Val, come to Hotel Luxury room 3304. I saw your lover go in there, hugging a woman with full make-up and sexy clothes. Make sure it's really him or not. Papa hurriedly took me away earlier, so I couldn't greet you first.

Valerie Anjanetta Rusli, a beautiful and charming 23-year-old girl, was immediately stunned when she read a message from her friend, Thalia Septa Bagaskara.

So far, Thalia has never lied to her. However, the information she brought now seems hard to believe.

"Kelvin ... is it true that he's cheating?" Vale murmured with uncertain feelings. On one side, she believed Thalia. But, on the other side, she also believed in Kelvin, because he has proven to be loyal and genuinely loved her.

Not wanting to dwell in indecision and uncertainty, Vale finally snatched her shoulder bag and hurriedly left the apartment. With quick steps, she went down the street, and luckily the apartment was not far from the bus stop. So, it didn't take long for Vale to reach Hotel Luxury.

"If you're really cheating, I will never forgive you, Vin," Vale thought as she sat inside the bus. She looked outside with an anxious gaze.

London, the city she was currently in. The city that had witnessed her struggles in pursuing her education for the past five years, until yesterday when she finally obtained her MBA degree (Master Of Business Administration).

Her plan was to use that degree to work in Kelvin Harrison's company—the man who had been her boyfriend for the past four years. But, who knows. She's not sure what will happen after reaching Hotel Luxury.

About twenty minutes later, Vale arrived at the hotel. With the excuse of delivering something, she obtained access to go to room 3304.

As soon as she arrived there, Vale's emotions soared because the person who opened the door was Kelvin, her boyfriend.

"Vale\, you ... you___" Kelvin stammered. He didn't know it was Vale who came. He thought it was his friend who had been told to come and bring contraception.

"With whom are you here?" Vale asked with a high pitch.

Before Kelvin could answer, Angela—the woman he was dating—approached and clung playfully to his arm.

"Just explain to me who she is. You said it's better to break up quickly, right?" Angela said with a victorious smile.

Vale immediately became angry. The woman standing in front of her was only wearing a thin, revealing sleepwear, exposing even her forbidden areas. Meanwhile, Kelvin was shirtless and only wearing shorts. Without any explanation, Vale already knew what they were doing.

"You bastard!" Vale cursed while delivering a hard slap. "I have always been faithful and taken good care of our relationship. But, is this your response, huh?"

Unexpectedly, Kelvin turned angry. While staring sharply, he gripped Vale's arms. Making the girl wince in pain.

"What relationship are you talking about, Vale? This boring flat relationship, huh?" Kelvin yelled.

"What do you mean?"

Kelvin laughed, "Until now, you still don't understand? Alright, I'll explain it to you. You're too conservative, pretending to be pure, pretending to uphold your dignity. We've been dating for four years, Vale, but what have you given me? Nothing. Even a kiss, you refuse. So, what's the point of being with you? I'm not a little kid who's satisfied with just going out and eating. I need more than that."

"I never expected your thoughts to be so filthy, Vin." Vale spoke softly, trying to hold back her tears.

How could she not, she loved that man so much, but it turns out that the love she glorified wasn't as beautiful as it seemed.

"It's not my thoughts that are filthy, it's your conservative thoughts. And I can't accept that, Vale, let's just break up."

Vale then forcefully pushed Kelvin's hand away. With narrowed eyes, she looked at her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.

"Okay, fine, we're breaking up. I hope you don't regret this decision, Kelvin. And you... don't be surprised if you get dumped later because that man's lust has moved on to another woman," she said, pointing to the woman next to Kelvin.

Without waiting for a response from Kelvin or the woman with him, Vale immediately left the place. Tears couldn't be contained, they spilled before she got on the bus.

"Val, are you okay?" Thalia asked when Vale arrived at the apartment in a messy condition.

"I'm coming home with you," Vale answered, deviating slightly from the question.

Thalia was a bit confused. Tomorrow she would be flying in the morning because everything had been prepared for several days, including her father who came directly from Indonesia to pick her up. Meanwhile, Vale hadn't made any preparations because she intended to stay in London.

"There's still time to get ready. If you're tired, you can sleep. I can do it myself," Vale continued, asserting that she was really going home.

Thalia then resigned. That night she stayed awake to help Vale get ready. Even her father had bad luck because he had to take care of flight tickets for Vale.

__________

With last-minute preparations, Vale finally arrived in her home country, Indonesia. The long and arduous journey did not improve her heart, still shattered and broken due to Kelvin's betrayal. The driver who picked her up was surprised because the young miss was not cheerful as before.

