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“Don’t scream,” he said in the dark. “You already agreed to marry me.” My knees were shaking when I answered him. “I agreed to a contract, not to a monster.” That was the night I was sent here instead of my sister. She was the Lawson heiress. I was the mistake they raised for twenty-three years. When they needed a sacrifice, they pushed me forward and called it repayment. “Marry him,” my father said. “The disfigured Valentine. The one no woman dares to touch.” So I signed. I cut my ties. I walked into the Valentine mansion alone. The power went out the moment I entered his bedroom. “My wife,” a hoarse voice whispered behind me. “Come closer.” I ran. I screamed. I swore I would never come back. Yet hours later, I stood at the same door again, pressing the bell with trembling fingers. “Why did you return?” a small boy asked me quietly. “Because this is my home now,” I said. “And your father will be my husband.” “Aren’t you afraid?” “I am,” I admitted. “But I don’t break promises.” From the shadows, a man watched in silence. “She failed the test,” someone muttered. “No,” another voice replied calmly. “She passed.” That night, I didn’t know the monster was a lie. I didn’t know the children were judges. And I definitely didn’t know the man I married had already decided— Tomorrow, we register the marriage. ———————— 　　"My dear, you smell really nice..." 　　In the dark, a man's hoarse and magnetic voice echoed into Eliza's ears. 　　She was kneeling on the bed. Her hands were tied up with a leather belt and her eyes were covered in a black silk cloth. 　　Now that she couldn't see anything, her other senses were even more sensitive than before. Trembling, she shrunk her body into a little ball as she endured the stabbing pain inflicted on her body. 　　In complete darkness, she could only feel the man moving close behind her. 　　"Now, be good. Let's change into another position, okay?" 　　...... 　　Eliza forced her eyes open, only to find herself breaking out in cold sweat. 　　She covered her burning forehead with her palms. It had already been five years since that incident. Why would she still dream about something that had happened such a long time ago? 　　She rose from her bed and walked towards the bathroom to wash her face. She felt refreshed after splashing her face with cold water. 　　Holding on to а-'cup, she went downstairs to retrieve some water. 　　"No! I don't want to do it! I don't want to be married to that perverted old man!" 　　"The third son of the Valentine family is an old and ugly man! Everyone knows about that! No woman in Krine dares to get married to that man!" 　　"He was involved in a fire accident five years ago. Besides ruining his face, that fire also changed his personality! He's a monster inside out! I heard that he likes torturing his previous two girlfriends as well. You can't just marry me off to this monster!" 　　A woman was shouting from the top of her lungs in the living room. "Plus, I shouldn't be the one to be married off to him. Eliza should do it instead. She's not even a virgin anymore! She has given birth before, so I'm sure she is a lot more experienced in this field! Eliza should be honored to be given this opportunity!" 　　"Esme!" 　　Esme's father, Riley Lawson scolded her in a stern tone, "Eliza is your sister!" 　　Esme gritted her teeth and said with a cracking voice, "Dad, I'm your biological daughter, not Eliza. She's just someone whom you mistook for as your biological daughter when we were born. Because of her, I had to endure living a poor life for the past 18 years! Now that I'm back to the Lawson family, I've built my own career from scratch. You can't just force me to marry this man now!" 　　"She's right." 　　Presley Stafford, who was standing at the side, added on, "Esme has created a name for herself in the business industry. She is our pride and honor. How can we sacrifice her just like that?" 　　"Besides, we've raised Eliza for 23 years. It's time for her to repay our kindness." 　　After Presley finished speaking, the family of three looked at Eliza, who was standing on the second floor. 　　Eliza's fingers turned white from tightening her grip on her cup. 　　Everything was clear to her now. 　　The Lawson family wanted to establish good relations with the Valentine family. However, they didn't want to send off Esme for the task. That was why they were thinking of sacrificing Eliza for the marriage. 　　Eliza heaved in a deep breath and walked downstairs. Then, she reached out her hand at Riley and said, "Let's discuss the terms and conditions for this." 　　Riley was confused as he asked, "What do you mean by that?" 　　"If you want me to pay off my debts by getting married to that man, it's only fair for me to set up a contract between us. If I don't do this, I'm sure you'll still use the same excuse to force me to do all sorts of things for the Lawson family." 　　Riley was shocked when he heard that. The rest of the family were stunned as well. 　　"You don't want to do it? Fine." 　　Grabbing a paper and pen, Eliza wrote down a few lines of words and signed the contract. "You don't have to put on an act around me anymore. I agree to get married in Esme's stead." 　　After Eliza finished speaking, she went straight to the kitchen to get some water. Then, she walked upstairs. 　　Esme rushed towards the table and took the piece of paper. 　　Everything was written in black and white. 　　