Everything went according to plan afterward. Liam successfully convinced the judge to believe in his direction. After two weeks of being detained in the police station's temporary cell, Ethan was finally released when Mila changed her testimony and withdrew the lawsuit as per the mutual agreement between her and Liam. That's great for Ethan, but it's something his enemies hate and despise. Although pronounced innocent, everything wasn't entirely back to normal for both Ethan and Mila. Both of them were fined a significant amount for disturbing the peace with the law. Additionally, Ethan had to be under the supervision of Toronto city authorities for six months, meaning he couldn't return to the US or travel anywhere else during that period. Though somewhat disgruntled, Ethan accepted it, knowing that being free was already a positive outcome.
Today, three days after Ethan's release, the fake marriage agreement between Ethan and Mila is supposed to take place. The ceremony is simple, discreet, and purely symbolic, held at a local church. The reason is that everything related to Ethan is kept secret, and the wedding is no exception. That's why none of Ethan's family members are present to congratulate him.
Currently, Ethan Thomas is standing inside the church, facing the altar, with rows of seats behind him where some guests are seated. His eyes are vacant, and his soul is filled with anxiety. Before this contractual marriage, he didn't feel the joy or excitement that a regular person would have before getting married. Instead, he feels tremendous disappointment, overflowing anger, and intense hatred for it all. Immersed in the presence of the crowd, he senses loneliness and desolation within his soul.
The good hour has come, but the bride has not yet appeared. The guests began to lose patience and murmured loudly. This makes Ethan even more uncomfortable and pressured, with the respected judge and police officers present among the seated crowd. Here they are, looking for every opportunity to expose the lies that helped Ethan get off the rape charge. Any small mistake can get Ethan in trouble, and he desperately doesn't want to go back to prison. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Liam quickly offered words of encouragement and asked Ethan to stay calm.
"Don't worry, Ethan. Perhaps the bride is just running a bit late. Let's be patient and wait," Liam reassured. "I will go check and help you."
Ethan nodded, trying to regain his composure, but his mind was still restless.
"What happened to Mila?" Liam sternly asked as he entered the bride's dressing room.
"Mila disappeared. I can't get in touch with her. I'm so worried!" Mila's mother sobbed. Liam could sense the panic in her voice as she lamented her daughter's mysterious disappearance. Fear and anxiety overwhelmed her, making the room feel tight and tense.
"What exactly happened?" Liam anxiously inquired.
Mila's mother explained that Mila was still getting ready in the room before she suddenly vanished. All attempts to contact her were unsuccessful.
"When I arrived here, I found the makeup artist lying unconscious on the floor," Mila's mother added tearfully.
"What happened? Can you tell me more?" Liam gently asked the makeup artist, who was still in shock, sitting helplessly on a chair.
"I'm not sure either, but while I was doing the bride's makeup, a group of strangers barged in," the girl stammered.
"What happened next?" Liam asked impatiently.
"The group of people took the bride away," the bewildered girl replied. "I tried to stop them, but one of them attacked me, making me unconscious."
"Oh, poor Mila, my daughter," the woman sobbed loudly, her husband trying to console her. "Don't worry, we will find Mila."
Ignoring the commotion caused by Mila's parents, Liam started to contemplate the situation. According to his deduction, it was highly possible that Mila had been taken by Ethan's enemies as revenge for her betrayal. Looking at the chaotic scene, it seemed like there had been a scuffle. However, this assumption wasn't entirely accurate. There were still many unknowns, making Liam hesitant to draw a definite conclusion. Moreover, the crucial point now wasn't to clarify everything but to proceed with the wedding. How could they continue the ceremony without the bride? If they delayed, how would Ethan explain it to the judge? Without the wedding, Liam's plan to save Ethan would be compromised. It was extremely challenging to rescue Ethan from prison, and we couldn't afford to let everything fall apart.
"Mila has disappeared, so what do we do now?" Liam asked sternly, drawing the attention of the weeping couple. "This wedding cannot be canceled."
"But how can we proceed?" Mila's mother asked tearfully. "We don't even know if Mila is safe or not."
"I don't care," Liam said coldly. "You have received the money and signed the contract. So, stick to your commitments, or don't blame me for being ruthless."
The couple looked at each other, showing a pitiful expression, begging Liam to reconsider, but he refused to agree.
Just then, a young girl rushed in and anxiously spoke, "Mom, Dad, I've searched all over the church, inside and outside, but I can't find Mila anywhere."
