Chapter 2

Cantrell Group had recently faced a financial crisis, with cash flow issues creating a significant hole. If the situation continued, Cantrell Group was certain to go bankrupt. At this critical moment, Osbert from Ferguson Group proposed a deal. If Edric could marry off a daughter of the Cantrell family to him, he would help cover the financial shortfall. Faye grew up under the care of the family, so Edric was reluctant to part with her, and Zelda was already engaged to Virgil. Hence, a compromise needed to be made. Edric planned for Virgil to break off his engagement with Zelda and marry Faye, while Zelda would marry Osbert. Zelda clenched her fists in anger. She hadn't expected Edric to be so ruthless, showing no regard for their father-daughter relationship and treating her as a mere business transaction. "Absolutely not!" Zelda's voice was rigid. She was raised by her grandfather, Harlan Cantrell. This so-called father had never invested any effort into her upbringing. If it weren't for Harlan's illness, requiring Edric to finance his care, she would never be living in the Cantrell residence. Hearing her refusal, Edric sneered and said, "Zelda, don't forget that your grandfather is still in the hospital, and I'm paying for his care." Though he didn't spell it out clearly, Edric's words were laced with a threat. Zelda was incredulous that he would use Harlan to blackmail her. She said, "My grandpa is your biological father too. Do you not feel like a monster for using him to threaten me?" Edric was exceedingly vain. He pretended to be noble while being selfish and self-serving behind the scenes. His face reddened with anger as he shouted, "Zelda, how dare you speak to your father like this?" Turning his back, Edric declared that he had no desire for pointless arguments. "Go stay in your room. Tomorrow, Mr. Ferguson will come to propose. Make sure you look presentable and prepare to marry him. The Ferguson family is wealthy, so marrying him isn't exactly a hardship." The reasoning was as hypocritical as it was outrageous. Zelda felt a bitter laugh rising within her. This father, who had never cared for her, was now setting her up with a man in his 40s as her fiancé. It was absurd—utterly absurd. But with her grandfather's hospital expenses in Edric's control, Zelda couldn't openly resist. She feared that Edric, this monster, might harm Harlan if she did. Zelda took a deep breath, remaining silent as she turned and walked back to her room. Not long after she returned to her room, her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the screen and saw an unfamiliar number. She was a bit curious, but she still answered the call. "If there's anything going on at your home, you can tell me." A deep, resonant male voice came through as soon as she answered the call. Zelda recognized the voice as belonging to Damian, her so-called husband. Although she didn't know how Damian had gotten her number, Zelda couldn't help but give a wry smile. "It's nothing…" "Your voice doesn't sound like it's nothing," Damian replied, his tone calm and probing. The Cantrell family's issues were convoluted and deep-rooted. With Ferguson Group's considerable influence in Phoypolis, even if Damian wanted to help, there was little he could do. "You're just a male escort. What can you do to help? You should take care of yourself first," Zelda said, feeling a dull ache in her head. She had ended up marrying a male escort, and now, she felt regretful. "Male escort?" Damian's voice rose slightly, and he suddenly found it amusing. "Do you think I'm a male escort?" Zelda answered vaguely, "What else could you be? You're so handsome, and you were in a bar. If you're not a male escort, what are you? With your looks and figure, you must be a top escort." Damian's amusement grew as he listened to Zelda label him as a male escort. He chuckled softly and replied slowly, "Well, even if I'm a male escort, we're married now. If you have any troubles, you can talk to me." Zelda shook her head and replied, "No, it's fine. Just take care of yourself. My family's situation is complicated, and I can handle it myself." Their marriage happened by chance, and she didn't want Damian to worry about her family's problems. After finishing her sentence, Zelda hung up the call. Damian looked at the disconnected call with raised eyebrows, finding Zelda's price amusing. Beside him, Warren Frazier leaned in with a smirk and looked at him. "Who's that? Is it that woman who insisted on marrying you?" Remembering the scene from the previous night, Warren couldn't help but smile. It was rare to see his friend in an awkward situation. "Yeah." Damian nodded in response. Warren leaned in with a curious and teasing look, his eyes lingering on Damian. "In the end, wasn't it that woman who took you away? So, did anything happen? Besides, hasn't your grandmother been pressuring you about marriage? Why not just go along with it? At least she's good-looking and has a certain charm." Warren's voice was filled with teasing. Damian picked up his water, sipped it slowly, and then responded in a calm voice, "Yes, we've already got our marriage certificate." Warren sprayed his tea everywhere, coughing. He stared at Damian in shock. He clearly couldn't believe what he had just heard. "You… You… must be crazy," he finally managed to say after a long pause. Warren wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his brows furrowing slightly. "Damian, your family is prestigious. You just casually married a woman like that? What if she's after your money—" Before Warren could finish, Damian interrupted him, "She doesn't know. She thinks I'm a male escort from the bar." Warren was stunned into silence. The head of Munoz Group was mistaken for a male escort. The Munoz family was one of the top business tycoon families in the world. … Meanwhile, at the Cantrell residence, Faye strode into Zelda's room with an air of superiority. Crossing her arms and snorting, she asked, "Zelda, were you being supported by a man last night?" After returning to her room, Faye couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. When Zelda came back, she was dropped off in a Maybach. Faye wondered if she somehow latched onto a wealthy man last night. Faye was resentful. Despite having been raised in the countryside, Zelda was constantly compared to Faye once she returned to the Cantrell residence. The result was that Zelda always seemed to outshine her. Now that Faye had finally managed to get engaged to Virgil, she couldn't let Zelda find an even more powerful match. Zelda didn't want to engage with her. She attempted to bypass Faye and turned to leave. But Faye grabbed her and spoke in an aggressive tone, "Zelda! Anyone who can afford a Maybach in Phoypolis is usually older. How shameless can you be to climb into his bed? "Fortunately, Virgil broke off the engagement with you. Otherwise, he would've been disgusted by you." Hearing Faye bring up Virgil with such audacity, Zelda couldn't help but sneer. "Faye, how pure do you think you are? Virgil was my fiancé, and you shamelessly got involved with him. Don't you think you're disgusting?" Faye's face turned red with shame. Clenching her fists, she glared at Zelda with hostility and shouted, "Virgil and I are in love. Who do you think you are? You're just a country bumpkin, but you dare to criticize me." After hurling insults, Faye's anger subsided a bit. She exhaled and raised her chin, suddenly asking, "By the way, Zelda, do you know why Dad is marrying you off to Osbert?"