How far would you go to repay the so-called debt of gratitude your family demands of you? Ever since she found out she wasn’t the real daughter of the Lopez family, her life changed. She is Eloise Jane—the girl everyone believed to be the one and only true daughter of the Lopezes. But once the truth was revealed, she was cast aside. And to repay the Lopez family's care for her all those years, she’s forced to marry a wealthy man. Cozmo Dominguez—the sole heir of the richest family in the city. Yet despite all he has, there’s one thing he cannot do—walk. Will Jane be able to help him? Or will he ever learn to accept Jane into his life?
view more“Get out!”
A cold voice rang out, followed by the sound of glass shattering at her feet.
Good thing Eloise had stepped back in time—otherwise, her pants would’ve gotten soaked. Luckily, she was wearing pants and not a skirt, or she might’ve gotten cut by the shards.
She looked at the man sitting on the carpet near the bed, clearly irritated and disheveled—he was the one who had thrown the glass just to drive her away.
Her new husband, Cosmo Dominguez.
Originally, it wasn’t supposed to be Eloise who would marry him—it was supposed to be her sister, Elaine Lopez. But once the truth came out—that Eloise wasn’t really the biological daughter of the Lopez family—everything changed. She became nothing but an adopted child. She no longer held value in the family, and her parents stopped loving her.
In the end, they decided to marry her off to Zedrix Montes, the illegitimate son of the powerful Montes family, as a way of repaying the Lopezes' gratitude for raising her for twenty years.
But then Elaine suddenly insisted on marrying Zedrix herself.
The Lopezes, not wanting to lose their connection to the influential Dominguez family, pushed Eloise to marry Cosmo instead.
Cosmo Dominguez—the heir of the most powerful family in all of Tagaytay. A man admired by everyone: intelligent, handsome, and someone people couldn’t help but envy.
But after the accident that left him paralyzed, most women stayed away. Otherwise, Eloise wouldn’t have been forced to marry him.
At this point in Cosmo’s life, the glow he once had was gone. Now he was bitter, quick-tempered, and full of rage.
“I said get out! Didn’t you hear me?!” he snapped, annoyance written all over his face.
Eloise remained silent. No fear in her eyes, no pity either. She didn’t even look offended or judgmental. She was too calm.
Finally, she spoke gently, “I heard you.”
“If you heard me, then why are you still here?!” he growled.
Instead of backing down, she replied calmly, “Cosmo, we have an agreement. Our marriage was blessed.”
He knew that. Still, he glared at her. “So what? That doesn’t mean I agreed to marry you willingly.”
Eloise only nodded. “I understand.”
There was something unsettling about how simple her response was.
That’s when Cosmo realized—he didn’t need to dig deeper into her story. He already knew what she’d been through.
Those two words—“I understand”—meant she didn’t want this marriage either. Just like him, she was forced into it.
“And what exactly do you understand?” he asked coldly.
Eloise gave a faint smile. “I understand your anger. You didn’t want this marriage. And you don’t want me.”
“Is that so?” he replied, still cold.
Eloise slowly stepped forward, calm and steady. “Cosmo, can we just talk properly?”
She knew neither of them wanted this marriage. She also knew Cosmo was angry and ready to make her life hell. But if she didn’t take the first step, she’d suffer more. She needed to do something, to make things clear between them.
Cosmo stretched out his legs, leaning slightly against the bed, clearly uncomfortable. When Eloise knelt in front of him to see him better, it only irritated him more.
He hated the fact that he couldn’t move on his own. If he fell off the bed, he’d need help. And the last thing he wanted was for a woman to see him this helpless.
“We have nothing to talk about! Get out!” he yelled again.
But Eloise didn’t flinch. Her voice remained calm. “Cosmo, I just want a proper conversation. We may not have wanted this marriage, but this is our reality now. It would be better if we tried to understand each other and live peacefully as husband and wife.”
Cosmo didn’t care about her reasoning. “Why should I even try to understand you? Look at me. And you—so eager to get married. What are you after? Isn’t it obvious? You just want our family's wealth! I know my mother gave the Lopezes a dowry worth 200 million!”
