A good match?

Was that really how she was using the phrase?

A quiet snort of laughter came from the driver's seat.

Jason couldn't help himself.

The moment he sensed the icy glare from the backseat, however, he immediately straightened up and focused on driving.

Leonel's dark eyes remained fixed on the woman in front of him.

She looked like a fallen swan-soaked, exhausted, and miserable, wrapped only in his oversized coat.

Yet her eyes still burned brightly.

Like stars refusing to go out.

One careless glance was enough to scorch their way straight into someone's heart.

Navia knew he was studying her carefully.

Even so, she forced herself to meet his gaze without backing down.

After a long silence, Leonel finally spoke again.

"What you said..." His deep voice was calm and measured. "Does make some sense."

Navia's eyes lit up instantly.

"You mean..."

Nervous anticipation flickered in her gaze.

Leonel slowly extended his hand toward her.

His fingers were long and elegant, his voice low and steady.

"Deal."

That single word made Navia's heart leap.

After publicly destroying things with Liam, she had honestly worried she wouldn't find anyone suitable to marry in time.

But now-

Not only had she found someone...

He was Liam's own uncle.

Jason cautiously cleared his throat from the front seat.

"Sir, we're back in the city now. Where should I head?"

"The hillside villa," Leonel replied.

Navia blinked. "Mr. Crawford... when should I contact you?"

"About what?"

She paused awkwardly.

"The marriage," she said. "The thing we just discussed..."

"There's no need to contact me later," Leonel replied calmly. "You're coming home with me."

"...What?"

Leonel raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Or were you planning to walk into the courthouse looking like that?"

Courthouse?

Marriage license?

Navia hadn't expected things to move this fast.

But there was no way she would refuse now.

"Okay," she said quickly. "I'll follow your arrangement."

The car stopped.

Leonel stepped out first before extending his hand toward her.

"Hold on to me."

"Huh-?"

Before she could react, he lifted her into his arms once again.

Startled, Navia instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

This was the second time he had carried her.

And she had never been this close to a man before.

Even during her relationship with Liam, the furthest they had ever gone was holding hands.

She shifted awkwardly in his arms.

"I can walk myself..."

Leonel carried her effortlessly toward the villa without slowing down.

"Are you sure?" he asked calmly. "Can your ankle handle it?"

Navia instantly fell silent.

He had a point.

Without another word, Leonel carried her all the way upstairs and into his bedroom.

"You got caught in the rain," he said. "Take a hot shower so you don't get sick."

Then he added casually:

"Once you're done, we'll go register the marriage."

With that, he turned and left the room.

Navia's cheeks felt burning hot.

She had never entered a man's private residence before-let alone his bedroom.

The bathroom suited Leonel perfectly.

Cold gray marble.

Minimalist. Expensive. Immaculate.

Under the bright lights, the mirror reflected her current state clearly.

Her face was pale from exhaustion, but flushed from embarrassment and cold after being drenched in the rain.

She sneezed softly.

Not daring to waste any more time, Navia removed Leonel's coat and stepped beneath the hot water.

Warm water cascaded over her frozen body, slowly easing the tension in her muscles.

But just as she finished showering and prepared to leave the bathroom, she suddenly realized-

She had no clean clothes.

After hesitating for a moment, Navia wrapped a white bath towel tightly around herself and carefully cracked open the bathroom door.

"Mr. Crawford?" she called softly.

She had never felt this embarrassed in her life.

Her voice trembled slightly, quiet and cautious like a frightened kitten.

After peeking outside, she realized Leonel wasn't in the room.

She couldn't exactly stay trapped in the bathroom forever.

Barefoot, Navia hurried out into the hallway and finally spotted him downstairs near the staircase.

Leonel sat alone on the living room sofa.

His tie had been loosened, his suit jacket tossed carelessly beside him.

A cigar burned between his fingers, the smoke curling around him as he sat there silently, almost like some untouchable sculpture carved from shadow.

Mysterious.

Cold.

Impossible to read.

"Mr. Crawford..." Navia called nervously.

Only then did Leonel look up.

The moment he saw her, his gaze paused briefly.

Her long damp hair clung to her pale cheeks, making her look like a drenched stray kitten fresh out of the rain.

The white towel wrapped around her body barely covered enough, exposing her long slender legs beneath.

