Chapter 5

There were fifteen days left until the wedding. During that time, Quinn came to see me every day.

Sometimes we'd grab a meal, sometimes we'd go shopping, and sometimes we'd sit and have coffee together.

The awkwardness from the beginning had faded, and things felt natural between us now.

Quinn wasn't much of a talker, but whenever I spoke, he'd listen intently.

One day, Quinn took me to a hotel owned by his family's company.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, following him into the elevator.

"We're meeting my parents," he replied.

I paused, a little stunned. "Already?"

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," he said, pressing the button, "Feeling nervous?"

I felt that it made sense to be nervous meeting my future in-laws.

"What if your parents... don't like me?" I couldn't help but ask.

The way the Stokes family treated me in my previous life still haunts me.

My mother-in-law never thought I was good enough for her son and was always making things hard for me.

Quinn glanced over at me. "Are you scared?"

"Scared of what?" I shot back.

"That's the attitude," he said, resting his hand on my shoulder, "With me around, nobody can mess with you."

The elevator doors slid open.

Quinn's mother, Cecilia Bradley, was sitting in the living room, looking every bit the picture of elegance.

She was in her forties, but she looked like she'd barely aged at all since she took care of herself well.

"Mom," Quinn said, "this is Louise Cantrell."

Cecilia looked up, her eyes sweeping over me.

Her gaze made me feel uneasy, like I was some kind of product she was sizing up.

"Have a seat," she said.

I sat down, and Cecilia got straight to the point. "Miss Cantrell, I've heard all about you.

"Calling off the wedding and infidelity... Our family doesn't tolerate that kind of woman."

My expression froze.

"Mom." Quinn's voice turned cold. "Louise is my wife. Please show her some respect."

"I'm telling the truth," Cecilia said, completely unfazed, "Quinn, marriage is a big deal. It's about our family's reputation. And you're bringing home a woman like her..."

"What kind of woman do you think I am?" I cut her off.

Cecilia paused for a second, clearly not expecting me to talk back.

"Ma'am, I respect you as an elder, but all those rumors you heard were William's PR tricks," I said, meeting her gaze, "If you really want to know the truth, check the facts yourself."

I continued, "And another thing. Your son and I are getting married because it benefits both of us. It's a mutual agreement, and nobody else has the right to interfere."

I deliberately stressed the last two words.

Cecilia's face darkened instantly.

She said, "Miss Cantrell, you..."

"Mom," Quinn said, standing up and pulling me close, "Louise is right. This is my marriage. If you can't accept that..."

He didn't finish, but the message was clear.

Cecilia took a deep breath and finally relented. "Fine, you young people can do whatever you want. But if things go wrong, don't come running to me."

"No problem," Quinn said, "Let's go."

I was a little dazed that it was over.

Quinn led me out of the hotel, and I was still in a daze.

"You walked out on your mom like that?" I asked him.

What else was I supposed to do?" he shot back, "Stay and let her insult you?"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Quinn, you were... pretty badass back there," I said.

He looked down at me. "You just noticed?"

"I've always thought so," I replied.

He gave me a sly grin. "Come on, I'm taking you somewhere."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"The City Hall," he replied.

I was caught off guard. "Already?"

"We're getting married anyway," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "The sooner we get the license, the sooner we can relax."

So, on the fifteenth day after meeting Quinn, we went to the City Hall and got officially married.

Staring at the little red marriage certificate in my hand, I still felt a bit out of it.

I couldn't believe that I really got married.

Back when I married William in my previous life, the whole thing was a hundred times more complicated.

But this time, with Quinn, we just went to the City Hall and got a stamp. There was no fuss.

"Do you regret it?" Quinn asked.

I glanced down at the marriage certificate and smiled. "I don't regret it."

At least for now, I wouldn't regret it.

After we got our marriage license, Quinn brought me to his place.

It was the most exclusive penthouse in downtown, with a whole floor all to ourselves.

"You'll be living here from now on," he said as he opened the door, "If you need anything, let me know."

I walked into the place that would be my new home, feeling all kinds of emotions. The nightmare from my previous life was finally behind me. This time, I was determined to live my life to the fullest.

"Quinn," I called out, stopping him.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Thank you," I said.

He paused for a moment, then smiled. "Come on, we're married. No need for thanks between us."

That night, we slept in different rooms.

It wasn't that Quinn didn't want to share a bed with me. I said I wanted to ease into things.

He respected my choice.

Late at night, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Quinn. [Goodnight.]

I couldn't help but smile at his message. I replied: [Goodnight.]

That night, I slept soundly.