On the outside, the Lopezes looked wealthy and stable. But the truth? They were drowning in debt. They were desperate to marry off one of their daughters—not for love, but to sell them off like an investment.
That 200 million peso dowry from the Dominguez family had saved the Lopezes from financial ruin. It rescued them from a crisis and, through the marriage alliance, gave them access to more opportunities and potential profits for their business.
But Eloise didn’t flinch at Cosmo’s accusation. “I’m not the Lopezes’ real daughter. But they took care of me for twenty years. I owe them. And I need to repay that debt.”
Cosmo smirked. “Heh—”
She made it sound so simple. Her reason sounded noble, sure, but he didn’t buy it. Would she really give up her entire life just to pay off a so-called debt of gratitude?
Eloise sighed softly. “Believe it or not, I just want to return the kindness the Lopezes showed me.”
Even if she didn’t marry Cosmo, they would’ve married her off to another rich man.
She used to be engaged to Zedrix. She helped him solidify his position in the Montes family, met with clients, closed deals, and supported him as he climbed the business ladder.
After Zedrix’s father passed away, Zedrix stepped up as the new head of the family. Not long after, he took control of several major companies, bringing his wealth almost on par with the Dominguez family.
Meanwhile, Elaine, who had married into the Dominguez clan, had done nothing to help the Lopez family. Because of that, the elders in the Lopez family often turned to Eloise for financial help or to use her connections to win certain projects.
It happened more than once, and Zedrix eventually grew tired of it. That’s when the rift between them started to deepen.
In public, they pretended to be a picture-perfect couple to maintain the company’s image. But behind closed doors, their relationship had long been broken.
That’s why, this time, Zedrix wanted to cut ties with the Lopez family early—before they could use him any further or force him to do what they wanted.
Cosmo naturally didn’t believe anything Eloise said. She had already lost her title as a legitimate Lopez, and now, she was just an adopted daughter.
In the world of the rich, adopted children didn’t hold much weight. The best-case scenario was for someone like her to marry into a newly rich or middle-class family.
But instead, she ended up with Cosmo.
With Cosmo, she didn’t just gain wealth—she also inherited the power and prestige that came with the Dominguez name.
Cosmo looked at Eloise, one eyebrow raised. “I still don’t believe you.”
Eloise shook her head. “Then let’s make an agreement.”
Cosmo was caught off guard. There wasn’t even a hint of sarcasm in her tone—she was dead serious.
Eloise wanted to ease his doubts about her true intentions. “You can hire a lawyer and draw up a legal agreement.”
Cosmo hesitated. “Are you being serious right now?”
Eloise already knew exactly what she wanted in the agreement, so she began explaining calmly.
“First, even if we’re married, it will only be in name. If we need to show up together in public as husband and wife, I’ll cooperate—but that’s it. There’s no real relationship between us, just appearances.”
Cosmo remained silent.
“Second, I’m in a complicated position with the Lopez family. If the time comes when I need your help to deal with them, you have to be my backup. You don’t need to show up in person or face them directly—but I need permission to use your name and power to make things happen.”
Cosmo didn’t respond.
“Third, since this marriage is just for appearances, once the time is right, I want a divorce—and when that time comes, you’ll agree to it with no conditions.”
