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Chapter 5
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2021-09-14 12:20:11Holden had encountered countless fragrances on women—but he despised all of them, artificial and overwhelming.
But this girl…
Subtle. Clean. Warm.
“Did you put on perfume?” Holden asked quietly while unbuckling her seatbelt.
“Perfume?” Elena blinked. “No, I didn’t put any on.”
“Then why are you so fragrant?” he murmured.
As he lifted his head, his gaze brushed against her flushed lips—and his movement paused. A moment later, before either of them knew what was happening, their lips brushed in a brief, accidental kiss.
Elena stiffened where she sat, her breath faltering.
Holden withdrew slightly, his deep, narrow eyes lingering on her reddened lips. His throat tightened.
“I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. Then—teasing, wicked— “Or… should I make it up to you with another kiss?”
“I think…” Elena whispered, staring at him, “…I should slap you.”
Holden’s lips curved, a soft chuckle escaping him.
“I’m going now,” she said quickly, opening the door.
“Holden Lu,” he called after her.
“Oh.” She barely nodded, uninterested in discussing his name when she only wanted to see her grandfather. “Alright, Mr. Lu. Goodbye.”
Standing outside the car, she waved lightly at him.
“I have a meeting,” he said. “I’ll pick you up later.”
“There’s no need—”
But the luxury car had already sped off.
From the second-floor window, Yoselin Xia watched the scene with a dark expression. Elena had married a dying man only last night—yet today she was already getting dropped off by another man?
Her eyes landed on the license plate.
How could Elena—a country bumpkin—be involved with a man like that?
She must’ve imagined it. Absolutely.
“Elena!” Yoselin shouted as she ran downstairs. “Who was that man? I didn’t know you were so shameless—you even found yourself a little pretty boy!”
Pretty boy?
Holden?
Elena almost laughed. Holden’s refined, cold face appeared in her mind—his commanding presence, his sharp gaze. “Pretty boy” was the last thing she’d call him.
She ignored her sister entirely.
“Grandpa, I’m here to see you,” she said softly, heading upstairs.
Father Xia lay on the bed, still and pale. He had been in a coma for eight years—declared incurable.
Aside from her mother, he had been the only person who loved Elena in this household.
Her mother died when Elena was nine, and on that same day, she found herself at the top of the staircase. When she opened her eyes, Father Xia was already lying at the bottom—bleeding. Zander and the servants rushed in at the same moment, and no matter what she said, people assumed she had pushed him.
Later, a fortune-teller claimed Elena was a curse—bringing disaster to anyone around her.
Only years later did Elena finally learn the truth. Her father had cheated on her mother with Yuna, a well-known actress. The two daughters Yuna brought into the Xia household were his.
This time, Elena returned not only to marry in her sister’s place—
She checked her grandfather’s pulse, then withdrew the silver needles she carried and placed them gently along his acupuncture points.
After finishing, she tucked the quilt around him and whispered, “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll treat you. You’ll wake up soon.”
Downstairs, in the kitchen.
“Mom, let me tell you something,” Yoselin whispered to Yuna. “Elena just came back with a man. She’s already hooking up behind everyone’s back!”
“What?” Yuna paused while stewing chicken. “That girl has a boyfriend? Shameless!”
“And who’s this chicken for?” Yoselin asked.
“For Elena.”
“What?” Yoselin nearly choked.
Yuna took a packet of powder from her bag and sprinkled it onto the chicken.
“Mom, you’re brilliant!” Yoselin said. “I’ll go buy a cake and come back for the show later!”
Yuna brought the chicken out just as Elena descended the stairs.
“Elena, I cooked this myself,” Yuna said sweetly. “Come and try it.”
Elena paused. Food cooked by Yuna… was unlikely to be safe.
Still, she walked into the dining room, took a spoonful, and ate with a bright, foolish smile. “It tastes great, Auntie. Thank you.”
“No need to thank me,” Yuna said with a stiff smile. Stupid girl.
Moments later, Elena’s vision blurred.
“Auntie… what… did you… put in…”
Yuna signaled the servants. “Take her upstairs.”
A greasy, middle-aged man with a bulging stomach appeared at the door. “Mrs. Xia, is it done?”
“She’s in the room, President Wang,” Yuna said. “The drug will keep her asleep for two hours. You’ll have plenty of time.”
President Wang grinned, saliva gathering at the corner of his lips.
“You’re doing well, Mrs. Xia. After this, I’ll invest in the Xia family as promised.”
“Then please remember your word,” Yuna said, holding his arm.
President Wang brushed past her, unable to contain himself.
He pushed open the door, breath heavy, eyes gleaming as he saw Elena lying unconscious on the bed.
“Well, little beauty…” he rasped, stepping inside. “I’ve come to enjoy you.”
