"Shut up! How can you speak to your uncle like that!?" Martin rebuked his son angrily.

The expression on Kayden's handsome face increasingly turned gloomy, his dark eyes like a deep pool that hid all his emotions completely within them, making it difficult for the others to see through his thoughts clearly. They didn't even dare look at him. The atmosphere in the whole living room turned heavy in an instant.

Molly hurriedly turned to Benjamin. She winked at him. "Apologize to your uncle!"

Lilian's heart tightened in her chest. When did Benjamin become so cruel? He deserved to be taught a lesson by Martin.

Kayden let go of Lilian's hand and looked up at Benjamin, whose angry and contemptuous gaze was still on him. No one in the room could mistake the cold fury in Kayden's eyes.

He was about to speak, but Lilian preempted him. She turned to Benjamin almost instantly, without even thinking. "Benjamin! Why are you so stupid? The doctor said your uncle's legs couldn't be cured, so is there really no possible cure? Let me tell you, Kayden's legs are already recovering. And he has already regained the man's "ability." Not only that, but he is also very powerful and majestic in that area– even stronger than you!"

As her words drifted off, she only realized the nonsense she had spouted. She immediately bowed her head in embarrassment. She was so embarrassed that she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

In the Holmes family's eyes, Lilian was just a little shy. Their faces were showing different expressions.

Martin and Jack both had pleased expressions, while Molly's was pure disbelief. Only Benjamin stared at Kayden incredulously. "Is that true?"

"Of course!" Lilian immediately raised her face and answered him. She didn't dare look in Kayden's direction, but in her heart, she was secretly thinking: I'm sorry, honey, darling, master… I didn't mean to exaggerate anything. I just really couldn't stand Benjamin humiliating you in front of everybody because if he humiliates you, then he's also humiliating me!

Kayden was calm, but Jerry, who was standing by the door ready to serve him at any moment, couldn't help the slight trembling of his hands when he heard Lilian's declaration. He frowned. A touch of worry and helplessness appeared between his brows.

Master Kayden's little wife could really make up a lie! Wasn't she afraid that the Holmes family would really believe it?

"Lilian, I really misunderstood you!" Benjamin stared at Lillian with a mocking smile and then nodded. "Okay! Good! Since yesterday, I have felt a little guilty towards you, but since you have found happiness so quickly… I no longer need to feel guilty, let alone worry about you. I wish you happiness!"

With that, he threw one last resentful glance at Kayden, turned, and stormed toward the door.

"Wait!" Kayden stopped him. When Benjamin did pause in his steps, he wheeled the wheelchair over to him. His lips turned up into a smile. "Ben, thank you for giving me such a great woman as Lilian. Starting today, Lilian is the official wife of the HM Group Chairman, not the Holmes Group.

When he heard this, Benjamin, who had his back on everybody, suddenly turned around to face them again. "You're the Chairman of HM Group?"

Martin was also surprised to hear this. He came over to them and sat down on the sofa in front of Kayden before asking him, "The HM Group, which had acquired several large groups after it had just entered JC City… Is it yours? Are you planning to stay this time?"

Kayden glanced at Benjamin, who was full of questions, before he turned to Martin with a smile. "Why? My brother-in-law doesn't want to welcome me back?"

"How could it be! You had an accident back then. You have been in the United States for so many years to cure your illness. Now that you're back, I am naturally happy! Do my father-in-law and Aunt Mary know that you've already returned?" Martin became even more ecstatic. He excitedly grabbed Kayden's hand.

"My parents have been living peacefully in Europe these past few years. I don't want to disturb them. I'll tell them I'm back once I'm settled in JY City." Kayden replied.

Benjamin saw his father and uncle having a pleasant chat. He frowned at Lillian, turned, and walked away.

"I'm going to cook. Kayden, stay and have lunch here today!" Molly said. After she heard that Kayden was the Chairman of HM Group, the smile on her face had not disappeared. "Jack, go and call my sister-in-law, Daisy. I'll make the arrangements for the meal for your uncle," she ordered his younger son.

"No need, Jack." Kayden waved to Jack and said to his sister, "Molly, I just brought Lily with me to see you today. We won't be staying for lunch. I'll be the host another day and invite you and my brother-in-law."

With that, he turned and held out his hand to Lilian. Lilian hurriedly walked over and accepted his hand. Her head was bowed.

After all, in the Holmes family, only Benjamin had hurt her. Now, she felt a little awkward in front of the rest of his family.

***

Kayden gripped Lilian's hand in one of his and wrapped the other around her waist. He was looking at her with a fond smile on his lips. "Now that it's official, I think it's time that we confirm our new relationship. Mrs. Brown, why don't you greet my sister and her husband?