"I, Eliza, have hereby cleared my debts. I have repaid the Lawson family's kindness of raising me for 23 years by getting married to the Valentine family." 　　Everything went as the Lawsons wanted. It was almost unbelievable. 　　Esme looked up and stared at Eliza, who was walking up the stairs. She muttered, "Mum, is Eliza out of her mind? Is she really abandoning her boyfriend by agreeing to this?" 　　Almost instantly, Presley covered Esme's mouth with her hand. Then, she looked up at Eliza. She was worried that Eliza might change her mind. 　　However, Eliza had heard everything. 　　She laughed bitterly. Two days ago, she still had a boyfriend, who was in a relationship with her for 6 years. Her boyfriend was a good person who was willing to give up everything for her. 　　But now, everything perished in front of her eyes. 　　Eliza thought that it didn't matter who her marriage partner was. After all, the only difference was that she would only be living in another place. 　　...... 　　Three days later, Eliza arrived at the Valentine family. 　　Mr. Valentine did not register their marriage right away. Instead, he wanted her to live in the family's villa for a period of time before making the decision. 　　Although none of the women in Krine was willing to be married to this man, Mr. Valentine wouldn't just marry any other woman either. In other words, he was also a picky man. 　　Riley informed Eliza that she must establish a good relationship with Mr. Valentine. After they got married, Riley hoped that the Valentines would provide funding for Lawson's Group. 　　At night. 　　Eliza sat inside the bedroom quietly as she waited for Mr. Valentine's arrival. 　　"Pop!" After she heard that sound, the entire villa was shrouded in darkness. It seemed like there was a power outage. 　　Facing the total darkness, Eliza trembled with fear. 　　She was really afraid of the dark. 　　After what happened to her five years ago, she was terrified of the dark. She would even need to switch on her night light at her bedside for her to fall asleep peacefully. 　　Now that she was in a new environment, she was already worried in the first place. She couldn't believe that there would be a power failure the moment she entered the household. 　　Subconsciously, Eliza hugged her knees as she shivered in the dark. 　　She was so terrified that she didn't even notice that the door swung open. 　　In pitch-black darkness, she could feel something touching her legs and it got onto her hands as well. 　　A cold and slimy substance was rubbing on her hands continuously. 　　All of a sudden, Eliza's complexion turned pale and the blood drained from her face. 　　She let out a scream of fright as she retreated backward. As she was backing off, she hit her back against the ice-cold wall. It was so painful that she almost fainted. 　　In the dark, the unknown creature kept crawling towards her. 　　A low and hoarse voice echoed into the air as it said, "My wife, my beloved wife, I'm... I'm your husband..." 　　All of a sudden, the lights in the room lit up. 　　Finally, Eliza could see the creature in front of her. 　　It was a man with a distorted face! 　　Looking closely, he didn't resemble a man at all... 　　The man had a hunched back and he looked like a dwarf. Even his hands and legs were in black. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with his arms and legs. 　　Clad in a bathrobe, he laid on the bed as he stared at her with his black and hollow eyes. 　　His face... 　　That wasn't a face at all. There were a lot of scars on it and his facial features were contorted in different angles. He looked like a monster from the dark depths! 　　"Ahhhh!" 　　Even though Eliza was mentally prepared to meet Mr. Valentine, she couldn't suppress her fear when she saw the creature in front of her calling out her name. 　　Mr. Valentine giggled as he said, "Oh my pretty wife, why are you screaming? Are you afraid of me?" 　　"You've already agreed to get married to me..." 　　Eliza was almost going crazy! 　　Shivering from head to toe, she crawled down the bed frantically as she stormed outside. She wouldn't even dare to look back as she ran. 　　Eliza was so frantic that she didn't even realize that she had knocked into a flower pot in the corridor and hurt herself. 　　"Hahaha!" 　　When Eliza disappeared into the hallway, the 'man' on the bed crawled out from his bathrobe. He took off his mask and gloves, revealing his mischievous and adorable face. "Don't even dream about being my mother!" 　　The small kid jumped down the bed and ran towards the study excitedly. Then, he said, "Bro, I scared another woman away!" 　　In the study, a little boy, who looked exactly the same as him, lowered his head as he read his book. He replied in a soft tone, "Okay." 　　The little kid felt angry as he sat on his chair. He said unhappily, "Do you even care for our daddy? It's obvious that he refuses to get married, but grandpa still insists on finding him another fiancé. This is the third one, you know?" 　　The kid's brother raised his eyebrows as he replied, "Yeah." He seemed unusually mature for his young age. 　　The little kid was speechless when he heard his brother's reply. 　　Though his brother was smart, he had a cold personality and he didn't like to talk much. The boy was exactly like his father! 　　The little kid flattened his lips and ran towards the main study on the third floor. He pushed the door and said, "Mr. Beau Valentine, I have to say, I'm not impressed by your third fiancé!" 　　