Chapter 4

Haley skimmed through the marriage agreement, falling into a moment of silence. Seeing her hesitation, Shane's heart inexplicably tightened, prompting him to ask, "Is there a problem?"

Haley shook her head, incredulous. "Mr. Ford, are you sure you want to sign this agreement with me?"

The agreement posed no issues; in fact, each clause within it was almost entirely in her favor. Marrying Shane not only granted her the status and position of Mrs. Ford but also secured a 3% stake in the Ford Corporation, along with real estate under Shane's name. In the event of a divorce, she would even be entitled to half of Shane's personal assets.

The Ford Corporation was the largest multinational conglomerate in Jasper City, with investments in finance, real estate, hospitality, and various other industries, and its stock value was continuously rising.

Compared to her third-rate wealthy family, whose combined assets couldn't even afford 1% of the Ford Corporation's shares, Haley would overnight become immensely wealthy through this marriage.

Shane's expression remained calm and composed as he casually poured a dose of cold medicine from a bottle. "Hmm, go ahead and sign."

He was certain he wouldn't divorce. As for money, it was merely a bunch of numbers to him. The purpose of making money was simply to accumulate assets for his wife.

According to what he'd heard from his subordinates, after marriage, the husband was expected to hand over his salary and assets to his spouse. As for divorce... Well, that was out of the question for this lifetime.

Having finally lured his little wife back home, there was no chance she would escape again.

Haley gritted her teeth and swiftly signed her name on the agreement. Regardless of how long this marriage lasted, she was guaranteed to benefit!

Watching as Haley signed her name in the bottom right corner, Shane smirked in satisfaction. He took the marriage agreement and handed over the cold medicine he had prepared. "Drink this medicine. You got caught in the rain, be careful not to catch a cold."

"Thank you, Mr. Ford," Haley said, flashing a sweet smile as she took the cup.

The bitter taste of the cold medicine hit her senses as she took a sip. Pinching her nose, she gulped down the medicine in one breath.

Shane lowered his gaze, suppressing the curve of his lips from turning upwards, and spoke slowly, "It's getting late. You should rest early."

Haley suddenly froze. Tonight... was she going to sleep with Shane?

The thought sent her heart racing. "Mr. Ford, could you maybe spare a separate room for me?"

Shane raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Are you worried I might do something to you?"

"Of course not!" Haley denied without thinking. She just wasn't accustomed to sleeping with strangers. To her, Shane had always been her elder, her fiancé's uncle.

Shane's dark eyes bore into her, emitting a chilling aura. "There's no clause in our agreement about separate rooms."

Haley was at a loss for words. Indeed, there wasn't such a clause in the agreement.

She suddenly regretted signing the marriage agreement. Shane was too mysterious, too dangerous. Collaborating with him was like dancing with a tiger.

Seeing Haley's hesitation, Shane sighed softly. "If you're uncomfortable sleeping together, I can give you time to adjust. But as a married couple, we are supposed to spend our lives together."

The words "spend our lives together" were spoken with particular seriousness.

Haley blushed and lowered her head, too embarrassed to meet Shane's gaze. After a long silence, she gritted her teeth and said, "It's fine. I can adapt!"

Since she had signed the contract, she had to honor it. It was just sharing a bed, and it wasn't like she was losing out!

Haley was led into Shane's bedroom in a daze.

When she came in to take a shower before dinner, she rushed into the bathroom in a panic. Now, with a quiet mind, she began to size up the bedroom.

Was this really a place where people lived? It felt too deserted.

The large bedroom was decorated mainly in black and white, simple yet understated. There was barely any furniture in the room.

Despite being Shane's master bedroom, it felt excessively vacant, devoid of any warmth or homely atmosphere. Instead of feeling like a home, it resembled more of a temporary lodging.

Haley cast a complicated glance at Shane, unable to imagine how he could live in such a cold environment.

Shane cleared his throat uneasily. "Just make do for tonight. If there's anything you need, we can buy it tomorrow."

"Okay."

"I still have work to do. You go ahead and sleep."

"Okay!" Her tone was noticeably more eager than before, almost as if she couldn't wait for him to leave.

Shane gave her a deep look. "You're really eager for me to leave, aren't you?"

Meeting his probing gaze, Haley chuckled awkwardly and waved at him. "Goodnight, Mr. Ford."

"Hmm." Shane turned and left the bedroom. As the door closed behind him, the slight tension in his lips, which had been held back, relaxed ever so slightly, forming a faint curve.

His gaze lingered on the closed door, and he lowered his voice. "Goodnight."

In the room, Haley lay on the soft bed, her tense nerves slowly relaxing, sighing in comfort.

The bedding seemed to carry the scent of pine from Shane, refreshing and pleasant. She had thought she would have trouble sleeping in a strange bed, but she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

After finishing his video conference, Shane realized it was already past two in the morning. He closed his laptop and headed towards the bedroom.

In the dark night, the bedroom door opened silently, and the tall figure of a man slowly approached the bed, gazing at the person already fast asleep.

The moonlight streamed through the window, casting a gentle glow on the girl's delicate and fair face.

Before lying down beside her, Shane reached out his hand, his rough fingertips gently stroking her cheek.

Haley didn't sleep well that night, instinctively sensing the approach of danger in her dreams. It was as if she was being stalked by a wild beast in the jungle, sending shivers down her spine.

When she woke up, she found her back and forehead drenched in sweat. Looking around the unfamiliar room, it took her a few seconds to remember what had happened the day before.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, followed by a respectful and steady male voice from outside.

"Madam, are you awake? I'm Bob Moore, the butler of Violet Grove."

"Yes, give me a moment."

Haley quickly got out of bed to answer the door. Despite looking a bit disheveled from just waking up, it didn't diminish her beauty in the slightest. Her fair cheeks were smooth and radiant, while her eyes, clear and bright, held a hint of sleepiness, adding a touch of innocence.

A glint of admiration flashed in the butler's eyes, nodding with satisfaction. Finally, Mr. Ford's wish had been fulfilled. Mr. Ford always achieved what he wanted, without fail.

Although the methods were somewhat less than honorable and might tarnish the Ford family's reputation if exposed, those were minor issues. Mr. Ford's reputation outside wasn't great to begin with, so a little more damage wouldn't matter.

He smiled and said, "Madam, breakfast is ready. Would you like to have some?"

As he assessed Haley, she was also studying him. He appeared to be in his forties, dressed sharply in a suit, meticulously groomed, with a perfectly poised smile on his lips, courteous yet distant.

"Okay." Haley smiled and quickly freshened up before heading downstairs.

As she sat down at the dining table, she noticed that Shane wasn't there, which piqued her curiosity.

The butler noticed her puzzlement and explained, "Mr. Ford had a meeting this morning. He left for the office about an hour ago."

"Ah, I see," Haley nodded, indicating that she understood.

She ate her breakfast quietly, feeling relieved inside. Even though they were married by agreement, she still felt strangely nervous at the thought of Shane.

Perhaps it was because of his overpowering presence that made people hesitate to approach him easily.