"Take this card. Use it as you please."
"The password is six sixes."
Adelaide Miles looked at the bank card handed to her, her mind whirling.
She glanced upwards. Dominic Murray, the man before her, was astonishingly handsome.
Dressed simply in a white shirt and suit, he emanated an aura of cool elegance.
The black bank card was nestled between his fair fingers.
Adelaide reflexively shook her head, "No, I have my own money."
"Take it." Dominic pressed the card into her hand without further explanation. "With this marriage certificate, we are to be husband and wife. I apologize in advance, as my work will soon consume my time, I may not be able to attend to you."
His words were courteous, yet they held an underlying tone of distance and unfamiliarity.
Although they stood at the entrance of City Hall, newly issued marriage certificate in hand, their lack of familiarity was palpable.
A black car was parked nearby. Dominic gave her a slight nod before stepping into the car.
As the car pulled away, Adelaide remained frozen in place, clutching the bank card and marriage certificate.
She was married, just like that!
They had never met each other before that day.
When the phone rang, Adelaide looked at the number and answered the call.
"Hello, Grandma."
"Adelaide, how are things with the boy from the Murray family?"
"Don't worry, Grandma. We just got our marriage certificate."
Adelaide knew that her grandmother, Naomi, had always been concerned about the status of her marriage.
What happened 3 years ago had ruined her reputation and made her unable to return home.
For that reason, Naomi had always felt guilty and felt that she had failed to protect her.
Naomi was old and worried that if she left one day, Adelaide would be even lonelier, so she hoped that her granddaughter could get married and find a good person to rely on.
Coincidentally, Madam Ernesta Murray had an unmarried grandson in Queenstown.
As a result, Naomi and Ernesta acted as matchmakers for Adelaide and Dominic.
In fact, after what had happened 3 years ago, Adelaide no longer had any expectations for love and marriage.
Whether she would get married was not important to her. She only hoped that her grandmother could rest assured.
Therefore, she agreed to marry Dominic.
Dominic must have been forced into the flash marriage due to the pressure from his family. Therefore, Adelaide reckoned that if he wanted a marriage without love, she would agree to his terms.
If he was willing to live a stable life with her, and the two of them could treat each other well and be an ordinary couple, Adelaide could also accept it.
Adelaide thought about many possibilities, but she didn't expect that Dominic would give her a bank card directly.
Wasn't he being too generous?
"That's good, that's good!" There was a hint of happiness in Naomi's voice, as if she had accomplished something. "I heard from Ernesta that Dominic is a good and responsible child. With him by your side in the future, I can rest assured even after I die..."
Adelaide didn't like her grandmother saying such things, so she relaxed her tone and replied with a smile, "That won't do. Grandma, you have to live until at least 100 years old. If I suffer in the future, I still have to rely on you to support me."
Naomi couldn't help laughing, "This child..."
After comforting Naomi, Adelaide hung up on the call.
The summer in Queenstown was quite hot.
She looked at the time. It was almost noon.
After a simple meal at a fast-food restaurant not far away, Adelaide rushed back to the company.
She worked for a branch of the Stewart Group, and she was satisfied with the benefits and salary of her new job.
She had only taken half a day off, so she had to go back to work in the afternoon.
She wanted to work hard and live a regular life...
In the blink of an eye, a year passed, and it was summer again.
In the past year, Adelaide's nominal husband had never contacted her.
It felt as if she had never gotten married.
However, Adelaide didn't care. She merely focused on her work.
In just a year, she had been transferred to the headquarters of the Stewart Group because of her excellent performance, and she became a member of the secretarial office.
On that day, as soon as Adelaide arrived at the company, she saw that her colleagues seemed to be in a good mood as they discussed something excitedly.
She sat in her seat, and her colleague, Veronica Knowles, slid over in her office chair to her.
"Adelaide, did you read the message in the WhatsApp group? The president, Mr. Stewart, has returned to the country. He will come to the company today!"
Mr. Stewart?
Adelaide thought for a moment and came to a realization.
Emmett Stewart, the president of Stewart Group, had been stationed overseas to deal with some work.
Now, he was finally coming back to the country.
Adelaide couldn't help but smile. "Aren't we supposed to be nervous when Mr. Stewart comes back? Why are you so excited?"
After all, the big boss was back, and they were employees of the secretarial office. They were the team who would work the closest to him.
It was said that he had high requirements.
"Don't you know? Mr. Stewart is a famous bachelor in Queenstown!"
Veronica explained, "He is only 28 years old, yet he comes from a well-known family, has a high position, and he's filthy rich. His abilities are also extraordinary! Most importantly, he's really handsome! His figure is comparable to an internationally famous model, with eight-pack abs! My mouth is watering just at the thought of him!"
Adelaide had never seen Emmett before, so she couldn't help but be curious when she heard Veronica's words.
However, at that moment, a mocking voice came from not far away.
"I advise you to take a look at yourself and see what kind of person you are. You want to marry and join a rich and powerful family? You lack so much self-awareness and want to obtain something that is impossible. Are you even worthy of such things?"
The person who spoke was their colleague, Kevin Bennett, who was ugly and mean.
After he confessed his love to Adelaide and was rejected, he hated her. He would take the opportunity to backstab her at any time, and he would always make trouble for her at work.
Adelaide, not bothered to speak to such a person, ignored him.
Veronica rolled her eyes and muttered, "I wonder who is the one that has no self-awareness. Don't you know what kind of person you are?"
Then she held Adelaide's arm tightly and lowered her voice to say, "To be honest, I admit that I don't dare to have any improper thoughts about Mr. Stewart."
As she spoke, she looked sorrowful.
Adelaide asked subconsciously, "Why?"
"You see, Mr. Stewart is like a rare and unobtainable flower. The words 'Don't get close to me' seem to be written all over his body. Some employees tried to hook up with him before, but they were immediately fired."
"After that, Hanna Simmons, his assistant, said that Mr. Stewart detests all unscrupulous women. Whoever dares to have any improper thoughts should resign."
"After that, no one dared to fantasise about Mr. Stewart anymore."
Hearing Veronica's words, Adelaide nodded. It seemed that Emmett was a person who clearly distinguished between personal and professional matters.
"Hush! Mr. Stewart is here!"
A warning was issued, prompting the whispering crowd to swiftly return to their seats and direct their attention forward.
Shortly after, the elevator arrived at the secretary's office floor.
The elevator doors parted, revealing two men and a woman.
The man at the forefront, tall and imposing, bore a stern expression.
His entire demeanor radiated an air of nobility.
Adelaide stole a glance, her heart fluttering in her chest.
Why did this man... seem so familiar?
