Chapter 3

"You're a disgrace to the Morgan family! Get out!" 

Lisa stood in front of her father with her head bowed low as she listened to him rage. 

She didn't say a word no matter how she was insulted. She wasn't a kid anymore and life had taught her patience. The young her,  had been so arrogant, hot-headed and did things according to her belief but now... 

"I wouldn't listen to a word she says! Ask her to leave my home!" Her father yelled, then turned around, "Guards!" He roared and in no time, the guards who had been positioned in hidden places rushed out to take orders.

Lisa looked at her father with a pale face, her fist clenched behind her dress, and her eyes glared at him, but she remained silent. 

Her father, Reed, turned to look at her and sneered seeing her stubborn self, he pointed at her and commanded, "Throw her out of my house!" 

The air in the room froze until the gentle woman who seemed like she was about to cry spread her arms in front of Lisa which surprised her. 

This woman was the person she hated the most but she didn't think she would be the one to fight for her at her most helpless, but when she thought about it, her eyes flashed with mockery. 

"Pretender!" she muttered under her breath but continued to watch the woman stop the guards from coming close to her.

Her father, Reed Morgan felt a headache as he looked at his wife, he gritted his teeth but when he saw the same indifferent look on Lisa's face, he grew more determined to chase her out.

"Get away from that ungrateful girl, Lauren! She doesn't even appreciate you. Just look at her face! Look at her expression. She deserves to be treated wrongly by that poor man she ran away with, idiot!" He raged even more, then reached out to pull his wife away from Lisa, then signalled the guards to do their jobs. 

"Let me go!" Lisa cried out as the guards pulled her.

"We're sorry, young miss.." One of the guards apologised guiltily. 

"What young Miss?! She is not my daughter! I disowned her long ago!" Her father roared again, then pulled Lauren who was still fighting and begging them to let Lisa go.

Lisa looked at her father as she was pulled out, she glared at him, then calmed down and said, "You'll have no choice but to later let me in, Father." then she didn't fight the guards anymore and allowed them drag her out. 

Lisa knelt in front of the Morgans' family's entrance. 

She was determined to let her father let her go in. If he wouldn't accept it easily, then she would go hard on him. She knew her father so well and was very familiar with his pride and arrogance. He hated to see his reputation tarnished and that is what she was targeting.

She had purposely knelt in an obvious place where outsiders would see her. This mountain estate is a place for the most wealthy and powerful people in the country and in the whole mountain, only 10 families have houses here. 

She knew her father wouldn't want the other family to see her kneeling on the floor as it would be a big embarrassment to him.

And Lisa was right. 

At this moment, her father was seething with rage as he watched Lisa through the camera, he wished he could go down there to beat her up. 

He gritted his teeth and glared at the figure that looked like it was about to break kneeling under the hot sun. 

"Can you see her?! She did this on purpose, she's trying to provoke me! Darn that girl!" He complained to his wife angrily and pointed at Lisa's image on the screen.

Lauren on her own knew how stubborn both daughter and father were, and none of them would give in to each other if she didn't do something about it. 

And true enough, Father Morgan hit the table with his palm, "If she thinks she would make me take her back by doing this, then I would prove her wrong!" He roared, then stood up and walked away leaving Lauren looking at his back with a sarcastic expression. 

"Stubborn man!"

Lisa knelt on the ground stubbornly and no matter how the sun beat her and how hungry or tasty she was, she never stood up. 

She could still remember the lawyer's words.

"For the sake of your mother." 

She closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened her eyes, determination flashed through them. 

She had made a decision to put her pride behind her and come back home after being persuaded by the wise reasons of Lawyer Simmy, and had come straight to the Morgan family when she dropped from the plane. 

An hour later when Lisa was about to collapse, she felt someone hug her gently. 

"Lets go in! Don't mind your father, he wouldn't dare do anything with me around." A gentle voice whispered into Lisa's ears jolting her. 

She raised her head to see that it was Lauren, her stepmother. 

Her eyes flashed with surprise, but she clenched her fist to keep herself from pushing her away. 

"What do you mean? Did my father allow me in?" Lisa asked in surprise but Lauren shook her head.

