Chapter 2

Since Celeste loved Lester that much, I decided I'd stop clinging to her.

What worried me now was Lily's treatment money.

The thought of Lily still lying in the intensive care unit filled me with guilt and pain.

While I was lost in thought, the door to my hospital room opened.

A young, beautiful woman walked in. She wore a tracksuit, a low-key baseball cap, and sunglasses that hid most of her small face.

She was the driver of the Porsche that had hit me.

"You finally woke up."

Cordelia White sat down beside me naturally and poured me a glass of water.

"Does anything still hurt?"

Only then did I realize I was in a private hospital's high-end single room. A room like this cost tens of thousands a day. Cordelia must have paid for my medical expenses all this time.

I understood the situation and thanked her calmly.

"Thank you. Please send me the bill. I'll transfer the fees to you later."

I tried to sit up, but Cordelia pressed a hand to my shoulder. She was very close. I could smell a faint fragrance on her.

She leaned in. Her tone carried an emotion I couldn't quite name, almost like temptation.

"Your name's Ryan Sheridan, right? I want to make a deal with you."

Cordelia brushed back her dark wavy hair and looked straight at me.

"I need someone to marry."

I stared at her in shock.

Cordelia smiled like a fox.

"I know your situation. Marry me, and I can save your sister. I can hire the best lawyers to help you recover the money your girlfriend took from you.

"Three years. After three years, we divorce. For those three years, we each take what we need."

I thought of Lily still lying in the ICU, and of Celeste's lie after lie. My heart tasted bitter.

As if I'd been bewitched by Cordelia, I nodded.

After asking around, I learned why Cordelia wanted to marry me.

She was the eldest daughter of the White family in the city. On the surface, she was rebellious and reckless. In reality, she was sharp, capable, and ruthless. She was fighting her cousin to the death over the family inheritance.

That accident had happened because her cousin had arranged for a semi-truck to hit her. Cordelia had no choice but to wrench the wheel aside, and that was how she struck my car.

Marrying me was also part of an inheritance requirement. She needed a marriage to unlock part of her claim.

Still, Cordelia only made one demand of me.

I couldn't cheat during the marriage.

That was something I could do. Cordelia was afraid I'd stay entangled with Celeste, so she made the condition clear.

When I thought of Celeste, bitterness rose in my chest. From the moment she said we were finished for the last time, it was already over.

This time, I wouldn't coax her back.

In a fancy hotel in a resort island, Celeste and Lester woke up naked in the same bed. Celeste's body was covered in marks.

Remembering what had happened the night before, Celeste looked dazed and pale.

Lester hugged her from behind, his voice gentle.

"I'm sorry, Celeste. I love you too much. Last night, I couldn't hold back."

Celeste took a deep breath and pushed him away. Her tone was cold.

"It won't happen again."

She took her phone to the balcony. When she saw there were no messages or calls from me, her expression grew uglier.

Two days earlier, she'd stopped paying Lily's treatment fees. When she called the doctor, she learned Lily had been transferred to another hospital.

Celeste assumed I could no longer afford treatment and had moved Lily out of the ICU.

She opened our chat box, typed and deleted several times, then finally sent me a message.

"I know you have no money. Let's see how long you can keep this up."

When I received Celeste's message, I'd already moved into Cordelia's private villa.

Cordelia had arranged everything for me and transferred Lily to the best private hospital.

Cordelia glanced at my phone screen. Her eyes drifted slightly.