The appearance of the young girl caught everyone's attention in the room. Liam fixed his gaze on her, and Mila's father suddenly came up with a bold proposal.
"How about this? Let Ula stand in for Mila at the wedding. What do you think?"
"That's right," Mila's mother immediately responded, agreeing to the idea.
"Who is she?" Liam looked at the simple-dressed girl with suspicion.
"She's our eldest daughter. Ula," Mila's father introduced. "I think Ula can replace Mila."
"We can't deceive Ethan," Liam asserted. "He despises deceit the most."
"No one will ever find out about this," Mila's father reassured confidently. "As long as none of us reveals the truth, Ethan will never know."
"That's right," Mila's mother chimed in. "Besides, from what I know, Ethan hasn't seen Mila's face yet; they only met once at the bar but didn't talk to each other, so it should be fine."
"Let's do it this way until we find Mila," Mila's father suggested, anxiously waiting for Liam's response.
Seeing Liam silent and deep in thought, fearing that things might not go as planned, Mila's mother resorted to using emotional manipulation to sway Liam's decision.
"Now that we can't find Mila, we don't know what to do. We can refund your money, but doesn't that mean Ethan will end up in jail? Please, I beg you, please agree to this unavoidable plan," she pleaded, kneeling down and hugging Liam's legs.
"It seems there's no other way," Liam finally said after careful consideration. "Just go ahead with it." Liam wanted to outsmart the police and the judge for now, ensuring Ethan's safety first. The rest could be dealt with later.
"Thank you," Mila's mother said sincerely. Then she turned to the young girl, who had been listening to the conversation but still didn't understand anything.
"Ula, please quickly put on the wedding dress and get ready. The wedding is already a few minutes late."
"Please help my daughter," she said to the makeup artist. "Keep it simple; there's no need to be too fussy."
The makeup artist nodded and approached Ula, making a suggestion:
"Ula, let me help you. Please sit down here." The makeup artist pointed to the chair opposite the dressing table and waited for Ula to come over. However, instead of obeying, Ula made a different decision.
"I don't want to," Ula firmly replied, immediately receiving a hostile look from her mother."Ula..." her mother scolded. "Listen to me.""Why do I have to marry someone I know nothing about?" Ula asked angrily. "This is Mila's wedding. Why don't we postpone it and go look for her? If Mila is taken away, isn't Mila's life in danger?""This..." Unable to answer Ula's question, her mother looked at Liam as if expecting him to explain."The wedding cannot be postponed. It must proceed today, no matter what," Liam asserted in a loud voice. "Besides, we can't let anyone know about Mila's disappearance. If you want to find Mila, you have to wait until this wedding is over.""Why?" Ula stared at Liam, demanding a plausible explanation: "Is Mila's disappearance more important than the wedding?"The reason Ula asked that was because she did not know about the deal between Mila and Ethan. According to Ula, finding Mila is more important; even though she doesn't like Mila, she doesn't want Mila
Ethan's tension was finally relieved as the wedding ceremony and the celebratory reception unfolded smoothly, and it was time to wrap up.Throughout the reception, Ethan and Ula continuously moved from table to table, receiving congratulations and expressing their gratitude to the guests in attendance. It's worth noting that neither Ethan nor Ula knew most of the guests. This wedding was merely a play directed by Liam and scripted with the purpose of deceiving the judge. Therefore, it held no significance for Ethan and Ula. Despite meeting for the first time, their acting was remarkably professional. Their seamless coordination, rhythmic movements, and intimate gestures towards each other successfully convinced onlookers that everything was genuine, and any doubts about a staged marriage were not given a chance to arise.Now, at the exit of a simple, unassuming restaurant, Ethan was engaged in a conversation with a special and honorary guest at his fake wedding—the judge of the city o
It didn't take Liam long to find Ethan near the entrance to the men's restroom. Ethan just walked out of there. "Ethan, there you are. Let's have a talk," Liam immediately suggested. "Liam, I also wanted to talk to you," Ethan impatiently revealed. "Did you..." "Let's go somewhere more private to talk. Liam interrupted with a proposal and led the way for Ethan to follow. When they both stopped in a secluded area outside the restaurant, Ethan immediately voiced his frustration to Liam. "Where have you been? I didn't see you at the party until now. Did you know I had to deal with all the chaos at the party myself? Ethan complained. "I had some things to take care of," Liam calmly explained. "Why didn't you say anything to me? Ethan continued to blame "I can see that you're busy, so I don't want to bother you. Ethan, remember, this is your wedding, not mine. You have to take charge of your own big day." "Don't say those ridiculous and insensitive things," Ethan angrily retorted,