"Just follow me." She said confidently then walked in with Lisa staggering behind her. 

They both got into the house and paused seeing Reed sitting on the couch with a calm expression. 

Lisa watched Lauren do her thing. Hugged and wiggled in his arms as she tried to placate him while Lisa watched with an indifferent expression which irked her father but he could do nothing. 

After a while, her father looked at her and then burst out in laughter, "So...That poor boy cheated on you?" 

Lina looked at her father in speechlessness. She gritted her teeth and glared at him for him to stop but he continued to taunt her about her wrong steps. 

After a while, he turned serious, then looked at her with a cold expression which made the room turn dreadful. 

"I can allow you back into the family, but..." He paused and stood up from the couch. 

Lisa grew tense as she waited for him to make his demands. 

"You have two options," he said again, his face deadly serious. 

Lisa's heart skipped a beat and she swallowed nervously. "What do you want?!" She asked. 

"Take over the company!" He said which startled Lisa. She parted her lips to say something, but he raised his hand to stop her. 

"Don't lie to me. I know that while you were studying that course, you were also taking business management with it and you have your certificate. You can't fool me!" 

Lisa froze at her father's words, she looked at him in shock, then turned calm again. 

"Okay!" She said firmly. 

"Leave the family or you have to marry the fiancé chosen for you, Joseph Bronson!"

Chapter 4

Lisa stood in front of the luxurious restaurant where she would be having her date with her so-called fiancé whom she had never met. 

She had only heard of him once when her father had rejected her marriage to Dane. He had told her she had a fiancé from a young age and it was the son of his best friend. According to him, they had both made a promise to marry their children to each other. 

She had found it ridiculous then, and had resisted with all her heart and it's also one of the reasons she was so decisive in leaving as she had believed her father had sold her. 

Now, standing in front of the restaurant about to meet the fiancée, Joseph Bronson, she felt nothing other than calmness. 

She had agreed to her father after some quick thought. What is the difference between staying single and marrying someone in her state? 

At this stage, she doesn't care who she marries because it will be the same. Her heart had grown cold and tired. 

She inhaled deeply, then walked into the restaurant in her heels. Her black wavy hair bounced behind her and her elegant gown followed her sway making look more enchanting. 

The people in the restaurant threw a glance or two her way as she walked passed. 

A gentle waitress stopped her, "Hello, are you Ceo Bronson's date?" 

Lisa returned her smile politely, then nodded at her words. 

"Then, please follow behind." The waitress said, then began walking away while she followed.

"Here, Ceo Bronson is in there." She said then bowed before retreating.

Lisa took a relaxed breath, then knocked on the door. 

"Come in!" 

Lisa raised an eyebrow at the deep but sexy voice she heard, her brows furrowed in thought but she snapped out and walked in. 

She walked elegantly to the man who sat behind the table, their eyes met and the air seemed to freeze, they maintained eye contact even when she already sat down. 

"Miss Lisa Morgan?"

The call of her name snapped her out of her daze, she looked at him in confusion for a second, then recalled that she hadn't introduced herself.

"Hi, yes, I am," Lisa said, then stretched out her hand to shake his. 

The moment their hands touched, her body jolted, and she released his hand awkwardly, but her gaze saw the tattoo on his wrist. 

The more she looked at the tattoo which looked cold but also seemed to have a deep meaning, the more she found it familiar. 

"Please, make yourself comfortable, Miss." 

His deep voice sounded again which finally snapped Lisa out of her daze. She looked up and met Joseph's confused gaze and felt embarrassed at her rudeness, but she just couldn't help it. 

She felt she had seen that tattoo somewhere, but... 

Suddenly, Lisa's heart pounded against her rib, her eyes flashed with shock as she raised her head to look at the handsome face in front of her.

To be honest, she had been shocked when she saw him as he looked too attractive and different from what she had expected. 

His aura was cold and elegant, his eyes carried traces of gentle indifference, and he looked relaxed which made people subconsciously respect him. 

"Are you alright-" 

"Have we met before?" Lisa interrupted him and her eyes looked straight at him like she wanted to detect something from his expression.

