Chapter 3: Married as Soon as Possible

Eleanor sat in the passenger seat, turning her head toward Archie.

Yes, she had accepted the contract marriage Archie proposed, but she never expected that he would take her to meet her family this very day.

“Does it really have to be this soon, Mr. Richter?” Eleanor asked, glancing at Archie, who was focused on driving.

The man was currently wearing only a black dress shirt, having removed his wet suit jacket.

“The sooner, the better.” Archie spoke with an uncompromising firmness.

Eleanor squeezed her fingers together in her lap. She still had no idea how to explain the proposed marriage to her father.

Just as her father crossed her mind, the phone inside her bag began to ring.

Eleanor pulled out her phone and saw her father’s name displayed on the screen.

She didn’t answer right away. She was trying to guess why her father was calling, considering he usually never cared about her.

Julian had likely already complained to him about their broken engagement.

“If it’s important, answer it.” A sharp, deep, authoritative voice echoed through the car cabin.

Eleanor looked at Archie, hesitating briefly, but ultimately answered the call.

“Hello, Father,” Eleanor spoke as soon as the phone touched her ear.

“Where on earth are you? What did you do to make Julian call off the engagement?! You are utterly useless, Ele!”

Eleanor gripped the hem of her skirt tightly above her thigh.

So it was true—her father was calling only to scold her after hearing Julian’s side of the story.

Then why was she the one being blamed? Hadn't Julian been the one having an affair?!

Taking a deep breath, Eleanor kept her composure and replied, “I’m on my way home. I’ll be there shortly.”

The call ended abruptly.

Eleanor pulled the phone away from her ear, staring at her father’s name on the screen.

Indeed—unless there was a problem, there was no way her father would ever call her.

Yet surprisingly, she was still shocked by how her father always treated her: ignoring her completely unless she could be of use to him!

Archie stole a brief glance at Eleanor, taking in the somber look on her face.

His expression remained unreadable and completely flat as he refocused on driving toward her family’s house.

Archie’s car finally pulled up in front of the Montgomery residence.

The two of them stepped out of the vehicle. Once outside, Archie immediately extended his hand toward Eleanor.

“What is it, sir?” Eleanor asked, staring at his offered hand.

“We are a couple now. It’s only right that we act like one.” Archie’s tone was firm and leaving no room for argument.

That made sense. Why was she even questioning it?

Eleanor reached for Archie’s hand. Instantly, she felt a subtle squeeze from his fingers clasping around hers.

“And make it a habit to drop the formal speech when we're around others, or our secret will be exposed,” Archie reminded her, emphasizing every word.

Eleanor nodded softly.

They entered the house and walked toward the living room.

Upon arriving, Eleanor’s eyes fell upon Jackson Montgomery—her father—who was seated alongside Samantha, her stepmother, and Iris, her stepsister.

Eleanor met Jackson’s cold glare. Before she could say a word, Jackson’s booming voice echoed across the room.

“So you ended things with Julian because you have another man?!”

Eleanor gasped, her eyes wide in disbelief at what she had just heard.

“Is that what Julian told you?” Eleanor questioned her father’s accusation.

“No,” Jackson countered sternly. “But the presence of this total stranger speaks volumes as to why Julian broke off your engagement!”

Eleanor stared at him in utter shock. How could her father accuse her without a single shred of proof?

“I wasn’t the one who broke off the engagement; Julian was,” Eleanor defended herself.

“If you weren’t the reason, then why are you bringing a man home right now, Eleanor?” Samantha spoke up, eyeing Archie, who stood beside her stepdaughter.

Though Archie’s attire was simple—just a black shirt and trousers—there was no denying that he was strikingly handsome and commanding.

“I don’t know what kind of issues exist in this household,” Archie finally interjected after observing the family in silence. “But my presence here has nothing to do with the matter you are discussing.”

Jackson glared in displeasure at Archie’s manner of speaking. “Who do you think you are, and what business do you have coming here? Even...”

Jackson paused mid-sentence as his gaze landed on Archie and Eleanor’s clasped hands. “Why are you holding Eleanor’s hand?”

Archie stood tall, his expression completely calm. “I have had feelings for Eleanor for a long time. Learning that her ex-fiancé just dumped her, I came here to propose and marry her—immediately.”

Jackson, Samantha, and Iris gasped in unison. The three of them exchanged looks before turning their eyes back to Archie.

“Do you even realize what you just said?!” Jackson’s voice rose sharply. “Who on earth do you think you are to dare ask for Eleanor’s hand in marriage?!”