Meanwhile, Domenic began to question their earlier beliefs about Marissa. He had assumed she held no real affection for Derek and had wanted to marry him merely out of obligation. However, her choice of such a romantic venue for their meeting suggested she might be attempting to rekindle their relationship. Domenic even pictured a scene where Marissa might kneel down and beg Derek. Just then, Derek arrived
He had been in the middle of an etiquette class and wasn’t supposed to leave early, but the teacher couldn’t refuse a request from Marissa, Connor’s wife. Derek’s thoughts mirrored those of Domenic. Informed by his etiquette teacher that Marissa had invited him to a romantic restaurant, he felt quite self-assured. He believed Marissa was about to beg him
Ever since learning that his biological parents were wealthy, he had imagined scenarios where Marissa would beg him not to leave her. In the past, he had been tormented by the fear of Marissa abandoning him, losing sleep over it, and resenting the distress it caused. Now, he relished the thought of turning the tables on Marissa to alleviate his pent-up frustration. Today was his chance to do just that!
With that thought, Derek confidently strode into the restaurant. As the door closed behind him, Marissa looked him over. Several days had passed since their confrontation, and though the swelling had subsided, a few bruises still marked his face. His arrogant expression only made his appearance more amusing and ironic. Owing perhaps to the Daniels family’s good genes, Derek looked quite handsome in a designer suit. If he hadn’t been abducted and sold to the Tucker family, he might have turned out quite successful. His current circumstance seemed somewhat tragic
While Marissa mulled over these thoughts, Derek took the seat across from her and said, “You want us to get back together, don’t you?”
Instantly, Marissa regretted feeling any sympathy for Derek. He was better off keeping quiet; his words only served to reveal his poor character. Seeing Marissa lower her head in silence, Derek misinterpreted her quietness as shyness and chuckled at her. “Why so quiet? You want to plead with me not to leave you, but you’re too ashamed to say it? If you had realized this sooner, you wouldn’t have made those mistakes. You’ve come to understand, haven’t you? Pretending to be another woman won’t last forever. Once your real identity is exposed, you’re finished. So, you should rely on me, right? Just kneel and beg me, and maybe, remembering your past generosity, I’ll secretly keep you as my girlfriend. But don’t expect me to marry you. I intend to marry someone from a family with equal social standing, not a village girl tarnished by scandal!”
From his hidden spot in the pavilion, Connor listened intently, curious to see how Marissa would handle Derek’s tirade. Marissa smiled and said…
Marissa had to muster all her willpower to avoid throwing the coffee in her hand right into Derek’s face. She was the type to confront enemies head-on. With someone like Derek, she preferred settling disputes through action rather than wasting breath on fruitless discussions. Her approach was straightforward: if one beating didn’t get the message across, a second or third would follow until he finally gave in. She was certain he couldn’t withstand such repeated beatings. However, this time, Marissa couldn’t resort to her usual tactics. She needed to prevent him from exposing her true identity. Marissa opted for a more cunning strategy
She gave Derek a flattering, enticing smile and suggested, “Derek, why don’t we eat first?”
Marissa’s beauty was stunning. Normally, her expression was as cold and beautiful as snow, but her smile could outshine the blossoming flowers on a mountain. Her charm momentarily distracted Derek, who agreed absent-mindedly, saying, “Okay!”
Smiling, Marissa signaled to the restaurant manager, who quickly came over with a few staff members and said cheerfully, “Mr. Daniels, Miss Nash has arranged a very special and romantic meal for two. Are you ready to experience it now?”
“Okay, I’ll try it right away,” Derek responded, evidently pleased
“Alright,” the manager said, gesturing for the staff to start setting up in an unusual manner, leaving Derek bewildered. The table was set with various delicacies and wine, which seemed typical enough. What took Derek completely by surprise was that their table and chairs were secured with iron chains, and the top ends of the chains were connected to two zip lines
Before Derek could grasp what was happening, the floor-to-ceiling window beside him slid open. In an instant, the table and chairs began to glide out of the restaurant, suspended mid-air. The sound of the sea breeze whistling through, along with the creaking of the iron chains, filled the air. The table and chairs oscillated dangerously in the wind, hanging precariously over the surging waves below, where shadows of massive sharks could be seen
“Ah!” Derek’s initial shock turned to sheer panic, his face turning pale as fear took hold. “Let me back in! I don’t want to be out here!”
