Chapter 1
I married Jordan Lynch, the newly crowned richest man on the wealth ranking.
Naturally, it was a contract marriage. I wanted his money, and he wanted the good luck I supposedly brought him.
On our wedding night, Jordan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in a black silk robe, his figure tall and straight. He swirled a glass of red wine, exuding an icy aura that kept me from daring to approach him.
He turned around, and his deep eyes settled on me, sending a chill down my spine. His gaze was sharp, as if he was figuring out where to strike first.
I clenched my fists, bracing myself for the humiliating words I was certain would come. I thought he would force me to sign an agreement, hand me some money, and then tell me to get lost.
Sure enough, he slammed a contract down in front of me, his voice laced with frost. "Sign this. I can give you everything except love."
I was about to pick up the pen when his expensive, custom-made phone rang abruptly.
Jordan's icy composure shattered instantly.
He glanced at the caller ID, his hand trembling so badly that he nearly dropped the phone.
He cleared his throat and answered the call, his previously frigid demeanor gone in an instant. His tone was obsequious. "Hey, Dad. Yes, Nina's right here next to me. Don't worry. I'll definitely treat her well. I'll regard her as my dearest little princess.
"I'll let her handle all my money. I'll take care of all the housework. I'll never let her suffer the slightest bit of wrong. Yes, I swear. I'll definitely obey Nina and follow all her orders."
After hanging up, Jordan let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had just been pardoned from an execution.
He looked at me, and his eyes were no longer cold, yet filled with longing.
He strode over in one quick step, pulled his wallet, car keys, and over a dozen cards from his suit, and stuffed them all into my arms at once.
He took my hands and spoke sincerely, in a tone bordering on pleading. "Honey, please, from now on, you run our home."
I froze on the spot.
The world had finally gone mad beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
*****
My name was Nina Brennan. I was just an average girl, all about the money and nothing else.
And the guy standing in front of me was Jordan Lynch, the ruthless legend who could send shockwaves through the entire Anliwood economy.
Right now, he was gazing at me with admiration, pure devotion in his eyes.
I looked down at the stash in my arms, all that bling nearly dazzling me blind.
So that phone call wasn't a hallucination or something?
"Jordan," I cautiously asked, "you're not sick or anything, right?"
He shook his head hard. "Nope, I'm wide awake."
He pointed at the cards in my arms. "The PIN for every card is your birthday."
I froze. "How'd you even know my birthday?"
From meeting to getting our marriage license, the whole thing took less than twenty-four hours.
His eyes flickered, and he muttered, "It was in Dad's file on you."
Ah, that explained it.
"So," I said, hefting the thick stack of black cards, "these are all mine?"
"Yes," he blurted out, sounding almost desperate, like he was afraid I'd turn him down.
"I can spend it however I want?" I said.
"Spend it however you want," he replied and nodded.
"Any amount?" I asked.
"Even better if you spend it all," he blurted out.
He caught himself and quickly clarified, "Seriously, my money is your money. Don't be shy."
I watched him, looking so nervous that he didn't even know what to do with his hands. The suspicion that he was nuts was growing stronger by the second.
This wasn't the cold-blooded boss everyone feared. He was acting more like some clueless rich kid.
To test my theory, I picked up the contract he'd just thrown my way.
"Do I still have to sign this?" I asked.
Jordan's face went white as a sheet.
He snatched the contract, ripped it to pieces in seconds, and tossed it straight into the trash.
"No way. This thing's just junk," he said, all serious. "We're married for real now, no need for a contract, that just hurts our feelings."
My lips twitched involuntarily.
He was the one who said, "I can give you anything, except love," not even a minute ago.
He switched faces faster than a quick-change artist. Even a pro would tip their hat to you.
I decided to test him a bit more.
"Jordan, I'm thirsty," I said.
As soon as the words left my mouth, he darted to the fridge, grabbed water, milk, juice, and Coke, and set them out in a row right in front of me.
"Honey, which one do you want?" he asked.
I pointed at the water.
He twisted the cap off and held it right up to my mouth, as if I were made of glass and might break if he breathed too hard.
I took a quiet sip.
Jordan asked, all eager, "Honey, are you hungry? I've got a Michelin three-star chef on standby for you, twenty-four seven."
I shook my head.
He looked a little disappointed. "Oh."
Seeing him like this, I finally couldn't take it anymore. "Jordan, what are you playing at?"
He stiffened, his eyes darting away. "Nothing, I swear."
"What did your dad say on the phone?" I cut straight to the chase.
He looked like a startled cat, all bristled up and tense.
"N-Nothing. Just, you know, the usual stuff," he stammered.
"Like what?" I pressed.
"Like telling me to be nicer to you," he muttered, his voice trailing off.
"Anything else?" I pressed.
"He said you get to handle all the money," Jordan mumbled.
"And?" I kept pressing.
"And I have to listen to you," he muttered.
I rolled my eyes. So, did I marry a big-shot, or did I just end up with a son, one whose dad kept him on a tight leash?
I lay stretched out on the massive bed, watching Jordan curled up on the couch nearby. He looked so pitiful, and honestly, kind of funny, huddled up like a lost puppy.
He said he didn't want to disturb my sleep, so he volunteered to take the couch.
Honestly, I couldn't shake the feeling he was actually scared of me.
Early the next morning, I was jolted awake by the sound of someone rustling around.
I blinked open my eyes to find Jordan, dressed to the nines in a crisp suit, sneaking around my bedside like he was up to something shady.
He flinched when he realized I was awake, and whatever he was holding slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a loud smack.
It was a card. Seriously? Another card?
"Honey, you're awake?" Jordan said, flashing an awkward grin as he scooped up the card and presented it to me with both hands, like it was some sacred offering. "Dad wanted you to have some pocket money."
I froze. Was his family running a money-printing factory or what?
"Your dad gave this to me?" I asked.
"Yeah." He nodded hard. "Dad said you should never have to suffer even a little."
He really stressed the word and even snuck a nervous glance at me.
I saw what was going on here. This wasn't pocket money. It was basically hush money.
He was just scared I would snitch to his dad if anything went wrong.
I took my time sitting up, grabbed the card, and said, "Make sure to thank your dad for me."
Jordan looked like he'd just been granted a royal pardon, nodding as his life depended on it. "Absolutely, I promise."
He had breakfast all set, waited on me hand and foot while I got ready, so attentive that he was practically ready to feed me by hand.
Before I headed out, he kept fussing over me, "Honey, go wherever you want today, and buy whatever you like. Don't be shy. Just enjoy yourself."
Watching him fuss over me, I suddenly felt like teasing him a bit.
"Alright then," I said with a mischievous grin, "Thanks."