Chapter 1

Florivera was located in the south, and during summertime, the intense sun seemed to sear everything in sight. Abigail had requested half a day off from work, and with her birth certificate in her bag, she hopped into a taxi and headed toward the Dracothon district registry. Abigail knew that her grandmother, Cassandra Clare, still harbored resentment about what had happened three years ago. Cassandra felt guilty of not being able to protect Abigail, which had led to her reputation being utterly ruined and unable to return home. She was also worried that as she aged, she wouldn't be able to continue taking care of Abigail as she wished. And that was why she enlisted the help of her friend, Margaret, who happened to have an unmarried grandson. The older generation believed that a woman's best future was marriage, as long as she could find someone who would marry her. But Abigail had experienced something unpleasant three years prior and, coupled with the numerous cases of failed marriages around her, she didn't have any high expectations for her own marriage. She believed that if she found someone suitable, then marriage would be a viable option, but if not, she was content with being single her whole life. Despite this, Abigail agreed to marry Margaret's grandson to put Cassandra's mind at ease. Abigail arrived at her destination in no time. As she got off the car, she saw a tall man standing at the entrance of the registration hall. The man wore a simple white shirt and black pants, yet his appearance was too dazzling that passing women couldn't help but sneak a glance at him. He was on the phone, not bothering to look around. Abigail took out her phone and looked at the picture Cassandra had sent her. She thought, 'This man should be the one in the photo, but he looks even better in person.' Abigail walked toward him, and as she approached, the man put away his phone and asked, "Are you Abigail?" Not only did he look handsome, but his voice was also pleasant to the ears. Abigail nodded and asked, "You must be Nathan?" Nathan Hart nodded and turned to walk into the registration hall. Nathan had long legs and walked fast, so Abigail had to jog to keep up with him. Abigail said, "Um, do you want to reconsider?" Nathan stopped walking, checked his watch, and asked, "Do you have any concerns?" Abigail wondered if he knew her well or knew about her past. But then she thought, 'He's probably in the same boat as me, forced by his elders to marry me due to societal expectations. We don't need to understand each other. I only know that he is Margaret's grandson, Cassandra's friend, and I don't even know what he does for a living.' Abigail shook her head and said, "Let's go." It didn't take long for Abigail and Nathan to obtain their marriage license as there were only a few people getting married that day. As Abigail looked at the freshly printed marriage certificate, she felt a sense of unreality wash over her. Nathan handed her a bank card and said, "I'm really busy with work lately and don't have time to be with you. Take this card, the pin code is 'six six six'. You can spend the money in it however you like." Abigail paused for a moment, taken aback. But before she could say anything, Nathan had hopped into an MPV parked by the roadside and driven away. She looked down at the bank card in her hand and felt a sense of unease. She worked at the Zane Corporation branch and owned a comic studio with her best friend. Her income was more than enough to support her own lifestyle, and she had never thought of relying on a man's money. Abigail's ideal marriage was a loveless one, where she and her partner would just go through the motions to satisfy their families. But if Nathan was willing to build a life with her, she would put in the effort to make it work. Once she had made up her mind, Abigail took a photo of their marriage certificate and sent it to Cassandra, saying, "Grandma, we finished the paperwork." Cassandra responded quickly with a voice message, "That's great, sweetie. You and Nathan should build a happy life together and have a baby soon." Abigail replied with a simple "Yes," but inside, she felt suffocated. It seemed like society always pressured women to get married and then have children. They couldn't have a life of their own. However, even though Abigail got married, her life remained the same as when she was single. After getting their marriage license, Nathan didn't keep in touch with Abigail. Her life went on without any change, as she worked tirelessly day and night. A year had passed in the blink of an eye, and now the hottest season of the year had arrived. This year, due to her outstanding performance at work, Abigail had been transferred to the secretary office at Zane Corporation's headquarters. Xander Zane, the CEO of Zane Corporation, had returned after a year abroad, and everyone at the company was nervous, especially Abigail, who had the possibility of being transferred to work by the CEO's side. Just as the people in the CEO's office were eagerly waiting, the door of the CEO's private elevator opened, and two men and a woman walked out of it. The man at the front was wearing silver-rimmed glasses, was over six feet tall, had a good physique, and a good-looking face. Abigail felt familiar with him and couldn't help but look at him a little longer. "Abigail, that's Mr. Zane." Colleague Luna Saun whispered in Abigail's ear, "There was a girl in our secretary office who had a crush on Mr. Zane and got fired." Abigail had only been at headquarters for a short time and had yet to see the CEO. But when she finally laid eyes on him, she was taken aback by his exceptional looks and physique. Feeling a bit flustered, Abigail began to explain herself, but was interrupted by a cold snicker from behind. "Well, well, well," said David Cooper, the colleague who kept hindering her at work ever since he had been rejected by her. "Looks like someone's trying to aim a little too high." Abigail had never had any unrealistic fantasies, and she didn't want to bother with such mischievous people. However, David thought he had guessed Abigail's thoughts and continued taunting her, "Nowadays, women are too picky. As long as they have some looks, they fantasize about marrying into wealthy families." "What marrying into a wealthy family?" Xander's personal assistant, Cleona Sander, walked over and gave the three of them a cold glance. "Abigail, Luna, David, come with me to the CEO's office." Cleona was an old-timer in the company, having previously worked alongside the former CEO, and had been with Xander for years now. She was being relocated to the West, and her position needed to be filled. Abigail and the other two were among the cream of the crop, having been selected through rounds of selections, and it was up to the CEO to decide who would replace Cleona. They arrived at the CEO's office, which was simply yet elegantly decorated, with a 180-degree floor-to-ceiling window providing a view of half of Florivera. The man known as Mr. Zane was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, standing tall and noble in front of the expansive window. Cleona respectfully announced, "Mr. Zane, everyone is here." The man turned around and looked at them, and even though he hadn't done anything, his powerful presence was evident. No one dared to breathe heavily in his presence. David took a step forward and said, "Mr. Zane, I'm David Cooper. I've been working in the CEO's office for five years. My uncle, Jerick Cooper, wants me to say hello to you." The man glanced at David, and although his gaze didn't change, those who knew him knew that he didn't like this kind of networking. He looked at Luna, who immediately lifted her chin and said, "Mr. Zane, my name is Luna Saun. I've been working in the CEO's office for three years." She tried to appear confident and poised, but her trembling voice betrayed her nervousness. The man finally looked toward Abigail, and she met his gaze. This time, they were closer and Abigail could see his perfectly chiseled face even more clearly. It felt like she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't quite remember. Little did she know, Xander Zane was none other than Nathan Hart, her absent husband whom she had only encountered on their marriage registration day. At the time of Nathan's birth, the Zane Corporation was mired in internal turmoil, and to protect the family's sole heir, they gave him two identities. While publicly known as Xander Zane, he went by his given name, Nathan, with his grandmother's surname, Hart, in his daily life, a fact only privy to the Zane family.