Ariana paced back and forth on the steps of the County Clerk’s Office. Today was the day she and Lucas would register their marriage that had been arranged by her mother when her mother was still alive.

Ariana and Lucas were childhood sweethearts. Her mother’s biggest regret was not being able to witness her and Lucas’s wedding. When her mother was alive, she and her mother had chosen this day together to register her marriage.

At this moment, a young delivery man hurriedly ran to her. When he came to a stop in front of her, he looked at her before he glanced at the photo in his hand.

Ariana stopped pacing immediately.

“Are you… Ms. Ariana?” the delivery man asked as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Ariana nodded. “Yes. I’m Ariana.”

Upon obtaining the confirmation, the delivery man handed her a document. “Your parcel.”

Ariana was surprised. How did the delivery man know to look for her here? She looked at the name on the document before she looked at the delivery man again.

The delivery man motioned her to have a look at the document as he said, “The sender has a message for you. You should open the file and have a look.”

Ariana was thoroughly shocked when she opened the file and saw its content. She saw a stack of high-definition photos of a couple; they were none other than Lucas and Hannah. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, she put the photos in her bag.

Following that, the delivery man took two steps backward. Then, he cleared his throat before he attempted to imitate a woman’s voice and said, “Ariana, Lucas won’t marry you. The person he loves is me. We’ve been together for half a year now. He just couldn’t bear to tell you the truth because of your mother. Just think about it… What kind of man would be willing to marry a dense woman like you who doesn’t care about her lover?” After he finished speaking, he looked at Ariana with an expression of pity.

Despite her trembling body, Ariana’s voice was calm when she said, “Is that all?”

“Yes.” The delivery man quickly nodded. He felt sorry for having to deliver such an outrageous message to Ariana. He bowed before he turned around and hurried away.

When Ariana felt the scorching heat from the sun on her head, she placed the file over her head, using it to shade herself. Contrary to the heat, her tears streamed down her face like the rain.

She brought her mobile phone out and dialed Lucas’s number, but he did not answer her call. She did not give up and continued to call him over and over again. After a while, the call finally connected.

However, before Ariana could speak, Lucas’s voice rang from the other end of the line. “Ariana, uh, I’m busy today. My friend’s injured so I’m taking care of her in the hospital. I’ll… I’ll talk to you later… ”

Ariana tried to get rid of the tremors in her voice before she said, “Your injured friend? Are you talking about Hannah?”

Upon hearing this, Lucas blurted out, “How do you know?”

“Lucas, do you still intend to marry me on another day? Or do you not have any intention to marry me at all?”

Lucas only hesitated for a moment before he said, “Ariana, I think you’ll be able to live comfortably without me since you’re capable and independent. You don’t need me at all unlike… unlike Hannah who can’t live without me…”

“Okay, I understand,” Ariana interjected before she hung up. After that, she slowly squatted down with her phone in her hand as her heart throbbed in pain.

‘Lucas, what do you mean by I’m too independent? It’s just a lame excuse for?you cheating on me!’

At this moment, two tall men dressed in black suits were climbing up the stairs.

The man in the lead solemnly said, “I’m only marrying her to fulfill my grandmother’s wish. I even agreed to divorce her once Grandma recovers from her illness. What’s the matter now? Does she think the money I gave her isn’t enough?”

The man at the back explained with a reluctant expression on his face, “Yasmin said she’s a public figure and this marriage will greatly impact her career. She’s currently competing for an international award so this is a critical time for her. She doesn’t want any negative publicity, and she doesn’t want to be known as a divorced woman. Even if there’s nothing between both of you, her fans won’t believe it. Adrian, why don’t you call her?” When he finished speaking, he passed a phone over to the man in front.

Upon hearing these words, Adrian’s expression turned frosty immediately. However, the corners of his lips curled up into a confident smile as he said, “I tolerated her when she used me for publicity, but now she refuses to do this for Grandma? Liam, do I look like a fool to you?”

Liam sighed. “Young Master, for your Grandma’s sake, please beg Ms. Yasmin.”

“Beg? She should be grateful that I’m not going to bankrupt her family due to the friendship between our elders. Why should I beg her?” Adrian snorted.

Liam said anxiously, “But you must get married today! We must stop your Grandma’s hunger strike! I don’t care. Since you’ve agreed to your Grandma’s request, you must do it at all cost!”

Adrian frowned slightly as he lowered his gaze, lost in his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Ariana who was standing nearby overheard the two men’s conversation. With this, an idea appeared in her mind. She slowly rose to her feet before she turned to look behind. She froze when she saw the man behind her.

The tall man stood under the County Clerk’s Office’s sign with his back against the sunlight with his clean and beautiful hanging by his sides. The sun cast a shadow on his sharp features and highlighted his icy and noble temperament.

Ariana narrowed her eyes as she mustered up her courage to approach the man. Then, she said clearly despite her soft voice, “Sir, why don’t we get married?”

‘Lucas, you’ll regret missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!’

