A sharp chill grazed Corinne's bare skin, sending a delicate shiver cascading down her spine.

Before she could steady herself, Andrew's hand covered her chest, nothing left to soften the contact. Heat radiated from his palm, startlingly intense, while his touch turned unexpectedly rough—the hardened pads of his fingers dragging firmly across her sensitive skin before closing in a tight, almost punishing grip that jolted straight through her, unfamiliar and overwhelming.

Warm, uneven breaths spilled against the curve of her neck, each exhale heavier than the last.

The moment his other hand slipped beneath the edge of her skirt, her entire body began to tremble, her breath catching so sharply it nearly vanished altogether.

Andrew caught the reaction at once. Just as his fingers were about to brush the thin layer beneath, he went still.

Clenching against the haze threatening to consume him, he leaned close, his lips hovering near her ear as his voice dropped into a hoarse, strained warning. "If you're aware enough to be afraid, then you shouldn't go around provoking men you don't know."

He shifted back slightly, his voice tightening. "If you want to stop, this is your—"

Cutting him off, Corinne seized his tie and dragged him sharply back down.

Guided by instinct, her mouth found his ear, teeth grazing before her lips sealed over the heated lobe, and she sucked once—soft, controlled, and unmistakably intentional, shutting down the last chance he had offered.

Determined to reach her goal, she forced herself to stay in character, her voice dipping into a faint, taunting murmur. "Are you... actually capable of it?"

Pressed into the curve of her neck, he hid his expression from view, yet a low, husky laugh vibrated against her skin.

From that moment on, any hesitation vanished.

With barely anything left to keep them apart, his hand slid between her thighs, fingers locating that hidden place and pressing down with precise, unwavering intent.

Moving with measured patience, he traced slow circles and subtle pressure over her most sensitive spot, each deliberate motion sending sharp tremors through her body until she couldn't stop the shiver that seized her.

Releasing her pinned wrists, he threaded his fingers through hers and drawing her trembling hand into the heat of his palm, enclosing it fully.

Gentle strokes brushed across her knuckles and along her palm, again and again, the contact there maddeningly soft—almost tender in contrast to the relentless precision of his touch below.

Nothing about this matched the expectations she had braced herself for.

Gradually, the tight coil of dread inside her unraveled under that unyielding rhythm, replaced inch by inch with something far more dangerous—an uneasy blend of embarrassment, curiosity, and a quiet, involuntary anticipation she couldn't suppress.

Against her will, her body yielded, softening beneath his hands.

Bit by bit, the clothes already hanging loose were peeled away by his long, graceful fingers until nothing remained between them.

Wave after wave of sensation crashed over her, muddling her thoughts, dragging her deeper into a haze she couldn't quite fight.

At some indistinct moment, the warmth of his touch shifted—replaced by something far more overwhelming. The instant he entered her, the reality struck all at once, sharp and inescapable, followed by a sudden sting that stole her breath.

Countless times, Corinne had pictured how her first time would unfold.

In those quiet fantasies, she had always imagined sharing it with the man she loved most, on a day filled with meaning, leaving behind a memory she could revisit with a soft, wistful smile.

Reality, however, unfolded without mercy.

Never—not once—had she considered that, driven by the need to retaliate against the man who had betrayed her, she would end up here… in the backseat of a car, with someone she had only met hours ago, surrendering herself in such a reckless, tangled way.

A tear slid from the corner of her eye, heavy with emotions she couldn't sort through, slipping silently onto the smooth leather beneath her.

Almost absently, his hand lifted and brushed across her cheek, his fingertips catching that tear and wiping it away.

Without warning, his movements shifted—deeper, harder, each driving push reaching somewhere far beyond the surface, pulling broken sounds and uneven breaths from her lips.

Gradually, the sharp ache ebbed away, replaced by a heady, spiraling sensation that coursed through her limbs and rattled her to the core.

Everything that followed—from the car ride to Andrew's place—dissolved into a hazy blur, slipping through her grasp like fragments of a dream she couldn't quite hold onto. At some point, exhaustion overtook her completely, dragging her under into darkness.

When her eyes finally fluttered open again, pale morning light had already filled the room.

Struggling upright, she winced at the deep soreness lingering in her body, her gaze drifting sluggishly across the unfamiliar bedroom.

Nearly half a minute passed before everything rushed back, each humiliating moment replaying with brutal clarity.

That meant it hadn't been a dream at all.

Reality settled in with crushing weight—she had truly slept with Jonny's uncle.

Pressing her palm to her throbbing forehead, Corinne squeezed her eyes shut, unable to untangle the storm of shame, anger, and disbelief twisting inside her.

"If you're awake, come out and eat," a calm, familiar voice called from the doorway.

Startled, she snapped her gaze upward.

At the sight of Andrew, the impact hit just as hard as before.

