Chapter 3

Right as she was about to get into the car, a few bodyguards in black suits blocked her. "Are you Alexia Vega?" She nodded, stunned. "That's me. What's wrong?" The leader continued, "And is Christine Jordan your mother?" Alexia nodded once more. "Please get into the Reeds' car. You will be sent to the Reed residence." Alexia was dumbstruck. Before she could react, they took her toward the Reeds' cars. "What are you doing? That's my bride!" Carter ran up to them, wanting to grab her, but the bodyguards pushed him to the ground. When Hailey saw that the guards were taking Alexia to the car, she hitched up her skirt and ran over in a hurry, screaming, "You're mistaken! There's been a mistake! I'm the Reeds' new wife!" However, the guards ignored her. Hailey was panicking. She pounded on the windows like a mad woman. "Are you deaf? The one that Mr. Reed wants to marry is me! She's Carter Walsh's bride!" The car began moving forward. Hailey was jerked back, and she fell to the ground. Her makeup was tear-streaked. Bobby and Maya were greeting guests. When they heard the commotion, they rushed over. The couple held Hailey's arms. "How could this happen? What was wrong? Why did the Reeds take Alexia instead?" All of their relatives knew that Hailey wanted to marry the Reeds. Yet, here she was, sitting on the ground in her wedding dress after being abandoned. Hailey was utterly humiliated. Her tears and snot rolled down her face. "I have no idea!" "What are you sitting down there for? Call him!" Hailey called his number, but she was greeted with his voicemail instead. … An hour later, the car stopped at the Reed residence. It was a luxurious house with a fountain out front, like a palace. Alexia was brought into the living room. An old man sat on a mahogany chair. When he saw her, he waved at her with a smile. "You must be Alexia. Come, let me have a look at you." Alexia was still in a daze. "Who are you?" "Your grandfather and I are close friends. 60 years ago, I was in a village when the road collapsed and my car was sent rolling down the mountain. It was your grandfather who saved me." Alexia was still puzzled. "What does that have to do with bringing me here?" Victor Reed chuckled and said, "Your grandfather took great care of me for a month. We grew very close. Then, we decided that we would marry our grandchildren to each other. Once your grandfather died, I lost contact with your family until your mother called me yesterday. That's how I found you. "I brought you here today because I want you to marry my grandson. That is both my wish and your grandfather's, as well as your mother's." Upon hearing that, Alexia's chest heaved. She'd never heard her mother bring this up. Her mother must have found out that she was going to marry Carter Walsh and come up with this idea to help her. Alexia called Christine quickly. "Mom." "You've met Mr. Reed?" "Yes." "Don't worry, darling. As long as I'm alive, no one will be able to pick on you." Christine's voice was hoarse. "Mr. Reed is someone who keeps his promises. He will take good care of you. This is the only thing I can do for you." Alexia's tears streamed down. "Oh, and don't worry about my illness. He has already paid for my medical bills, and he's looking for a kidney donor." Alexia's tears turned to tears of joy. "Really?" "Why would I lie to you? I'm tired now, dear. I need to rest. Come to the hospital to see me once the wedding is over." With that, Christine hung up. Alexia held her phone in her hands, a blank expression on her face. Just then, a maid walked in. "Mr. Victor, Mr. Calvin is here." Footsteps sounded after she spoke. "Come here, Calvin," Victor said. Alexia turned, meeting with Calvin's gaze. He was wearing a black suit. His features were sharp and chiseled, and the entire room was filled with his aura. He looked at the stranger in the wedding dress in confusion. He narrowed his eyes. "Who is this?" Victor was smiling wide. "Your bride, Alexia Vega." Calvin stared at Alexia, his gaze turning cold. "She's not the one I wanted to marry. There's someone else." His gaze sent a cold chill down Alexia's spine. For some reason, she thought his voice sounded familiar. It was almost as if she'd heard it before… "This is the girl that I've arranged for you to marry. You know that I'm someone who keeps my promises. Therefore, you must marry her," Victor said softly. "As for the girl you wanted to marry today, you can either pay it back to her, or let me handle it myself." "She's the only wife that I want. I will definitely be marrying her today." Calvin pursed his lips. "She's the one who needs to leave!" he said, pointing at Alexia. Victor said sharply, "Nonsense! You are not marrying anyone besides her! The Reeds' reputation has been held for hundreds of years. It cannot be damaged!" Calvin scoffed. "You're the one who agreed to it. You'll be the one damaging the reputation. What would that have to do with me?" "You disrespectful brat!" Victor's face turned purple. Calvin ignored him and walked out into the hall. Alexia quickly ran after him. She'd seen everything clearly. She knew that he didn't want to marry her. No one would want to marry someone they had just met. However, she had to use the Reeds to escape from the Vegas and Carter Walsh. This way, her mother would be saved. Besides, this was also her mother's wish. Some things just had to be made clear. He had long legs. She had to patter after him to keep up. Finally, she caught up to him at the corner of the corridor. She blocked his path, breathing heavily. "Wait. I have something to say." Calvin frowned at her, looking down at her face. "Spit it out!" "Mr. Reed, I know you don't want to marry me. The truth is, I don't want to, either. I have no interest in being the other woman, and I don't want to destroy someone else's marriage." Calvin sneered. "So, what are you standing here for? Get out of the house." "My mom is severely ill. This marriage is the only thing she wants, and I don't want her to be sad. My grandfather is someone who upholds his promises, too. And you probably don't want to ruin the reputation that your grandfather has been protecting. That's why we can have a contractual marriage. We'll divorce each other a year from now. This way, both my mom and your grandfather will get their wishes fulfilled." Calvin stared at her silently. Alexia felt goosebumps on her skin being stared at like this, but she held her ground. Softly, she said, "My mother got a divorce because of another woman. That's why I swore to never, ever be the other woman. I'm doing this just for the sake of my mother's wishes. You can trust me on that." The icy aura toned down somewhat. "Eight months. That is my limit." Alexia agreed to it at once. "Very well." Just then, a maid rushed over. "Mr. Reed, it's time. The guests are all here. The ceremony is about to begin. Mr. Victor is telling you to come." "I only agreed to the marriage, not to the ceremony. I've got something else to tend to. I'm leaving." Calvin turned coldly and left. The maid panicked. "He's gone. How can we have the ceremony without the groom?" Alexia clenched her fists. Calmly, she said, "I can go through the ceremony alone. We can't make a fool of ourselves in front of the guests."