As Leonel's eyes swept over her, Navia instinctively curled her bare toes against the floor, unsure whether she was nervous or simply embarrassed.

"I don't have any clothes to change into," she explained softly.

Leonel looked away calmly.

"My mistake," he said. "There aren't any women's clothes here."

He picked up his phone.

"I'll have Jason bring something over."

Navia hesitated before speaking again.

"Could I... borrow one of your shirts first?"

"Mhm." Leonel nodded casually. "They're in the closet. Take whatever you want."

After getting his permission, Navia hurried back upstairs.

Inside the walk-in closet, every piece of clothing was immaculate-tailored suits, dress shirts, luxury fabrics.

Everything about it screamed wealth and discipline.

Eventually, she found a white dress shirt tucked near the corner and slipped it on.

When she returned downstairs, Leonel glanced up.

Because of his height, the shirt hung loosely on her frame, oversized enough to conceal most of her body.

She had even used one of his belts around her waist, unintentionally accentuating her slender figure.

Instead of looking messy, it somehow resembled a carefully styled outfit.

A flicker of surprise crossed Leonel's eyes.

"It looks good on you," he said.

His low voice made Navia's cheeks warm again.

Still thinking about the marriage, she quickly sat across from him.

"Mr. Crawford, before we go register, we should probably discuss the important details first-"

Before she could finish, the lingering cigar smoke made her cough suddenly.

She clearly wasn't used to it.

Leonel immediately lowered his legs from the coffee table and crushed the cigar into the ashtray beside him before standing up.

His tall figure moved toward her, casting a shadow overhead.

Then his warm hand rested gently against her back.

"You okay?"

Navia coughed until tears filled her eyes.

"I'm fine," she managed softly. "I'm just not used to cigarette smoke."

A trace of apology appeared in Leonel's expression.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I won't smoke around you again."

Again?

Navia looked up at him in surprise.

Even though they were only entering a contractual marriage, not a real relationship...

Why was he accommodating her so naturally?

"Thank you," she said softly.

Then, after hesitating briefly, she added:

"Mr. Crawford... before we register the marriage, shouldn't I sign something first?"

Leonel raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"A prenuptial agreement," Navia replied cautiously.

Leonel looked completely unconcerned.

"There's no need for something like that."

Navia hesitated.

"For the Harrison family, maybe not..." she said carefully. "But aren't you worried that I might..."

***

The Crawford family was the most powerful house in all of Kingsley.

Even if Leonel only intended for her to act as a temporary wife, their marriage would still be legally binding.

That wasn't something that could simply be erased whenever convenient.

"And would you?" he asked quietly, his dark eyes fixed on her.

Navia shook her head immediately, her expression sincere and unwavering.

"Of course not."

"Then there's no problem."

Leonel withdrew his gaze and gestured toward the sofa.

"Sit. Your clothes will take a while."

The man carried an overwhelming presence-cold, commanding, impossible to ignore.

Navia still wasn't entirely comfortable being so close to him.

After glancing toward the kitchen, she said softly, "I'll make some ginger tea. You got caught in the rain too, Mr. Crawford. It'll help keep you from getting sick."

"You enjoy cooking?" he asked.

Navia nodded.

"I do."

Cooking had always been one of her hobbies.

She loved experimenting with recipes, desserts, and new dishes whenever she had time.

Leonel watched quietly as she entered the kitchen.

Soon, she had already tied on an apron and moved around with practiced ease.

Steam drifted through the air as the sweet scent of brown sugar mixed with the sharp warmth of ginger, filling the previously cold and silent villa with unexpected life.

Leonel simply watched her from afar.

Her waist looked so slender it seemed breakable.

Yet she stood perfectly straight, focused entirely on what she was doing.

Still...

The thought that she might have learned all of this for Liam made something in his eyes turn colder.

Dark.

Unreadable.

A few minutes later, Navia returned carrying two steaming mugs.

"Mr. Crawford, try some?"

Leonel looked down at her silently without speaking.

His gaze lingered long enough to make her nervous.

"Mr. Crawford?" she called again softly.

Her wrist was beginning to ache from holding the mug up so long.

Just as she was about to lower it, Leonel reached forward and took the cup from her hand.

His rough fingertips brushed against her delicate skin.

Navia instinctively flinched slightly.