"Papa!" Vale shouted when she stepped foot in the house. Although it was nine in the morning, Vale was sure her father was at home because it was Sunday.

However, she was mistaken.

"Well, Papa, why are you dressed so neatly? It's the weekend, is Papa going to work?" Vale asked when her father greeted her in formal attire.

Sandiaga Rusli—Vale's biological father—rubbed his temples while repeatedly sighing heavily.

"Papa has a problem?" Vale asked.

Sandi then slumped onto the sofa and roughly wiped his face.

"It's not really a problem, just... Papa has been given a quite difficult task."

"What task, Pa?" Vale asked, sitting next to Sandi.

"Do you know Sirius Brox? The young master of the Brox family? He wants to get married quickly, and Papa was assigned to find a potential wife for him. If he were normal, this would be an easy task. But... he's permanently paralyzed. Which girl would want to marry a disabled man like him?" Sandi complained.

Vale nodded. She knew the Brox family well, the wealthiest and most influential family in the country. Even her father's business was also under the umbrella of that family.

"If Mr. Riu was only looking for a temporary wife, it might be easy, but no. He's looking for a wife for life. Although he's wealthy, the girls would also think twice. Permanently paralyzed and impossible to have children. Besides a life of comfort, there's nothing else to hope for," Sandi continued.

Vale pondered for a moment. Then, an irrational idea came to her.

"What if I marry him, Pa?" Vale casually uttered. She did everything just to vent the pain of a failed love affair.

To be continued...

"What are you talking about, Vale? Mr. Riu is permanently disabled, how could you even consider marrying him?" exclaimed Marisa—Vale's biological mother. She had just entered the living room and was immediately shocked upon hearing her daughter's words.

"Your mother is right. You are beautiful and smart, dear, deserving of a perfect man. Not a disabled person like Mr. Riu," Sandi chimed in. He, too, was unwilling for his only daughter to marry Riu.

"Don't be blinded by wealth, don't be dazzled by him. Your parents are not poor, Vale, more than capable of securing your future. So, marry a normal man, who can give you children. Your mom and I also want grandchildren." Marisa continued to express her disapproval as she sat in front of Vale.

However, Vale remained silent.

"You said you had a man in mind in London. So, why are you now considering marrying Mr. Riu?" Marisa continued. She was unaware of her daughter's relationship with Kelvin, as Vale had not mentioned it so far.

"It turns out he's not a good man, Mom, he has a habit of sleeping with women. So, I gave up pursuing him," Vale replied.

"If that's the case, then don't ask for anything strange. You're just disappointed, so don't make decisions about your future. Marriage is not a game, Vale," Sandi spoke firmly, and was then affirmed by Marisa.

"I'm not disappointed, Dad, I just want to get married. But, I don't have a suitor, so I became interested in Mr. Riu. Even though he's not perfect, I can accept him. As for children, it's easy, we can adopt. There are many orphans out there who need help," Vale replied earnestly. Her heart was shattered, her mind was blank, and she felt desperate.

It's no wonder, four years is not a short time to build love. Unfortunately, it ended tragically.

Finally, Vale's parents ran out of words to forbid their daughter. Whether they liked it or not, they had to approve the request, on the condition that Riu also agreed. If the young man refused, Vale couldn't force it.

Vale agreed. She thought a disabled young man couldn't possibly reject her. Relying on her beauty and master's degree, Vale was confident that Riu would be fascinated by her.

"No matter if he's disabled, the important thing is that I can get married soon. That way, Kelvin will see how valuable I am. Besides, he's also the young master of the Brox family. Even though he's paralyzed, he's still a person of name. And marrying him wouldn't be too bad for my future," Vale thought, very different from what her parents thought—hoping Riu would refuse firmly.

"Alright, I'm willing to marry Vale, your daughter."

One very sincere response came from the other side, when Sandi called Riu and offered his daughter.

Sandi and Marisa could only sigh heavily, reluctantly letting go of their daughter to marry the disabled young master.

After reaching an agreement, on that day, Riu and his father—Jason Brox, came to Vale's house. They didn't visit empty-handed, but brought a package of jewelry as proof of Riu's seriousness.

With a little reluctance, Sandi and Marisa welcomed them warmly. In contrast to Vale, who remained mostly silent as she was surprised by Riu's appearance.

In her mind, Riu was an adult man with an average appearance. Considering his disabled condition.

But as it turned out, Riu's face was very handsome, about seven times that of Kelvin. He also had a pair of charming hazel eyes, but also sharp. Every gaze contained charisma and authority that made anyone hesitant. Vale even felt small in front of Riu.