The study was brightly lit. 　　A man was sitting at the main desk. Beneath his white sleeve, he wore an exquisite watch that matched his manly demeanor. 　　Lowering his head while reading his documents, he had defined facial features with a pronounced jawline. 　　After he flipped through a page, he said, "Retract the funds I distributed to Lawson's Group tomorrow." 　　The butler bowed his head and said respectfully, "Yes." 　　After that, the butler hesitated as he tried to take back his words, "Sir, I think... Miss Lawson seems different than the previous two candidates." 　　During the day, it was the butler who invited Eliza into the house. 　　She looked very pure and innocent with her bright eyes. On first impression, she seemed like a likable woman with no ulterior motives in mind. 　　When Eliza first arrived at the Valentine family, she didn't talk a lot. The only thing she asked was what Mr. Valentine liked and disliked. 　　It seemed that she didn't care about the rumors at all. 　　Ever since Beau Valentine's kids spread the rumors about his crazy personality and his disfigured face, it was impossible to find a woman who was bold enough to be Beau's wife. 　　The butler didn't want his master to miss the opportunity to meet a fine woman like Eliza. 　　However, Beau, who was sitting at the main desk, didn't seem fazed at all. He said, "She couldn't even pass that one simple test. She's just the same as the others." 　　The butler was speechless. 　　To the butler, that wasn't a simple test at all. 　　Even a 50-year-old man like him would tremble with fear every time he saw Mr. Valentine's younger son, Demarion's hideous costume, let alone a woman in her early twenties! 　　The butler sighed. If Mr. Valentine continued to act like this, when would he find himself a girlfriend? 　　The butler was worried for Beau. 　　Right at this moment, the doorbell rang. 　　Trembling from head to toe, Eliza pressed on the doorbell. 　　To tell the truth, she really did run far away from the house just now. 　　Eliza was afraid of the dark in the first place. When she thought of the monster she saw in the brightly lit room, a chill went down her spine. 　　However, once she calmed down, she felt guilty about her actions. 　　From the very beginning, she knew that Beau was a disfigured man with a twisted personality after the fire incident. 　　Since she agreed to this marriage, she should keep her promise. 　　After thinking about it for a long time, she finally came back. 　　When she pressed the doorbell with a pale complexion, her heart was drumming against her chest. 　　She didn't have the guts to face Mr. Valentine anymore. 　　However, Eliza knew that she must overcome her fears because she would be living with him in the future. 　　After the doorbell rang for a while, someone opened the door. 　　Unexpectedly, the person who opened the door was not Mr. Valentine, nor was it the housekeepers or the butler. It was a handsome young boy, who looked around 4 to 5 years old. 　　There was only one villa around the area. If it wasn't because of that, Eliza would have thought that she went to the wrong house. 　　The little boy glanced at Eliza. Then, he turned into the living room. He pointed at the sofa and gestured for Eliza to sit down. 　　Eliza pursed her lips. Although she didn't know where the little boy came from, she could sense that he didn't mean any harm. 　　Still shivering from the shock, Eliza sat down on the sofa. Then, the young boy poured her a glass of hot water. 　　"Thank you." 　　Holding the glass of water, she calmed down gradually. 　　The little boy glanced at her and walked to the small cabinet from beside. It seemed like he was looking for something. 　　"Wow." 　　At the railing of the second floor, Demarion, who was the one who scared Eliza just now, widened his eyes in surprise. Looking at the scene downstairs, he said, "I can't believe she actually came back." 　　"Daddy, do you want me to scare her again?" 　　Mr. Valentine hid his tall figure in the shadows as he looked at the terrified woman downstairs, who was still trembling. Then, he shifted his gaze and looked at his elder son, who was searching for the medicine box. He frowned slightly and said, "Don't scare her." 　　Since rumors were spreading around about the fire that happened five years ago, a lot of people were aware of Mr. Valentine's change in appearance and personality. However, only a few of them knew that he was gifted with a pair of twins after the fire. 　　His elder son, Braint, had a cold and quiet personality. On the other hand, his younger son, Demarion was a mischievous and loud child. 　　Braint, who was usually indifferent to his surroundings, was making sure that a stranger was comfortable in his house. He even poured water and tended to her injuries. 　　"Ouch!" 　　When the cotton, which was soaked in disinfectant touched the wound on her leg, only then did Eliza realize that she hurt her knees from running on the hallway just now. 　　She lowered her head and looked at the young child tending to her wounds. With the cotton balls in one hand and the disinfectant in the other, Braint actually looked quite serious about the task on hand. 　　The lights of the exquisite chandelier shone on his pretty eyelashes, which formed small shadows on his face. 　　She didn't know that a young child like him could be caring towards adults. 　　