thing. I have no feeling from the waist down. I can only be your husband in the paper," Kayden said.

Lilian looked at him with a bit of surprise and asked incredulously, "Do you mean we are only bound legally, and we won't be a normal husband and wife? And... Would we get divorced if I don't want to go abroad with you in a year?"

Kayden looked at the surprise flashing in her clear eyes and frowned. "When you announced that you wanted a man to marry, you said you only wanted a straight man. You didn't say you also wanted a normal marriage."

Lilian quickly waved her hand as she shook her head. "No, you misunderstood me! I actually wanted to thank you for appearing at that moment. I would really be ashamed if no one volunteered."

Lilian couldn't thank Kayden enough for helping her, especially since she was in the worst time of her life. Lilian couldn't help but to look forward to the fact that after a year, she's finally moved on and will not feel any resentment with Benjamin and will finally recover her freedom. Unharmed. Unashamed.

Kayden was like a guardian angel that fell right out of the sky to help her.

Lilian was delighted and relieved that her absurd marriage seeking wouldn't bring her too much trouble.

"You're welcome. We just need each other. Although I can't go to bed with you, I'll make sure you'd be proud that you're my wife. But you must also fulfill your obligations. In addition to accompanying me on various business occasions, you must also take care of my daily life." Kayden glanced at her lightly. "Is there any problem with that?"

"Yes." Lilian hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and asked, "If I'm going to take care of your daily life, um... will I get a salary?"

"What?" Kayden frowned, surprised by the question's absurdity.

"I mean, I won't go abroad with you in a year. We are only bound legally, and I have to take care of you every day, so I'm afraid I can't go to work... I used to be an employee of Holmes Group, and now I'm sure I'll lose my job..." Lilian looked down and spoke incoherently.

"Are you short on money?" Kayden interrupted her and hit the nail on the head.

"Yes." Lilian nodded timidly.

"Okay, don't worry about it. My wife will never be short of money." Kayden smiled while looking at her little face. His slightly frowned eyebrows stretched out.

"Didn't you just say you had questions to ask me? You can ask now."

"No, I don't have a question now." She finally shook her head and looked up at him. His words dispelled all her worries, and she was glad that they had come to terms with their marriage.

"Then, Mrs. Brown, can we go back home now?" he asked, putting his hand around her shoulder.

"Go back... To your house?" she asked, uncertainty etched in her voice as she moved her body to the side uneasily.

"It's our house now, you know."

"Oh, okay." Lilian couldn't help but feel embarrassed about hearing that his house also belonged to her now.

After driving for more than half an hour, the black Bentley drove into a highend mansion area in the suburbs. Lily was not shocked that Kayden owned such a massive and elegant house because she knew how rich Benjamin's family was.

As soon as the car stopped, Lilian hurriedly went out the door and opened Kayden's side. "I'll help you out," she said.

"No need." Kayden held her hand: "You don't have to do the work that my men and maids could do."

When he spoke, his eyes kept looking at her with a smile. His tone was very serious, but it seemed to be with interest.

"Oh." Lilian nodded obediently.

As soon as she opened the door and came down, Lillian saw a line of people standing by the side of the road and nodding respectfully to her. It looked like Kayden alerted all of his staff of their marriage.

Except for the driver and the two men who came down from the car behind, there were three women and three men. Kayden had more servants than the Holmes family, Lilian concluded.

"Hello, sir! Hello, madam!"

"Hello," Lilian greeted with a sly smile. She felt a bit embarrassed. It was the first time I addressed her with so much respect. All she received before was Benjamin's mother's sneer and judgmental looks.

"I'd like all of you to introduce yourself to my wife. She may be young, but you need to listen to her in the future," Kayden said as he controlled the wheelchair to enter the living room fully.

"Madam, my name is Jerry," a man started. "I'm Sir Kayden's personal assistant." Jerry smiled as he ushered Lilian into the house.

Lilian frowned at the word 'madam.' Benjamin's brother, Jack Holmes, used to call her that while she and Benjamin were dating. She couldn't help but remember her cheater exfiance.

Kayden signed a document and handed it to Jerry. "Tell President Neil that we will start a partnership with the Miller group."

Lilian had just finished getting to know Kayden's staff and heard what Kayden had said. With her curiosity prying open, she glanced at the document and saw the big font of 'Plan to Acquire Miller Group.'

She couldn't help but ask, "Are you buying Miller Group of companies?"

Kayden waved his hand to tell Jerry to go out, patted the sofa next to him, and motioned her to come and sit down. She willingly obliged despite her wildly beating heart.

"Why are you asking?" Kayden asked with his brows raised. "Are you interested in business?"

"No, not because of that. I was a saleswoman in Holmes Group and had business contacts with Miller Group. Miller Group is one of the leading enterprises in JC City. Did you just buy them out?" Lilian said honestly.

The Holmes family was already a famous family in JC City. Even Benjamin's father didn't dare to think of acquiring Miller Group, which was on an equal footing with Holmes Group. But Kayden had just returned home and acquired Miller Group so easily.

It seemed like Kayden was a powerful man. Much more powerful than the Holmes family. She couldn't help but be curious about Kayden's real identity. Was he some secret billionaire in the US?

Kayden grinned. "I had to work hard so my wife wouldn't be short of money," he answered lightly.

Lilian rolled her eyes. "Please. That sounds like a really fake reason," she whispered.

"What did you say?" Kayden confusedly asked.

"Nothing!" She waved her hand.

"Hmm. Nothing, huh." Kayden hummed. "Fine, then. Come and help me take a bath so we can finally have our dinner."

"Help you take a bath?" Lilian stood up from the sofa and stared at him. A loud ringing echoed in her ears due to shock.

Kayden tilted his head and gave Lilian an innocent look. "Do you expect me, a disabled person, to bathe alone?"

"But you said we were only married in the paper? We won't act as a real husband and wife?" "Lilian's small face flushed, "How can I assist you in taking a bath?"

"I also said you had to look after me. What's the matter, Mrs. Brown? You dislike a disabled person like me?" Kayden narrowed his eyes and looked at her. His expression was cold and sullen, and his tone was unhappy.