His eyes looked affectionate. For a moment, Lilian felt as if their marriage was real, that they were indeed a couple–a real one, and not something they really were fake.

Lilian couldn't help but admire Kayden's acting skills. She almost fell for it. After a pause, she nodded to Molly and Martin. "Sister, Brother-in-law!"

"Sister-in-law," Molly responded reluctantly. Her expression immediately turned angry and dissatisfied the moment her brother's gaze left her.

"Well, well! You're a good girl, Lily. Our family owes you, but Kayden is also a responsible man. I wish the two of you all the happiness you deserve!" Martin told Lilian sincerely.

He knew about Lilian because several department managers of their company had openly praised her ability in front of him. Giving her up was Benjamin's loss. Fortunately, Kayden arrived just in time to marry her. He was relieved that it was him instead of someone else.

"Thank you, Brother-in-law!" Lilian felt uncomfortable and stared down at her feet.

Although Molly hadn't liked her, Martin had always supported her relationship, even her marriage, with Benjamin. He was supposed to be her father-in-law, but unexpectedly, in a blink of an eye, he became her brother-in-law instead.

After leaving the Holmes family home, Lilian sat in the car without saying a word for a long time. She gazed out the window with a dull look in her eyes. She was thinking about the confrontation she had had with Benjamin earlier and couldn't help but become more and more confused when suddenly, a lazy voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Lilian was startled to hear this question. She slowly turned to its source.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked like that about your body in front of Benjamin to…." She apologized sincerely. Her head was bowed, and her hands were fidgeting nervously on her lap.

Kayden raised an eyebrow. "Do you think it's a pity?"

"Huh?" Lilian didn't understand what he was referring to and raised her eyes to look at him.

"Do you think it's a pity that I have this defect?" Kayden's expression was neutral, but his eyes had a strange glint. His smile was unfathomable.

Lilian quickly shook her head, and a pretty blush rose on her cheeks. "N-No, no– I don't think so! I just… I'm just angry at what Benjamin said…."

"So you used me without my consent?" He interrupted her garbled explanation. There was a faint melancholy between his eyebrows, which showed his unhappiness.

"I'm sorry!" Lilian bit her lower lip. Without explaining herself further, she bowed her head again.

"You don't want my legs to get better?" Kayden raised a hand and touched her face gently. His thumb and forefinger skimmed down to her chin to tilt it up, forcing her to look at him. "If you tell the truth, I'll forgive you."

Lilian stared at the handsome face close to hers and blushed even more. She gazed into his deep eyes and nodded immediately. "Of course! I hope your legs will get better!"

In the back of her mind, she was also thinking secretly: At least if you get better, I won't have to help you take a bath anymore!

"Then you're not afraid," he said with a devilish smirk, "that I'll ask you to fulfill your obligations as a wife once I'm healed?"

"What?" Lilian was astounded, but a slow smile drew on her lips when she saw the interest in his eyes. "As long as you're completely healed, I'll fulfill my obligations and duties as your wife. Anyway, we already have our certificate. We're a legal couple."

How could a person who had been paralyzed from the waist down and who could only sit in a wheelchair be healed so quickly? Since he wanted to tease her, then she could only tease him back! Catering to his whims could be regarded as her apology to him!

He used his index finger to slide slowly across her smooth cheek and gave a low chuckle. "Okay. I'll remember that."

The pad of his finger felt soft and warm on her skin as it made its way to the side of her face, when all of a sudden, Lilian felt a burning pain where it was touching. She leaned back on reflex to get away from the pain, but he squeezed her chin lightly in silent warning. Kayden tilted her face to the side to get a better look and then frowned at what he saw. "Why are you so stupid? If someone's about to slap you, then are you just going to stand there and let them? Don't you know how to avoid it or even to fight back?"

His words reminded Lilian that Molly had slapped her.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt…." Lilian avoided his eyes and muttered in a low voice, "Besides, she's your sister. If I had slapped her, then wouldn't you have helped her slap me back?"

Kayden took his hand back. "In my belief, there is only right or wrong, good or bad, regardless of my relationship to the people involved."

Lilian didn't believe his high-sounding reason. "Then why didn't you help me slap her back earlier?" she retorted.

Although it could be seen that Molly had always admired and respected Kayden, they were still brother and sister after all.

And she was just an outsider who had only known him for a day. If they didn't get a marriage certificate to fulfill a stipulation of their contract, they wouldn't have anything to do with each other at all.

"I don't like to use force to solve my problems. I prefer to see the other party beg for my forgiveness rather than force them to apologize." Kayden's smile was meaningful. "If you encounter this situation again in the future, I hope it's not you who will suffer a loss. I don't want others to think I married a stupid wife."