Eliza felt really moved by his actions. Even her voice sounded gentle when she said, "Thank you darling, what's your name?" 　　"Why are you in Mr. Valentine's house?" 　　After he had disinfected her wound, he put a band-aid on it. 　　"Braint Valentine." 　　When he was done, he looked up at Eliza and said, "That's my name." 　　Eliza looked at his adorable face and hands. She couldn't suppress the urge to touch his head, but Braint avoided her touch quickly. 　　He stood up and walked towards the sofa opposite her. Then, he climbed on it and sat down. 　　Braint looked unusually mature for his young age. He looked at her and asked, "Why did you come back?" 　　Eliza wondered about that question. 　　Then, she smiled and replied, "That's because this is my home from now on." 　　"Mr. Valentine will be my husband in the future. That's why I have to come back." 　　Braint lowered his head and fiddled with his tiny fingers. "Aren't you afraid?" 　　Eliza paused. How did this child know so much? 　　However, she still answered seriously, "I am, but I don't have a choice." 　　"Since I have promised to marry him, I can't go back on my words." 　　She was a person who kept her promises. Besides, if she messed this up and failed to get Mr. Valentine to invest in Lawson's Group, Riley would definitely make things difficult for her in the future. 　　"I... It doesn't matter how bad he looks or how crazy he is. I will try my best to overcome my fears. I will definitely be a good wife to him." 　　Eliza didn't know why she would say all these to a kid she just met. He probably didn't know what she was talking about. 　　Perhaps aside from the young child in front of her, she didn't have anyone to talk to in this foreign place. 　　"He is not ugly." 　　Braint raised his head and looked into Eliza's eyes seriously. Then, he added, "Don't worry." 　　Eliza didn't know what to say. 　　Was Braint serious when he said that? 　　She had witnessed Mr. Valentine's appearance with her own eyes. 　　However, it was possible that Mr. Valentine didn't want to reveal his face in front of Braint. 　　She heaved in a deep breath and smiled as she said, "Are you hungry? Let me cook something delicious for you." 　　Eliza wasn't a talented woman, but she was really good at cooking. 　　Her heart warmed up when she looked at the cute child in front of her. The only thing she could think of to thank him was cooking him some delicious food. 　　Braint looked at his watch and said, "You have half an hour." 　　Eliza was stunned. 　　"I can't eat anything after eight o'clock. It's seven twenty now." 　　Eliza stormed into the kitchen in lightening speed. 　　The kitchen was clean and tidy. And she found enough ingredients and seasonings to be used. 　　Looking at Eliza, who was working in the kitchen, the two people on the second floor froze. 　　"Daddy, what do you think she's doing?" 　　Demarion leaned against the staircase railing as he pouted, "Is she trying to use food to win Braint over?" 　　"Braint is really picky with his food. Everyone knows that." 　　Beau stared at Eliza and something struck his mind. 　　For some reason, she looked really familiar to him. 　　Eliza was busy preparing a plate of Japanese-style omelet rice in the kitchen. After more than 20 minutes, dinner was served. Aside from the omelet rice, she also prepared some delicious cheese croquettes. "Braint, dinner is ready!" 　　Braint glanced at the time. There were still fifteen minutes left before 8 o'clock. 　　He jumped off the sofa and walked towards the kitchen slowly. Then, he sat down in the kitchen. 　　On the second floor, Demarion wiped off the saliva on the corner of his lips. He snorted. "I'm sure the food doesn't taste good, though it does smell nice." 　　"It's delicious." 　　Braint praised Eliza the moment he put the food inside his mouth. It was as if he had heard Demarion's comments from upstairs. 　　Eliza smiled, "Really? I can prepare more delicacies for you in the future." 　　Something struck her mind as she asked, "Braint, why are you here so late at night? Where are your parents?" 　　"Are you Mr. Valentine's guest?" 　　Based on the rumors flying around, she was sure that Mr. Valentine didn't have children of his own. 　　Braint frowned and nodded, "Yes, sort of." 　　"Just as I expected." 　　Eliza nodded. "Even though he doesn't have good looks, I'm sure he has a kind heart." 　　Well, considering that Mr. Valentine had a child playing around in his house, Eliza felt that he wasn't as crazy as she thought he would be. 　　"He's not ugly." 　　Braint took a mouthful of rice and reminded her again in a low voice. 　　On the second floor, Beau squinted at Demarion, who was drooling profusely. It seemed like he was comparing the differences between his two children. 　　Braint was trying his best to protect Beau's reputation. On the other hand, Demarion was trying to make the whole world think that his father was an ugly monster. 　　Demarion pouted as he said unhappily, "I don't want a stranger to be my mother." 　　Beau frowned slightly as he turned to leave. 　　As Braint finished his meal downstairs, it was already 8:10 at night. 　　He did enjoy his meal to the fullest. 　　Braint used a small plate to put the remaining cheese croquettes on it, preparing to take them upstairs. "You should rest early." 　　When he reached the final flight of stairs, he turned around and looked at Eliza, who was standing rooted to the ground. "Don't worry." 　　"I will protect you from now on." 　　