He was angry.

Lilian looked at his gloomy handsome face and lowered her head. "I didn't mean to say it that way. I'm sorry."

"Then stop hesitating and just do it. You don't have to worry. I won't feel anything if you take your clothes off before me. I cannot feel anything in my waist down, do you understand?" Kayden's frowned eyebrows stretched out slowly as he saw Lilian's face become more blushed.

He controlled his wheelchair and went to the elevator. "Come on, follow me."

Lilian stood in her place for a brief moment as she hesitated; she bit her lips hard and followed up after a few seconds. She was determined to assist Kayden in taking a bath. As he had stated, she could treat him as a patient, another woman, or even cabbage.

It was her first time seeing someone's home with an elevator installed. 'If it was inconvenient for him to go upstairs, why didn't he just live on the first floor instead?'

Lilian gently pushed Kayden into the elevator and stood behind him. She couldn't help but whisper, "What a pretentious rich man."

"A wife who is unwilling to bathe her disabled husband is more pretentious," Kayden pointed out upon hearing what Lilian whispered. He noticed Lilian curling her lips angrily from the visible metal panel on the elevator's sides. A soft light shone into his dark eyes.

After entering the bedroom, Kayden pointed to the large kingsize bed and said, "You have to sleep in the same bedroom with me so the maid won't get suspicious. I'll sleep in the study room next door most of the time, anyway, and even if I go back to my bedroom to sleep, the bed is big enough to keep us at a distance while sleeping."

She nodded, saying, "Oh, okay." without hesitation. She walked directly into the bathroom after briefly exploring the room with her eyes.

She was grateful to Kayden. She desired marriage but believed she would pay for her rash decision. She was lucky to meet Kayden, who would only be her husband for one year, and she didn't have to fulfill the wife's obligations, such as sleeping with him if needed.

After entering the bathroom, Lily discovered everything was designed for a disabled person like Kayden. The wash basin was shallow, and everything was within his reach.

The bathtub was also builtin, the height was nearly the same as the wheelchair, a large table, the pool walls were all nonslip, and an inside massage chairstyle seat.

As Lilian put water into the bathtub, she thought that with such a convenient facility, he could take care of himself completely; however, he asked her to serve him.

'What an arrogant idler!' she thought.

After the bathtub was ready, she turned around and saw Kayden had come in.

"W–well, the water is ready." She couldn't help but blush and stammer because Kayden had taken off his clothes on the upper part of his body and only wore trousers.

When he was in the wheelchair, she could only see Kayden's long and slender legs. His muscular and tight chest and abdominal muscles were exposed, as were his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and his honey skin was revealed in the steamy bathroom.

"Come, help me take off my pants." He controlled the wheelchair to get closer to her while speaking in a natural tone.

Lilian immediately walked over as she clenched her teeth. She squatted in front of him and hesitated as she lowered her head to untie his belt.

Lilian's clumsy little hands trembled while undoing his belt. She deliberately closed her eyes when she went to unzip Kayden's pants. Kayden looked at Lilian's closed eyes, and he smiled.

Kayden raised one of his eyebrows and said, "Is your husband in such bad shape that you can't even look at it?"

"Your body's so great that I'm scared I'll get a nosebleed if I look too much," she sarcastically replied with an awkward smile.

Lilian had been in sales for three years; she was very good at flattery. She also considered herself best at communicating and making other people like her.

After a short while, Kayden was only wearing thin, white shorts. Lilian hurriedly looked away; however, a question suddenly appeared in her mind.

'If he had no consciousness below the waist, wouldn't he ask her for help when he wanted to go to the toilet?'

"Go on, take it off," Kayden ordered as he noticed Lilian stopped for a moment, interrupting Lilian's thoughts.

'He still wanted me to continue? Do I have to help him take off his last pair of shorts?' Lilian thought, questioning Kayden in her mind.

She was helpless; however, she had no choice. She turned to look away while stretching her hand out to his waist.

'Do not be afraid.' Lilian thought to herself as she slowly touched the edge of Kayden's shorts. 'Don't be shy. Just think of it as a cabbage you needed to open.'

Warmth and electricity spread through Lily's skin, but it didn't feel like the texture of the shorts. That was why she opened her eyes. Kayden's frown and clear annoyance greeted her, and when she looked down, his hand was already holding hers.

"Fine. Don't take this one off," he said, his voice laced with irritation.

A deep sigh of relief escaped Lily's lips. "Ookay."

She stood up, her cheeks filled with blush, and assisted Kayden into the bathtub.

"I'll grab your waist. You should hold my neck," Lilian said, and without saying anything, Kayden gently encircled his arms around her neck.

"Are you sure you can carry me?" Kayden asked, doubt filling his head.

However, the woman carried him swiftly into her arms. It looked like Lily didn't even sweat, as if she was used to the weight. Kayden's mouth went into a thin line. He didn't expect his wife to have the strength to carry his total weight; he thought that she would ask for help from their maids.

Lilian glanced at Kayden and giggled when she saw his expression. "I may be thin, but I'm not a tree branch that could easily break. I used to work at Holmes Group's storage area, you know? I was used to carrying boxes that weighed fifty kilograms."

Kayden stared at Lily, observing the woman's smile. He noticed that Lilian had two canine teeth; it didn't bother him; instead, he found it even cuter, especially whenever she was smiling.

A struggling sound came from Lilian's lips as she tried to put Kayden down into the tub. She was about to continue, but another groan came out of her due to the man's heavy weight.

"Forget it. If you continue that, I'll be completely disabled," Kayden uttered and removed his hold on Lilian.

Kayden put his two robust arms on the bathtub's edge, used a little force to pull himself into the bathtub, and sat steadily. His quick movements seemed like he was used to getting into the tub that way.

Lilian stared at Kayden blankly. She wanted to ask Kayden why he asked her to marry him and if he could do that, but no words came out of her.

She only returned to reality when a handful of water splashed on her face. She groaned and wiped the water away as she heard Kayden's chuckle.

