On this point, Samuel was not mistaken. When Rhian and Samuel reunited after years apart, I had just started dating him.
When his friends saw Rhian again, with her short hair and tougher-than-most-guys attitude, they immediately began teasing.
"Sam, all those years we kept telling you to go find a woman, and you never listened. I honestly thought you were still hung up on that high school first love of yours."
"But now it's obvious. You didn't have the time. Look at her. She's more macho than I am. How could she ever compare to Leslie, who's soft and sweet? Can this girl even get married in this lifetime?"
Humiliated, Rhian unleashed a colorful stream of curses on them before storming straight to Samuel and forcing him to take her in as the eighteenth mistress.
The first time she saw me, she instantly puffed up like a fighting rooster. She didn't resort to any cheap tricks; she just refused to lose.
Later that day, when I got into the passenger seat of Samuel's car, he suddenly buried his face against my neck.
His voice came out rough and low, like it had been sitting in his chest for a long time.
"Alright, babe. If you're really that worried, I'll register the marriage and hold the wedding in five days. We'll treat that night as our wedding night. How's that sound?"
He moved in closer, eyes locking onto mine, his tone turning gentler but still intense.
"You smell excellent today."
A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm already reacting. If the doctor hadn't warned me, I probably wouldn't be able to hold back."
My face heated instantly, and I pushed him away, flustered. "Stop it. People can see. It's embarrassing."
"There's no rush on getting the marriage certificate," I continued, trying to steady my voice. "We haven't conceived yet, and I don't want Evelyn getting upset. But we can hold the wedding. That'll make Rhian give up. You know she and I are mortal enemies. After being crushed under her for so long, I need to regain some face. So five days from now, I want the grandest wedding possible. Not only the elites of Harbor City, but all of the major media outlets are livestreaming it."
Only then did Samuel relax. He smiled and agreed easily.
I knew he still had work to handle, so I let him drop me off and said I would take a taxi home.
As soon as his car disappeared around the corner, the smile on my lips dropped instantly.
I turned back toward the restaurant and stepped inside.
Sliding a few bills across the counter, I said, "Excuse me, I'd like to buy the photo from earlier."
"Huh? Ms. Hutton, that's your own photo. Of course, you can have it."
"No. Besides that one… I want the other one too."
...
By that afternoon, the news that Samuel and I would be holding a wedding had spread across all of Harbor City.
When I returned to the Grant mansion, the villa was unusually quiet.
Rhian stood in the living room with her fists clenched, glaring at me. "They're all gone. Why are you still here?"
Since the wedding was officially set, Evelyn had dismissed the other mistresses to preserve the family's reputation.
"Leslie, you're a damn walking disaster!" Rhian snapped, storming toward me with her hand raised high.
For a second, I honestly thought she planned to hit me before leaving, as if we had not fought enough already.
She was half a head taller than me, and there was no way I could win.
"You—"
But before she could finish the sentence, she lunged forward and wrapped me in a tight hug. Her arms were shaking, and then the tears came, sudden and raw.
"You little potato," she cried into my shoulder. "You're good at everything. So why are you completely romance-brained?"
She pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, her face flushed and streaked with tears. Her breath hitched, but her voice was steady.
"After everything you've been through, you still haven't learned? I swear, I want to smash you with a hammer."
She gripped my arms, her eyes burning into mine. "Listen to me. While Evelyn is busy planning that wedding... run away with me."
I never imagined Rhian would ever move me like this. I gently patted her back and sighed helplessly.
"Why are you crying? We're not even getting the marriage certificate. Besides, I only agreed to hold the wedding. I never agreed to consummate anything."
Rhian froze immediately. Fear stiffened her entire body.
I softened my tone and added, "Don't worry. I won't let him touch you either."
...
Later that night, Rhian confessed in defeat, shame written all over her face.
"I'm useless. I talked to them all day and learned absolutely nothing. Now they've all moved out, and no one knows where they went. How the hell are we supposed to find that bastard's precious sweetheart?"
