Chapter 11
Lopez Group’s headquarters dwarfed Everprosper Group’s. At 4 PM. Gwyneth stood in the former CEO’s office. Her arranged husband, the so- called infertile Harrison Lopez, sat behind his desk, signing documents.
Unlike Zachary’s cold edge. Harrison radiated a quiet tenderness. Sunlight pouring through floor–to–ceiling windows made him look almost harmless. His tender skin made his brows seem darker. Framing a straight, nose. Beneath it, his well–defined lips held a healthy pink tint.
Maybe because her stare was too bold, he lifted his eyes and in that instant, the harmless air around him shattered, Something darker, more dangerous flickered in his gaze, a silent pressure that made the very air feel heavier.
Gwyneth fraze, suddenly realizing that his demeanor wasn’t one of tenderness, but rather of indifference.
“You’re not Melanie: Harrison broke the silence, his voice deep
Gwyneth stood straighter, chin up. “No. I’m Gwyneth, and I’m here to marry you.”
Harrison’s eyes shifted. The vivid woman in front of him overlapped with a litle girl from fifteen years ago. The same stubbornness lingered, but the light in her eyes was gone.
He snapped the file shut, voice dropping to a growl. “A last–minute swap! Why should I agree!”
Gwyneth didn’t mince words in her reply. “Because Melanie disdains you.”
Clyde Mason, who was about to knock on the door to report work, stood frozen on the spot. Is the Jenkins family asking for death? How dare they
say that?
Harrison didn’t flinch at the rumor. He just arched an eyebrow. “And you don’t mind?”
Gwyneth gave a faint smile, replying with utmost sincerity. “It’s a business deal, and no love involved. Why would I care?”
Harrison’s fingers twitched. No love? Is she thinking of the guy in Calvacity? Is that why her eyes looked so empty?
He studied her for half a minute, his eyes churning with unseen emotions. Finally, he spoke up, his voice cold as usual. “Did you bring the paperwork?”
Gwyneth never thought her first day back in Joracity would end with her dashing to City Hall before closing time–with a virtual stranger who had rumored “health issues—to get hitched.
The marriage license in her hands felt surreal. But in that moment, it finally meant a clean break from Zachary,
“Your number,” Harrison said, jolting her back. He stood silhouetted against the light, his expression unreadable. Yet the way he held out his phone
was almost warm.
After exchanging numbers, his first text showed a city map dotted with red circles, Options ranged from swanky downtown lofts to cozy suburban townhouses and ritzy riverside manors.
The what you like,” Harrison offered, his voice still flat.
“What a no–pretenses marriage, Gwyneth thought, but she didn’t resist. She selected a high–rise near Jenkins Group HQ and a quiet riverside villa— perfect for displaying her mother’s ceramic pieces.
Before she could explain her property choices, Harrison was already calling his assistant to send cleaners to both places
Hus efficiency stunned her, and his lack of curiosity also bailled her. “Aren’t you curious why I chose these two?” she asked,
“Didn’t
I you say it was no love, just mutual benefit?” Harrison arched a brow, calm eyes meeting hers as if to say, “You set the rules”
Gwyneth paused, realizing he had a point. But years of checking in with Zachary lingered.
Zachary had always whined that he couldn’t stand not knowing where she was. So whenever he messaged, she would subconsciously reply with her Location wheilter at a gala or a dive cale.
She’d been the perfect girlfriend. But Zachary never actually gave a damn about her schedule
The thought ached, but also freed Gwyneth She clenched her phone and asked him, “Since this is a marriage of mutual benefit, then what do I
First order of business–mispect your new places and start acting like Mrs. Lopez” Harrison opened the car door, playing the perfect husband
The driver floored it toward the swanky high–rise near Jenkins Group
1/2
Chapter II
Gwyneth frowned. That cold, flashy place was picked for corporate control, not living. “Head to the riverside villa first. I’ll have someone send over essentials,” she said evenly.
She’d expected the driver to check with Harrison. But he wordlessly swung the wheel, making a sharp U–tum.
It’s weird, Gwyneth the
thought. She’d thought Harrison would be controlling–like her dad, or Zachary, who never let her make even tiny calls.
Harrison caught her confusion. “You’re my wife, Gwyneth. Not a prop. Your say matters as much as mine,” he explained
Harrison would not stint on giving her power or the property she deserved. But love was beyond him. In the cramped backseat, their arms stayed miles apart.
Gwyneth sat in silence for a long moment. Then it struck her–marrying Harrison might not be such a terrible arrangement after all. The tension slowly drained from her shoulders.
As the car turned onto a shady avenue dappled with tree shadows, she said, “Maybe we should lay down ground rules for this alliance?”
Harrison gave a dry laugh, and the air turned frosty, “Shoot.”
Gwyneth began. The wedding will wait three months” Right now, reclaiming her place at Jenkins Group mattered far more than fussing over floral arrangements.
Separate places until then. She needed space, with no Zachary, no men, just peace.
Harrison’s fingers tensed, She’s my wife. But she seems to still have feelings for that other gay! He could refuse. But a side–glance showed Guyneth’s bollow eyes–the kind of loneliness that came after heartbreak.
His expression hardened. “Fine. I’m rarely home anyway. Do what you want with the properties. He slid a black card across. “Spend as you like
It was a jet–black card with gold trim glinted. It triggered a memory–Zachary had handed Gwyneth a similar card years ago, when he first made it bic.
“De all men act like this?” Gwyneth blurted out
Hamson’s credit card clattered as it hit the seat
Gwyneth froze, shocked by her own bluntness. She bent to grab the card and explained, I just thought of
“Sounds like you’ve met plerity of ‘generous‘ guys”