Gone was the sharply dressed man from last night—Andrew now stood in relaxed, casual clothes, soft strands of hair falling over his brow.

That effortless look made him seem more approachable, almost deceptively so, yet the cool detachment in his eyes hadn't changed in the slightest.

Nothing about him matched the man she remembered from the night before.

For several long seconds, Corinne could only stare at him, her thoughts frozen. Only when she shifted to sit up did the realization strike—she wasn't wearing anything at all.

"Um… do you have anything I could change into?"

Resting one shoulder against the doorframe, Andrew watched her without speaking.

After a brief pause, he finally said, "I don't keep women's clothes here. If you don't mind, just take something from the closet."

"But I…" Her voice trailed off, the protest dying before it could form. How exactly was she supposed to cross the room like this?

Then again… after everything that had happened the night before, clinging to modesty now felt almost ridiculous.

"Fine. Then I won't bother being shy," she said lightly, a small, deliberate smile tugging at her lips.

With a quick, decisive motion, she tossed the blanket aside. Bare skin exposed, she stepped out of bed and walked past him without slowing.

At her side, Andrew turned his head away, his gaze shifting elsewhere as though none of it concerned him.

Reaching the closet, Corinne snatched a T-shirt at random and pulled it over herself, the loose hem just brushing her thighs.

The place felt like a winding maze in its sheer size, leaving her slightly disoriented as she wandered through it.

After a few wrong turns, she finally reached the dining area, only to find Andrew already seated, idly scrolling through financial headlines on his tablet.

Set out before him, the breakfast looked plain but surprisingly appetizing.

Glancing around, she asked, trying to ease the stiffness in the air, "I didn't see anyone else here… did you make all of this yourself?"

Without lifting his gaze, he answered flatly, "Yeah."

Hungry enough to forget herself, she ate with genuine enthusiasm, then flashed him a small, teasing smile. "That's actually impressive. Men who look like you and can cook too? That's a pretty rare combination."

With a hint of scorn, Andrew let out a low huff.

"Women with zero sense of self-preservation are pretty rare too."

Silence settled over Corinne as she paused mid-bite.

Honestly, it applied to him too. A man willing to sleep with a stranger he'd just met hardly qualified as cautious either.

Irritation flickered through her as she rolled her eyes to herself.

Shifting instantly, she tilted her head and sweetened her voice. "Funny how fast you changed your attitude once it was over. You were a lot gentler when you had your hands all over me last night."

Given her soft, almost angelic features, the shameless ease of her words felt jarringly out of place.

Drawing in a measured breath, Andrew set his tablet down with deliberate calm and rose from his chair.

"Wrap it up in ten minutes," he said evenly. "We're heading to the courthouse at nine."

The statement hit Corinne so abruptly she nearly choked on her milk. Coughing hard, she wiped her lips and stared at him in disbelief.

"Wait—what did you just say?"

Not until they stepped out of the courthouse with the certified marriage papers in their hands did Corinne finally accept that Andrew hadn't been joking.

So this was what it felt like to marry in a rush.

"From this point on, we follow what's written in the prenup," Andrew said. "And let me make this clear one more time..."

"I remember," Corinne cut in, still turning the marriage papers over in her hands, as though she still hadn't gotten enough of the fact that she had become Jonny's uncle's wife overnight.

"You happened to need a wife, and after what happened last night, you felt responsible enough to marry me."

Then she looked up at him and added in a light tone, "And since we're clearing things up, let me remind you of something too."

Her voice stayed calm and easy.

"I'm not some con artist. I'm not after your money. I just happened to want to get married, and then I happened to meet someone I liked the moment I saw him. You. If you're still worried, we can add something else to the prenup about property."

To Andrew, money was the part that mattered least in this situation.

What caught him instead was that line about liking him at first sight.

He needed a wife, not a love story.

In fact, if Corinne had been chasing his money, this might've been easier for him to deal with.

"I have a meeting at ten thirty," he said. "Where are you going? If there's still time, the driver can take you there."

Back when she had still been hopelessly in love with Jonny, Corinne had always forced herself to be the easy one. She was always the one who understood, the one who stayed quiet, and the one who never made demands.

The familiar words almost slipped out by habit. "Don't worry about me. Go take care of what you need to do."

This time, she held them back.

"I don't have anything to do for the next couple of days," she said instead. "Why don't I go with you? We just got married. We should spend some time together."

Then she hurried to add, "Don't worry. I'll be good. I won't cause you any trouble."

Now that they were newly married, it only made sense for her to get to know her husband a little better.

Andrew never said yes, but he didn't refuse either, and that was enough for Corinne to climb into the car.

During the ride, she kept staring at the marriage papers, unable to stop looking at them.

Then her eyes landed on his full name. Andrew Olson.

Wait.

