Chapter 1

"Now that you're leaving the mountains, take care of yourself, Lina." "You don't have to give all your scholarship funds to Beacon Elementary School, Lina. You're going to study in Cyntia, and it's nothing like our life in the mountains. I heard the tuition, food, and rent are all really expensive there." In a remote mountain village, the humble villagers bid farewell to a gorgeous young woman. She had the standard look of someone strapped for cash, wearing a white T-shirt and washed-out jeans. Her long hair was in a high ponytail, and she had big eyes and a perky nose. With a touch of baby fat on her delicate face, she looked pretty and adorable. Carrying a big backpack and all sorts of luggage, Melina Crawford got on the bus heading to the city. She sat by the window, waving to everyone with a bright smile. "Alright, you all should go back now. Make sure to tell the principal to keep the school running. The kids need education. After I make some money from work, I'll send it to the school." Melina was raised in the mountains. After being accepted into a university in Cyntia, she was finally leaving her village. Even though it was still early before the university started, Melina was in a hurry to get to Cyntia to meet Wallace Wentworth, who had been supporting her education all these years. And when she was there, she had to marry his good-for-nothing grandson. … Melina wanted to save money, so she spent three days and two nights on an uncomfortable train seat to reach Cyntia. At the agreed-upon location, Melina spotted Wallace in his suit, looking just as kind as she had imagined. Wallace beamed and asked, "Are you really saying yes to marrying my hopeless grandson, Lina?" Without a second thought, Melina confidently patted her chest and replied, "Yup." Melina had seriously thought over it. She believed in repaying the kindness she had received. Wallace had been helping the kids in the mountains to get an education for decades, and Melina was one of them. There was no question she needed to return the huge favor. Wallace always complained about having a disappointing grandson. He was 28 years old but still not married, which made him look pretty sad. So, Melina decided to help Wallace out. Anyway, the people in her village got married after just being introduced to each other and meeting once. From her perspective, two people getting married without knowing each other wasn't a big deal. Wallace liked Melina more and more as he looked at her. Over the years of helping the kids in the mountains, he had watched her grow up to be kind, sincere, beautiful, and a brilliant student. Without hesitation, Wallace said, "Since you have agreed, we might as well get the marriage certificate today, Lina." "Wait, today?" "That's right. Let's make it happen today." It took Wallace a lot of effort to coerce his grandson into agreeing to the marriage, so he wanted to get everything sorted out to avoid any complications. … Half an hour later, Melina arrived at the entrance of the courthouse. She finally met Andrew Wentworth, the grandson Wallace had always labeled as a failure. Melina went into a daze. Shouldn't a loser look like an average Joe who couldn't do anything right in the village? Why was Andrew so charming? In all the villages on the mountain, Melina had never come across a man this attractive. His hair even seemed to glimmer, but his expression looked grim. Melina politely smiled at Andrew. With a presence that warned the others to stay away, Andrew looked at Melina with a mix of scrutiny and disdain. What a cunning woman. How did she get Wallace to force him into a marriage? With Wallace hurrying them, Andrew and Melina walked inside the courthouse. Sensing Andrew's impatience, the staff member in the courthouse couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure you want to get a marriage certificate?" Andrew coldly looked at the staff member, and the latter flinched at his gaze. With a snap, the official stamp was pressed onto the marriage certificate.