Latest chapter
The Rich Man's Proxy Marriage Chapter 150
Elena woke up before dawn.The pain was no longer sharp. Just present. A dull reminder that her body had survived something her mind was still unpacking.The room was quiet.Too quiet.She turned her head and saw Holden sitting in the armchair by the window, jacket still on, tie loosened but not removed. He hadn’t slept there again.He hadn’t slept much at all since the attack.“You should rest,” she said softly.He looked up immediately, alert, as if he had been waiting for permission to breathe.“I’m fine.”She almost smiled at the lie.“You say that every time,” she murmured.“I need to.”That was the truth.Holden stood and came closer, careful, always careful now. He adjusted the blanket even though it didn’t need adjusting. Straightened the glass of water. Checked the IV like he didn’t trust the nurses.Obsessive wasn’t the right word.Terrified was.Elena studied him—really studied him—and saw the fractures he didn’t realize were visible. The tightness in his jaw. The way his e
The Rich Man's Proxy Marriage Chapter 149
Distance, Elena discovered, was not created by miles.It was created by rules.Within forty-eight hours of their argument, the rules appeared.They arrived quietly—like dust settling on furniture no one remembered moving.Her office access card no longer opened the executive elevator. Her calendar showed meetings she hadn’t approved and absences she hadn’t requested. People still greeted her with respect, but something fundamental had shifted.She was no longer inside.She was adjacent.Elena stood in the hallway outside the boardroom, staring at the frosted glass.Holden was inside.She could see his silhouette through the blur—still, authoritative, absolute.The door did not open for her.She didn’t knock.She turned away.That was the moment she understood: Holden hadn’t pushed her out in anger.He had done it calmly.Deliberately.As if he were amputating something he loved to save the rest of his body.At home, the atmosphere was worse.Holden was everywhere and nowhere at once.
The Rich Man's Proxy Marriage Chapter 148
Distance, Elena discovered, was not created by miles.It was created by rules.Within forty-eight hours of their argument, the rules appeared.They arrived quietly—like dust settling on furniture no one remembered moving.Her office access card no longer opened the executive elevator. Her calendar showed meetings she hadn’t approved and absences she hadn’t requested. People still greeted her with respect, but something fundamental had shifted.She was no longer inside.She was adjacent.Elena stood in the hallway outside the boardroom, staring at the frosted glass.Holden was inside.She could see his silhouette through the blur—still, authoritative, absolute.The door did not open for her.She didn’t knock.She turned away.That was the moment she understood: Holden hadn’t pushed her out in anger.He had done it calmly.Deliberately.As if he were amputating something he loved to save the rest of his body.At home, the atmosphere was worse.Holden was everywhere and nowhere at once.
The Rich Man's Proxy Marriage Chapter 147
Elena learned, slowly, that recovery was not the same as freedom.Her body had healed enough to move without pain, to breathe without effort, to sleep without medication. But something else had tightened around her life—something invisible, relentless.Holden.He controlled nothing openly.That was the most frightening part.He didn’t forbid her from leaving the house. He didn’t raise his voice when she spoke to board members. He didn’t place guards directly at her side.Instead, the world rearranged itself around her.Cars arrived before she called for them. Meetings were “rescheduled” moments before she confirmed attendance. People hesitated before answering her questions—then glanced past her shoulder, as if seeking permission from the air.From him.The realization settled like a bruise beneath her skin.This wasn’t protection.This was containment.One evening, she tested it.She left without telling him.No security notice. No assistant. No destination shared.Just her coat, her
The Rich Man's Proxy Marriage Chapter 146
Elena woke before dawn.Not because of pain—her body had finally begun to obey her again—but because of the quiet. The kind of silence that pressed too close, too aware.Holden was awake.She could feel it without opening her eyes.His presence had become that familiar: a weight in the room, steady and unyielding. When she finally turned her head, she found him sitting in the chair beside her bed, sleeves rolled up, phone dark in his hand, gaze fixed on her face as if she might disappear if he blinked.“How long have you been watching?” she asked softly.“All night.”She closed her eyes again.“That’s not normal.”“It’s necessary.”The same word.Always the same word.She pushed herself upright slowly. He moved instantly, hand hovering near her shoulder, ready to catch her if she swayed. She didn’t.“I can stand on my own,” she said.“I know.”“Then let me.”He hesitated—just half a second—but withdrew his hand.That hesitation told her everything.Breakfast was silent. Holden barely
The Rich Man's Proxy Marriage Chapter 145
Elena had always believed healing would feel like returning to herself.She was wrong.Recovery felt more like inhabiting a version of her body that no longer belonged entirely to her—every movement monitored, every decision questioned, every silence filled by someone else’s vigilance.By Holden’s.He accompanied her everywhere now.Not obviously. Not openly.But always there.When she took calls, he stood close enough to hear her tone. When she read documents, he watched her reactions more than the words. When she slept, he timed her breathing like a countdown he was afraid would end.“Do you ever stop?” she asked one evening as he followed her into the study.“No.”It wasn’t defiance.It was confession.She closed the door behind them.“You don’t trust me to be alone.”“I don’t trust the world to leave you alone.”“That’s not the same thing.”“It is when the world has already tried to kill you.”She leaned against the desk, arms crossed.“And what happens when I want something yo
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