"What are you doing standing there? Pass me the bath sponge," he said.

Lilian's brows furrowed; she stomped her feet on the ground, annoyed as she went to grab the sponge nearby. She wanted to throw it in Kayden's face but decided against it, thinking it would not do her any good.

"Here's your sponge."

Kayden raised his arm to grab it. However, just before Lilian could let the towel go, Kayden grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the bathtub. He dragged her entire body and placed her directly on him.

"AH!" she yelled, her body now soaked with soapy and steamy water. Lilian immediately pushed herself away from Kayden, only to discover that her hands were resting on the man's muscular chest.

"What are you afraid of? I won't eat you, you know." Kayden looked at her panicked expression and smiled with a bit of evil charm on his face. She clung to him as soon as he grabbed her arm and pulled it.

The only thing separating them below was Lilian's thin skirt and Kayden's shorts.

"Hey!" Lilian struggled as she tried to escape his grip. "I have my period, remember? Aren't you afraid that blood will fill your tub? I can even smell it already!"

Lilian knew Kayden had no feeling from his waist down, so she was not afraid of what he would do to her. Her main concern was that blood might turn the water red. Instead of feeling refreshed in his bath, Kayden might experience dirt and sticky blood.

Fortunately, Kayden let her go, and she finally went out of the bathtub. Thanks to the wet skirt, Kayden's eyes followed Lilian's exquisite figure as she pulled herself free. With Lily's flushed face, the woman looked like a mature honey peach hanging on a branch, albeit a lovely one.

"Why would I be afraid? You're cleaning the bathtub anyway; it's your job." Kayden's Adam's apple rolled up and down. He paused before grabbing Lilian's wrist and pulling her closer so he could whisper in her ear.

"Help me massage my legs," he said in a low tone.

"Okay." The numb feeling in Lilian's ears spread all over her body. She quickly put distance between them and squatted in the water to massage her husband's legs.

Her heart was thumping loudly on her chest as her skin made contact with the man's legs.

She couldn't believe that she had done the craziest things in one day. She married a man she had just met and stayed in the bathroom with him. She knew it was not malicious because Kayden was a disabled man who needed help, but still, she felt weird and nervous.

Kayden looked at Lilian near his feet before he closed his eyes and spoke, "Okay, you can go out now. There are clothes Emma prepared for you. Go and get dressed. I will take a bath myself. "

"O–okay!" Lilian immediately stood up from the water, took her shoes, and walked out of the bathroom barefoot without looking back.

Looking at the small figure that seemed to run away, Kayden clenched her fists and slammed into the water, causing a huge splash. He closed his eyes tightly, wanting to bang his head into a wall.

'I have endured being away from that girl for years. When did I become so impatient?' Kayden thought, his brows furrowed. 'God, if I scared her away after that, everything I did would be in vain.'

Meanwhile, Lilian was astonished when she saw that the clothes in the room fit her well. Her mood also got lifted when she saw that the maids and Emma, the head housekeeper, were friendly towards her.

"Madam, these are Mr. Kayden's rules and preferences. You'd find everything you need to know about him in this file. Please keep them in mind." Emma handed her a document when she got to the living room.

Despite feeling shocked, Lilian nodded. "Okay." She opened the document and took a deep, calming breath as she realized five pages were in the file. And everything was in a small font.

The document contained Kayden's diet, clothes, living habits, and even his likes and dislikes. It turned out that Kayden didn't eat anything with onions, ginger, and garlic. He also didn't like the color black and had the excellent habit of watching the sunrise in the morning.

Aside from this, Lilian also saw that Kayden had different types of wines, and he would drink them according to his mood.

Lilian looked at the dense words and felt her head go numb.

Kayden soon came downstairs by himself using the elevator. He was moving towards the dining area when he passed by Lilian in the living room. The woman was standing still, a file of papers in her hand.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, his brows raised. "Come."

"Yep, coming." Lilian quickly put down the file on the center table.

After a long day, not only did she skip her meal, but she also vomited several times, her stomach churning after she witnessed Benjamin be romantic with a man.

Her stomach was empty, so when they sat at the dining table, she immediately grabbed the utensils and stuffed her plate with numerous dishes served in front. She even forgot that Kayden was with her for a moment due to hunger.

Kayden frowned, his eyes locked on his wife, who was busy eating. "Have an early rest after dinner. We'll visit my family tomorrow."

"Sure," Lilian replied casually, her mouth filled with delicacies. She regained control of her senses after swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Your family lives at Ben's grandmother's house, right?" she asked as she finally realized she would meet that family again. Thinking about it, she now felt her appetite decreasing.

"Ben, huh?" Kayden asked as he placed a piece of vegetable in his mouth. "That's such an intimate call name."

Lilian bit her bottom lip. "No… I just… I was used to calling him that. I guess it's not appropriate anymore," she whispered, her voice filled with sadness and grief.

She remembered what her best friend, Bella, used to say to her. "You don't even need to eat or sleep anymore. It looks like just saying Ben's name gives you enough energy."

Lily could not decide whether it was good that Bella had to leave for business on her wedding day. She couldn't imagine what Bella's expression would be once she discovered that Lilian did not marry Ben but married Ben's uncle.

As Lily was consumed by her thoughts, Kayden could not help but stare at her with a calculating gaze. Slowly, he peeled a shrimp and placed it on Lilian's plate.

"It's okay. You can still call him Ben. He would have to call you aunt, anyway."

"Aunt?" Lilian asked in confusion, but after a few seconds, her face brightened.

Lilian had already forgotten that she was now Molly's sisterinlaw, and Benjamin should address her with respect. Why was she afraid to meet with them in the first place? How could she forget that the sole reason she married Kayden was to anger and take revenge on the Holmes family.

Regaining her appetite, Lilian grabbed her spoon and fork again and continued eating with a smile flashing on her face. She popped the shrimp that Kayden gave her into her mouth, and as she chewed, she gave him a bright smile. "Thanks, hon," she said.

