After receiving Isabelle's brother's contact, Lina quickly called the number. She hoped she wasn't interrupting him during a mid-escape or something, and give away his location.

  No luck. ??

  Lina called the number twice, but no one picked up. Holding back a sigh, she began to peer around her surroundings. As much as she was thinking of marrying a stranger, what if they turned out to be a serial killer?

  "Well, it's not like it's a real marriage," Lina muttered under her breath as she began to text her chauffeur to pick her up.

  That was Lina's plan all along. A fake marriage, like the ones in books and movies. Except, Lina wouldn't be so foolish to actually fall in love.

  Lina initially chose Kaden because she had no one else to call. She didn't have many friends in the first place, much less male friends. Lina still recalled Kaden's future, where she was in a wedding dress and sobbing in front of an empty altar.

  "If I don't actually marry him, then that future will never come true," Lina said to herself, just as a black car rolled up in front of her. The driver quickly came out, bowed deeply, and opened the door for her.

  A few employees paused to see who she was. It was an everyday occurrence that someone important showed up to the office. But it wasn't an everyday occurrence that the person in power was a woman.

  "Thank you," Lina gratefully said, approaching the car.

  Suddenly, her vision grew dizzy, and she stumbled.

  "Young Miss," the chauffeur worriedly said, quickly approaching her.

  "I'm fine," Lina responded.

  Lina clutched her head, realizing she had skipped yesterday's dinner and hadn't eaten anything the entire day. She rapidly blinked and forced a smile.

  "Did you have lunch yet?" Lina asked him, deciding it'd be nice to treat him to a meal.

  "Y-yes, I just ate," the chauffeur lied.

  The driver didn't dare to break the rules of master and servant by dining with the Young Miss. He knew she was too kind-hearted to care about those rules, but he couldn't discard them. If his employer, Evelyn, was to find out…


  "I see," Lina muttered. "In that case, please take me to the nearest cafe."

  Lina decided to just grab a sandwich and eat it on the go. She didn't have time to waste by sitting down and enjoying a meal by herself.

  "Right away, Young Miss," the chauffeur responded.

  The chauffeur started the car and began to take her to the cafe he had seen. He noted how quickly the sky was darkening, the orange shades turning into a black hue. Just then, a phone rang.

  Lina glanced down at her phone to see it was an unknown number. She canceled the call.

  Not a second later, another number flashed onto her screen. This time, she recognized it.

  "Uncle," Lina stated. "Why did you call me on a different number previously?"

  "I didn't."

  Lina blinked. Oh.

  "Anyways, where are you?" William asked, eyeing the chessboard that had been left untouched by him. His unfortunate defeat was still laid out before him.

  "I'm on my way to a cafe," Lina stated, her stomach grumbling. Her head was beginning to ache from hunger and she felt her body grow a bit weaker. She didn't even drink water this morning.

  Lina leaned her head by the window and closed her eyes.

  "For what? A coffee?" William asked.

  "Well—"

  "Nevermind the coffee, I'll have my secretary make one for you. Come to the office, I just received word that Everett arrived back to Ritan much earlier than expected," William told her.

  Lina hummed in response, growing more and more tired by the minute. She didn't even realize the black car that was driving directly beside her window.

  "Forget the coffee, I want a salad," Lina said.

  "……I'm getting you a sandwich," William told her whilst putting her on speaker mode to text his secretary to fetch a sandwich.

  "A salad is fine," Lina curtly stated.

  "You should be grateful," William chuckled. "Of how kind I am towards you. Look, I even presented you an opportunity to talk to your soon-to-be husband before your wedding in a few weeks, even though you had walked out on me today."

  Lina was too exhausted to even argue about the wedding in a few weeks. She had a plan of her own. If she revealed it now, what'd happen to the element of surprise? She didn't want to give her Uncle time to think of a plan to counter hers.

  "No Uncle will set up their niece for a random marriage that's bound in a few weeks," Lina scoffed. "If you want my thanks, you can cancel the wedding and get it."

  "No Uncle will set up their niece with such a reputable and demure man like Everett," William scolded.

  "Grandfather calls Everett's grandparents rabbits," Lina stated.

  "……" William paused. Did his father really do that? Now, he was beginning to second-guess his own decision, and that rarely happened. Rabbits were prey, not predators.

  William needed a family that'd keep Lina safe. Not a bunch of rabbits waiting to be eaten.

  "Grandfather has never met Everett," William told her.

  "Tell me, Uncle," Lina tiredly said. "What did Everett offer you for my hand in marriage?"

  "A pretty share of Leclare Law Firm and a collaboration," William mused. "You're right on the mark, as usual."

  "And what did he offer me?" Lina asked.

  "The Leclare surname and the freedom from the Yang family that you've always wanted. Isn't that nice?" William asked, turning from his office chair and towards the window. He peered to the streets below, where everything was incredibly tiny. He couldn't even see the people from here.

  "Sounds like you got the better end of the stick selling off your niece, not daughter might I add, to a political marriage," Lina scoffed.

  "It is what Uncles do for nieces that sully her and her family's reputation," William mused.

  "Then I'm glad you don't have any children." Lina hung up the phone.

  Lina meant every word she said. If William didn't hesitate to sell her off, despite watching her grow up to the woman she was today, then Lina would hate to see how he'd treat his own daughter.

  'Boys will be boys,' her grandmother once told her.

  "But girls will be women," Lina repeated to herself.

  The chauffeur thought he heard something, thus, glanced into the rear view mirror. He saw she was leaning against the window with her eyes shut, thus, decided he heard wrong. Then, he noticed something strange. There were three cars that had been driving on the same street as them for a while now.

  But before he could confirm his suspicions, they reached Yang Enterprise's second headquarters.

  "Young Miss, we've arrived," the driver stated.

  Lina jolted awake and glanced out the window. Sure enough, they were here. She was exhausted, but still offered him a smile.

  "Thank you," Lina stated, getting out of the car on her own.

  But without warning, men in black grabbed her right in front of her driver's face. She reached for him, but it was too late.

  "Young Miss!" The driver cried out, racing towards her who was being dragged into a car. Not a second later, he heard shots ring out.

  BANG!

  The car tires were shot.

  And another shot, that sent the driver pulling out his own gun, but then, he felt himself being shoved into his own car.

  "Let go of me!" Lina snarled, shoving her elbow into the man's stomach, sending him buckling. But then, she stumbled, her vision growing hazy.

  "Shh, I've got you," a familiar voice said, grabbing her just as dots began to appear in her eyes.

  Lina had been so hungry, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, her knees giving out. The last thing she saw was molten eyes and a pair of strong arms catching her.