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.

***