Kayden's mouth gaped open. He didn't expect Lilian to call him 'honey' willingly. Still, he was glad that the woman was in a good mood.

He shook his head gently and thought to himself, 'She's still a little girl with such a simple heart. Everything could be seen in her expression; it was obvious what pained and joyed her. No wonder Benjamin and their family bullied her.'

After dinner, Kayden went directly into the study room while Lilian took a bath and went to bed early. Her husband didn't need her to warm the bed; she could simply relax and sleep soundly without worries of someone harassing her.

Lilian bathed herself peacefully, and tucked herself comfortably in the bed. She was looking forward to the moment when Benjamin would call her' aunt', which was why she fell asleep with a light feeling.

When Kayden entered the room and found Lilian sleeping soundly, he opened the window to let the cold wind gush through. The moonlight streamed in, illuminating Lilian on the bed. Her body was curled up, and the blanket had slipped down her legs, but she slept peacefully.

Kayden's wheelchair slowly approached the bedside. He stared quietly at the woman's charming face. A faint smile gradually rose from the corners of his mouth as his thoughts drifted back to a memory twenty years ago, when he was a tenyearold boy.

A young couple brought a cute threeyearold girl to their home. His father received them warmly and asked Ben, who was only three years old then, to hold the little girl's hand and play. Kayden's father, who was over sixty years old at that time, looked at the two little ones and said to the little girl's mother that Benjamin and the girl should get married when they turned eighteen.

Kayden's father also said that the marriage would make their father's wishes come true.

"I am older than Ben. Why will he have a wife first? Leah should be my wife in the future," Kayden remembered saying to his father.

But the old man didn't budge. Instead, he became angry at Kayden for interfering and being selfish.

"You are Ben's uncle. How can you marry her? You're older than both of them."

Kayden didn't agree with the decision, but he had no choice. However, he saw how Benjamin pushed Leah to the ground. Kayden had no idea where he got the courage, but he went straight to push Benjamin, which made his nephew stumble.

He could still remember his father's hard slaps on him that day. Kayden even went a day without food as his father's punishment for hurting little, innocent Benjamin.

Kayden had long forgotten what the girl looked like in his memory because he never saw her again after that encounter. Later, Kayden discovered that the girl and her family had vanished without a trace.

He only remembered that her surname was White and the little girl's name was Leah.

However, the woman in front of him…

Kayden knew that Lilian was not the little girl who caused his father to beat him up. However, when he saw Lily's picture before his flight to attend the wedding, he made up his mind.

He knew he wanted Benjamin's woman to be his.

Kayden did not care how long it would take, as long as he could find the White family and the little girl that Benjamin was supposed to marry. He could get what truly belonged to the Brown family once he found Leah White.

Too many years had already passed, and he wanted to get them back as soon as he could.

Kayden raised his hand and gently covered the falling blanket on the sleeping woman. After adjusting the air conditioner's temperature, he left the bedroom silently.

Lilian slept until dawn. When she woke up and looked around, she was greatly relieved to see that the bed was the same as it had been before she fell asleep. Kayden kept his word by sleeping in separate beds.

She hoped that in the following year, they could live in peace and end this absurd marriage early. She could be free again with only a year left of holding on.

When Lilian came downstairs after cleaning herself, Kayden was already sitting at the table, reading a newspaper. His face was fully covered, but he put it down slightly as soon as he heard Lily approaching.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Kayden glanced at her faintly. He was about to glance back at the paper, but he couldn't help looking at her more.

It was the first time he had seen Lilian without any makeup. Although the woman didn't have the charm of a bride like yesterday, her naturally fair skin, clear eyes, and exquisite features made Kayden stare longer than he had hoped for.

Lilian didn't look like a 23yearold woman. She was like a college student who hadn't graduated yet, young and lovely. Any man would have stared if given a chance.

"Yeah, I slept well." Lilian was about to ask whether Kayden had a good sleep in his study room, but the man interrupted her before she could speak further.

"We'll visit the Holmes after breakfast," Kayden said.

"Oh, okay." Lilian glanced at the maids and bit her bottom lip. It was good that she failed to ask Kayden because if she did, the maids might have heard that they were sleeping in a separate room.

They had to pretend everywhere that they were an intimate couple. If anyone finds out that they were only a husband and wife on the paper, their image and reputation would be ruined.

After breakfast, the two made their way to the Holmes' house. Along the way, Lilian's mind wandered through her memories and everything that had happened with Benjamin over the years.

She felt sad that they ended up like this. Until now, she couldn't accept that Benjamin was gay. How could he pretend like that? Lily was sure that Ben cared for her; he was sweet and gentle. But if his preference was a lie, did that mean that his care and concern were lies, as well?

Lilian stared out of the car window, the city's scenery passing through her eyes in a quick motion. There was sudden warmth on the back of her hand on her lap. She looked down and saw Kayden's hand was in her hand.

"You need to ask Molly for wedding gifts. She's stingy, but you needed to make sure that she'd give us an extravagant gift."

Kayden didn't give her a chance to free her hand from his hold, but she stopped struggling when she saw her husband's devilish grin. They needed to act sweet and lovely, so she had no choice.

"Okay, fine, I'll request some expensive ones," Lilian said in defeat.

The Holmes mansion was located in the hillside area on the outskirts of JC City. The always peacefullooking house, however, was filled with yells and quarrels inside.

"You're not going to look for Benjamin? He has been missing all day! Do you want to lose your son?" Molly said angrily while pointing at her husband, Martin Holmes.

"Don't you feel ashamed? Why would I look for him? Do you know that our family name is in the news today? He disgraced us!" Martin was usually quiet and goodtempered, but the current events made him erupt like a volcano.

He threw the newspaper he was holding on the center table and glared at Molly. "You spoiled him too much, and it's all your fault. Sooner or later, this family will be destroyed, and it will be your and Benjamin's fault!"

The shouting came to a stop when a housekeeper hurriedly came. "Sir, Mam. Sir Kayden is here."

