Chapter 2 I'm the Fool

Jennifer stood frozen, her face sprayed with exhaust fumes and her expensive attire covered in the dust kicked up by the car's wheels. Her thirty thousand dollar heels and fifty thousand dollar dress were now no better than second-hand bargains. The pricey makeup on her face had been touched by the dust, and she looked no better than a homeless wanderer. But above all, she was utterly stunned by the conversation she had overheard. Jessica was Daniel's fiancée? Jessica had sent David to pick him up? And she referred to him as the honorable Mr. Daniel Perkins? He was just a country bumpkin, a loathsome toad—honorable Mr. Daniel Perkins my foot! He was nothing but a con artist, a greedy, lecherous loser! There’s no way Jessica was going to marry him. She must be planning to cancel the wedding, just like Jennifer wanted to. This mess was all that loser's fault. She had to make him pay! Meanwhile, half an hour later, the Rolls-Royce pulled into the lavish estate belonging to The Matthews, a villa complex spanning thousands of square meters, with pavilions, murmuring streams, lush greenery, and birds chirping amongst the flowers. Every step revealed a scene more breathtaking than the last—it was a Wonderland in the heart of New York City, exclusively for the prominent Matthews family. Daniel was ushered into the living room where David served him a cup of top-notch coffee before leaving. Click-clack, click-clack! The elegant rhythm of high heels on the floor announced the arrival of a stunning beauty. Words could only defile her enchanting presence. This was Jessica Matthews, the eldest daughter of The Matthews family, president of The Matthews Organization (TMO), and New York's number one beauty! At just one glance, Daniel was spellbound. "Are you Daniel, my fiancé?" "Err... yes." Daniel snapped back to reality. Daniel, having already been dumped once, eagerly fetched the marriage contract and handed it to Jessica. "You've come to call off the marriage, right? Here's the contract. From now on, we're strangers. Don't worry, I won't appear before you again, nor will I tell anyone you were once my fiancée." "When did I say I wanted to cancel it?" "You're not canceling?" "This contract was drawn up by my grandfather, and I honor his decision. I will marry you. We'll register our marriage tomorrow, but before that, I have some conditions." "What conditions?" "I’m marrying you solely because of this contract, not out of love, so no wedding ceremony. You can’t tell anyone we’re married. Publicly, you are my assistant, not my husband. Plus, I'm giving you a year as a trial period. If you can make me fall in love with you, we'll have a real ceremony and be true husband and wife. If I still feel nothing after a year, we'll divorce. One more thing, if we do become a true couple, I have a gift for you. It's an unsightly, wilted herb called the Dragon Seal Grass." The Dragon Seal Grass? Daniel's heart leaped with excitement. "Uh, if after a year you still don't fancy me, can I keep the Dragon Seal Grass as a memento? You said it was ugly and wilty, so it’s probably not worth much. Just as a keepsake." "No way! That's a gift for the man who truly wins my heart!" Daniel: ... Just then, Jessica's phone rang. "What? I'm on my way!" Hanging up, she turned to Daniel, "My grandfather's critically ill. We need to go to the hospital now." "Okay!" Clutching his dusty plastic bag as if it were a treasure, Daniel hurried after her. "Why are you carrying that? No one's going to steal it." "It might come in handy." Speechless but too preoccupied to care, Jessica left it at that. At the hospital's emergency room, Jessica's secretary, Brittany Cunningham, paced anxiously. As Jessica and Daniel arrived, the emergency room doors burst open, and the doctors emerged. "Michael, how is my grandfather?" "We've tried everything, but he's beyond our help. However, there's still a breath of life in him. If you can get The Great Stephens here, perhaps there's hope." "The Great Stephens?" "He's the one who can snatch lives from the hands of death, The Great Stephens—Christopher Stephens! He's New York's number one mystical doctor, but he’s been resting for a long time. It's going to be very difficult to persuade him to act." As Michael finished speaking... "Mr. Christopher is here." Andrew Armstrong walked in with an elderly gentleman—the renowned Christopher. An Easterner whose arrival date in New York was unknown, people were only aware of his miraculous healing techniques. Christopher's methods had never failed. He approached the bed, lifted Joseph's eyelids, and checked his pulse. "Master Christopher, how is my grandfather?" "The situation is grave. Only my ancestral Nine Dry Needling technique stands a chance. Not even gods could save him otherwise." "Please, Master Christopher, save my grandfather, and The Matthews will repay you generously." "Miss Jessica, I'm here at Mr. Andrew’s request, so saving your grandfather is up to him." Andrew stepped forward, arrogantly bargaining, "Jessica, you know what I want. Agree to marry me, and Master Christopher will save your grandfather. If you refuse, he won't lift a finger, and your grandfather will meet his end. Remember, he is The Matthews' world, and if anything were to happen to him, The Matthews would be finished."