"Oh." Lilian pursed her lips. So he meant he was afraid that his wife would disgrace him?

Kayden shook his head helplessly. "You should stay at home and rest until your face recovers. I have something I need to do and will be gone for a few days. I hope that when I return, the redness on your cheek and the wound in your heart have already healed so you can be my wife wholeheartedly."

Lilian was surprised to hear that he would be gone for days. "Where are you going?"

It wasn't the only surprise she was feeling. There was also great joy. If he was away, then didn't that mean she could have a holiday all to herself? That she didn't need to serve him or face him awkwardly?

Kayden immediately caught the ecstatic expression on her face. He frowned and asked unhappily, "So excited? Is it because you don't like being with me, or are you just afraid of being with me?"

"Me? Excited? No way!" Lilian denied it immediately. "I'm just concerned about where you're going. If someone asks where my husband has gone, I can't say 'I don't know,' right?"

Kayden didn't expose her true thoughts. He only said faintly, "I'm headed to Japan for a contract signing. I was planning to take you with me, but the schedule is tight, and if I take a woman with me, there's bound to be some trouble. You'll have to remain at home and rest, instead. We can go on our honeymoon when I get back."

Lilian's eyes widened. She glared at him, her eyes showing a mix of shock and anger.

She was angry, not only because of the part where he said, "There will be trouble if I take a woman with me," but also because of the word "honeymoon," which was actually the more frightening prospect for her.

"We're going on a honeymoon? I don't think it's necessary. We're just a fake couple anyway!" She told him with a smile.

Marrying a man she didn't love was her boldest thing ever. Going on a honeymoon with her husband, who was also her honey, was, of course, a "honeymoon," but if it was with a fake husband, should it still be called the same? Shouldn't it be called a… "sham moon"?

"Mrs. Brown, it seems like I need to stress the fact that we are legal husband and wife. There is nothing fake about it. If you don't want to have a honeymoon, then I won't force you, but our marriage agreement will be extended to three years." Kayden raised an eyebrow at her and added lightly, "You can choose which one you prefer."

"You…!" Lilian was irritated but finally swallowed her words and turned away angrily.

What she really wanted to say was, Is your Brown family really in the habit of making such boring, unequal treaties?

Nevermind. She shouldn't quarrel with a disabled person. Fine! She would go on a honeymoon with him. She would just treat it like an ordinary vacation where she could relax!

Kayden glanced at the woman who was sulking in her seat. A smile faintly appeared on the corners of his lips.

He needed to set out with Jerry that afternoon. Lilian got out of the car when they reached their villa. It was obvious that she couldn't wait to wave goodbye to him.

Kayden frowned. "Is that how you say goodbye to your husband?"

Lilian hurriedly put down her hands which already ached from her enthusiastic waving. "How should I say goodbye to you then? Farewell? Sayonara?"

Kayden scowled. He pointed to his face and told her in body language: What do you think?

Lilian was dumbfounded. It took a moment before she realized what he wanted her to do. Her face flamed. She took a quick glance at the servants who were doing their work around the villa and then made her decision.

She gritted her teeth and bowed her head to his level. Her eyes closed, and she was ready to kiss his cheek quickly to get it over.

But things didn't often go according to plan. Kayden suddenly turned to her. He reached out, took her face in his hands, and then kissed her full on the lips without hesitation.

Lilian felt soft lips touch hers, and a faint mint fragrance wafted her nose. Her eyes opened wide in an instant, and she saw the face that was really, really close. The man's deep, dark eyes were staring directly at her, twinkling with pride and strong interest. She could feel him smile against her lips.

She immediately realized that she had been tricked. She was about to shove him away, but he released her first, gently pushing her away at a safe distance so he could close the car door. His smile had turned smug. "Goodbye, honey."

When Lilian came back to her senses, the arrogant black Bentley had already driven far. Lilian caught a glimpse of some of the female servants giggling amongst each other. She could feel the redness of her face spreading down to her neck. She buried her face in her hands and ran inside her room.

That afternoon, Lilian hid in her bedroom to watch the film about her wedding day. She screenshotted several scenes and asked Emma to help her get them developed.

The photos were mainly a couple of photos of her and Kayden where only the upper half of their bodies were visible. With her slightly squatting beside him so they could be on the same eye level, it wasn't obvious that he was in a wheelchair.

Looking through the photos, she smiled in satisfaction. She took a pen and wrote a few lines behind some of them: "Mom, Dad, this is your son-in-law. Isn't he handsome? After a few days, I'll take him home to meet you."