Adrian and Liam were both taken aback when they heard Ariana’s words.

The girl standing in front of them looked like she was in her early twenties. Her facial features were exquisite and sharp, and her limpid eyes were dark and a hint of stubbornness could be seen flashing from their depths. She wore a simple white skirt that was embroidered with an elegant orchid that snaked up from the tail of her skirt.

Ariana raised the file in her hand and laughed self-deprecatingly before she said, “My name is Ariana. Today is the day my mother chose for me to get married, but my fiance cheated on me. Still, I want to fulfill my mother’s last wish. I want to… get married today…”

At this moment, she choked back her tears, unable to continue speaking.

Then, Adrian took the file in her hand and casually perused the content before he shifted his eyes to her face.

Ariana thought her request was a little too much and abrupt when…

The man parted his thin lips as he said, “Alright, but I have a condition. After we register our marriage, you must move into my house immediately.”

Ariana was taken aback by Adrian’s words.

Adrian pursed his lips before he continued to say, “My grandmother is very ill and emotionally unstable. You’ll have to help me accompany her.”

As Ariana looked down at the file that Adrian handed back to her, her eyes glinted coldly. “Deal!”

Meanwhile, Liam, Adrian’s assistant, was dumbfounded.

What on earth was going on?

The process of registering their marriage went very smoothly. After only half an hour, Adrian and Ariana successfully obtained their marriage certificates.

…

When the trio was in the car, Liam who was driving the car at quite a high speed peeked at the silent young woman through the rearview mirror from time to time.

‘I guess she hasn’t recovered from the pain of being cheated on by her fiance, eh?’

Ariana’s fingers gently rubbed the red cover of the marriage certificate, lost in her thoughts. ‘Mom, I got married on the day you chose for me. Lucas doesn’t want me, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll fight for my own happiness. I don’t need a man to be happy! Mom, if you’re watching from the heavens, please watch over me…’

…

At Cloudy Peak Villa.

It was a top wealthy residential area in the city just like the word ‘peak’ in its name suggested. It spanned a huge area, but only fifteen households occupied the place. Each household probably secretly owned business empires.

When Ariana disembarked from the car, she was stunned. She did not expect she would enter a Peak Villa again.

At this moment, Adrian moved next to Ariana and solemnly said, “My grandmother is old so she has quite the temper. You must try your best to coax her. No matter what, you must coax her and persuade her to cooperate with the treatment. She’s the only family I have left in this world. Please help me…”

Liam had never heard Adrian begging anyone for help in his entire life, but Ariana was unaware of this.

She calmly replied, “I’m a doctor. I’m duty-bound to treat illnesses and save people. Don’t worry about this.”

“You’re a doctor?” Adrian and Liam said, almost in unison.

Ariana looked at them and nodded. “Yes, I’m a doctoral student of Chinese medicine at N Medical University. I have one year left before I graduate. I’m currently under the tutelage of Professor Leo.”

“How old are you?” Liam could not help but ask.

“Twenty-six,” Ariana replied nonchalantly.

Upon hearing this, Adrian and Liam exchanged a glance.

At this moment, Mr. Julian, the chubby butler, ran over. “Master, you’re back!”

“Mr. Julian, how’s Grandma?” Adrian asked in a deep voice.

Mr. Julian sighed before he replied in a voice that grew increasingly soft, “She’s still throwing a tantrum. She overturned porridge and said if you don’t bring your wife to meet her today, she’s going to go on a hunger strike and starve to death.”

At this moment, Mr. Julian finally noticed Ariana’s presence. His eyes widened as he sized Ariana up. “Master, you really brought a girl back?”

“Let’s go see Grandma!” Adrian pulled Ariana along as he strode inside the house.

As soon as they approached the room, they heard a soft yet powerful and dramatic voice.

“Oh, woe is me! I’m already on my deathbed, and yet, I don’t get to see my grandson getting married!”

Upon hearing these words, Ariana could not help but raise her eyebrows in surprise.

Adrian pushed the door open and entered the room as he called out loudly, “Grandma!”

Meanwhile, Ariana cowered behind Adrian as she followed him into the room.

At this moment, a soft pillow sailed in the air toward Adrian. He raised his hand and caught it before he called out again in a resigned tone, “Grandma!”

“You punk, why did you return so soon? Didn’t I say you’re not allowed to see me without a wife and marriage certificate? I can’t believe the grandson whom I worked so tirelessly to raise is so cruel to me. He won’t even get married to…”

All of a sudden, Grace, Adrian’s grandmother, stopped speaking as soon as she saw Adrian pulling Ariana into the room.

“Huh? Who’s this?” Grace blinked her eyes that were strangely dry considering she had been sobbing and lamenting earlier.

Upon hearing Grace’s question, Adrian walked to the bed and put the two marriage certificates on the quilt before he said softly, “Grandma, I’m married. This is your granddaughter-in-law, Ariana. Isn’t she pretty? Are you satisfied with her?”