"Just in time!" Molly said, her anger spilling out like coffee. "I'd like to ask what disdainful things the bitch Lilian did. She made my son so angry that he didn't even want to marry her. He didn't have an explanation, and he didn't go home, either!" Molly immediately turned her direction, smoothed her hair, stepped on high heels, and walked out of the living room with her head held high.

Martin shook his head in disbelief, a heavy sigh coming out of his mouth. "This is embarrassing. Damn it!"

"What are you two doing here? You just got married, so you should have just stayed in bed, kissed each other, and whispered sweet nothings to one another," Molly said sarcastically, her disdainful eyes falling onto Lilian's.

Kayden frowned slightly, but he didn't say anything. He waited quietly for Lilian to respond.

"Oh, Mrs. Holmes—I should call you Molly now, right?" Lilian gave a forced smile. "Kayden and I are here to visit his family. I know it's sad that we didn't end up as a daughter and motherinlaw tandem, but I think a relationship between sistersinlaw is closer, don't you think?"

"That's a load of crap," Molly spat. "You're simply a little bitch girl. You will never be my equal. Maybe you could be in your next life, but for now, quit calling me Molly and address me with damn respect."

"But she is, Molly," Kayden interrupted as soon as Molly finished. He pushed his wheelchair forward, his piercing gaze directed at his sister. "She's your equal. In this life, the next life, and the following lives. As long as she's my wife, you'll treat her as such."

Molly stared at Kayden with her eyes widened in disbelief, "Kayden, did you just talk to me like that for this woman?! Do you even respect your sister?!"

"Respect and being respected are mutual. If my sister doesn't respect my wife in the future, I'm afraid it will be hard for me to respect you." Kayden turned his head after he said this and reached out to Lilian. "Honey, let's go and find Martin."

"Okay," Lilian answered, pushed Kayden's wheelchair past Molly, and walked towards the living room. However, before they could leave, Molly stepped forward, held Lilian's arm, and pushed her away from Kayden.

"You bitch! When you were Benjamin, you acted damn obedient and nice. Now I know you're just pretending!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Tell me, what did you do to Ben? Did he find out you were cheating on him with Kayden? That was why he ran away?"

"Are you saying Lilian purposefully pushed Ben away because we were having affairs? Is that what you think happened?" Kayden asked, his devilish glare piercing through his sister's sin.

But Molly wouldn't back down.

"So you admit it?" she asked in disbelief. "You know what, Kayden, I thought that even if we were only half brothers and sisters, we still treated each other with respect. Now you're throwing our relationship to the brim? We were fine when you were still in the US, but as soon as you came back, you wreaked havoc on our family and stole Ben's wife. Why? What are you planning to do?"

Kayden narrowed his eyes and looked straight ahead, motioning for Lily to come to push his wheelchair again, ignoring Molly's hysteria.

Lilian came over, held the push handle of the wheelchair, and calmly said to Molly, "Since you're pointing fingers, I think you should know that it was Ben's fault why he canceled the wedding. Kayden and I only met yesterday. Please don't put all the blame on us."

Molly suddenly turned around and slapped Lilian in the face. "You bitch, you have no right to speak here!"

The sudden slap made Lilian have no time to avoid it. In an instant, there was a clear fivefinger print on her face. She could feel it immediately numbing her cheeks.

The pain made her bit her bottom lips and covered her burning face with her palm. She tried not to shed tears, but the sides of her eyes still warmed.

She hoped that now she had the same status as Molly, she would be treated decently. She guessed wrong.

Kayden frowned and looked at Lilian, who lowered her head and said nothing. His face immediately became brooding.

"What the fuck are you doing, Molly?! How could you treat my wife like this? I already warned you!"

"She's not your damn wife, Kayden!" Molly exclaimed in return and glared at Lily and Kayden. "I won't give my blessings to this marriage! If your mother is here, and even if our father, I'm sure they won't agree with you marrying this bitch!"

"Our marriage is already bound by law. You should apologize to my wife now, or else I will have to sue you for harassment." Kayden took out his phone and started to dial a certain number on the keypad.

"I'm waiting, Molly. You know me, I have no patience."

"What?" Molly looked at him in shock. "You mean you already filed for your marriage certification?"

"Forget it, honey; we're a family now. You don't have to sue your sister." Lilian glanced at Molly, glinting with revenge and hatred, and pushed Kayden to the living room.

"What did you just say?" Molly was about to say something more when messy and eager footsteps arrived at the door.

Everyone turned and found Benjamin standing by the door with his brother, Jack.

"Mom, Ben is here. He's okay." Jack's eyes fell on Kayden in the wheelchair, and then his curious eyes went to Lilian.

His mouth gaped. "Lily, I'm sorry. I hope you can still forgive Ben for abandoning you on your wedding day."

"Don't call me Lily. I'm your aunt now. You should address me accordingly," Lily said in a formal but low tone. However, instead of gazing at Jack, she looked straight at Benjamin.

"Aunt?" Jack asked in a whisper, his forehead knotted in confusion. Then, he turned to Molly. "What do you mean she's my aunt now?"

Molly, ignoring Jack's question, quickly walked toward her eldest son. She held his hand and stared. "Ben, tell Mom what's going on. What did this woman do? Did she cheat on you? That was why you broke the wedding off?"

Like Lilian, Benjamin had been staring at her since he came back. However, amongst guilt, he also felt puzzled. But after hearing what Lily said, he finally put two and two together and realized that Lily must have married his uncle, Kayden.

Benjamin frowned. "You married my uncle just to get revenge on me?"

Kayden didn't speak. His indifferent eyes swept over the faces of Benjamin, Jack, and Molly. Finally, he fixed his eyes on Lilian, who lowered her head. He tightened the hands that he put on the armrest of the wheelchair, his teeth gritting in anger.

Lilian closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. She didn't look up nor answer Benjamin's question.

She thought she could relieve her anger if she became Benjamin's aunt, but as soon as he appeared in front of her, she could barely speak to him. The heartbreak he brought her came back to her all over again, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Yes. The reason why she sought for another marriage partner at their failed wedding was so she could take her revenge on him. That was why she married Kayden without any hesitation. However, instead of the satisfaction she expected, she only felt worse.