Joseph looked at Lisa calmly but he was not that calm inside him, he looked at her with a solid expression, then spat out one word, "No!" 

Lisa regained her senses, then let out a chuckle, "Sorry, I had mistaken for someone." She said, then turned serious. 

"Ceo Bronson seems to know why we're here, so I'll go straight to the point," Lisa announced, then sat up straight. 

"I've been through heartbreak, and I don't desire love. Even if I marry you, I won't give you love." Lisa stared pointedly at him, " Are you okay with this, President Joseph?"

Joseph's fingers were tapping on the table as he listened to her, his eyes narrowed in deep thought, he couldn't help but recall how she had told all her problems and difficulties to a stranger, which really made him helpless at that time as he had wondered how much she had drunk. 

His head lowered as he thought of how she had held onto him that night, how her legs had curled around his waist, the corner of his lips curled up in a smile and his eyes lit up dazzlingly but all this was something Lisa couldn't see.

When Joseph raised his head again, he had returned to being expressionless. 

"Miss Morgan, I think we have the same thought, I also don't need a love marriage, just a collaboration between the two families, and I need someone who can help me stop the mutters of the boards," Joseph said, then sat up with a serious aura. 

"That's good!" Lisa sighed in relief.

"Then...Let's sign a one-year contract. If after one year we still don't find ourselves compatible, we break it off." He suggested. 

Lisa frowned as she hadn't thought of that. She looked at Joseph, and her gaze couldn't help but shift to his wrist again which made Joseph who had noticed her focus sigh as helplessness flashed through his eyes.

"What do you think of my suggestion, Miss Lisa?" 

Lisa shifted her gaze back to him, "Then let's do it that way." 

****

Two hours later, Joseph and Lisa walked out of the marriage registry with two certificates in their hands. 

Lisa looked at the certificate in a daze. She had remarried, just like that? 

She turned around to look at the handsome man who stood behind her with the sun casting on him making him look more handsome. 

She watched as he stretched out his hand towards her; 

"Hello, Mrs Bronson."

CHAPTER 5

Lisa trailed her fingers along the edge of her gown as she stepped into the house, the satin folds heavy against her arms.

The wedding did not bother her but tonight felt worse – her first appearance as Joseph Bronson's wife.

She dropped onto the velvet chair in her dressing room, staring at her reflection.

Her green eyes carried exhaustion, but it was the storm behind them that frightened her.

For a fleeting moment, her thoughts drifted backward-back to the vows she had once made with Dane, the promises whispered in soft tones, the lies she believed.

Had divorce truly freed her or had it only bound her to a colder fate?

The name Joseph Brown carried power, yes, but what good was power if the man she owned was merciless?

What if he were worse than Dane?

The silence in the room pressed against her ears, thick and suffocating.

She shut her eyes, forcing the spiraling thoughts away.

But fear lingered.

___

Across the hall, Joseph sat alone in his room, the glow of a single lamp casting shadows against the walls.

His gaze dropped to the ring on his finger, the silver band gleaming under the light.

For a long moment, he simply stared at it, unmoving, as if trying to convince himself it was real.

Then slowly, a faint smile curved at the corner of his lips.

He was married.

To her.

The thought still felt unreal, but it filled a space inside him he hadn't known was empty.

Joseph leaned back in his chair, his hand tightening slightly as though the ring could slip away if he wasn't careful.

He didn't want separate rooms.

He didn't want this marriage to feel like a contract sealed by signatures and witnesses.

He wanted her – Lisa – beside him.

For the first time in his life, he had someone he could call his own.

And he wasn't planning on letting her go.

----

Morning came with a chill that crept through the wide halls of the Bronson estate.

The dining room stretched endlessly, the polished oak table set with silver cutlery and steaming dishes.

Lisa sat at one end, her gown brushing the floor, her back perfectly straight though her heart was anything but.

Joseph occupied the opposite chair, the distance between them more than physical – it was a gulf of silence neither dared to cross.

Servants moved quietly, placing plates before them, then withdrawing as though the air itself warned them not to linger.

Not a word was spoken.

Knives scraped softly against porcelain.

The ticking of the grand clock on the far wall sounded louder than it should.

