James was silent as he thought about how he should answer Summer's question. As he was thinking, the car rolled to a stop."We've arrived, Mr. Quigley," the driver said, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. Summer took off her seatbelt and opened the door. Just as she was about to get out of the car, James appeared beside her and offered her his arm chivalrously. He even helped her lift the hem of her dress off the ground as she got out of the car.Summer gave him a quick glance as he did all this before looking around. To her shock, she found that they were really at the entrance of the town hall."We're at the town hall? I thought you were joking!""Where else could we go?" James raised his eyebrows. "We can't exactly register our marriage at the hospital.""You …" Summer was speechless with anger, but James had on that innocent look again, so she couldn't decide if he was playing her for a fool or just really that stupid.Recalling their interaction in the car, s
"It's simple," James said. "Marry me. Summer, I just need you to marry me, that's all."Summer did not know how to react to that. Head buzzing, she tried her best to calm herself down.This was a great opportunity. It was her fault that the Charter Corporation ended up where they were today. So, it was only right that she sacrificed herself to this man who promised to help them. After all, what else did she have to lose?She just needed to marry him."Alright, I will." Once she got her emotions in check, she picked up the pen and signed the marriage certificate."I have to deal with some other things now, so I won't be able to send you home. Will you be okay?"James was still holding her hand even after they exited the town hall, which made Summer a little uncomfortable. His look of concern did not help at all. The man didn't seem to be putting on an act. She didn't understand what he was trying to do, but she tried her best to be polite."Of course I will. I'm not a child,
"You're Summer, right? James told me all about you," Caroline said, looking at Summer with amusement. She couldn't understand why James had taken a liking to someone like her. All she had was a pretty face; she had no background and no power at all. "Don't be nervous, I'm just here to take a look at you," she continued. "I raised James, you know, so you can come to me if you need anything."James had told Caroline about marrying Summer as soon as they'd come out of the town hall. Before this, she'd been worried as he'd rarely dated, much less brought home a girlfriend, so when he announced his marriage suddenly, she was shocked.She'd gotten her hands on Summer's information as soon as she could, but the information had disappointed her. The Charter family was well-off, but compared to the Quigleys, they were just passable. Therefore, not satisfied with just reading about Summer, Caroline decided to pay them a visit in her best dress."Thank you, Mrs. Quigley. I'll try my best t
"Sorry, Summer, I should introduce myself. I'm John, James' younger brother. Now that you've married him, you're part of our family, so don't hesitate to ask for help if you need any," John said.""Thank you, John," Summer replied.Caroline and John did not stay for long, to Summer's relief. She wasn't stupid; she could see that Caroline hadn't quite accepted her yet and that John wasn't as harmless as he looked. Life probably wouldn't be peaceful in the days to come.After such an eventful day, Summer decided to take a relaxing bath. The day had been filled with all sorts of excitement. First, she'd been humiliated by Simone and Hank at their engagement party. James had saved her from that, but then he turned around and proposed to her for no reason at all. Within the hour, they were legally married.Then again, it wasn't all a loss. Earlier, at dinner, she noticed that her parents looked more relaxed. Gone were the hushed and anxious tones of the past few days. She knew th
"Don't be so dramatic, you silly girl," Amelia admonished. "These people are here to pick you up on James' behalf. He called last night to tell us about this. We didn't tell you because you went to bed so early. "They've been here since morning; I told them you were still sleeping and tried to get them to come in, but they refused. They said they'll only move when you get up, as they didn't want to disturb you. I couldn't convince them otherwise, so here we are. Look, just go and pack your stuff. Don't make them wait any longer than they already have."Hearing this, Summer ran back upstairs to wash up and pack her things. She felt nervous; she didn't want to leave a bad impression so soon after getting married. She regretted staying in bed so late. She changed her clothes and pulled her hair back in a messy bun as quickly as she could before running out."I am so sorry you had to wait for me for such a long time. I overslept. I'm really sorry!" she apologized repeatedly. The me
Summer had no confidence in this sudden marriage at all. She trusted nobody—the memory of her trauma still lingered.Sighing, she placed the photo frame back on the nightstand. While she was wallowing in the uncertainty of her future, she did not notice that she was also in the photograph, right behind James.Feeling bored, Summer decided to clean up the apartment. Just as she had expected, James did not return home for lunch, so she made a quick meal out of the ingredients available in the fridge and then went out for a walk. However, the two bodyguards who were assigned to her kept following her around, so she cut the walk short and went back to her room.She spent the rest of the afternoon reading books. When dinner time approached, she went out to get some groceries as she expected James to return for dinner.She didn't think much of making dinner for him. It was just cooking, after all, and her cooking was pretty good if she could say so herself.Unbeknownst to her, her bodyg
"You guys must be tired. I forgot to make lunch for you just now. Come and try some of my cooking," Summer said as she placed two bowls in front of the bodyguards.Charlie and Connor stared at her like she was an angel descended from the heavens."Thank you, Madam," they stammered as they took the bowls. They swore silently that they would protect Summer with their lives."No need to thank me. In fact, I should thank you for protecting me, which is why I cooked you dinner," Summer said. "Now, don't stand out here while you eat. Come on in!"She felt sorry for them. It wasn't easy standing guard all day with nothing to do. She couldn't bear seeing them eating outside the apartment, so she urged them to take a break indoors. However, she did not know that the bodyguards were rotated by shift or that they lived in the apartment next to hers by James' design to keep her safe at all times."It's alright, Madam, we wouldn't dare impose on you," Charlie said hastily when Connor gave hi
James was happy to see Summer's smile. He was finally living his dream of having a sweet domestic life with her. He felt as if he could burst with happiness as he watched Summer finish setting up the table. He went up to her and hugged her from behind.Surprised by the sudden warmth, Summer tensed. James noticed her discomfort. He buried his face in her neck and said softly, "Relax, Summer, don't be scared. I know you still see me as a stranger. That's alright, I can give you time to get to know me. I am confident that you will fall in love with me. I just want to tell you that I'm very happy that you're with me right now."Summer was surprised to hear that. She'd never expected James to be so nice to her, and she didn't understand why. However, James seemed sincere in his affections. She couldn't ignore the warm feeling that it gave her. Her nervousness dissipated."Thank you, James. I'll try my best to get used to this. Just give me some time."Dinner was a peaceful affair. T