He was an Olson?

Wasn't Jonny's mother a Stevenson before she got married?

Shouldn't Jonny's maternal uncle have the same last name as Jonny's mother?

A sense of unease slowly rose inside her.

Corinne drew a quiet breath, then decided to test the subject carefully. "Do you... have an older sister?"

Andrew glanced at her, clearly unsure where the question had come from, but he still answered, "Yes."

A good part of the tension in Corinne's chest eased right away. After that, she asked, "And your father's last name is Olson too?"

To anyone else, it would've sounded like a strange question.

Yet, Andrew answered her without any hesitation, "I use my mother's last name. Why?"

Jonny's grandparents had died young, and Corinne had never known much about that side of the family.

She definitely had no idea what Jonny's grandmother's maiden name had been.

Now his answer made enough sense.

Taking his mother's surname wasn't unusual, after all.

"I was only curious," she replied with a smile.

Then she quietly put the marriage papers away.

A little more than ten minutes later, the car rolled into the underground parking garage of an office tower.

"I don't make a habit of bringing family to the office. There are plenty of places around here if you want to shop, so make your own plans,"

Andrew remarked as he got out of the car. Then, while listening to his secretary go over his schedule, he headed toward the elevator.

"Wait," Corinne called out. She hurried out of the car and rushed after him, then threw her arms out to block his path. "Just give me a second."

Andrew lowered his gaze to her. After a short pause, he slipped a card out of his pocket and held it toward her. "Do you need something else?"

The moment she realized what he had assumed, Corinne pushed the card back into his hand.

"That's not what I meant." She curled her finger at him. "Hand me your phone."

Andrew checked the time. Impatience was already written across his face, but he still gave it to her.

Corinne moved fast across the screen, then returned the phone with a pleased smile. "Done."

Andrew glanced down at the contact list. A new number had been saved there. The name attached to it read "My Beloved." One of his brows lifted.

When Corinne signed that prenup, she had already made a decision in her heart.

A divorce in two years?

That was never going to happen. She hadn't gone through all that trouble just to become his wife for a little while and then let him go. If she was marrying Andrew, then she meant to keep that place for life.

That left her with only one path forward. She had to make him fall so deeply for her that he wouldn't even think of letting her go.

"Call me when you're done, alright... honey?"

Corinne lingered over that last word on purpose, pouring sweetness and flirtation into it. Then she rose onto her toes and looped her arms around his neck, making it obvious she meant to leave him with a goodbye kiss.

Andrew towered over her. He was so much taller that, without heels, her head barely reached his shoulder.

If he didn't lower himself, there was no way she could reach his lips, no matter how much she stretched.

As though he had measured the distance perfectly, he tipped his chin a little higher.

That slight movement did exactly what it shouldn't have done. It stirred her competitive side.

Corinne shot a meaningful glance at the secretary nearby.

The secretary understood at once and quietly stepped away.

"I don't have time to indulge this here," Andrew said. "Let go."

His meeting was about to begin, and he stepped back twice.

Corinne had no intention of giving up that easily.

A cunning smile curved across her lips, and instead of backing off, she moved even closer.

Andrew clearly hadn't expected her to be that bold. The back of his calf struck the front of the Rolls Royce behind him, and his balance gave for a brief moment.

That small opening was all Corinne needed. She closed the distance in an instant.

With both hands braced against the cool metal on either side of him, she trapped him neatly between herself and the car.

She had him now.

Victory flashed through her, and without giving him even a second to recover, she lifted herself onto her toes and kissed him.

This wasn't like the night before. There was nothing hesitant about her now. At least to her, she had learned fast in a single night.

The instant surprise parted his lips, she seized the chance.

Instead of fumbling, she moved with much more intention this time, teasing him with a confidence she hadn't shown before.

Somewhere in the middle of it, she caught the lingering bitterness of coffee on his mouth.

That only made her bolder. She moved even closer, pressing herself against him until she could feel the sudden change in the rhythm beneath his chest.

At the same time, she caught the hand he had planted on the hood and brought it to her waist, firm and deliberate, leaving him no room to refuse.

Very little stood between them, and the warmth of his palm nearly came through the fabric.

Her waist was still aching from the way he had handled her the night before.

Compared to that, this felt like a tiny bit of payback.

That thought had barely crossed her mind when she brushed against him again, ready to draw the kiss out even more, and then a familiar figure caught her eye. She went rigid, her eyes flying wide open.

What was Jonny doing here?

He couldn't have picked a worse moment to appear.

Yes, she was already Andrew's wife on paper.

But the truth was, her place beside him still wasn't secure.

Before anything else, she needed time to build something real with him.

If the three of them ran into each other now, and Andrew learned about her past with Jonny...

What if Andrew lost his temper and ended the marriage before it had even truly begun?