Was it because the third party involved in his cheating was not a woman?

Benjamin grabbed her wrist directly because Lilian had not spoken for a while. "You've let me down, Lilian. Even if I can't marry you, you don't have to marry such a man! Do you want to be a maid for him all your life?" His tone was disapproving but tinged with obvious concern.

Concern?

Lilian couldn't help but mock herself. She shook her hand free from Benjamin's grasp and stared at him coldly. "Benjamin, I'm now your aunt. Please respect your uncle and me. You're acting worse than the disabled person himself. Although your uncle's legs are disabled, he's much better than your "disabled" heart!"

"Uncle?" Benjamin was stunned. He turned to Kayden and looked at him carefully.

Kayden raised his eyebrows. His lips' corners were turned into a light and uninhibited smile. "What is it, my nephew? Don't you recognize me?"

Benjamin's eyes widened. He asked, uncertain, "You're Uncle Kayden?"

Kayden restrained the smile that didn't reach the bottom of his eyes.

Molly went over to Jack's side and grabbed his arm. "He is. Ben, Jack, this is your Uncle Kayden. You left early yesterday, so we didn't get the chance to introduce him. Both of you, say hello to your uncle." she ordered.

The two brothers stared at Lilian and Kayden together, suddenly realizing something.

"My uncle married my sisterinlaw?" Jack, who was a straightforward person, asked directly. He was obviously surprised while Benjamin's brows furrowed. He threw Lilian a complicated look, then turned to the living room.

Kayden wheeled the wheelchair to Lilian, took her hand in his, and told Jack with a smile. "Jack, she's not your sisterinlaw. She's your auntinlaw."

"Oh! Okay, Uncle. I understand now." Jack was only an 18yearold and still more of a child than an adult. He easily accepted the situation. The complicated relationship between Lilian, his uncle, and his brother went over his head, so it was easy for him to change how he addressed Lilian. "Aunt!" He called her sweetly.

This "Aunt" made Lilian uncomfortable. She could feel the heat rise to her face, but still, she gritted her teeth and nodded to Jack. "Good boy!"

Molly was angry, but she was afraid that Kayden would reprimand her, so she endured the situation and walked over to help him push his wheelchair. "Come on, Kayden. Let's sit in the living room to talk."

Even if she hadn't seen her brother for more than ten years, she still heard a lot about his accomplishments in the United States. He didn't let his disability be an obstacle to his ambitions. It was stated that his current net worth had long exceeded that of her husband's.

She couldn't afford to offend such a brother. As for Lilian, she had to figure out what happened between her and her son!

In the living room, Martin spoke to Lilian gently. "Lily, why did Benjamin suddenly leave yesterday? You were so furious that you even looked for another marriage partner on the spot. Tell me everything. I'll help you punish Benjamin."

Benjamin did not hesitate to kneel down in front of his parents after he heard this. "Dad, Mom, it's all my fault. I fell in love with someone else, so I couldn't marry Lilian."

Lilian stared at his regretful appearance. She couldn't help but smile bitterly while thinking in her heart: Don't worry, Benjamin. You did such a disgraceful thing that I feel disgusted to even talk about it.

"Bastard! Why didn't you say it earlier? Is that the way we do things in the Holmes family? Just dump the bride and walk away from the wedding?" Martin slapped Benjamin so hard that he fell to the floor. There was even blood at the corner of his mouth.

Molly felt bad for her son and could not bear to look at him directly. But the expression on her face quickly changed from distress to joy.

She had objected to their marriage for so long, and her son finally figured it out. Although it was a little late, and he had to pay the price, as long as he didn't marry Lilian, he would have the opportunity to find a more eligible wife in the future. Wasn't that a better deal?

Kayden remained silent as he held Lilian's hand in his, indifferently watching his brotherinlaw educate his nephew.

Benjamin knelt again. He moved closer to his father and hugged his leg. He raised his head to him and begged. "Dad, Mom, although I did something sorry for Lilian, I don't want to see her unhappy. Please persuade my uncle not to marry her. The doctors had diagnosed his legs to be permanently disabled. He could never stand up again. How can he bring Lilian happiness? Uncle still retains the same habit from his youth and just wants to take everything from me!"

A cold smile slowly appeared on Kayden's lips. "Benjamin, aren't you disrespecting me a little too much by speaking ill of me in front of so many people?"

Benjamin stood up directly after hearing his uncle's words. He walked up to Kayden and asked with a frown, "Okay. You're indeed my uncle. I want to know… What's your intention? Even if Lilian was the one who proposed the marriage, as my uncle, you shouldn't have accepted. Besides, in your current state, you're not even a "man" now. Can you even make Lilian happy?"

"Shut up! How can you speak to your uncle like that!?" Martin rebuked his son angrily.

The expression on Kayden's handsome face increasingly turned gloomy, his dark eyes like a deep pool that hid all his emotions completely within them, making it difficult for the others to see through his thoughts clearly. They didn't even dare look at him. The atmosphere in the whole living room turned heavy in an instant.

Molly hurriedly turned to Benjamin. She winked at him. "Apologize to your uncle!"

Lilian's heart tightened in her chest. When did Benjamin become so cruel? He deserved to be taught a lesson by Martin.

Kayden let go of Lilian's hand and looked up at Benjamin, whose angry and contemptuous gaze was still on him. No one in the room could mistake the cold fury in Kayden's eyes.

He was about to speak, but Lilian preempted him. She turned to Benjamin almost instantly, without even thinking. "Benjamin! Why are you so stupid? The doctor said your uncle's legs couldn't be cured, so is there really no possible cure? Let me tell you, Kayden's legs are already recovering. And he has already regained the man's "ability." Not only that, but he is also very powerful and majestic in that area– even stronger than you!"

As her words drifted off, she only realized the nonsense she had spouted. She immediately bowed her head in embarrassment. She was so embarrassed that she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

In the Holmes family's eyes, Lilian was just a little shy. Their faces were showing different expressions.

