David didn't argue after hearing her answer.

He simply took out his ID and placed it on the counter.

Chloe followed.

From start to finish, neither of them spoke another word.

The clerk glanced between them again and again, visibly uneasy. They had registered countless couples, but this was the first time it felt like witnessing a corporate merger rather than a wedding. No smiles. No nerves. No excitement.

Only cold efficiency.

The clerk cleared their throat and dropped a few careful hints, clearly hoping one of them would hesitate.

Neither did.

With no legal grounds to refuse, the stamp came down.

Thud.

Two red marriage certificates slid across the counter.

David flipped through his briefly, then handed one over.

"This is yours."

"Thank you."

That was it.

No congratulations.

No photos.

No holding hands.

They walked out together like colleagues leaving a meeting.

Outside, David stopped and waited for her.

He reached into his pocket and took out a set of keys-already prepared.

"The apartment is in Square Garden," he said briskly. "Grandma mentioned your bookstore is near Toronto Middle School. It's about fifteen minutes by bus."

He studied her for a moment. "Do you have a driver's license?"

"Yes."

"Good. If you want a car, I'll handle the down payment. You take care of the monthly installments. It'll save time."

Then, without waiting for her reply, he continued.

"I'm busy. I leave early, come back late, and travel often. You don't need to take care of me. Household expenses-I'll transfer money to you every month on the tenth."

He paused, eyes sharpening.

"One more thing. For now, this marriage stays secret."

Each sentence landed clean and decisive.

Like clauses in a contract.

Chloe didn't mind.

This marriage was a solution-not a romance.

She accepted the keys. "I have an e-bike. Just changed the battery. No need for a car yet."

After a brief hesitation, she asked, "Do we need to go AA on expenses?"

Her sister and brother-in-law had loved each other once-and still ended up arguing over every cent. Since she and David were strangers, splitting costs felt... safer.

David answered instantly.

"No."

He met her eyes. "I married you. I can afford to support this household."

Chloe smiled faintly. "Alright."

Still, she made up her mind to pay for groceries and daily necessities herself. Even a contractual marriage needed balance.

David checked his watch again. "I need to get back to the office. I can lend you my car, or you can take a taxi and I'll reimburse you."

"Let's exchange WhatsApp first."

They added each other.

"I'll take a taxi," Chloe said. "Go ahead."

"Contact me if anything comes up."

Before leaving, David pressed two hundred dollars into her hand.

She tried to refuse.

One look from him-and she obediently accepted.

The newlyweds didn't even walk to the parking lot together.

David left first.

Inside the van, Grandma Jones immediately sensed something was off.

"Where's my granddaughter-in-law?" she demanded. "You went in together. Why are you alone? Did you scare her off?"

David fastened his seatbelt and tossed the marriage certificate onto her lap.

"It's done. I gave her money for a taxi. I have a meeting."

"You heartless child!" Grandma snapped. "At least drive her home!"

The doors locked.

"Grandma," David said coolly as the engine started, "I married her because you wanted it. Don't interfere beyond that."

His eyes darkened.

"I still need to observe her. Until she passes my test, this isn't a real marriage."

Grandma stared at him in disbelief. "The Jones family does not divorce!"

"Then that depends," he replied coldly, "on whether the wife you chose is worth a lifetime."

Ten minutes later, the van stopped at a quiet intersection.

Waiting there was a fleet of luxury cars.

At the center-an unmistakable Rolls-Royce.

David stepped out, tossed the keys to a bodyguard, and said, "Take the Old Madam home."

"I'm not leaving! I'll live with Chloe!" Grandma protested.

Too late.

The Rolls-Royce door closed.

The motorcade disappeared into traffic.

David Jones-corporate executive on paper-was in reality the crown prince of Toronto's business empire, the head of the city's wealthiest family, a man worth hundreds of billions.

Grandma Jones clenched her cane, eyes glinting.

"Stubborn brat. I hope you fall so hard you regret every word."

She immediately called Chloe.

"Chloe dear, David is busy. Don't take it to heart."

Chloe touched the marriage certificate in her pocket. "I understand, Grandma. I'm already on my way home."

"Still calling me 'Grandma Jones'?"

"...Grandma."

The old woman laughed happily. "Good girl. If that boy ever bullies you, tell me. I'll deal with him."

After all-she hadn't worked this hard to trap a granddaughter-in-law just to let her grandson scare her away.

"I will, Grandma."

Chloe answered easily-but she didn't believe it.

No matter how kind Grandma Jones was, David was her blood. If a real conflict ever broke out, would the Jones family truly protect an outsider?

Chloe had seen this story before.

Before her sister married, her in-laws treated Kate like a princess. They praised her, spoiled her-so much that even their own daughter felt jealous.

But the moment the marriage certificate was signed, everything changed.

Now, whenever Kate argued with her husband, her mother-in-law was the first to scold her.

You're not being a good wife.