“Bah! Brat, she’s your wife! Why are you asking me if I’m satisfied with her? Miss, move a little closer to me. Let me have a good look at you.” Grace motioned Ariana to come closer.

Ariana took a quick look at the room before she moved her eyes back to the elegant old lady who was lying in the middle of the big bed. The old lady’s eyes were beautiful, but their beauty was eclipsed by the anger that shone in them. However, upon closer inspection, she discovered the old lady’s eyes were actually twinkling with mirth. It was quite apparent now that the old lady was only feigning anger. When she recalled the soft pillow that was aimed at Adrian, realization dawned on her. She quickly glanced at Adrian and discovered he looked both nervous and helpless.

When Ariana regained her senses, she calmly stepped forward and bowed. “Hello, grandma. I’m Ariana.”

When Ariana stood next to the bed, Grace reached out and held her hand.

With this, the servant, Lily, hurriedly brought a chair over and invited Ariana to take a seat.

In contrast to her treatment of Ariana, Grace rolled her eyes at Adrian, who was standing at the side, and waved her hand impatiently as she roared, “You’re blocking the light. Step aside!”

Adrian reluctantly moved aside, wondering where else he should stand in the 330-square-meter room.

Grace no longer minded Adrian as she held Ariana’s hand and looked at her carefully before saying in a gentle voice, “You’re so beautiful. Tell me, did my lawless grandson kidnap you?” Then, she patted Ariana’s hand and continued to say with a solemn expression on her face, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t take his side. Tell me the truth. I’ll teach him a lesson. Send him to the police station. I don’t want this grandson anymore”

Ariana patted Grace’s hand with her other hand and said softly with a smile on her face, “Grandma, Adrian didn’t kidnap me. Our marriage certificates are real. Here! You can take a closer look at them.”

Grace looked at the marriage certificates on the quilt and raised an eyebrow. “It’s a piece of cake for him to obtain fake marriage certificates.”

Ariana chuckled before she suggested, “You can ask someone to verify them online.”

Grace nodded. “I’ll investigate this thoroughly. I won’t allow him to fool me! Girl, how much did my grandson pay you?”

Ariana was startled when she heard Grace’s words.

Grace confidently made a counter offer. “As long as you tell the truth and admit that your marriage with him is a farce, I’ll pay you double of whatever he paid you.” After she finished speaking, she shot a triumphant look at her grandson who was standing next to her.

Adrian was rendered speechless by his grandmother’s words.

On the other hand, Ariana burst out laughing. “Grandma, you’re so cute.”

Grace’s eyes lit up when she heard Ariana’s words. “Oh, what a sweet talker! No one has ever praised me for being cute. Please tell me if he hired you. Did he fake marriage with you to fool me?”

Ariana giggled before she swiftly changed the topic. “Grandma, do you have trouble sleeping these days? Do you have nightmares often and are easily awakened? Do you feel drowsy? Do you lose your temper for no good reason every afternoon? How about your appetite? Do you feel hungry but have no appetite to eat?”

A stunned expression appeared on Grace’s face immediately upon hearing these questions.

On the other hand, Lily had an expression of amazement on her face. She looked at Ariana intently and hurriedly said, “Yes, yes. Old Madam has been facing these issues recently. How do you know this, miss? W-what’s your occupation?”

Ariana chuckled and said teasingly, “I’m a fortune-teller.”

Yu could not help but feel embarrassed when she heard Ariana’s reply.

At this moment, Adrian finally spoke up. “Grandma, Ariana is studying Chinese medicine; she’s a doctor. We are really married!”

Grace rolled her eyes at her grandson as she said, “So you didn’t bring me a granddaughter-in-law, but you brought me a doctor instead? How long have you known each other? If you’ve known each other for a while now, why didn’t you bring her to meet me when I first fell ill? Adrian, do you really treat me as a fool just because of my age?”

Adrian, who was at a loss for words, only muttered, “Grandma…”

At this moment, Ariana gently explained, “Grandma, it’s true that we don’t know each other for long…”

Grace glared at Adrian with an expression that seemed to say ‘I knew it’.

Ariana looked at Grace with clear and calm eyes as she continued to say, “Grandma, haven’t you ever felt as though you’ve known someone for a long time even though you’ve just met? The length of time we knew each other has nothing to do with us being married or not. What do you think?”

Grace’s eyes brightened as she held Ariana’s hand again and said, “Girl, I’m only worried that you’re being fooled by this punk. I forced him to find a girlfriend and even introduced girls to him, but he didn’t take me seriously at all. All of a sudden, he brought you over when I threatened to die if he continues being single. Isn’t this suspicious?”

“Grandma!” Adrian said through gritted teeth. However, he had no words to refute Grace.

Ariana remained calm as she said, “Grandma, it’s fine if you don’t believe us. Time reveals a person’s heart. We will prove it to you, okay? However, you have to get better before you can interrogate us. Why don’t I give you an injection so you can sleep better? In the meantime, I’ll cook something for you to eat. Would you like to try my cooking?”