Kevin nodded and turned to leave, motioning Jessie to follow.
Jessie dusted off her clothes and quickly caught up.
He asked, "Where do you live? I'll take you home."
She waved her hand. "No need; I’ll take a taxi. You don’t have to trouble yourself."
He glanced at her but didn’t push further. He simply replied, "Ten a.m. tomorrow, marriage registration office. I’ll see you then."
Then, he walked away.
When he returned to the villa, Grandpa Harper was craning his neck to look behind him. Seeing that Kevin was alone, the old man immediately scolded him, "Why didn’t you bring my granddaughter-in-law with you? You didn’t lose her, did you? I'm warning you, you're already twenty-nine. If you don’t get married soon—"
"Don't worry, Grandpa. That girl has agreed to get the marriage certificate with me tomorrow."
Hearing this, Grandpa Harper smiled brightly as he nodded repeatedly.
"Good, good! I liked that girl the moment I saw her. She’s beautiful, kind and upright."
Kevin handed his coat to the butler, his expression defeated.
"Grandpa, you’ve only seen her once. People don’t really show themselves until you spend some time with them, so how are you so confident about her character? Anyway, it’s not an actual marriage. If she ends up being a disappointment, then I’ll just divorce her."
Grandpa Harper immediately smacked him with his cane.
"You brat! There’s no such thing as divorce in our Harper family! You better not disappoint her!"
"That will depend on the accuracy of your judgment, Grandpa," Kevin replied as he walked toward the study room.
"Where do you think you’re running off to? I’m still talking—"
"Grandpa, I have a lot of business to do. There’s a video meeting I need to attend, they are waiting for me."
The moment he said that, he closed the study door.
Grandpa Harper sighed, muttering as he glanced at the study room, "You little brat, just wait until you really fall for that girl. You’ll thank me properly when that time comes."
Inside the study, Kevin turned on his computer.
He was marrying Jessie not just because his grandfather liked her, but also because he was tired of the countless blind dates his grandfather kept dragging him into.
If she wanted a divorce in the future, he would give her a large sum of money and let her go. This marriage was just on paper; there was nothing real between them, so she should have no issues if she wanted to remarry in the future.
—
The next day, Jessie waited for Kevin in front of the registration office, holding her documents.
Suddenly, she felt a bit of regret. Was she too impulsive? How could she marry a stranger she had just met?
While battling her thoughts, Kevin appeared at the entrance.
He glanced at her flustered face and said, "We haven’t registered yet, you know. You still have time to reconsider."
Jessie fell into deep thought.
When she was born, her parents got divorced. Her mother, Laura, raised her with promises that she’d always be her beloved daughter.
However, Laura soon married a new man. After having a child with him, things took a turn. Jessie’s stepfather saw her as a burden to the family, eager to kick her out of the house. On the other hand, Laura only watched on in silence.
Jessie understood that her mother now had her own family, and she no longer felt she was part of it. If she insisted on staying, she would be the unreasonable one.
"Don’t worry. I always keep my word."
She initially agreed to this plan out of emotional turmoil after that call, but after thinking it through overnight, she accepted the reality. Her nervousness now was probably just from pre-wedding jitters.
"Alright." Kevin nodded before entering the office with her. They placed their documents in front of the staff.
The entire process was swift. In the blink of an eye, they were holding their marriage certificates.
Holding the white certificate, Jessie felt like she was dreaming. She was single just moments ago, but now, she had gotten married.
At the same time, Kevin took out a key from his pocket and handed it to her.
"I bought an apartment in Quiet River Community. It’s in a good location, with a big supermarket just next door. You won’t have any issues going out or buying groceries. When you’re ready, just pack up and move in.”
"I’m very busy with work, and I need to go on business trips from time to time. Take care of yourself—I won’t trouble you with my matters.
“My monthly salary is 5000 dollars, and I’ll transfer it to you on the 15th of each month.
“Currently, I prefer to keep our marriage a secret to avoid unnecessary trouble."
He explained himself quickly in a flat tone, and Jessie nodded quickly in return.
She had agreed to marry him because she didn’t want her mother and stepfather to keep fighting because of her. Since they already had their own family, she should stop intruding and leave.
She took the key and smiled brightly. "Thank you, Mr. Harper."
Her mother used to be a young girl when she first married—bright, energetic, and always needing affection.
However, after marrying her stepfather, she changed drastically and became a tired housewife.
She had to clean, cook, do laundry, and even watch over the children afterward. All of this made her visibly worn out.
On the other hand, her stepfather was the one who earned money for the family. Despite her struggles, he took her mother’s efforts lightly, thinking it was all natural and even expecting more from her.
Even nannies or maids were paid at least 1500 dollars a month to work, so what made him think this was fair for her mother?
Jessie had tried speaking to Laura, but the latter always defended her husband.
In the end, her mother even blamed her for every issue she had.
Thinking of this, Jessie turned to Kevin and said, "Don’t worry, Mr. Harper. I won’t take advantage of you. I can share the household expenses with you."
Hearing this, Kevin’s voice deepened as he replied, "Since you’re my wife now, it’s only natural for me to provide for you. Besides, I can afford it. You don’t need to feel any pressure there."
She nodded. "Alright."
Despite his words, she wouldn’t just stay at home and wait for his salary.
He could cover the major expenses, but she would pay for the small things herself.
After all, they could only achieve a stable life if they both contributed to the household.
Kevin handed the marriage certificate to Jessie. "I have things to deal with today, I have to leave now. When you’re done packing up, just move into the apartment. Grandpa has been asking about you, so I’ll bring you to see him later."
Seeing him about to leave, she quickly stopped him.
"Wait, Mr. Harper."
"What is it?" he asked, frowning.
"Please give me your number so that we can keep in touch."
They exchanged contacts and afterward, Kevin left the venue.
Seeing him leave, she muttered, "Do repairmen actually make that much? 5000 a month?"
Little did she know, the moment Kevin turned the corner, he got into a Maybach.
He wasn’t just any repairman—he was the heir to the Harpers, the leader of Grace City’s economic empire worth billions of dollars to their name.