You don't know how to manage a home.

In the end, sons were blood.

Daughters-in-law were replaceable.

"You need to get to work, so I won't keep you," Grandma Jones said warmly. "I'll tell David to pick you up tonight. Let's have dinner together."

"Grandma, I close the shop late," Chloe replied gently. "Tonight might not work. How about the weekend?"

Weekends were slow-the only time she could breathe.

"That's fine," Grandma Jones said immediately. "We'll talk then. Go on."

After hanging up, Chloe messaged Sara, her best friend and business partner, telling her she'd be late for the morning shift.

Some things were more urgent than work.

She needed to tell her sister.

Fifteen minutes later, Chloe arrived at the apartment.

Her brother-in-law was already gone. Kate stood on the balcony hanging laundry, looking up in surprise. "Chloe? Why are you back? Aren't you opening the shop?"

"I'll head over around noon," Chloe said. "Is James awake?"

"If he were, you'd hear the chaos."

Chloe helped hang the clothes. The silence pressed in.

Eventually, Kate spoke. "Your brother-in-law didn't mean to drive you out. He's under pressure. And... I don't earn anything right now."

Chloe didn't respond.

Pressure or not, the message had been clear.

Her brother-in-law earned a high salary as a manager. He and Kate had been college sweethearts, once inseparable. After marriage, he had held Kate's hands and promised, I'll support you. Stay home. Rest. We'll have a baby.

Kate believed him.

She quit her job.

A year later, James was born.

Between childcare and housework, Kate lost time, energy, and herself. Three years passed. The bright, beautiful woman Chloe once admired became tired, overweight, and invisible.

Now, with no income, her husband demanded they split every expense.

Not because he needed the money.

Because he wanted control.

Chloe clenched her fingers.

She was five years younger than Kate. When she was ten, their parents died in a car accident. Since then, it had always been the two of them-no one else.

The insurance money should have secured their future.

Instead, their relatives carved it up.

The sisters survived on what little remained, scraping through school, renting tiny apartments, relying only on each other.

Kate married.

Chloe moved in.

And now, even that shelter was gone.

"Sis," Chloe said softly, "I'm sorry. I've become a burden."

"Don't say that," Kate replied immediately. "I'm your older sister. I'm supposed to protect you."

Chloe's throat tightened.

When she was small, Kate shielded her from the world.

Now-it was her turn.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a red booklet.

"I got married this morning," Chloe said calmly. "I came to tell you... and to pack."

Kate froze.

"You-what?"

Her voice shot up as she snatched the booklet. The photo inside showed Chloe standing beside a man she'd never seen before.

Handsome.

Cold.

Dangerous.

"Chloe! You don't even have a boyfriend!"

"I've been seeing him for a while," Chloe said smoothly, the lie already prepared. "His name's David. He's busy, so you never met him."

"He proposed. I agreed. We registered today."

She smiled. "He's good to me. Don't worry."

Kate's mind spun.

Suddenly, everything clicked-the argument last night, Chloe's silence.

Tears welled up. "I told your brother-in-law you pay your share. You don't have to leave. You don't need to rush into marriage because of us."

Chloe squeezed her hand. "It's not because of that. I'm happy. You should be happy for me."

Kate broke down.

After she finally calmed down, Chloe added gently, "I'll visit often. His place is in Square Garden-ten minutes by e-bike."

"What about his family?" Kate asked quietly.

Chloe paused.

She didn't actually know much.

"He works for a major group. Owns a car and a house. His situation is stable."

Kate's expression shifted instantly. "The house is his pre-marital property, right?"

Chloe nodded.

"Then you need your name on the deed," Kate said firmly. "That's your protection."

Chloe didn't answer.

The red marriage certificate felt suddenly heavier in her bag.

"Sis, like you said, that's his pre-marital property. I didn't contribute a single cent toward it, so it wouldn't be right for me to ask him to add my name. Let's not mention it again."

Chloe felt that David had already done enough by giving her the keys immediately after they registered. It solved her housing crisis, and that was plenty. She wouldn't ask to be on the deed, though if he ever offered it himself, she wouldn't refuse-after all, if they were to be husband and wife, she intended for it to be for life.

Kate only brought it up out of concern. Knowing her sister was fiercely independent and not the least bit greedy, she dropped the subject.

After enduring a long, protective interrogation from her sister, Chloe finally managed to move out. Kate had wanted to see her off to Square Garden, but just then, little James woke up and began crying for his mother.

"Sis, go take care of James. I don't have much stuff; I can handle it myself."

Kate had to feed her son and then start preparing lunch. If the food wasn't on the table when her husband returned from work, he would scold her, claiming she "did nothing all day" yet couldn't even manage a simple meal.

"Then be careful on the way," Kate said worriedly. "Are you coming back for lunch? Bring your husband."