Martin and Jack both had pleased expressions, while Molly's was pure disbelief. Only Benjamin stared at Kayden incredulously. "Is that true?"

"Of course!" Lilian immediately raised her face and answered him. She didn't dare look in Kayden's direction, but in her heart, she was secretly thinking: I'm sorry, honey, darling, master… I didn't mean to exaggerate anything. I just really couldn't stand Benjamin humiliating you in front of everybody because if he humiliates you, then he's also humiliating me!

Kayden was calm, but Jerry, who was standing by the door ready to serve him at any moment, couldn't help the slight trembling of his hands when he heard Lilian's declaration. He frowned. A touch of worry and helplessness appeared between his brows.

Master Kayden's little wife could really make up a lie! Wasn't she afraid that the Holmes family would really believe it?

"Lilian, I really misunderstood you!" Benjamin stared at Lillian with a mocking smile and then nodded. "Okay! Good! Since yesterday, I have felt a little guilty towards you, but since you have found happiness so quickly… I no longer need to feel guilty, let alone worry about you. I wish you happiness!"

With that, he threw one last resentful glance at Kayden, turned, and stormed toward the door.

"Wait!" Kayden stopped him. When Benjamin did pause in his steps, he wheeled the wheelchair over to him. His lips turned up into a smile. "Ben, thank you for giving me such a great woman as Lilian. Starting today, Lilian is the official wife of the HM Group Chairman, not the Holmes Group.

When he heard this, Benjamin, who had his back on everybody, suddenly turned around to face them again. "You're the Chairman of HM Group?"

Martin was also surprised to hear this. He came over to them and sat down on the sofa in front of Kayden before asking him, "The HM Group, which had acquired several large groups after it had just entered JC City… Is it yours? Are you planning to stay this time?"

Kayden glanced at Benjamin, who was full of questions, before he turned to Martin with a smile. "Why? My brotherinlaw doesn't want to welcome me back?"

"How could it be! You had an accident back then. You have been in the United States for so many years to cure your illness. Now that you're back, I am naturally happy! Do my fatherinlaw and Aunt Mary know that you've already returned?" Martin became even more ecstatic. He excitedly grabbed Kayden's hand.

"My parents have been living peacefully in Europe these past few years. I don't want to disturb them. I'll tell them I'm back once I'm settled in JY City." Kayden replied.

Benjamin saw his father and uncle having a pleasant chat. He frowned at Lillian, turned, and walked away.

"I'm going to cook. Kayden, stay and have lunch here today!" Molly said. After she heard that Kayden was the Chairman of HM Group, the smile on her face had not disappeared. "Jack, go and call my sisterinlaw, Daisy. I'll make the arrangements for the meal for your uncle," she ordered his younger son.

"No need, Jack." Kayden waved to Jack and said to his sister, "Molly, I just brought Lily with me to see you today. We won't be staying for lunch. I'll be the host another day and invite you and my brotherinlaw."

With that, he turned and held out his hand to Lilian. Lilian hurriedly walked over and accepted his hand. Her head was bowed.

After all, in the Holmes family, only Benjamin had hurt her. Now, she felt a little awkward in front of the rest of his family.

Kayden gripped Lilian's hand in one of his and wrapped the other around her waist. He was looking at her with a fond smile on his lips. "Now that it's official, I think it's time that we confirm our new relationship. Mrs. Brown, why don't you greet my sister and her husband?

His eyes looked affectionate. For a moment, Lilian felt as if their marriage was real, that they were indeed a couple–a real one, and not something they really were fake.

Lilian couldn't help but admire Kayden's acting skills. She almost fell for it. After a pause, she nodded to Molly and Martin. "Sister, Brotherinlaw!"

"Sisterinlaw," Molly responded reluctantly. Her expression immediately turned angry and dissatisfied the moment her brother's gaze left her.

"Well, well! You're a good girl, Lily. Our family owes you, but Kayden is also a responsible man. I wish the two of you all the happiness you deserve!" Martin told Lilian sincerely.

He knew about Lilian because several department managers of their company had openly praised her ability in front of him. Giving her up was Benjamin's loss. Fortunately, Kayden arrived just in time to marry her. He was relieved that it was him instead of someone else.

"Thank you, Brotherinlaw!" Lilian felt uncomfortable and stared down at her feet.

Although Molly hadn't liked her, Martin had always supported her relationship, even her marriage, with Benjamin. He was supposed to be her fatherinlaw, but unexpectedly, in a blink of an eye, he became her brotherinlaw instead.

After leaving the Holmes family home, Lilian sat in the car without saying a word for a long time. She gazed out the window with a dull look in her eyes. She was thinking about the confrontation she had had with Benjamin earlier and couldn't help but become more and more confused when suddenly, a lazy voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Lilian was startled to hear this question. She slowly turned to its source.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked like that about your body in front of Benjamin to…." She apologized sincerely. Her head was bowed, and her hands were fidgeting nervously on her lap.

Kayden raised an eyebrow. "Do you think it's a pity?"

"Huh?" Lilian didn't understand what he was referring to and raised her eyes to look at him.

"Do you think it's a pity that I have this defect?" Kayden's expression was neutral, but his eyes had a strange glint. His smile was unfathomable.

Lilian quickly shook her head, and a pretty blush rose on her cheeks. "NNo, no– I don't think so! I just… I'm just angry at what Benjamin said…."

"So you used me without my consent?" He interrupted her garbled explanation. There was a faint melancholy between his eyebrows, which showed his unhappiness.

"I'm sorry!" Lilian bit her lower lip. Without explaining herself further, she bowed her head again.

"You don't want my legs to get better?" Kayden raised a hand and touched her face gently. His thumb and forefinger skimmed down to her chin to tilt it up, forcing her to look at him. "If you tell the truth, I'll forgive you."

Lilian stared at the handsome face close to hers and blushed even more. She gazed into his deep eyes and nodded immediately. "Of course! I hope your legs will get better!"

In the back of her mind, she was also thinking secretly: At least if you get better, I won't have to help you take a bath anymore!