No. She couldn't allow that.

As the voice behind them came closer and footsteps followed with it, panic rose fast inside her chest. For more than twenty years, she had lived with a clean conscience. Now, for the first time, she knew what it felt like to panic because she was hiding something.

Her thoughts spun wildly. She was just about to pull away from Andrew and run when he moved before she could.

In one swift motion, he caught her slender wrist and pulled her tightly into his arms.

Then he turned and placed himself between her and the man behind them. His broad shoulders hid her completely from view, and in that instant, he gave her the perfect chance to slip away.

Corinne caught on at once. She gave him a light push to break the kiss, then touched her earlobe and quickly put on a flustered expression. "My earring. I think it fell off. It must've dropped in the car..."

Before Andrew could respond, she slipped into the car as fast as she could. His throat shifted once. His lips flattened into a hard line, and the look he threw after her carried clear frustration. He was far from pleased that she had stopped things there.

After taking a slow breath, he adjusted the collar she had left rumpled, then finally turned around and forced down the irritation still running through him.

The first thing he saw was the man standing behind him with bruises still on his face.

"Mr. Olson?" The excitement in Jonny's face showed the second he recognized him.

He quickly walked over with a flattering smile and held out his hand. "I never thought I'd run into you here, Mr. Olson. I've heard so much about you. It's an honor to finally meet you."

Andrew didn't so much as glance at the offered hand. Instead, he slid one hand into his pocket, and his face turned cold enough to freeze the air around them. He said nothing. He only looked Jonny over from head to toe with plain contempt, his brow tightening a little, as though even laying eyes on him was unpleasant.

Jonny's hand remained hanging there in midair.

He held on for two more seconds, still refusing to give up. But once it became humiliatingly obvious that Andrew had no intention of taking his hand, he could only withdraw it and wipe his palm against his trousers.

This was too rare an opportunity to waste. No matter what happened, he needed Andrew to remember him somehow.

With that in mind, Jonny made another attempt.

"Mr. Olson, my name is Jonny Palmer. I'm the deputy general manager of Horizon Technologies. Our company worked with Zenith International on a project not too long ago. Do you not remember me?"

He had assumed that mentioning their business connection would at least earn him a few moments of Andrew's attention.

Instead, the answer he got was cold enough to wipe the smile right off his face.

"Zenith deals with hundreds of partners every single year. What makes you think I'd remember someone like you?"

Jonny's smile locked in place.

Hidden behind the driver's seat, Corinne stole a glance outside as she tried to make sense of the situation.

She couldn't catch anything they were saying, but Jonny's body language already gave it away. That flattering smile and that anxious need to win favor were enough to put her in a wonderful mood.

So this was the man who used to carry himself with such arrogance and pride. Now he stood in front of Andrew like he was nothing.

A laugh nearly slipped out of Corinne. It pleased her even more when she imagined the day Jonny would have to accept that his former fiancée had become his uncle's wife.

While she was enjoying the thought to herself, the car door swung open without warning.

At the sudden movement, Corinne shot upright, and her startled eyes met Andrew's.

"Is this how people usually look for an earring, all folded up like that?"

What showed on his face was something she couldn't quite make out. It felt strange, though one thing was clear. He wasn't angry.

"I..."

After watching his expression and listening to the way he spoke, Corinne came to a daring conclusion. Whatever he had said to Jonny, it probably had nothing to do with her.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be standing there this composed.

A wave of relief passed through her, and she quietly let out the breath she had been holding. Then she looked at him and gave a relaxed smile.

"My foot's numb," she said. "I'm waiting for it to feel normal again."

While saying that, she lifted a hand toward him, clearly asking him to help her out.

Andrew obviously knew what she meant. He started to reach for her, but then he stopped and pulled his hand back.

"I understand," he said. "Then you can stay there a while longer."

The door closed with a sharp slam.

Shock washed over Corinne as she stared at it.

"What? Hey, you..."

She almost called after him, but then she remembered he still had a meeting, and the words never made it out.

He had already been delayed because of her once. If he really showed up late and it interfered with his work, he'd probably think she was nothing but trouble.

Since this was the first day of their marriage, she had to hold herself back at least a little.

They had plenty of time in front of them. There was no need to push everything forward today.

Using the seat for support, she got up by herself, and her good mood made her hum softly under her breath.

Nothing needed to happen so fast. As far as she was concerned, Andrew's cold attitude would change sooner or later.

Because she was afraid Jonny and Andrew might still be nearby, she remained by the window for a long while and kept sneaking glances outside until she felt sure enough to step out.

Back when the car came in, she hadn't really looked around.

Not until she walked out of the garage did she finally notice the name on the building.

Glory Group?

At once, a thought struck her, and she quickly pulled out her phone to check the old messages in her work group.

"Oh my God... this can't be real."