However, there was no response. The table and chairs kept moving forward, growing increasingly distant from the restaurant. From below, they seemed like tiny specks against the immense backdrop of the sky. Derek had a severe fear of heights. Even looking out from a second-story window made his heart pound and his knees weaken. Now, suspended hundreds of meters in the air without any stable ground beneath him, his fear was more intense than ever, overwhelming even his fear of death. He clung to the iron chains, yelling, “Marissa, have you lost your mind setting up a meal like this?”
“Stay still. There are no seat belts,” Marissa responded calmly, casually taking a bite of her steak
Derek was stunned. He looked down at his waist, realizing there were indeed no safety belts. “Oh no…”
He almost screamed out loud but stopped himself, worried that any sudden move could cause him to fall
Seeing Derek’s pale face, Marissa smiled and said, “Look down. The sea below is full of giant-toothed sharks. Imagine if we fell; they’d have quite the feast on us. Exciting, isn’t it?”
“Stop it! Stop it!” Derek was on the verge of a breakdown
Still smiling, Marissa added, “I actually find dining while suspended over a cliff more thrilling. The prospect of plunging into the depths below adds a certain excitement to the meal.”
She then sweetly suggested to Derek, “Let’s focus on our meal for now. Eat half of it, and we’ll take the other half to the cliff over there.”
“You’re insane! Completely insane!” Derek shuddered with fright. Suddenly, a foul smell drifted on the breeze. Overcome by his terror, Derek had wet himself
When the table and chairs glided out of the restaurant, everyone in the pavilion was taken aback. Such an extreme setup was beyond anyone’s expectations
Connor immediately stood up, his eyes locked on the two figures rapidly moving in the air, his expression filled with concern. Domenic, Marc, and Terry felt chills run down their spines, overwhelmed by anxiety. They had heard of such thrilling dining experiences at Lovers’ Cliff, but these typically occurred in secure, enclosed cable cars, guaranteeing safety. Yet, today, Marissa and Derek were held up by iron chains and lacked even the basic security of seat belts. Any strong wind could potentially lead to a disastrous fall. Marissa was clearly putting her life on the line
As Connor watched them drift further away, he stormed into the restaurant and confronted the manager, saying, “How could you allow such a dangerous setup? Don’t you care about your customers’ safety?”
The manager, visibly sweating, admitted that they wouldn’t dare offer such a dangerous experience. But with his boss’s explicit orders, his hands were tied
“Get them back here immediately!” Connor demanded
“Sorry, but the remote control is with my boss… I mean, Miss Nash. She controls the speed and when to return,” the manager explained
Connor was speechless
Domenic, Marc, and Terry realized just how furious their boss was. After a brief pause, Connor turned to the restaurant manager and asked, “Is there any surveillance footage?”
“Yes,” the manager answered quickly
“Show it to me,” Connor said
“Right this way, sir.” Though not acquainted with Connor, the manager could tell he was an important figure and promptly led him to the security room to show the live footage of Marissa and Derek. As Connor watched Marissa, visibly unharmed on the screen, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, he couldn’t fully relax until she was safely back. Domenic, Marc, and Terry watched in disbelief, wondering what life experiences had shaped Marissa into such a fearless person. Standing firmly on the ground themselves, they felt chills, yet Marissa seemed relaxed and even pleased while dangling in the air. Her boldness indicated she didn’t take life too seriously
The mood in the security room shifted when they noticed Derek had wet himself from fear. Although they understood that most people would be scared in such a situation, his reaction sparked laughter among them. This embarrassing moment was likely to haunt Derek for a long time. Meanwhile, high above, Marissa lost her appetite due to the foul smell. She put down her cutlery and looked at the terrified Derek with a smile
“I should invite you to eat here more often, Derek. What do you think?”
“No, I refuse to do this again!” Derek protested
“You can’t reject my invitations. I’m the hostess of the family,” Marissa countered
“You’re not Tiffany Nash. Once I reveal who you really are, you’ll be cast out,” Derek retorted
“It doesn’t matter whether you expose me or not. As long as Connor sees me as his wife, your threats are meaningless,” Marissa responded
Dazed and slow to grasp the situation, Derek was stunned for a long moment before realizing that Connor had likely known Marissa’s true identity and had chosen to protect her the other day
“Let me go, Marissa. I promise not to expose you. I’ll even help clear up those rumors about you online. We can part ways amicably,” Derek pleaded
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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