Leonel noticed.

"Thank you," he said calmly as he released her wrist.

Under Navia's watchful gaze, he took a sip.

Then, unexpectedly, he raised an eyebrow.

"It's sweet," he commented.

Navia blinked.

"Did I accidentally add too much sugar?"

"No." Leonel took another drink. "I don't like the taste of ginger. I prefer sweeter things."

His Adam's apple bobbed as he finished the tea in one smooth swallow.

Apparently, he wasn't just being polite.

Navia nodded thoughtfully, quietly remembering the detail.

People who had spent years overseas often preferred sweeter flavors.

It seemed Leonel was no exception.

Not long after, Jason arrived at the villa carrying a newly released Chanel outfit from the current season.

After changing clothes, Navia followed Leonel back into the Bentley as they headed toward City Hall.

Only when the building finally came into view did Navia begin to feel genuinely nervous.

Couples walked in and out constantly, smiling, chatting, holding hands.

"Scared?" Leonel glanced at her lazily. "If you regret it, I can still take you home."

Navia shook her head immediately.

"No. I won't regret this."

Then she added firmly:

"Let's go inside."

The opportunity she needed was right in front of her.

Only by inheriting twenty percent of Harrison Group's shares would she have the power to fight back against Liam and Linda.

There was no way she would run now.

As if trying to gather courage, Navia boldly slipped her arm around Leonel's.

He didn't reject her.

Instead, he simply guided her inside.

When it came time to take their marriage license photo, even the photographer became visibly enthusiastic.

"You two need to stand closer," he instructed excitedly. "Closer! This is a wedding photo-smile a little! And miss, feel free to lean against your husband's shoulder!"

Blushing fiercely, Navia carefully rested her head against Leonel's shoulder and looked toward the camera.

It was the closest they had ever been.

Close enough for her to catch the faint scent of tobacco lingering on him beneath the crisp cedarwood fragrance she had already begun associating with Leonel.

The smell was mature.

Dangerous.

Oddly comforting.

For a moment, the entire situation felt unreal.

Like a dream.

Click.

The flash went off.

Their photo was finished.

In the picture, Navia leaned shyly against Leonel's broad shoulder while his deep-set eyes rested quietly on her.

Maybe it was just her imagination...

But she could almost see a trace of tenderness in his expression.

Today was her wedding day.

And the man standing beside her wasn't Liam-

but Leonel Crawford.

A man she had only met twice.

Fate truly had a strange sense of humor.

As they walked out of City Hall, Navia stared blankly at the marriage certificate in her hands while unconsciously holding tightly onto Leonel's hand.

It wasn't until they reached the black Bentley that she noticed the strange look coming from nearby.

Jason stared openly at their joined hands, his shock completely undisguised.

Navia snapped back to reality and hurriedly tried to pull away.

Their marriage was only an arrangement.

A formality.

In reality, they were still practically strangers.

They should probably keep some distance between them.

But before she could fully withdraw her hand, Leonel caught it again.

Firmly.

His large hand enclosed hers completely, rough calluses contrasting against her soft skin.

"Even if we entered this marriage for different reasons," he said calmly, "marriage isn't a game."

His low voice carried effortless authority.

"Since we're legally husband and wife now, it's better to get used to each other sooner rather than later."

His reasoning sounded perfectly logical.

And yet-

Leonel Crawford was still a man.

A dangerously attractive one at that.

The mature aura surrounding him was unlike anything Navia had ever experienced before.

Even standing still, he radiated a magnetic charm impossible to ignore.

And Navia, despite her upbringing, was still inexperienced when it came to men.

Her face turned crimson almost instantly.

"O-Okay..." she stammered. "I understand..."

Seeing the obvious nervousness on her face, Leonel's expression softened with faint amusement.

"Come on," he said gently. "Let's go home."

"Wait." Navia suddenly stopped him. "Mr. Crawford... I can't go back with you yet."

"???" Leonel assumed she was simply shy.

"There's no reason for newlyweds to live separately, Mrs. Crawford."

Mrs. Crawford.

The two words rolled effortlessly from his deep voice.

To him, it was merely a reminder-

just another part of married life she needed to get used to.

But to Navia, the words exploded in her mind like thunder.

Her pale ears flushed such a deep red they looked ready to burn.

At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ground.

***