Lisa forced a sip of water, her throat suddenly tightening.

She coughed once, then again, the sound sharp in the hollow quiet.

Joseph's chair scraped violently against the floor.

Before anyone could breathe, he was at her side, his hand steadying her back, his voice low but urgent.

"Easy".

Gasps erupted from the servants standing at the edges of the room.

The cold boss – Joseph Bronson, the man of ice and iron – had moved.

He had run.

No one had ever seen him do such a thing for anyone.

But here he was, his hands lingering on Lisa's shoulder, his eyes fixed with an intensity that betrayed something more than duty.

Lisa blinked at him, stunned.

And for the first time, she wondered if the walls around him were not as unshakable as she believed.

Joseph remained by her side a second longer than necessary before the straightening, slipping back into the armor of composure.

The servants exchanged uneasy glances, whispers caught in their throats.

The sound of polished shoes striking the floor echoed into the room.

A man in a tailored suit approached, a leather folder tucked under his arm.

He bowed slightly, his voice measured and respectful.

"Sir, Madam", he began, opening the folder with practiced precision.

"Your schedule for the day".

Joseph gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable once more.

The man cleared his throat before continuing.

"This evening, both of you are expected at the HallowayGala. The city's elite will be in attendance. It will serve as your first official appearance as husband and wife.

The words fell like a stone in the silence.

Lisa's fingers tightened around her fork, her heart sinking.

Joseph's jaw flexed but he merely said, "Noted".

The man closed the folder, gave another short bow, and withdrew, leaving the tension heavier than before.

For Lisa, the weight of the coming evening pressed against her chest.

She could already hear the whispers waiting for her.

The Gala....

The gala hall glittered under chandeliers, diamonds of light scattering across polished marble floors.

Lisa walked in beside Joseph, every step heavier than the last.

The murmurs began immediately.

Whispers chased her through the crowd, sharp and cold.

Her smile wavered, but she forced it to remain, her hand resting lightly against Joseph's arms.

In the far corner, Dane slipped in, his dark eyes scanning until they found her.

He leaned toward the woman at his side, his lips curling into a smirk.

"Look at her", he whispered, his tone dripping with disdain.

"She probably entered with a false name. She's a nothing".

The woman gave a polite, hollow laugh but Dane's gaze never left Lisa.

Then, from somewhere in the crowd, a man muttered under his breath, "That's Mrs. Bronson now".

Dane stiffened.

Joseph Bronson's wife?

His jaw tightened, envy burning through him.

And in the moment, his smirk returned – sharper, more dangerous.

If Lisa thought marriage would save her reputation, he would make sure it destroyed her instead.

Moments later, his voice cut through the crowd.

"Well. Well", Dane drawled loudly, drawing all attention, "Bronson, I didn't know you made a habit of collecting used goods".

Gasps rippled across the ballroom.

Lisa's head dropped, shame flooding her, cameras flashing like lightning to capture her bowed face.

Joseph's shoulders shifted as though the insult had barely brushed him.

And then – he laughed.

A low, sharp sound that echoed across the hall and made the silence stretch tighter.

When his gaze found Dane, his smile was thin and mocking.

"You're still talking about her?" Joseph said smoothing, his tone slicing like glass.

"I suppose it makes sense... men usually can't forget what they'll never have again".

The crowd stirred, a mix of muffled chuckles and shocked murmurs.

Color rose on Dane's face, his composure faltering.

Before he could retort, Joseph stepped closer to Lisa, his hand brushing hers.

His lips moved just enough for her to hear.

"Smile", he murmured, "you don't want them taking ugly pictures of you".

Then his voice rose, thunderous and commanding – "Let it be known that she is now Lisa Bronson. My wife. And anyone who dares disrespect her will answer to me".

The hall froze, Joseph's power settling like a storm.

The only sound was the click of cameras desperate to capture the cold fury in his eyes.

Lisa stared at him, stunned, relief clashing with disbelief.

The world seemed to hold its breath.

Until Dane's voice, low and venomous, broke the stillness.

"You'll regret this union".

His snarl carried a promise.

And the night ended in silence, heavy with the threat of war.