Chapter 2 Marriage Registration and 100,000 Dollars

• The paper hit Derek square in the face, making him flush with anger and embarrassment. He snapped, "Nikita, you're ungrateful. With your situation, finding someone like me is the best thing that could happen to you. It's your lucky day. Asking for that much cash for a wedding gift? No one would ever give you that much cash. You'll come crawling back to me; just wait."
• "I will never beg you!" Nikita spun around and stormed off, but she couldn't stop a few tears from falling as she turned away.
• After leaving the courthouse, Nikita wandered aimlessly down the streets. Eventually, exhausted, she stumbled into a small café.
• She collapsed into a chair and felt utterly defeated. She had promised Darcy that she would bring back the money, but now ...
• A steaming cup of coffee unexpectedly appeared in front of her just as she was drowning in despairing thoughts. She looked up instinctively and said, "Sorry, I haven't ordered yet."
• "Sweetheart, did you just go through a breakup? Here, have a hot coffee to cheer you up."
• Looking up, Nikita saw a kind old lady smiling at her. Flustered, she quickly stood up to offer her seat.
• "Hello." Nikita smiled awkwardly and said, "I'll order something soon. You didn't have to ... "
• Dorothy Morris continued to smile and pushed the coffee closer to Nikita. She said, "Darling, don't be sad. When one door closes, another one opens. There are plenty of men out there! If you'd like, I could introduce you to my grandson."
• Nikita shook her head politely and said, "Thank you, but I don't think I'm ready for a new relationship just yet."
• Dorothy had seen the argument between Nikita and Derek earlier.
• She admired Nikita's straightforwardness and calm demeanor. Instead of begging and pleading after a breakup, Nikita had stood her ground.
• She had only intended to satisfy her curiosity about the scene, but when she saw the girl again in the café, an idea sparked. Dorothy thought of her unmarried grandson.
• "Just hear me out. My grandson is 30 years old. He has a car, a house, and savings; he's tall, handsome, and single. He's never had a girlfriend and is totally loyal. Interested?"
• Nikita couldn't help but smile at Dorothy's salesman-like pitch, but she still shook her head and started to leave. Before she could take a step, Dorothy spoke again.
• "Marry him today, and I'll give you 100,000 dollars as a wedding gift."
• Her offer made Nikita freeze.
• She knew it was irrational.
• Nikita hadn't even met this man yet. A 30-year-old man with no romantic history—he must be either hideously ugly, had a terrible temper, or was hiding some sort of serious flaw.
• However, Derek had said one thing that was true.
• A 100,000 dollars cash gift for a wedding? Given her background, there wasn't a soul in all of Rivendell who would offer her that much.
• Her stepfather was preparing to throw her out of the house, leaving her with nothing. Her mother was miserable because of Simon's situation. She didn't want to lose her hard-earned chance to finish school. All these reasons weighed down her feet, making it impossible for her to walk away.
• After a moment's thought, she turned back to Dorothy.
• "You saw everything that happened earlier?"
• This girl was brilliant. Dorothy liked her even more and nodded without hesitation.
• Dorothy's honesty helped Nikita feel a little calmer.
• "I'll sign an IOU for you. If your grandson and I don't get along, you have to agree to let me divorce him after I pay off my debts."
• Dorothy agreed immediately. She grabbed Nikita's hand and called her grandson.
• "Be at the courthouse in 30 minutes. If you don't, I'll lie down in the middle of the road and you can collect my corpse!"
• The force of her words left Nikita stunned.
• Half an hour later, a car Nikita didn't recognize screeched to a stop in front of them.
• The door swings open. The first thing Nikita saw were a pair of long, straight legs stepping out. Dorothy hadn't been exaggerating—he was tall and handsome.
• He stood at six feet two. His aura intimidating and his features striking. Nikita was captivated by his beauty and momentarily fallen in a daze.
• Theo Morris coldly scanned through her frozen figure. His face completely emotionless as he asked, "Satisfied? If so, let's go and get the paperwork done."
• His icy voice didn't carry any warmth, as if they weren't talking about marriage but something as mundane as the weather.
• "Yeah ... I'm ... satisfied."
• Nikita snapped out of her daze and swallowed hard. The clothes and the watch he wore looked expensive, so giving 100,000 dollars shouldn't be difficult for him.
• And as for him ...
• Who could complain about someone this good-looking?