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...
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