Chapter 5

Hunter let out a quiet scoff. “I think so.”

Valda suddenly felt her back ache even more.

For the first time, she regretted sending Whitney away earlier.

Her friends were still waiting for her at home for their usual card night.

Left with no other choice, Valda could only grit her teeth and continue taking care of Hunter herself.

Meanwhile, Florentia wasn’t idle either.

The cheating man needed to be dealt with but work still had to go on.

By the time she left Swiftline Magazine, it was already seven in the evening.

A black Maybach slowly pulled up in front of her.

The window rolled down, and a man dressed in a black suit stepped out before bowing respectfully.

“Miss Shaw, I’m the Walker family’s driver. I’ve been instructed to bring you to meet Mr. Walker.”

Florentia glanced at the luxurious yet understated car in front of her before silently nodding.

The driver opened the rear door for her, and once she got in, the car drove off smoothly.

She originally thought they were heading to the Walker residence.

Instead, the car stopped outside an upscale private restaurant.

Led by a server, Florentia arrived at a private dining room at the end of the corridor.

The door opened.

At first glance, she spotted the man seated by the window.

He wore a simple navy suit, his hair cut short, with gold-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

Before the man could speak, Florentia asked first, “Kayden Walker didn’t come?”

Sean Lane paused briefly.

Then he smiled lightly.

“How did Miss Shaw know I wasn’t Mr. Walker?”

“I heard Kayden wasn’t in good health. You, on the other hand, look perfectly healthy.”

Florentia showed no trace of awkwardness as she sat down across from him.

Her thick wavy hair spilled down her back, and her makeup was light and understated.

Her features weren’t strikingly glamorous, carrying instead a soft elegance.

But the sharp light in her eyes made it obvious she wasn’t someone easy to bully.

“I’m Mr. Walker’s assistant. You can call me Sean.”

“Hello. May I ask why you invited me here?”

Since the other party was polite, Florentia naturally wouldn’t give him attitude.

“Originally, Mr. Walker intended to meet you personally today, but his health hasn’t been very good lately, so he could only send me in his place.”

“He can’t even leave the house?”

That sounded pretty serious.

Florentia frowned and instinctively asked, “So is there a chance that he might… you know?”

She lifted an eyebrow, making the meaning behind her words perfectly obvious.

Sean’s smile stiffened slightly.

Florentia was clearly far more unpredictable than the elegant image she presented on screen.

He rubbed his forehead helplessly before explaining,

“I think your concerns are unnecessary, Miss Shaw. Mr. Walker simply suffers from chronic health issues. There shouldn’t be any risk of him… dying young.”

“Oh.”

Florentia nodded casually.

“The Walker family takes this marriage very seriously. The reason I came today is to ask about your preferences regarding the wedding dress and rings.”

Sean took out a catalog from his bag, opened it, and handed it to her respectfully.

“These are all designs personally commissioned by Mr. Walker. You can choose whichever styles you like so preparations can begin in advance.”

Inside the catalog were more than a dozen wedding gown concepts along with dozens of wedding ring designs.

Every single piece was breathtaking.

And all of them had been designed by world-renowned designers.

A trace of bitterness suddenly spread through Florentia’s chest.

Her wedding to Hunter hadn’t even included a real ceremony. Both families had simply gathered for a meal together. As for the wedding ring, it had only been a cheap silver band.

Back then, Hunter had held her hand and said, “I made this ring myself. It’s the only one in the world, made exclusively for you.”

She cried from happiness at the time.

Now, the more she remembered how touched she’d been, the more she felt like an idiot.

Hunter clearly had the money to buy rings worth tens of thousands—millions, even.

Yet he dismissed her with a silver ring worth barely over twenty dollars.

Because deep down, that was all he believed she was worth.

“Miss Shaw?”

Sean noticed the loneliness in her expression and called out softly.

Florentia snapped back to reality.

Instead of looking through the wedding dresses or rings, she fixed her amber eyes on Sean instead.

“May I ask something?”

“Of course.”

“Why did the Walker family choose me to marry Kayden? As far as I know, the Walkers are one of the top elite families in the country.

“Even if Kayden were disabled, or dying, there would still be countless unmarried women willing to marry him.”

Sean adjusted his glasses.

“This arrangement came from Mr and Mrs. Shaw’s will. The two elders were privately very close with the Walker family.

“If your relationship with the Patel family had remained harmonious, then according to their wishes, the entire inheritance would have been donated instead, and the marriage agreement would’ve been canceled.”

In other words, because Florentia’s relationship with Hunter fell apart, their will had finally been delivered to her.

Naturally, that also meant she had to fulfill the marriage arrangement with Kayden.

Whether it was meant to bring him good luck or not, this marriage was happening.

At this point, there was no point dwelling on it anymore.

Florentia accepted the fact that she was about to marry another man surprisingly quickly.

Her gaze drifted across the wedding gown designs before settling casually on a strapless one.

“I’ll take this one.”

She then picked out a wedding ring as well.

While they ate, Sean continued discussing the wedding details with her. From the way he spoke, it was obvious the Walker family intended to hold an extravagant ceremony.

Right in the middle of the discussion, Valda called.

Florentia answered the phone.

“What time is it already? Why aren’t you home yet? Hunter’s already been discharged from the hospital. What kind of wife are you? Cough…cough…”

Valda suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit, likely from agitation.

“Hurry back and take me to see Dr. Hayes tomorrow.”

Her tone sounded more like she was ordering around a servant than speaking to a daughter-in-law.

A faint smile hung on Florentia’s lips.

“I’m busy.”

Then she hung up decisively.

Less than a minute later, both Valda and Philip Patel started bombarding her phone with calls.

If she hadn’t already blocked Hunter’s number earlier, he would definitely be calling too.

Florentia calmly watched the screen light up again and again before going dark, all while leisurely enjoying the dishes in front of her.

Afterward, she even ordered dessert.

Still, she couldn’t shake the strange feeling crawling over her skin.

It felt as though someone was watching her from behind.

Uneasy, Florentia shifted her shoulders and glanced backward.

Behind her stood a decorative folding screen.

Was someone back there?

Florentia cast a puzzled glance toward it just as Sean spoke up.

“Miss Shaw, I need to hurry back and report everything.”

Compared to how calm he had been at the beginning, Sean now seemed noticeably nervous.

Florentia didn’t think too deeply about it.

She simply assumed Kayden was probably an extremely demanding person—someone so strict that even work reports had to be delivered without a second’s delay.

She set down her spoon, picked up her bag, and left, fully prepared to face the Patel family’s anger once she returned home.

After seeing Florentia off, Sean returned to the private room.

The folding screen had already been closed again.

Seated in a leather armchair, the man crossed his legs elegantly.

His features were strikingly handsome, while the sharp lines of his face carried an almost untouchable coldness.

Even the simple black dress shirt he wore somehow gave off an aloof, restrained aura.

“Sir, Miss Shaw has already left.”

Sean stepped forward, lowering his head respectfully as he spoke.

This man was none other than the current head of the Walker family and the CEO of Pinnacle Group, Kayden Walker.