After ceasing her tears, ending her complaints, and ceasing to blame the heavens for her unfortunate fate, Ula believed that tonight she could endure and overcome the first challenge in this marriage. However, everything was not determined by Ula and seemed to go against what Ula had hoped for. With Ula's determination and hope, everything collapsed with a sudden rainstorm. Rain poured down from the sky, and in an instant, the scenery around Ula looked cold and bleak. Since the doorstep had no shelter, the heavy rain mercilessly drenched Ula, making her both cold and wet. Ula thought about knocking on the door and begging Ethan to let her in, but her pride wouldn't allow her to humble herself too much in front of Ethan. Furthermore, there was no guarantee that Ethan would hear Ula's plea, or if he did, he might choose to ignore her. From the beginning, Ethan had intended to leave Ula outside the house in the middle of the night. Ula also considered other options, like leaving or seek
In the evening, Lisa had to return to her own home to take care of her husband and child. At this time, Ethan was in his room reading a book when Lisa came and knocked on the door. "Mr. Thomas, it's Lisa. I have something to tell you." "Please come in," Ethan said, his eyes still fixed on the book in his hand. With permission granted, Lisa entered the room. "What's the matter?" Ethan asked calmly, but in his heart, he was somewhat concerned about Ula. "How is that girl doing?" "She still hasn't regained consciousness," Lisa explained with worry. "Her fever hasn't subsided despite the medication I gave her. I think we should take her to the hospital." Hearing Lisa's words, Ethan clicked his tongue in annoyance. Ula's condition was so bad that she needed to be hospitalized. If Liam found out about this, Ethan was sure to be scolded for ignoring Liam's warning. Plus, if it came to the judge's attention, Ethan was certain he would face a big problem. Seeing that Ethan remained sile
"I won't allow you to leave here," Ethan asserted firmly."It's quite puzzling." Ula sternly expressed her curiosity. "From the beginning, it was you who didn't allow me to enter this house. Now you won't let me leave. What do you want, exactly?"In response to Ula's rightful curiosity, Ethan remained silent for a moment and then said, "In short, you must stay here, and you're not allowed to go anywhere.""You have no right to command or restrain me," Ula affirmed, asserting her democratic rights. "You certainly have no right to detain me. Who do you think you are? Don't behave so arrogantly and grivoisly. It's disgusting."Ignoring Ula's defiant attitude and without providing a clear, reasonable explanation to persuade her, Ethan resorted to threats."Listen carefully; if you dare to disobey my orders, you and your family will undoubtedly suffer dire consequences. Be wise and obedient." Ethan's tone sounded chilling, and his demeanor, especially his gaze when looking at Ula, was trul
Starting that day, Ula became the housemaid for Ethan. Every day, she had to wake up early and complete many tasks assigned by Ethan. Ula had to endure physical exhaustion and fatigue to fulfill all the chores as per Ethan's orders. Ethan always found ways to make Ula work and didn't allow her to rest.However, despite Ethan's attempts to torment and exploit Ula's labor for his own satisfaction, the results he received didn't satisfy him. Ula proved to be someone who was not easily subdued or willing to humble herself and beg.With her quick wit, finesse, and cleverness, Ula always completed her tasks excellently and efficiently. Ethan had assumed that Mila (Ula) was a frivolous, extravagant girl who enjoyed a life of luxury and didn't know how to do anything. Yet, the quality of Ula's work consistently surprised Ethan.Today marked the seventh day that Ula had been living with Ethan, and the seventh day she had to wake up early, working tirelessly day and night according to Ethan's d
The next day, despite Ethan's absence, Ula continued to work diligently as usual. The absence of Ethan at home made Ula feel comfortable and very free. However, the peaceful feeling did not last long.In the evening, Ethan suddenly appeared. Just as Ula was finishing preparing dinner, she saw Ethan open the door and enter the house. Ethan was not only alone but also brought a young girl. At first glance, Ula was sure that the girl Ethan brought home was not a kind person. Before Ula could even ask Ethan anything, he calmly declared,"This is Ami. Starting today, she will be living here. You must listen to her every command and serve her well. If she is not satisfied, you will face appropriate punishment."Ula was momentarily surprised by the news, and then she had to exclaim in her mind. What on earth is this? Ethan brings his mistress home and forces his wife to serve both of them. This is beyond Ula's imagination. She never expected Ethan to be so despicable and lowly. Putting herse