Chapter 2 Marriage

Everyone turned their heads around when they heard the deep voice. A middle-aged man in a well-pressed suit was standing outside of the ward. “Hold on for a second. Who did you say you’re looking for?” asked Lily, her voice sharp as she stood in front of Madison. “I’m looking for Ms. Madison Campbell,” the middle-aged man replied calmly while he fixed his gaze on Madison, whose face was partly blocked by Lily. Lily squinted and said, “I see… So, you’re with this girl. You want to save her, right? “Bah! In your dreams! I’ll make it very clear now. No matter who you are, even if you’re God himself, no one can take this b*tch today! You—” Before Lily could finish her sentence, a few bodyguards threw her out of the ward alongside the ruffians she had brought with her. They then tied them all up and kicked them out of the hospital. Madison was dumbfounded. The middle-aged man approached her without haste and asked, “You are Ms. Campbell, right?” “Yeah…” answered Madison. She still could not quite catch on to what just happened. The middle-aged man smilingly continued. “That’s great! I’ve finally found you, Ms. Campbell. Please come with me. My master wishes to see you.” - Meanwhile, the first thing Madison’s uncle saw when he arrived at the hospital was his wife getting thrown out of the hospital. “Honey, what happened?” “What happened? This is all your ungrateful niece’s fault! I warn you, Sean. Stop talking on her behalf!” As she was venting her spleen at her husband, a fiery red sports car stopped in front of them. A woman wearing designer clothes in high heels asked as she got out of the car, “Dad, Mom, what are you guys doing here? Where is Madison? Did she give us the money back?” She was Sean and Lily’s daughter, Vivian Peterson. Lily’s expression changed when she saw her daughter. “They’ve already used up all the money, but don’t worry. Look at what I’ve gotten for you, Viv!” said Lily triumphantly as she took out the necklace she had snatched from Madison—a diamond-encrusted ring. “Where did you get this from, Mom?” “I ripped it off from that b*tch’s neck,” said Lily, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. “She lied to us and made us pay for her mother’s medical bills for a week, so I took this ring from her as our compensation!” “This ring looks so pretty. Mom, I like it!” “Take it if you like it!” said Lily as she handed the ring to her daughter without any hesitation. Vivian took over the ring, and a smile appeared on her face. She knew that Madison’s things were always the best. Fortunately, the Campbells had abandoned Jasmine and Madison, otherwise she would always be inferior to Madison in every way. However, she realized the ring was loose, and it seemed to her that it was a ring for men. She had no choice but to learn from Madison and wear the ring like a necklace. - Half an hour later. Madison was taken to the top floor of a luxury office building downtown. She had not set foot into such a fancy place ever since her parents had gotten a divorce—she and her mother had been kicked out of their family to depend on others for a living. When Madison was downstairs, she saw that all the people who came in and out of this building were dressed professionally. Madison felt like a little ant that nobody cared about compared to those people. Even the glass in front of her looked more valuable and cleaner than her. Madison felt that she was filthy… Upon thinking of how she had been pinned against the door by that tall stranger a week ago, Madison clenched her fists together nervously. She did not even know the man who had taken her virginity. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over Madison, blocking the light above her. She was stunned for a moment. Then, she slowly raised her head, and the moment she met the newcomer’s gaze, it felt like she had been pulled into a bottomless pool of darkness by an inexorable force. A tall man with very refined features stood before her. His face was set in harsh lines as he looked emotionlessly at her. All he did was just stand there, and her heartbeat increased suddenly as she felt suppressed by his strong presence. She did not know why, but she was scared of the man in front of her. However, at the same time, she somewhat felt that she had seen him somewhere before. That being said, Madison soon discarded the thought. After all, she would never forget about him if they had met each other before. “Ahem…” Madison cleared her throat and sat up straight. “Sir… Are you the one who wants to see me?” Madison asked as she looked at the man with a sincere expression. Even though one side of her cheeks was swollen up, her eyes were clear and bright. In a way, she felt that she had to thank the man in front of her. After all, if he hadn't sent the middle-aged man to her, Lily would definitely not have let go of her so easily. Apparently, the man did not expect such a question from her. He raised his eyebrows and started observing the woman sitting before him. When he saw her swollen cheek, his gaze stayed there for a moment before he asked in a deep, magnetic voice, “What’s the matter? Are you going to pretend that you don’t know me now?” Madison was stunned by the question for a moment as she replied, “Have you gotten the wrong person, sir? I really don’t know who you are…” ‘Who does he think he is? Money? Why does he sound like everyone has to know who he is?’ Madison thought inwardly. She was certain she had never seen him before. The man lowered his gaze, looking at the confused Madison with an apathetic expression. The woman before him was pretty. Her hair was dark, her nose was delicate, and her lips were rosy. She had a palm-sized face, and despite her swelling cheek, she still looked stunning. Especially her eyes, they looked like they could speak. They were liquid and reminded him of the innocent eyes of a deer. Allen Whitlock’s face sank. ‘What a shame…’ “If you don't know me, then why did you approach my grandfather? What do you expect to get from him? Anyway, that's not the main point here. Name your price. How much do I need to pay you to play the role of my wife in front of my grandfather?” the man said as he took his phone out to transfer her the money. Madison was dumbfounded. Even though she was grateful to him for helping her out earlier, she would never allow him to humiliate her this way. “Sir, I think there's nothing for us to talk about. I'm leaving now,” she said angrily. “Madison Campbell, 22 years old. You were expelled from your university about a year ago for your promiscuity. You come from a wealthy family, yet you went to an old people's home to be a caretaker for a cranky old man.” Allen’s indifferent voice rang out before she could stand up. “Ms. Campbell, do you really think I'd believe in you when you said you don't have an ulterior motive to approach my grandfather?” ‘He investigated me!? Hold on for a moment.’ Understanding instantly dawned upon Madison as she shouted, “You’re Mr. Richardson’s grandson!?” “Yes, I am. Don’t tell me that you just realized it?” Allen said mockingly as he sat on the couch in front of her. He crossed his legs, placed his fingers on the arm of the couch, and looked at her coldly. “Anyway, long story short, I’ll give you $4,000 per month. All I ask is that you pretend to be my wife in front of my grandfather. How does that sound?” Madison looked at Allen in surprise. ‘He wants me to be his wife? Does he know what he’s talking about?’ “Sir, I know that there are some misunderstandings between you two. You need to trust me that I didn’t become Mr. Richardson’s caretaker just to become your wife. I—” “$7,000. Madison, this is the best offer I can give to you. Although we don’t lack money, you should know that you don't deserve this price with your past.” Madison’s blood turned cold when she heard what Allen said. Her brain buzzed, and a lump formed in her throat. It took her a few seconds to calm down. She then said, “I’m sorry. I’m not interested in being involved in your and Mr. Richardson’s affairs. I’m leaving now.” Madison did not want to stay there any longer. She took her purse and turned around. “After we get the marriage certificate, I’ll give you another $150,000. When we get a divorce in the future, I’ll give you an apartment based on your performance. In the meantime, I’ll give you an extra $7,000 as your allowance every month.” Madison stopped in her tracks. ‘$150,000…’ That was exactly the amount of money she needed for her mother’s operation. If she had the money, her mother could undergo the operation right away. “I don’t want the others…” Madison looked back, her eyes wet with tears. “I can marry you right away, but I want the $150,000 in my account before the bank closes today!” - One hour later, Madison emerged from the city hall. She looked at the money in her bank account and hurriedly went to the hospital to pay for her mother’s medical expenses so that her mother could undergo the operation right away. Allen was a tad slower than Madison. She had already walked away when he came out of the city hall. There was no expression on his face as he gazed at her distant receding figure. Initially, he thought Madison would move straight into his house and start to enjoy a lavish life after becoming his wife. After all, he firmly believed that was the sole reason she had approached his grandfather. However, never did he expect that she would leave without telling him anything. At the same time, the voice of one of his subordinates rang out behind him. “Sir, we found the woman from The Nyx a week ago. She just showed up at a jewelry store wearing the ring you left for her.”