Although Braint was a young child with a small figure, he exuded a charismatic aura. He didn't sound or look like a typical 5-year-old at all. 　　Eliza was stunned for a moment. 　　When she looked at his small figure from behind, she felt really amused. 　　Even though she still couldn't get used to her new environment, she wasn't desperate enough to rely on a young child like Braint. 　　Eliza turned to the kitchen and started cleaning up. Once she was done, she couldn't bring herself to sleep in the terrifying bedroom again. 　　Finally, she laid on the couch, using her jacket to cover up herself. 　　In the children's room. 　　Braint put the plate of delicious cheese croquettes at Demarion's bedside. 　　Demarion turned his back and faced the wall. "I won't eat it." 　　"Oh, okay." 　　Then, Braint took the plate and put it at the desk beside his own bed. 　　Demarion was speechless. 　　He muttered unhappily, "Didn't you promise to drive those women away with me? You told me you didn't want a stepmother!" 　　"How dare you betray my trust! You traitor!" 　　Braint sat on his bed and glanced at Demarion's back. "She's really good at cooking." 　　"I don't care! She's not our mother!" 　　Demarion scrapped the wallpaper with his fingers unhappily. "I only want my real mother." 　　On the opposite bed, Braint sighed. He looked at the ceiling and said softly, "But she's dead." 　　Braint was a lot more mature than Demarion. He knew that their mother was never coming back home. 　　Their father shouldn't be single for the rest of his life either. 　　That woman downstairs was not a bad candidate. 　　"She is not dead," Demarion muttered. 　　Demarion clenched his fists and shouted, "Mummy is definitely still alive! She's waiting for us to find her!" 　　Braint closed his eyes and ignored him. 　　All of a sudden, the atmosphere of the children's room quiet down, with the tantalizing scent of the cheese croquettes wafting in the air. 　　In the end, Demarion climbed down his bed and tiptoed to Braint's bedside. Then, he grabbed the plate and munched on the croquettes. 　　His eyes lit up with joy when the food entered his mouth. 　　It was really delicious! 　　It was 10 times better than the food cooked by the maids at home! 　　"Take the plate downstairs." 　　When Demarion was munching on the second piece, a childish voice echoed from Braint's bed, "Also, I won't allow you to pull pranks on her anymore." 　　"I like her, so she's under my protection now." 　　Demarion was speechless again. 　　The corners of his lips turned down. "Braint, you are acting very weird today." 　　In the past, Braint was indifferent to most of Demarion's pranks. But now, why was he trying to protect that woman? 　　Was it really because she was good at cooking? 　　While Demarion was preoccupied with his thoughts, he took another bite. 　　It was really delicious. 　　After he finished the croquettes, Demarion took the plate downstairs. 　　While he was walking down the stairs, he could spot Eliza sleeping on the sofa at one glance. 　　Curling up into a ball, she was still shivering from head to toe. 　　Demarion walked towards her and stared at her face. 　　"She's a pretty woman, and she's good at cooking too," Demarion thought. 　　"If only she's my biological mother..." 　　While Eliza was sleeping, she could feel someone staring at her. 　　Instantly, she woke up and saw the child from before standing in front of her. 　　With a plate in his hand, he was staring straight at her face. 　　She rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked, "Are you... still hungry?" 　　"Why is he looking at me with an empty plate?" Eliza thought. 　　Demarion pursed his lips. He knew that she must've mistaken him as Braint. However, he still nodded and replied, "Yes." 　　He wasn't lying, he was still hungry. 　　Looking at the child's adorable appearance, Eliza's heart melted. She pinched his cheeks and said, "I'll go and make something for you to eat." 　　Once she finished speaking, she went into the kitchen as she pondered, "Didn't he say that he can't eat anything after 8 p.m.?" 　　Besides, she did cook a large portion for Braint just now. 　　Feeling confused, Eliza went into the kitchen and prepared a simple meal for Demarion. 　　The child devoured everything. 　　Eliza was stunned beyond words. 　　"Oh wow, this child... he has a really big appetite!" Eliza thought to herself. 　　She felt shocked when Demarion handed over the plate to her as he requested for more. 　　When he finished eating, Eliza couldn't help but ask, "Braint, you... you're really hungry, huh?" 　　Demarion froze. Then, he giggled, "Yeah, I eat a lot." 　　He reached out and showed her two of his fingers. "From now on, you should keep making good food for me. Double the portion, okay?" 　　Demarion remembered that Braint might leave the leftovers he didn't like to him. So, he emphasized his point again, "I want you to double the portion, and the food must be exactly the same, okay?" 　　Eliza was a bit stunned. But still, she nodded and smiled while cleaning the dishes. "You are a growing child. It's natural for you to eat more." 　　Eliza took out a box of biscuits and gave it to Demarion. "This is for you." It was actually meant as a gift for Mr. Valentine. 　　After that, she smiled and touched the child's head. "You should eat well and grow up healthily, okay?" 　　Demarion blushed as he ran upstairs with the box of biscuits. 　　Eliza heaved in a deep breath. When Demarion was out of sight, she went to the sofa and continued sleeping. 　　