Chapter 1: Forced Blind Date
In the early autumn of F City, the sky was a clear azure, transparent and crisp, with a gentle breeze carrying a faint dry heat!
Isabelle rode her second-hand electric scooter, rushing to the Encounter Café!
Stopping her vehicle, she witnessed a scene that left her stunned!
In the small parking lot outside the café, four luxury cars were parked: a Koenigsegg, a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, and a Rolls-Royce, all limited editions!
Next to the cars, ten burly men in black suits and sunglasses stood upright!
Which princeling had come to this obscure café for coffee?
Isabelle was astonished!
The Encounter Café was located in a remote area, with average ambiance and low consumer standards, frequented only by ordinary citizens!
The parking lot had never seen million-dollar luxury cars, let alone multi-million-dollar limited edition vehicles!
Isabelle was in a hurry and slightly sweating from the rush. Although it was rare to see so many luxury cars, she was too preoccupied to appreciate them!
The parking lot wasn't large and was filled with the luxury vehicles, leaving Isabelle no choice but to park her scooter in the corner!
She quickly entered the café, and as expected, a man sat at seat number six; undoubtedly, this man was her blind date for the day, also the nearly thirty-year-old grandson of Grandpa Bernard, who had been struggling to find a wife!
Isabelle took a deep breath and walked towards seat number six!
Upon reaching the seat and getting a good look at the man she was there to meet, she was slightly shocked. He was too handsome, too good-looking!
His facial features were sharply defined and profound, like a frozen sculpture, with deep, unfathomable eyes that appeared stern and wild!
His three-dimensional features were as handsome as if chiseled by a knife, and he exuded an aura of royalty. His sharp and angular gaze conveyed a coldness that seemed to warn strangers to stay away!
Impeccable, he radiated an innate nobility and arrogance!
Could this man really just be a corporate executive, not a domineering CEO from a drama? Was he really the marriage-troubled grandson that Grandpa Bernard had spoken of?
Isabelle was skeptical. She looked around and saw that only seat number six was occupied. Taking a deep breath, a sweet smile appeared on her face, and her voice was soft as she said,
"Antoine, right? My name is Isabelle. I'm sorry I’m five minutes late and kept you waiting!"
The man's eyes were unusually cold. He scanned Isabelle from head to toe with a hint of disdain in his eyes and merely gave a faint "Hmm" before falling silent again!
"..." Isabelle was taken aback!
This was too cold, especially considering she was a universally admired beauty!
"Isabelle, your father accepted 300,000 US dollars from a nouveau riche with the surname Wang to marry you off to him. The man is forty, ugly, and old. You absolutely cannot let your father find you; you must find a man to marry and get a marriage certificate as soon as possible!"
"As long as you avoid your father and get a marriage certificate, he will no longer be able to force you to marry that nouveau riche!"
"Isabelle, you must listen to your grandmother. You know what kind of person your father is; you must not fall into his hands. Please, I beg you!" Isabelle's mind echoed her grandmother's sobbing voice!
Although Grandpa Bernard’s grandson was a bit too cold, he was quite easy on the eyes, and more importantly, Isabelle had no other options at the moment!
She knew very well what kind of person her father was—engaging in drinking, gambling, and p**********n, almost committing murder. When she was two, he was sentenced to three years for hooliganism!
300,000 US dollars was clearly a sale!
Raised by her grandmother, Isabelle was the apple of her eye, and her grandmother didn’t want her to be wasted on a nouveau riche. She called to urgently advise her to find a suitable man to marry and get a marriage certificate as soon as possible!
Once she had a marriage certificate, her father would no longer be able to sell her!
With no other choice, Isabelle posted a marriage advertisement online. To her surprise, on the third day, she received a call from Grandpa Bernard, the elderly man whose life she had saved from a heart attack half a year ago!
He mentioned that he had a grandson who was struggling to get married, a 28-year-old corporate executive, who would be a good match for her, and suggested they meet!
The man in front of her was Grandpa Bernard's grandson, Antoine!
However, time was pressing; she had to be at her senior sister's designated location by 10:30 AM to pick up a business deal, and it was already 9:48 AM!
Gathering her emotions, disregarding Antoine's indifferent expression, and not sitting down, she directly said, "Grandpa Bernard should have told you about my situation. If you feel it's acceptable, let’s proceed now!"
"Are you that urgent?" The man’s face was expressionless, his entire demeanor exuding a sharp coldness.
"Yes, I’m a bit urgent!" Isabelle had resigned a few days ago and hadn’t found a new job yet, with no source of income. This business opportunity was too important for her to waste time here!
Little did she know, her urgent demeanor appeared to Antoine as the scheming impatience of a social climber. He, Antoine, was the helmsman, the CEO of Groupe Antoine Leclerc!
Antoine’s eyes revealed an indescribable sarcasm, "Alright, I agree. Do you have all your documents? Follow me now!" With that, he stood up, strode out with his long legs, and directly headed outside!
"Are you...?" Isabelle was puzzled.
"The city hall is fifty meters ahead; you didn’t tell me you didn’t know, did you?" the man coldly said.
"I do know the city hall is not far ahead; you mean..." Isabelle was even more astonished.
"We’re going to get the certificate now!" The man's voice grew colder, and in a few strides, he had reached the café door.
"Ah, get the certificate now? That’s too urgent, isn’t it?" Although Isabelle’s top priority was indeed to get married and obtain a certificate, it couldn’t be done the moment they met.
"Haha, are you unwilling?" The man chuckled, glanced back at her with a meaningful look. This location was chosen by Isabelle, close to the city hall.
"Me?" Isabelle was stunned for a moment.
A couple of days ago, she had met several blind dates in this café, either old, short, and unattractive, or just weird men, and even one man had coffee thrown in his face by her!
Compared to those people, Antoine was a swan in the sky!
"If you're unwilling, it’s still time to regret!" The man continued coldly.
"I, I’m willing!" Isabelle gritted her teeth.
Grandpa Bernard was a good man; although his grandson had a peculiar personality, he should not be a bad person, and moreover, he had an unparalleled appearance that was pleasing to the eye.
The man’s eyes revealed an expected expression, and without another word, he walked out of the café directly.
Isabelle hurriedly followed, pushing her scooter, and chased after him!