"Then you're not afraid," he said with a devilish smirk, "that I'll ask you to fulfill your obligations as a wife once I'm healed?"

"What?" Lilian was astounded, but a slow smile drew on her lips when she saw the interest in his eyes. "As long as you're completely healed, I'll fulfill my obligations and duties as your wife. Anyway, we already have our certificate. We're a legal couple."

How could a person who had been paralyzed from the waist down and who could only sit in a wheelchair be healed so quickly? Since he wanted to tease her, then she could only tease him back! Catering to his whims could be regarded as her apology to him!

He used his index finger to slide slowly across her smooth cheek and gave a low chuckle. "Okay. I'll remember that."

His words reminded Lilian that Molly had slapped her.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt…." Lilian avoided his eyes and muttered in a low voice, "Besides, she's your sister. If I had slapped her, then wouldn't you have helped her slap me back?"

Kayden took his hand back. "In my belief, there is only right or wrong, good or bad, regardless of my relationship to the people involved."

Lilian didn't believe his highsounding reason. "Then why didn't you help me slap her back earlier?" she retorted.

Although it could be seen that Molly had always admired and respected Kayden, they were still brother and sister after all.

And she was just an outsider who had only known him for a day. If they didn't get a marriage certificate to fulfill a stipulation of their contract, they wouldn't have anything to do with each other at all.

"I don't like to use force to solve my problems. I prefer to see the other party beg for my forgiveness rather than force them to apologize." Kayden's smile was meaningful. "If you encounter this situation again in the future, I hope it's not you who will suffer a loss. I don't want others to think I married a stupid wife."

"Oh." Lilian pursed her lips. So he meant he was afraid that his wife would disgrace him?

Kayden shook his head helplessly. "You should stay at home and rest until your face recovers. I have something I need to do and will be gone for a few days. I hope that when I return, the redness on your cheek and the wound in your heart have already healed so you can be my wife wholeheartedly."

Lilian was surprised to hear that he would be gone for days. "Where are you going?"

It wasn't the only surprise she was feeling. There was also great joy. If he was away, then didn't that mean she could have a holiday all to herself? That she didn't need to serve him or face him awkwardly?

Kayden immediately caught the ecstatic expression on her face. He frowned and asked unhappily, "So excited? Is it because you don't like being with me, or are you just afraid of being with me?"

"Me? Excited? No way!" Lilian denied it immediately. "I'm just concerned about where you're going. If someone asks where my husband has gone, I can't say 'I don't know,' right?"

Kayden didn't expose her true thoughts. He only said faintly, "I'm headed to Japan for a contract signing. I was planning to take you with me, but the schedule is tight, and if I take a woman with me, there's bound to be some trouble. You'll have to remain at home and rest, instead. We can go on our honeymoon when I get back."

Lilian's eyes widened. She glared at him, her eyes showing a mix of shock and anger.

She was angry, not only because of the part where he said, "There will be trouble if I take a woman with me," but also because of the word "honeymoon," which was actually the more frightening prospect for her.

"We're going on a honeymoon? I don't think it's necessary. We're just a fake couple anyway!" She told him with a smile.

Marrying a man she didn't love was her boldest thing ever. Going on a honeymoon with her husband, who was also her honey, was, of course, a "honeymoon," but if it was with a fake husband, should it still be called the same? Shouldn't it be called a… "sham moon"?

"Mrs. Brown, it seems like I need to stress the fact that we are legal husband and wife. There is nothing fake about it. If you don't want to have a honeymoon, then I won't force you, but our marriage agreement will be extended to three years." Kayden raised an eyebrow at her and added lightly, "You can choose which one you prefer."

"You…!" Lilian was irritated but finally swallowed her words and turned away angrily.

What she really wanted to say was, Is your Brown family really in the habit of making such boring, unequal treaties?

Nevermind. She shouldn't quarrel with a disabled person. Fine! She would go on a honeymoon with him. She would just treat it like an ordinary vacation where she could relax!

Kayden glanced at the woman who was sulking in her seat. A smile faintly appeared on the corners of his lips.

He needed to set out with Jerry that afternoon. Lilian got out of the car when they reached their villa. It was obvious that she couldn't wait to wave goodbye to him.

Kayden frowned. "Is that how you say goodbye to your husband?"

Lilian hurriedly put down her hands which already ached from her enthusiastic waving. "How should I say goodbye to you then? Farewell? Sayonara?"

Kayden scowled. He pointed to his face and told her in body language: What do you think?

Lilian was dumbfounded. It took a moment before she realized what he wanted her to do. Her face flamed. She took a quick glance at the servants who were doing their work around the villa and then made her decision.

She gritted her teeth and bowed her head to his level. Her eyes closed, and she was ready to kiss his cheek quickly to get it over.

But things didn't often go according to plan. Kayden suddenly turned to her. He reached out, took her face in his hands, and then kissed her full on the lips without hesitation.

Lilian felt soft lips touch hers, and a faint mint fragrance wafted her nose. Her eyes opened wide in an instant, and she saw the face that was really, really close. The man's deep, dark eyes were staring directly at her, twinkling with pride and strong interest. She could feel him smile against her lips.

She immediately realized that she had been tricked. She was about to shove him away, but he released her first, gently pushing her away at a safe distance so he could close the car door. His smile had turned smug. "Goodbye, honey."

When Lilian came back to her senses, the arrogant black Bentley had already driven far. Lilian caught a glimpse of some of the female servants giggling amongst each other. She could feel the redness of her face spreading down to her neck. She buried her face in her hands and ran inside her room.

That afternoon, Lilian hid in her bedroom to watch the film about her wedding day. She screenshotted several scenes and asked Emma to help her get them developed.

The photos were mainly a couple of photos of her and Kayden where only the upper half of their bodies were visible. With her slightly squatting beside him so they could be on the same eye level, it wasn't obvious that he was in a wheelchair.

Looking through the photos, she smiled in satisfaction. She took a pen and wrote a few lines behind some of them: "Mom, Dad, this is your soninlaw. Isn't he handsome? After a few days, I'll take him home to meet you."