"But, he has flaws that few other women would accept. Whereas I, don't have flaws like that. So... he's still lucky to marry me," Vale thought, trying to persuade herself and affirm that she was more than worthy to marry Riu.

"You're not disappointed with me, are you?" Riu asked. Though not yelling, it sounded firm.

"No," Vale answered succinctly to appear confident, and with charisma and authority, Vale wanted to show it.

After finishing small talk, Jason and Vale's parents began to discuss their wedding day. However, it turned out that Riu himself determined the wedding day.

"Two weeks is enough to take care of the paperwork. I want to have a simple wedding, without any parties or invitations."

Marisa was shocked, "Why suddenly? And... why does it have to be simple? Vale is our only daughter. If she gets married, we would surely expect a grand celebration."

"If Mrs. Marisa is not willing, I won't force it. We can cancel this marriage," Riu replied, surprising Vale.

"Mom, it's okay for our wedding to be simple. I think it's even better," Vale said.

Although initially met with rejection from Marisa, it was eventually approved. Vale was indeed skilled in speaking and persuading.

With different thoughts in their minds, Riu and Vale were both relieved that the marriage would be official.

After two weeks of waiting, Vale and Riu finally became husband and wife. After that night, today was the first time they met again, and immediately got married. True to the initial plan, there were no guests witnessing their wedding. Only their closest family, not more than ten people.

The wedding took place at Riu's private home, and Vale would be moving in there as well. In fact, some of her clothes and belongings had already been brought there.

"Sit!" Riu commanded when they were inside the room.

Vale obeyed, sitting obediently in front of Riu without much protest, although she was still curious as to why Riu wanted to get married suddenly and without a celebration.

"I have another goal in this marriage," Riu began the conversation.

"What?"

"Ownership of assets. In the Brox family, only those who are married are entitled to receive assets. But, my two siblings played dirty. They caused a severe accident that left me paralyzed like this, so that no one would want to marry me. That way, all the assets would belong to them."

Hearing Riu's explanation, Vale was shocked. She never expected that a sibling could do such a cunning thing.

"That's why I married you in a simple way, so that not many people would know, including them, who are currently controlling all of Papa's assets overseas. I can't accept their actions back then, and I will settle the score for that," Riu continued.

Vale was still in shock.

"That's why I didn't just choose any wife, because they would definitely look for my weaknesses. If I married a simple woman, they would surely oppress her and it wouldn't be surprising if they did something fatal. Whereas I don't have much ability to fight back yet. But you... being born as the only daughter in the Rusli family, also having a master's degree from the University of London, I believe you can protect yourself when I'm not by your side."

Vale remained silent, although in her heart she agreed that she wouldn't let anyone oppress her.

"But even so, I won't make this marriage like a contractual marriage. I will treat you well, like any other husband and wife. I won't discuss divorce unless you want it."

Vale took a deep breath. Unexpectedly, a marriage born out of heartache brought her face to face with a man with a tragic fate.

"Are you angry, Vale?" Riu asked, this time with a more intense gaze.

To be continued...

Vale shook her head. Then heaved a long breath before giving her answer.

"No," she said curtly.

Riu stayed silent. Choosing to keep quiet and wait for Vale to speak again.

"I also have a reason why I rushed to get married. In fact, I didn't think twice when I found out you were looking for a future wife. I immediately told Papa," Vale continued.

"A reason? What?" Riu asked.

"My lover betrayed me. We had been dating for four years, but he easily cheated on me just because I wouldn't fulfill his desires. I was hurt and disappointed, so I chose to get married. So that he knows I can also find a replacement." Vale finally confessed. She thought Riu also had a motive, so she didn't need to pretend anymore.

Riu laughed. It was the first time Vale saw him do so. Previously, he had only put on a cold expression.

"What's so funny?"

"I never expected a smart woman with a master's degree like you to have such shallow thoughts." Riu folded his hands in front of him. "Do you think that by getting married, all your problems will be solved? If your boyfriend has betrayed you, your marriage won't affect him at all. Instead, it's your own future that's at stake. Do you think that's good enough?" he continued.

"What a foolish idea. The important thing is that I can show off my marriage to him. I can prove that I'm fine without him. Even better."

"Isn't that just deceiving yourself?" Riu raised an eyebrow. At this moment, he started to find Vale quite interesting.

"No," Vale shook her head. "You, the young master of the Brox family, handsome and rich. It's not a loss to become your wife," she continued, unwilling to back down.

"But I am crippled."

