David acted as if nothing had happened. "Continue the meeting," he said, his voice level and cold.

Seated closest to him was his first cousin, William Jones-the second Young Lord of the Jones family.

William leaned in, whispering, "Big brother, I heard Grandma. Did you really marry that girl... Chloe-something?"

David shot him a stony glare that could have frozen a volcano.

William rubbed his nose and sat up straight, not daring to ask another question. Inside, however, he was overflowing with sympathy. While the sons of the Jones family didn't need political marriages to solidify their status, this was the definition of a mismatch. Just because Grandma liked a girl named Chloe, her eldest grandson was forced to marry her?

Poor guy, William thought. I'm just glad I'm not the eldest. Otherwise, I'd be the one taking a stranger for a wife just to pay back Grandma's medical debt.

Chloe, unaware of the boardroom drama, dragged her suitcase toward her new home. Using the keys David had given her, she unlocked the door to Unit 808.

As she stepped inside, her breath hitched. The apartment was huge-certainly larger than her sister's place-and the interior design was undeniably luxurious.

She dropped her suitcase and began a self-guided tour. This was her home now.

The layout consisted of two living areas, four bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and two spacious balconies. Chloe estimated the place was at least 200 square meters.

However, it was shockingly empty.

Aside from a sofa set, a coffee table, and a wine cabinet in the living room, there was almost no furniture. Out of the four bedrooms, only two had beds and wardrobes. The other two were completely bare.

The Lord bedroom was a suite, complete with its own walk-in closet, a small study, and a massive bathroom. Even with the partitioned spaces, the bedroom itself was large enough to rival the main living room.

This must be David's territory, she realized.

Chloe chose the other furnished bedroom. It was right next to one of the balconies, offering plenty of natural light, and was separated from the Lord suite by another room. This distance provided them both with a comfortable level of privacy.

As long as he doesn't ask to fulfill 'marital duties,' I'm certainly not going to bring it up, she thought.

After stowing her suitcase, she checked the kitchen. It was spotless-too spotless. There wasn't a single pot, pan, or utensil in sight. The balconies were equally barren. Since they were so wide, Chloe imagined filling them with potted plants and perhaps a swing chair where she could sit and read.

It was clear David never ate at home.

Now that she was living here, she needed to set up a functional kitchen. She hopped onto her phone and ordered a bulk of kitchenware and appliances. As for the furniture and plants, she decided to wait until David returned so she could ask for his input.

After all, it was his house. She was just a guest.

By the time she finished her orders, the school lunch rush was about to begin. She grabbed her keys and rushed back to the bookstore.

Her best friend, Sara, was waiting for her. "Chloe, where were you all morning?"

"I moved."

"Moved? Why? I thought things were fine at your sister's."

Chloe glanced toward the school gates. The students hadn't come out yet, so she took a moment to explain. "My brother-in-law wants me out. He keeps picking fights with my sister because of me. I didn't want to make things harder for her, so I left."

"But you pay for your food and rent! Why is he still complaining? He always seemed like a decent guy," Sara said, clearly annoyed on her friend's behalf.

Chloe sighed. "I give my sister 5,000 Dollar a month, but I tell her to save 3,000 of it in a secret account. We tell my brother-in-law I only give 2,000. My sister is a stay-at-home mom with no income; she has to ask him for every single penny. The more she asks, the more he looks down on her. I wanted her to have some emergency cash so he wouldn't have another reason to scold her."

Sara shook her head in frustration. "Men always say, 'I'll take care of you,' but when they actually have to do it, they complain about every cent. It's so unfair. Once a woman marries, she gives up everything for the family only to be treated like a burden."

"Once James starts kindergarten, Kate needs to find a job," Chloe agreed. "Economic independence is the only way a woman can keep her head high."

"But would your sister really let you move out just like that?" Sara asked. She knew how protective Kate was.

"I got married."

"Oh. Wait-WHAT? You got married? To who? You don't even have a boyfriend!"

Sara's voice rose to a shriek, attracting looks from a few passing students.

"I'll tell you later. It's a long story and the rush is starting," Chloe said, as a wave of students flooded the store.

The two were swept into a whirlwind of activity, selling stationery and reference books until the lunch hour ended. Only when they finally sat down to order takeout did Sara pounce again.

"Okay, spill it. Who did you marry? You didn't even give me a heads-up! We were supposed to be 'Single Queens' together!"

Chloe trusted Sara completely, so she laid out the whole story-though she admitted she knew very little about her new husband herself.

Sara stared at her for a long time before poking Chloe's forehead. "You've got some guts! You married a guy you met once? If you needed a place to stay, you could have moved in with me! My family has plenty of extra rooms."

The James family was quite well-off; Sara only ran the bookstore to kill time.

"And if you wanted to get married just to ease your sister's mind, you could have married my cousin! He's honest, kind, and has a great job. He would have married you in a heartbeat. Isn't that better than a total stranger?"

Sara frowned. "Are you sure that old lady didn't set you up? What if she faked the fall just to trap you?"

Chloe laughed. "Sara, your cousin already has a girlfriend. And Grandma Jones isn't like that. Even though I don't know Mr. Jones well, I can tell he's a decent man. Besides, I was just looking for a roommate for life."

Sara grumbled, "My aunt doesn't even like my cousin's girlfriend anyway... Look, marriage isn't a game. You can't just find a random 'roommate' to spend the rest of your life with. I'm telling you, Chloe, if your sister finds out the truth, she's going to be devastated."

Chloe laughed. "That's why you have to keep my secret. Don't let my sister know the truth, or she'll be worried to death."