Upstairs. 　　On the table, an expensive phone vibrated, which indicated unread messages. 　　Beau picked up the phone and clicked on it. 　　The messages were as follows. Braint: Approved. 　　On the other hand, Demarion sent a voice message to his father. While munching on a box of biscuits, he said, "For now, I'll give her my approval. I still don't like her though." 　　"But she's so good at cooking. I'll compromise, just so I can enjoy good food every day." 　　Beau put down his mobile phone and gave an order. "Please arrange tomorrow's schedule for me. We will be registering for marriage tomorrow." 　　The next morning, Eliza was woken up by the butler. 　　The butler looked like a nice and kind gentleman. They met each other yesterday. 　　At this moment, the butler was standing in front of her with a set of clothes in his hand. He asked, "Mrs. Valentine, why are you sleeping on the couch?" 　　"You should get prepared. The employees from the City Hall will be here any minute now!" 　　Eliza rubbed her forehead. Since she didn't sleep well last night, her head felt heavy. 　　She frowned and looked at the butler with a confused expression, "Are you sure?" 　　"Yes, I'm sure!" 　　The butler smiled at her as he said, "Congratulations on passing the test. Mr. Valentine has decided to marry you. From now on, you are officially his wife." 　　Almost instantly, Eliza came back to her senses. 　　Everything seemed to happen too fast. 　　She looked at the butler in shock as she asked, "Are you sure that he wants to marry me?" 　　Eliza thought about yesterday. She literally ran away when she saw his terrifying appearance. 　　Why did Mr. Valentine reach this decision? 　　"Yes, I am sure. Mr. Valentine thought about it seriously before reaching this decision." 　　Eliza was speechless. 　　She didn't think he thought it through at all. 　　They only met each other for a while yesterday. His decision was unbelievably hasty! 　　Nonetheless, it was still good news to Eliza. 　　She could finally fulfill the Lawson family's request. 　　Although Mr. Valentine was a disfigured man, she was still happy to have a place she called home. 　　Since Esme returned to the Lawson family five years ago, that place wasn't her home anymore. 　　After she changed into formal attire, the employees from the City Hall arrived. 　　They asked Eliza to stand in the living room for a photo shoot, and then let her sign the agreement for marriage. Under the guidance of the butler, she walked upstairs. 　　After they went back downstairs, the employees presented Eliza with a marriage certificate. "Congratulations! You are now Mrs. Valentine." 　　One of the female employees held Eliza's hand with an envious look. "You are so lucky to be married to such a handsome man." 　　Eliza twitched her lips. 　　"A very handsome husband...?" she thought to herself. 　　Out of curiosity, she flipped open the marriage certificate. 　　Female: Eliza Lawson. 　　Male: Beau Valentine. 　　Only Eliza's face was attached to the photo column. 　　She let out a long sigh of relief. She felt grateful because Mr. Valentine didn't attach his photo to the column. 　　If he did, Eliza wouldn't have the guts to look at that document for the rest of her life. 　　"Mrs. Valentine, you should prepare yourself." 　　The butler smiled from ear to ear as he said, "You'll spend the night with Mr. Valentine today. I hope you are ready to welcome him as your new husband." 　　"There will be only you and Mr. Valentine in the house today." 　　Eliza didn't know what to say. 　　When she heard the butler's words, she felt depressed instantly. 　　She remembered the night she saw Mr. Valentine. When his hands touched her arm, it felt slimy and disgusting. 　　She said with a pale complexion, "Do I really have to spend the night with him?" 　　It was just too sudden. She wasn't mentally prepared to face him again. 　　The butler nodded seriously as he said, "Yes, you don't have a choice." 　　"They are already a married couple. It'll be weird if she still doesn't know her husband's actual appearance," the butler thought. 　　It took him a lot of effort to convince Beau to let Eliza see his true face. 　　Eliza felt hopeless and despair. 　　After breakfast, she hid in her room. Then, she texted her best friend, Graciana Ryan, "Can you recommend some horror movies to me? I want to build my courage before facing that man. Thanks!" 　　Graciana replied, "You do know you sound ridiculous, right?" 　　After that, Graciana flooded her mailbox with all sorts of horror movies. 　　Eliza wrapped herself in her blankets as she binged on the horror movies for the entire day. As a result, she went to the bathroom and puked because of the jump scares. 　　When night fell, Eliza thought she was already immune to all the scary things in the world. 　　Even if Mr. Valentine appeared in front of her right now, she wouldn't feel afraid anymore! 　　She decided to go downstairs to drink some water. She switched on the television to see today's news, hoping that it would lighten up her mood. 　　After watching horror movies for the entire day, Eliza felt exhausted. 　　"Just a while ago, Jay Carr and Madeleine Robinson were spotted entering and leaving a hotel. The media has confirmed with their respective managers that they are indeed in a relationship. They also promised to announce their engagement at a later date." 　　Looking at the couple on the screen, she felt annoyed. 　　Pressing on the remote control, she changed to another channel. 　　