"It doesn't matter." Vale thought to herself that it was good because that way she wouldn't have to engage in intimate activities.

Riu smiled faintly. Then he leaned closer to Vale.

"Alright, I understand. I won't interfere with your goals. But, there's one thing you must remember, never expose my face to your lover, especially to the public. Wait until I can reveal my brother's crimes, only then are you free to do it."

Vale pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Even if she couldn't expose his face, the important thing was that she could show off the ring and the marriage certificate.

"Then I have one request as well," Vale said.

"Tell me!"

"You're not allowed to do anything to me without my permission. We may be husband and wife, but now both of us know the purpose of this marriage. So, I think we should just maintain a good relationship in normal matters. Anything more... not yet."

Vale took the opportunity to protect herself because Riu was only paralyzed in his legs. The rest of his body was fine. He could easily touch her here and there, kiss her here and there. No. Vale didn't want that to happen, unless there was genuine love between them.

Ah, love, was it still worthy of being glorified? She didn't know.

In front of her, Riu hid a wide smile. Truly captivating, he thought at that moment.

"In reality, no matter the purpose of the marriage, there's no need to restrict such matters. Because, to be honest, both parties also need that. But... with our current situation, I will grant your request. However, there's a condition," Riu said, making Vale furrow her brows.

"What condition?"

Riu smiled wryly. "That applies as long as I'm paralyzed. If one day I can recover and you're still willing to be my wife, you must belong to me... completely."

Vale's mouth went dry. Her throat felt parched upon hearing that sentence. Not only was his voice firm, but also his intense gaze. Whether she liked it or not, Vale's mind wandered far away. Imagining what scenes might unfold if Riu were to successfully recover.

"Ah, no, no. He's permanently paralyzed, how could he possibly recover," Vale thought to herself.

"Are you objecting?" Riu asked, interrupting Vale's thoughts.

"No. I... agree."

As Vale responded somewhat nervously, Riu smiled triumphantly. In his heart, he promised that he would never let go of Vale, no matter what. The woman had come to him, with a million charms that had successfully captured his attention. So, whatever the circumstances, Vale must remain his.

Unfortunately, Vale couldn't read what was on Riu's mind.

Two days after getting married, Vale began preparing her career. Equipped with a high education, she applied to several target companies. All of the listed companies were large companies that were almost on par with the Brox family-owned company.

While waiting for news from the applications she submitted, Vale would help her father's work, managing a small company under the Brox Group.

In these two days, not much happened between Vale and Riu. They ate together, talked together, and slept in the same room, but different beds. Riu even helped recommend companies that might be suitable for Vale.

In order to smoothly carry out her revenge plan on her older brother, Riu had placed Vale in another company that still had a working relationship with Brox.

Tonight, after having dinner together, Vale pushed Riu's wheelchair towards her workspace. There was a little task that needed to be done right away.

"You go to sleep first, no need to wait for me!" Riu said, looking at Vale for a moment.

"It's okay, I'm used to sleeping late." Vale smiled sweetly. Not for Riu, but for the picture that was already displayed on her phone screen.

A moment ago, she managed to take an interesting picture, her hand and Riu's hand close together on the table.

"Once or twice, you can keep quiet, but if it happens repeatedly, I'm sure you won't be able to bear it. Four years is not a short time, it won't be easy to erase those memories even if you have a replacement," Vale thought as she uploaded the picture to her story, dedicated to Kelvin.

Earlier, she had uploaded their wedding book. Riu's name was deliberately covered by her finger, showing off the beautiful wedding ring on her ring finger. Then, a picture of Riu sleeping. Vale was willing to wake up early just to capture that picture. A figure wrapped in thick blankets, and Vale's hand seemed to uncover the blanket. A beautiful morning view adorned her story page yesterday.

'Accompanying my husband working overtime,' Vale wrote in the post, complete with a love sticker.

"You must be seeing this, Kelvin, and I'm sure you don't like it," Vale thought confidently. She patiently waited until Kelvin's contact appeared in the number of views.

Meanwhile, amidst the hustle and bustle of London, Kelvin tightly gripped his phone. Vale's posts since yesterday had really messed with his emotions. Undeniably, Kelvin felt jealous.

So far, his love for her still remained. However, the circumstances were not supportive. In addition to Vale's principles, which he found old-fashioned, Kelvin was often pressured to find a financially advantageous partner. His parents would not agree if Kelvin married a woman who was below him financially.

"Kelvin! Why are you just silent? Don't tell me you're still thinking about your lover!" Annisa Brox - Kelvin's biological mother, the eldest child in the Brox family - shouted.

To be continued...