Chapter 3

I didn't want to hear her screeching, so I hung up immediately.

Looking at Luna, who was still fast asleep, I gently tucked her in, got out of bed, and walked out.

By the time Luna woke up, I had already prepared brunch.

The moment she opened the bedroom door, I froze.

She was wearing one of my white button-down shirts. It hung loosely on her petite frame, the collar slightly open to reveal her elegant collarbones.

Below the hem, her long, slender, flawless legs were completely on display.

Noticing my intense gaze, she blushed slightly, tugging at the edge of the shirt. "You ripped my dress last night. I had to borrow this."

I cleared my throat, and she looked down shyly.

In the next second, I scooped her up in my arms. "Next time, remember to wear slippers."

She laughed, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Shouldn’t a rich playboy like you say something like, 'I'll have the entire house carpeted for you'?"

I placed her gently on the dining chair, leaning over with my hands on either side of her thighs. My voice was dead serious. "Do you have any plans to get married anytime soon?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. She reached out, playfully pinching my chin. "What do you mean by that, Ethan?"

"I want to give you a legal title. After that, you can decorate this house however you want."

I stared into her eyes. In the twenty-some years of my life, I had never made a decision this fast. It felt like an invisible hand was pushing me forward, telling me she was the one.

"Can I trust you?" she whispered.

I knew she was worried about my history with Chloe.

"You can," I said, pulling her into a tight embrace. "My heartbeat is the best proof."

When we walked out of the city hall later that day, Luna took the marriage certificates from my hand. "I'm your wife now. I should keep these safe."

Looking at her cute, proud expression, I smiled and nodded.

"I feel like you just kidnapped me," she teased, before changing the subject. "Well, since we're legally married, Master Ethan isn't going to skip out on a wedding for me, right?"

I gently stroked her hair. "Don't worry. I won't let you down. You'll have the best of everything."

Over the next few weeks, I spent almost all my free time with Luna, picking out wedding dresses and looking at venues.

She wanted an outdoor beach wedding.

As long as it was what she wanted, I made it happen.

She was incredibly invested in the wedding, handling almost every detail personally.

Just as we were about to sign the final contract and pay the deposit, Chloe called me again.

"Ethan, what is wrong with you? Your little tantrum has gone on long enough!"

The moment she spoke, she was accusing me, her voice filled with her usual impatience.

"My parents want you to come over for dinner tonight so we can finally sign the marriage license. We can't keep stalling like this."

Before I could even reply, she kept talking. "I'll text you the address. Pick me up later."

"This is about our marriage. I’m warning you, don’t say anything stupid tonight, or don’t blame me if the wedding gets ruined."

She sounded like she was doing me a massive favor by marrying me.

"Did I not make myself clear the first two times? I said the wedding is off! I have absolutely nothing to do with you, Chloe!"

"Stop harassing me. I don't want my wife to get upset."

Chloe went dead silent. Just as I was about to hang up, she spoke again, her voice softening slightly. "Ethan, stop playing games, okay?"

"I know you love me and hate seeing me with other guys. But you know I love my freedom. I already agreed to marry you, what more do you want?"

"Once we're married, my freedom belongs to you anyway. Can't you just let me have my fun before the wedding?"

"Do you have to lock me down right now to be satisfied? How can you be so selfish?"

Listening to her, my mind was completely blown.

A woman like her only cared about her own pleasure and never gave a damn about anyone else's feelings.

My twenty years of kindness had truly been wasted on a dog.

I didn't waste another breath on her and hung up.

As I put my phone away, Luna walked over and sat on my lap. "Was that my cousin?"

Her eyes dimmed slightly. "She still doesn't know we're married, does she?"

"And your aunt and uncle don't know either."

Luna looked at me, her eyes suddenly turning misty and vulnerable. "Ethan... am I just your secret lover?"