“Since I’ve married you, I’m prepared to embrace every part of you-the virtues and the flaws. It seems only natural that I support you in any way you need. I assure you, what happened last night will not recur. Trust me,” Linsey assured, her voice imbued with sincerity.
Collin absorbed her words in silence, his face betraying no emotion. After a moment, he asked, his voice tinged with skepticism,
“Do you truly mean that?”
Linsey nodded resolutely.
“Absolutely. I committed to marrying you, and I intend to fulfill your needs to the best of my ability.”
A subtle smile crept across Collin’s lips. Did she know what she was doing?
She offered to meet his needs?
Suppressing a chuckle, he took a deep breath, momentarily setting aside the layered meanings in her words.
Driven by a mix of curiosity and hope, he ventured further,
“There’s a piece of my past I haven’t yet shared with you. I was involved in a car accident when I was young, leaving me with a lasting disability. This scar has led my family to overlook me consistently. I’ve spent recent years launching businesses away from their shadow, striving to gain their acknowledgment. Regrettably, luck hadn’t been his ally. His business attempts had mostly stumbled, piling up a mountain of debt in their wake.
“If you feel the need to step back, I won’t stand in your way.”
Linsey was momentarily paralyzed by the revelation. Then, gathering her composure, she queried,
“How much debt are we talking about?”
Collin, without missing a beat and with a hint of mischief in his tone, tossed out an astronomical figure.
“What if I said I’m buried under a hundred million dollars?”
As he anticipated, Linsey’s previously unflappable demeanor faltered ever so slightly.
He braced himself, certain she would reject the harsh reality of such an immense burden. Yet, Linsey defied his expectations once more. Her voice was firm with resolve as she responded,
“It’s fine. We’ll tackle it together. Somehow, we’ll manage.”
Collin felt a tumultuous storm surge within him, yet he managed to maintain a facade of calm. He let out a soft, incredulous laugh, fixing her with a skeptical look.
“And how, exactly, do you propose we manage this, Linsey? We’re not talking about a mere hundred dollars here.”
Linsey’s eyes dropped, her mind racing through her financial history. She had devoted most of her earnings to Felix and had little to show for it now.
However, her confidence rekindled as she considered her skills in design.
“Don’t fret. I’m on the job hunt,” she declared, her voice tinged with a newfound optimism. “I’ve been sending out resumes these past few days. I’m certain I’ll hear back soon.” She paused, her expression earnest.
“No matter the circumstances, I refuse to let you face this alone.”
She reached out instinctively, her fingers brushing against his hand that lay on the desk, offering a silent vow of solidarity.
The instant their skins made contact, Collin felt an electric shock surge through his chest, darkening his expression immediately. Without hesitation, he jerked his hand away from Linsey’s grasp.
Her unpreparedness for his sudden motion caused Linsey to emit a soft, startled gasp. She looked at him with wide eyes, her silence filled with disbelief.
The confusion in her eyes sparked an inexplicable ache in his heart. Tightening his fist, Collin sensed the ghostly softness of her palm still imprinted on the back of his hand.
Linsey stared, her mouth opening slightly as if to speak, then pausing, clearly flustered and unsure of how to react.
It was clear from his demeanor that he had likely found her touch offensive.
Pressing his lips tightly together, Collin averted his eyes, his voice stiff as he offered an explanation.
“I’m not really used to physical contact. Sorry.”
Linsey’s expression softened as she grasped the situation.
His defenses were up, his sense of security so fragile that he instinctively recoiled from her touch.
He averted his gaze, feigning calm, and murmured,
“You may go.”
Linsey paused, her words faltering at her lips, unable to form them. She understood that Collin wouldn’t easily warm up to her or accept her, especially since their acquaintance was so recent.
She herself felt a lingering awkwardness about their arrangement, a sentiment she suspected was even more pronounced for someone as guarded and intricate as Collin.
With this realization, she accepted the situation more swiftly.
Choosing not to press him, she nodded subtly, exited the study, and softly closed the door behind her, leaving him the solitude he evidently needed.
Only after Linsey had departed did Collin release a long, burdened sigh. He massaged the bridge of his nose, a rare headache beginning to form. He was perplexed by the intense way Linsey’s smallest actions seemed to unsettle him-this was a new and disconcerting sensation. He had always valued his ability to remain detached and logical, but now he felt an unusual disturbance within him.
If this disruption persisted, he dreaded to think what would happen next. He despised this emerging sensation of losing control.
Lost in thought, he finally decided.
A brief escape was essential. By fortunate coincidence, a critical situation at his company demanded his immediate attention, providing the perfect excuse to escape Linsey’s unsettling influence. With his decision firmly in place, he slipped out of Vista Villa, a line of staff trailing quietly behind him.
In the following days, Linsey noticed Collin’s glaring absence.
Concern gnawed at her, prompting her to inquire about his whereabouts from the butler.
With a reassuring smile, the butler responded,
“Mr. Riley is buried under a mountain of work, Mrs. Riley. You shouldn’t worry about him.”
Pondering this, Linsey realized that Collin was likely drowning in efforts to clear the colossal debt of a hundred million dollars. No doubt, he was exhausting himself.
Deciding against adding to his load, she chose instead to shift her focus to her own pressing needs-finding employment.
With renewed determination, she started crafting her resumes with care and scouring job listings, eager to make a meaningful change. At last, the day arrived when Linsey received an unexpected interview invitation from CR Corporation.
CR Corporation wasn’t just any company-it was a globally celebrated tech giant that had made its way to the stock market in record time under the guidance of its mysterious founder. Within a few short years, CR Corporation’s worth had exploded past the hundred billion dollar mark, propelling its founder to the top as the richest individual in the world.
Yet, for all the fame and fortune, the founder of CR Corporation remained a shadowy figure, shrouded in secrecy.
Up until this point, not a single person had managed to catch a glimpse of the mysterious founder.
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.