Chapter 3

I stood shivering in the cold winter wind in my thin clothes. A stretch limousine then stopped next to me, and a woman dressed in black got out of the car.

"Hello, Mr. Dalton. I am Ms. Blackwell's secretary, Jeanette Richards. She would like to invite you over for a cup of coffee."

I was just about to turn her down when someone suddenly struck my neck from behind; I was then hurriedly stuffed into the car.

I eventually passed out after struggling for a bit.

When I woke up again, I realized that I was stark naked, and an old woman was scrutinizing my body very closely.

She looked exactly like the old woman in the viral video circulating online.

I felt my heart sink to my stomach. This was terrible. Was I going to be forcefully taken against my will once again?

Why was I always so down on my luck like this?

"This man isn't too shabby. His body seems firm and supple enough," the old woman said with a smile and an approving nod. She then turned to Jeanette and said, "Get him a change of clothes and send him to the villa.

"And then inform the Daltons that the engagement will be held next week. All upper echelons of society will be in attendance."

After that, the old woman turned to leave.

Jeanette brought me a change of clothes, helped me put them on, and sent me to the car.

I stood before the villa, where a young woman peeked at me through the curtains before turning around to speak with the old woman once again.

I couldn't help but sigh and exclaim my thoughts out loud, "Her granddaughter's already that age, and yet, she's still thinking of preying on younger men like me?"

The bodyguards leading me there nearly tripped and fell. They all turned to look at me in shock, and I felt my heart leap into my throat. I shut up immediately after that, worried that my comment would cost me my life.

I took another closer look at the villa.

This was the first time I'd seen a residential building that was five times bigger than a mall, and it was also all nicely decorated in the style that I liked.

Before I could enter, Rachel suddenly rushed up to me and frowned in displeasure.

"How dare you pretend that you're suffering and at your wits' end when you're about to live the best life you'll ever have with a billionaire old widow? And to think I was cracking my head open trying to think of a way to save you from her!"

How could she even think about such a shameless thing to say?

I was the victim here, and yet, she kept making herself out to be the victim instead.

"So tell me. How are you planning to save me from her?" I asked curiously.

"If you'll agree to be my secret lover, then I will wipe off all records of you in the system and hide you away. Nobody will be able to find you, then."

Rachen then smiled lightly as her eyes crinkled into slits. "However, the only condition is that you give up your position and all your company shares to Bryon."

I had a stuffy feeling in my chest. In other words, she was going to hide me and trap me somewhere forever, depending on her for food and survival, and never to be able to regain my freedom ever again.

Maybe this was all just an elaborate scheme to force me into giving up my shares to Bryon after all.

"Am I not the most thoughtful and most sincere person you'd ever met?"

The smile on Rachel's face deepened. Then, she smacked me with a contract.

"Sign it. The three of us will be living as a happy family in the future."

There wasn't an ounce of remorse in her eyes at all. All I could see was just a deranged sense of control and manipulation.

I inhaled deeply and smacked the contract out of her hands. As she looked at me in shock, I made myself clear.

"I've already made up my mind. I'm going to marry the widow!"

"What did you just say?"

Rachel didn't think that I would be that resolute about it. She was first taken aback. However, she soon grinned a short while later.

"Do you think that I still don't know you? You only have one chance. Don't you dare get arrogant about it."

She was convinced that I would eventually give in, thinking that I was still madly and deeply in love with her.

However, she never thought that I was already thoroughly disappointed in her. All of my love and affection for her had already died out.

Just then, Steven and Bryon hurried up to me.

Steven was looking particularly mad as he kicked me in the chest and sent me sprawling to the ground.

"You bastard!"