The next morning, Eloise quietly brought the blanket back to the master bedroom, then pretended to wake up on the sofa before going to wash her face and get dressed.She casually joined Cosmo for breakfast. After eating, she planned to leave. She remembered what Cosmo said yesterday, so she informed him.Cosmo didn’t say anything, so Eloise took out her phone. “Scan me, add me on WeChat. If I can’t make it back for dinner, I’ll send a message.”Cosmo just looked at her, seemingly unwilling to add her. So, Eloise raised her phone and said, “Don’t worry, Cosmo. If it’s not important, I won’t bother you.”Cosmo seemed forced to do it, so he scanned her and added her. Then he said, “I don’t really care a
Women are naturally sensitive, especially when it comes to the men around them, so they tend to notice even the smallest changes.Cosmo wasn't acting normal. Although he was still often grumpy with Eloise, she felt something had changed. He had kissed her and was treating her like his possession. Now, it seemed like he wanted to control her actions too?"I don't want what happened the last time Gabriel touched you to happen again," Cosmo said, calmly looking at her, although his tone clearly showed jealousy.Eloise smiled slightly. "It’s true that Gabriel interfered with me because of you, but he didn’t actually want to hurt me. He just wants to convince me to help him with his plans."Cosmo sighed. "Is that really how you see him?" His voice had a hint of fr
Gabriel saw Eloise and called her, but he couldn’t pretend he didn’t notice her and just walked away.So, he stood quietly, waited for her to approach, and smiled at her politely. "Perfect timing," he said.At home, Eloise had gotten used to calling Cosmo by his name, but when she saw Gabriel, she wasn’t sure how to address him.In Cosmo’s family, Gabriel was the second grandson of their generation. So, outside the family, he was often referred to as "Second Young Master."Gabriel smiled. "As far as I know, you’ve graduated. What brings you here to school? Are you planning to take a new course?""No, I’m just taking care of some things," Eloise replied.Gabriel nodded. "Can’t you tell me about it?""No," Eloise answered directly.Gabriel’s smile grew wider. "You really speak your mind, Eloise. It’s quite refreshing to hear."Eloise was smart and rarely showed her true feelings on her face. But when she was with Gabriel, she didn’t want to reveal what she was really thinking.She looke
Tania had heard that Eloise could cook, but it was different when Cosmo himself said it.Now, it was clear how much trust and appreciation Cosmo had for Eloise. He no longer treated her with avoidance or coldness like he did before.Tania’s smile softened as she looked at Eloise with admiration. "One day, I’d love to try your cooking, Eloise."Eloise responded softly, "When you visit Stillwater Bay, just call me in advance so I can prepare."Although she wasn’t a true member of the Lopez family, Eloise’s knowledge, manners, and beauty were undeniable. Since it was Tania who decided to have her marry Cosmo, she wanted to see their marriage thrive. They didn’t necessarily need to have deep love for each other, but respect was enough.After dinner, Tania stayed for almost another hour before leaving.Meanwhile, Eloise was preparing her things for the move. When she first arrived, she only brought a suitcase, and even though she had been living there for over a month, her belongings hadn’
Eloise warned Jiro not to tell Cosmo that she was interested in the house that they would eventually live in as a married couple. However, Jiro was Cosmo's employee, so he immediately told him what he had learned.Eloise couldn't understand what Cosmo meant with his question. She looked at the man in front of her, his face close to hers, showing a serious expression."The house I chose, which I carefully considered, even though I like it, I know I shouldn’t choose that one. There are so many other houses to choose from, so why did I have to choose that one?"As Cosmo spoke, Eloise felt the weight in the air grow heavier. She couldn't stop herself from getting irritated by how indifferent Cosmo seemed to be about everything. It felt like he didn't care what she thought, whether he looked at her or kissed her."You’re right. It’s a house for a married couple. And we are married," Cosmo replied firmly.It was true that the house was meant for newlyweds, but they weren’t a normal couple w
Cosmo owned a lot of properties in his name. Jiro had chosen a few villas in great locations, safe areas, and with good environments, perfect for newlyweds.As Cosmo’s assistant, Jiro was excellent at his job. He was careful in his preparations, quick to act, and maintained a professional distance from Eloise. He respected her, but was never overly friendly.When Eloise saw the third villa, she was immediately impressed by its layout, design, and the gardens in both the front and back. Furthermore, the security and green surroundings of the entire area were among the best she had seen.Without hesitation, she said, “This is it!”Jiro was surprised at how quickly she made up her mind and chose this villa. “Are you sure about this one?” he asked.Eloise answered confidently, “Yes, I like it!”For a moment, Jiro hesitated before speaking again. “I still have other villas prepared. Would you like to see them first before making your decision?”Eloise noticed his unusual reaction and immed
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