"Having won the Golden Bull Award, Jay Carr and Madeleine Robinson are currently the hot topics in the entertainment industry. Ever since they announced their relationship in public, the lovely couple..." 　　Eliza changed the channel again. 　　It was still the same news. 　　In the end, Eliza turned off the TV and put the remote control aside. Feeling tired, she laid on the couch and closed her eyes. 　　Jay Carr and Madeleine Robinson. 　　The former being her boyfriend for six years. 　　And the latter was her best friend of eight years. 　　Five days ago, Eliza went to visit Jay at his workplace. She wanted to give him a surprise. 　　When she was about to open the door leading to the resting lounge with her spare key, she heard uneven breathing echoing from the room. 　　"Jay, when will you break up with Eliza? I can't wait any longer." 　　"It's gonna happen sooner or later. Don't be anxious." 　　"Eliza is a beautiful woman. I'm worried that you might fall for her again!" 　　"Baby, why would I fall for her? She gave birth to children around five years ago. I’ll never get married to a terrible person like her!” 　　Jay and Madeleine's words were like knives stabbing into Eliza's heart. 　　Five years ago, Jay's career was at its lowest point because he was framed by others for something he didn't do. 　　As Eliza looked for evidence to prove Jay's innocence, she tried her best to earn money for the lawsuits filed against him. 　　That was when Esme was reunited with the Lawson family. Since then, Eliza's parents didn't treat her as their own anymore. She didn't feel comfortable asking them for money, so she turned to Madeleine instead. 　　Madeleine told Eliza that she could earn money by being a surrogate helper. 　　However, the man who agreed to go through the process professionally went against his words. 　　After taking the prescribed medication, Eliza was locked up in a dark room. 　　That stranger tortured her for the entire night. 　　In the end... 　　Eliza got the money and she managed to win the lawsuit filed against Jay. Jay earned his reputation and he was given another chance to advance his career. 　　Five years passed. When Jay led a successful career in the entertainment industry, he betrayed Eliza and went for Madeleine instead. 　　Jay was disgusted by Eliza's past. 　　He hated the fact that she had given birth to another man's children. 　　However, she had sacrificed everything for Jay. 　　Lying on the couch, Eliza's tears rolled down her cheeks. 　　She was in love with Jay for 6 years. 　　She wasted 6 years of her life for a worthless man. 　　While thinking about her sad past, she bawled her eyes out for 2 hours straight. 　　Finally, Eliza looked at the time. It was already past 9 at night. 　　Mr. Valentine had yet to arrive. 　　"I guess he won't come, will he?" Eliza thought. 　　Eliza heaved in a deep breath as she looked at the wine cabinet in the living room. 　　There were all kinds of wines in it. 　　Though she didn't have good alcohol tolerance, she couldn't suppress the urge to have a sip. 　　She wanted the alcohol to numb her pain. 　　Eliza grabbed the wine bottle on impulse. She opened it and took a swig. 　　While she was drinking, she could feel the burning sensation trickling down her throat. 　　"Jay, you b*stard!" She shouted at the top of her lungs while weeping profusely. 　　"I hope your career goes down the hill! You filthy assh*le!" 　　"It doesn't matter if you have good looks! You are rotten inside! You're even uglier than Mr. Valentine!" 　　Outside the door, Beau was about to enter the house. He froze when he heard that. 　　Beau opened the door with a gloomy expression. 　　The room was filled with the smell of alcohol. 　　On the tea table, there were a few bottles of wine, which he had treasured for many years. Each of them was worth millions. 　　Now, the wine bottles were completely empty. 　　A woman with a flushed complexion was laying on the sofa. While cursing under her breath, she would occasionally mention Beau's name. 　　She was in a mess. 　　A trace of displeasure flashed across Beau's face. 　　Did she finally reveal her true colors after becoming his wife? 　　Hearing the sound from the door, Eliza burped and turned around. 　　"Who are you?" 　　She was so drunk that she had completely lost her bearings. When she noticed someone coming in from the door, she stood up to welcome him. 　　It was a handsome man. He had a high nose bridge and defined facial features. 　　"He's just as handsome as Jay!" Eliza thought. 　　"Wait, he is Jay!" 　　How dare he appear in front of Eliza? 　　Furious, Eliza pursed her lips and raised her hand. She was about to slap him, but Beau caught her wrist in time. 　　Beau's eyes were filled with rage as he said, "Just how much did you drink?" 　　Her body was weak and unstable. When he grabbed her wrist, she staggered and fell to the ground. "I didn't drink..." 　　Then, she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Jay, I miss you so much." 　　With her cheeks flushed in red, Eliza called out to Beau flirtatiously, "Jay, please don't think that I'm a dirty woman. I didn't do it on purpose..." She sounded like a teenager in love. 　　Eliza's tears seeped through Beau's shirt. Now, his waist was wet. 　　Beau frowned. 　　His face dropped as he looked at Eliza, who was hugging his waist. 　　She looked really adorable. 　　Although she was looking at him with loving eyes, she was still calling out to another man. 　　