Sara sighed. "I really admire your courage."

She had always thought flash-marrying a total stranger only happened in web novels. Now, her best friend had given her a real-life lesson, proving that fiction truly does spring from reality.

"In those novels, the female leads always flash-marry a billionaire. Chloe, is your guy a secret mogul too?"

Thwack!

Chloe flicked her friend's forehead. "You've spent too much time reading the romance books in our shop, haven't you? Stop daydreaming. You think billionaires are just lying around on the street waiting to get married?"

Sara rubbed her forehead. "Fine, maybe not a billionaire, but a multi-millionaire would be nice. Toronto is a big city; there are plenty of them around."

In Toronto, many of the older generation had become wealthy through government land compensation. The savvy ones had built apartment blocks and bought up shop lots to rent out, living comfortable lives as landlords.

Sara's family was exactly like that-they owned several buildings and half a street of storefronts. She didn't actually need to work, but she hated the tedious task of collecting rent, so she partnered with Chloe to open the bookstore to pass the time and earn some "pocket money."

"Chloe, do you even know who the richest man in Toronto is?"

The takeout arrived. Chloe went to the door to grab the bags and handed Sara her portion.

She sat down across from her friend and popped open her container. "The richest person I know is you. Does Toronto even have a hundred-billionaire? If it does, I certainly haven't met them."

"I think I heard the city's richest man is worth over a hundred billion. I can't remember his name, though," Sara mused. "I figured I'd never have a chance to meet someone like that anyway, so why bother memorizing his name?"

Chloe began to eat. "Your family is worth tens of millions and even you say you'll never meet him. What hope is there for a commoner like me? I've been working for years and I still can't afford a single apartment."

She'd had to marry a stranger just to get a roof over her head, and even that wasn't in her name. If she and David ever divorced, she'd be back to square one.

"You could get a mortgage. Do you have enough for a down payment?"

"For a small place, yes. But I want something bigger. I want enough rooms so that if my sister and James come to visit, they can stay over."

Toronto's real estate prices were soaring. Chloe's savings couldn't keep up with the rising market.

"I could lend you some money," Sara offered. "No interest."

Chloe placed a piece of braised pork into her friend's container. "Try this pork; the flavor is great. Don't worry about the money. Now that I'm married, my husband has a place. I'll stay there for now and worry about buying my own place later."

"Where is his apartment?"

"Square Garden."

"Oh, that's a nice area! Good environment, convenient transit, and not far from the shop. What does he do for a living? To afford an apartment in a high-end complex like that, his income must be high. What's his monthly mortgage? Does he want you to help pay it?"

Sara leaned in, her voice serious. "Chloe, if he asks you to help with the mortgage, you must insist he adds your name to the deed. Otherwise, it's a losing game. If things don't work out and you divorce, that house is his pre-marital property. you won't get a dime."

Chloe looked at her. "You think just like my sister. But he bought the place in full. No mortgage. Since I didn't pay a cent, I don't feel right asking him to add my name."

"Well, if the marriage stays strong, it doesn't really matter," Sara conceded.

Chloe suddenly thought of her sister's situation. Their current house had been bought by her brother-in-law before the wedding, and he was still paying the mortgage. However, her sister had paid for the entire renovation out of her own savings. Despite that, her sister's name still wasn't on the deed. Hearing her brother-in-law constantly complain that her sister was "useless" because she didn't earn money made Chloe worry.

She made a mental note to remind her sister to protect her interests when she got the chance.

Work continued until 11:00 PM.

Since Sara lived nearby and had been invited to a family dinner, Chloe had let her leave early. After locking up the bookstore, Chloe pulled her keys from her pocket and walked toward her e-bike.

"Heading home, Chloe?" The owner of the grocery store next door greeted her with a smile.

"Yes, Auntie. You haven't closed yet?"

"I live in the back of the shop, so it doesn't matter when I close. It's late; be careful on the road. A pretty girl like you should get a boyfriend to pick you up at night. It's safer."

Chloe hopped onto her e-bike and laughed. "I've trained in kickboxing. I'm not afraid."

She had traveled this road for years. Occasionally, thugs would try to block her path, seeing a beautiful girl alone at night. They usually ended up on the ground, crying for their mothers. Word had spread that the bookstore girl was a "hard nut to crack," and no one bothered her anymore.

The grocery store owner watched her ride away. "She's such a good girl. It's a shame my son is too young, or I'd love to have her as a daughter-in-law."

Her husband began moving the display goods back inside. Hearing his wife, he chuckled. "I've looked at her face. She has a 'noble' countenance-she's destined to be a wealthy lady one day. Our family's status doesn't match hers."

"Oh, please! You read a few books on physiognomy and now you think you're a fortune teller? If you're so good, tell me when we're going to strike it rich."

Their grocery store only made good money during the back-to-school season. The rest of the year was average-nothing like the bookstore's profits.

"With a background like Chloe's, how could she marry into high society?" her husband argued. "I'm not looking down on her, but the circles are different. She doesn't even have the chance to meet a real billionaire, let alone marry one."

Chloe was from a rural town under Toronto's jurisdiction. Her parents were dead, and she only had her sister. While her income was good, the most she could hope for was a middle-class marriage. Marrying into the elite was a pipe dream.

Chloe had no idea her neighbors were debating her destiny. She spent twenty minutes riding back to her sister's apartment building.

It was only after she had parked her bike that she froze. Right. I moved.

She looked up at the familiar balcony. The lights were out. A wave of loneliness washed over her. Not wanting to disturb her sister's family, she turned her e-bike around and rode back out into the night toward her new life.