"I have to get back to the shop, so I can't make it. As for Mr. Jones... he's very busy. He told me he's going on a business trip this afternoon and might be gone for a while. I'll bring him to meet you as soon as he's back."

Chloe told a small lie. She didn't actually know David's schedule, but she remembered Grandma Jones saying he was a workaholic who was often away for weeks at a time. She didn't want to make a promise to her sister that she couldn't keep.

"A business trip on the very day you get married?" Kate frowned, feeling that her new brother-in-law was a bit inconsiderate.

"We only registered; it's not like we had the wedding ceremony yet. Let him work; we'll need the money later. Sis, I'm leaving! Go feed James!"

Chloe waved goodbye to her sister and nephew, then lugged her suitcase down the stairs.

Chloe had heard of Square Garden, though she had never been inside. She hailed a taxi and headed straight there. It was only after she arrived at the gate that she realized she had forgotten to ask David which floor he lived on.

She pulled out her phone to call him, only to realize she didn't actually have his phone number. Fortunately, they had added each other on Whatsapp, so she attempted a voice call through the app.

At that moment, David was in the middle of a high-level meeting. The entire conference room was deathly silent, as he strictly forbade private calls during work hours.

His own phone was on silent, but it sat face-up on the mahogany table. He saw the notification immediately. However, when they had added each other earlier, he hadn't bother to save her contact name. Seeing an incoming call from a user named "Mermaid of the Deep Sea," he didn't even blink. He assumed it was some random person he'd added by mistake, swiped to reject the call, and-for good measure-immediately deleted the contact.

Chloe stared at her screen in confusion. When the call was rejected, she tried to send a text: [Mr. Jones, I'm at Square Garden, but I don't know which unit is yours.]

She hit send, only to be met with a grey system notification: [Your message was sent, but rejected by the recipient. You are not yet friends with this user.]

Chloe froze. "What? Not friends?"

She muttered to herself, "We literally just exchanged QR codes at the gate of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Did I add the wrong person?"

She thought back carefully. No, she was certain it was him. There was only one explanation: David had deleted her.

Did he already forget we got married this morning?

To be fair, if she hadn't just moved her entire life out of her sister's house, she might have forgotten she had a new husband named David, too.

Left with no choice, Chloe called Grandma Jones. When the old lady picked up, Chloe explained, "Grandma, I've moved out of my sister's place and I'm at Square Garden. But I don't know which floor Mr. Jones... I mean, David's apartment is on. Do you happen to know?"

Grandma Jones: "..."

"Don't worry, Chloe. Stay right there. I'll call David right now."

The truth was, the old lady didn't know either. To properly "test" Chloe, David had used a newly purchased apartment and car that the rest of the family hadn't even visited yet. Grandma had only found out he bought a place in Square Garden after the two of them had signed the marriage papers.

The old lady hung up and immediately dialed David.

Back in the boardroom, David had just finished purging the "Mermaid" from his life and had returned to the meeting. Not three minutes later, his screen lit up again. Seeing it was his grandmother, he had no choice but to answer.

"Grandma, I'm in a meeting," he said, his voice low and commanding. "If it's not urgent, it can wait until I'm home."

"David, what building and floor is that new place of yours in Square Garden? Chloe is there now with her luggage, but she doesn't know where to go! Didn't you add her on Whatsapp? Tell her immediately!"

David's dark brows arched. Oh.

It clicked. He had gotten married today to a girl his grandmother adored-a girl named Chloe. And he had, quite literally, just deleted his wife.

"Tell her it's Building B, 8th floor, Unit 808," he replied calmly.

"Fine, I'll tell her. You get back to your work." The old lady was a woman of action; as soon as she had the answer, she hung up and relayed it to Chloe.

David looked at his phone for a moment. With a rare hint of sheepishness, he searched for the "Mermaid" and sent a new friend request.

Chloe wasn't the type to hold a grudge over something so small. She accepted the request immediately.

Sorry I forgot who you were for a moment, David messaged her.

It was an honest mistake. While Chloe had saved his grandmother's life, it was David's parents who had handled the hospital visits and formal thanks. David had only visited when Chloe wasn't around. For a man who managed a multi-billion dollar empire, the name "Chloe" had simply never registered in his mind, despite how much his grandmother nagged him about her.

Chloe replied: No worries. Get back to work. I'll move my things up.

Need help? he asked out of politeness.

I only have one suitcase; I can manage. Besides, even if I did need help, could you actually leave work to come here?

David replied with blunt honesty: No.

He was swamped. There was no way he was leaving a billion-dollar merger to help her carry a suitcase.

Chloe sent back a "laughing-crying" emoji and went silent, signaling that she wouldn't disturb his work further.

David didn't follow up. They were strangers; there wasn't much to talk about. He only hoped this new wife of his would stay this sensible and not bother him with trivial matters every five minutes.

He set the phone back on the table and looked up, only to find every executive in the room staring at him with wide, shocked eyes.