Beau reached out and carried her in his arms. Then, he walked upstairs. 　　At the bathroom upstairs, Eliza had already prepared hot water in the bathtub for Beau to use when he came back. 　　Now, the water was extremely cold. 　　"Splash!" 　　Eliza was thrown into the bathtub. 　　When she got into the water, her white T-shirt adhered to her body, which revealed her slim and attractive figure. 　　Even though the bathtub was filled with cold water, Beau felt a rush of heat when he laid eyes on her body. 　　To be honest, he hated women to the core. 　　Ever since he attacked that woman five years ago, he was disgusted by the sight of women. 　　He wouldn't allow any woman to touch him, not even his sister. 　　However, when Eliza hugged him, he didn't feel disgusted at all. For some reason, he even liked the feeling. 　　"It's so cold..." 　　Eliza was trembling from head to toe in the bathtub. 　　Since she had drunk a lot of alcohol, the cold water didn't sober her up at all. If anything, she started spouting nonsense again. 　　"Jay," Eliza said. 　　Eliza laid in the bathtub as she called out to Jay's name coquettishly, "I'm cold." 　　She reached out and grabbed the hems of Beau's trousers. "Can you hug me?" 　　Right now, Eliza couldn't even see clearly. With her cheeks flushed in red, she looked at him and said, "Can you take me outside? I feel so cold..." 　　The way she flirted with him was like music to his ears. 　　Beau hadn't felt this way for a long time. 　　He had to admit that Eliza stirred something in him. 　　However, she was still calling out to Jay's name. 　　Beau squatted down and raised her chin with his hand. "Who am I?" 　　Eliza pursed her lips. Then, she said, "You are Jay Carr." 　　Since she wasn't in her right mind at the moment, Jay was the only person she could see. 　　Beau frowned and pressed her head into the icy cold water. 　　The chilling water engulfed her head as she flailed her arms helplessly. Still, she couldn't sober up. 　　After a while, he let go and stared coldly into her eyes. "Now, what's my name?" 　　"Jay... Carr." 　　Once again, he pressed her head into the water. 　　Eliza choked on the water as tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked at Beau while sobbing, "Why don't you tell me your name then?" 　　Beau raised his hand and touched her soft lips. Then, he said, "I'm your husband." 　　"My hubby...?" Eliza said while looking at him with puppy eyes. 　　When he heard that, Beau had the sudden urge to make a move on her. It had been so long since he felt any kind of attraction toward a woman. 　　Eliza reached out and cupped his face. With her eyes brimming with tears, she said, "I don't want to be in the tub anymore!" 　　"Stop bullying me, I've acknowledged you as my husband!" 　　Eliza was a natural beauty. Now, she looked even more gorgeous with her red cheeks and tear-stained face. 　　Beau looked at her and said in a low and hoarse voice, "You drunkard." 　　"Do you want to know what it means to get bullied?" 　　Eliza looked at him with intoxicated eyes. Then, she shook her head. 　　Beau replied in a hoarse voice, "I'll teach you." 　　Once he finished speaking, he climbed into the bathtub. 　　...... 　　The next day. 　　It was early in the morning. 　　With curtains drawn to the side, the dazzling sunlight filtered through the windows. 　　Beside the French windows, a man stood with his back to Eliza. He was looking out of the windows. 　　The man had a tall figure. Even from his back, one could feel the intimidating aura emanated from him. 　　Eliza woke up with a headache. 　　Last night, she had a very wild dream. On her wedding night, she had an affair with a handsome man in the bathtub. 　　Her dream was too ridiculous. After thinking about it for a while, she opened her eyes. 　　The moment she woke up, she saw a man facing the windows right in front of her. Feeling shocked, she couldn't even speak properly. 　　"You... you!" 　　"Who are you!" 　　Why was there a man in her room? 　　The man was tall and straight. Judging from his figure, she knew that he was definitely not Mr. Valentine. 　　"Who is that?" Eliza thought. 　　Did she really have an affair last night? 　　When he heard Eliza's shocked tone, Beau frowned and turned to look at her. "You're not allowed to drink in the future." 　　Last night, she finished millions of dollars worth of wine. 　　Even though he didn't really care about the price, he still felt a twinge of regret because those were his precious collections. 　　After he finished speaking, Beau walked out of the room indifferently. 　　Eliza was petrified. She sat on the bed for a while before coming back to her senses. 　　Last night, she remembered that she felt horrible after watching the news about Jay and Madeleine. So, she drank a little bit of alcohol. 　　Later on... 　　"No way!" Eliza shouted. 　　Looking at the bruises and scars on her body, Eliza felt horrified. 　　Last night was her first night with Mr. Valentine as newlyweds. Her husband didn’t return home yesterday, so she ended up with a stranger last night…All of a sudden, she thought of the rumors about Mr. Valentine being a dangerous man.Eliza knew what was going to happen to her from now on.That man who had been with her even stayed back to warn her about avoiding alcohol in the future. 　　She would never drink alcohol anymore! 　　While she was beating up herself about the incident, someone opened the door, 　　Braint who was wearing a pastel yellow shirt tiptoed inside. "I'm hungry."