My Contract Marriage

Chapter 4

This was the first time she had seen Lucas lose his composure.

He usually wore a smile, behaved like a gentleman, and had a gentle and noble temperament. It was hard to imagine him being so emotional. This reminded her of the first time she met Lucas.

Lucas might think their first meeting was in a business building in the Far East, but Ella knew it was not there, but by the artificial lake at the State University library.

The State University library housed many ancient Far Eastern documents, which were helpful for Ella's studies, so she often went there to consult them.

One weekend during her undergraduate years, she spent a whole morning in the State University library. She left there at lunchtime, and as she walked out of the library, dark clouds gathered, a sign that a storm was coming.

Afraid that the rain would wet the books she borrowed, she chose a path that was closer to the dormitory but less traveled. This path passed by an artificial lake, with many plants along the way.

Since few people usually come here, it would be very obvious if someone sat by the lake.

A young man was sitting in a wheelchair, looking at the lake. He had short black, slightly curly hair, a well-defined jawline, and lips with beautiful lines. His skin was pale, obviously not exposed to the sun for a long time.

The young man was sitting upright in the wheelchair, exuding an extraordinary temperament. His eyes were very beautiful, light blue. There was a deep melancholy in his eyes, as if hiding many stories.

Ella was stunned. He sat there quietly, the wind blowing over the grass by his feet, against the dark sky. It was like a painting, one that should be treasured in a museum.

She was attracted and stood there staring at the man for a long time. He was too close to the artificial lake, looking so melancholic. Would he jump into the lake?

Ella dared not leave, staring at him intently.

However, the man didn't do anything. Before the storm came, he moved the wheelchair and left along the path by the lake.

Watching the man leave, Ella followed suit. She ran to buy an umbrella and returned to the man just as the rain started to fall, holding the umbrella for him.

The man was blocked outside the exhibition hall, and he looked up at the woman holding the umbrella for him, her clothes wet from the rain, also looking at him.

That was their first meeting.

Years later, Ella applied to study in the Far East for her graduate studies. To earn a living, she often took on part-time jobs. Lucas went to the Far East for business negotiations, and due to the host's negligence, there was a shortage of translators. Ella was hired temporarily. By fate's arrangement, they met again.

Lucas had changed a lot. He had gotten rid of the wheelchair and walked gracefully. He was wearing expensive, well-fitting suits and giving speeches in conference rooms.

When he saw Ella, who was brought in by the person in charge, he just greeted her politely and briefly. Ella also hid her surprise at seeing him again. Perhaps he didn't remember her. After all, they hadn't seen each other since that time.

Pretending it was their first meeting, Ella focused all her attention on her work, without any personal feelings mixed in.

After finishing the translation work, Ella continued her life as a student, treating this reunion as a minor episode in her life.

Completing the belated birthday wishes, Ella returned to her bedroom and fell asleep in the moonlight.

Her mentor regularly held meetings on the progress of her thesis, so she got up very early the next day. They lived in an apartment in the city center, not in the Bennett family's mansion. It was close to Bennett Films, where Lucas worked.

The apartment was large, and both of them had their own bathroom, dressing room, living room, and study. They lived independently without disturbing each other, even though they might be in the apartment at the same time.

This kind of life made Ella feel comfortable, and she didn't want to change it.

When she was ready to go out, the whole apartment was still quiet, with the doors of the guest room and Lucas's bedroom closed. She didn't know if he was still there.

He might still be sleeping, or he might have gone to the company. After all, he was always busy.

Passing by the sofa, she remembered what happened here last night and subconsciously took another look. The flowers on the coffee table had been replaced, and there was now a fresh bouquet of lilies in the vase.

There was a card in the middle of the bouquet, and Ella picked up the card. It had a message written on it: "Thank you for taking care of me last night. I'm sorry for the trouble. Breakfast was delivered to the dining room. If it suits your taste, please enjoy it."

The words were written in a calligraphic style, and Ella knew it was Lucas's handwriting. His handwriting was distinctive, showing that he was a decisive and decisive person.

The two had different schedules, and Lucas would occasionally leave notes.

She was a fake hostess and shouldn't eat the food before the real host had it. Lucas inviting her to breakfast was just a formality, but she couldn't be rude.

As usual, she wrote a polite rejection on the card. But today, she hesitated because she remembered Lucas asking her for a "happy birthday" last night.

Why hesitate? Ella didn't know. She put the card back in the bouquet and went to the garage.

The driver was ready, familiar with Ella's schedule, and always waiting for her in advance.

Ella greeted him friendly.

When they first got married, Lucas had proposed to hire chefs, cleaners, and drivers to take care of her life, but she refused.

Ella often researched historical materials at school and was used to eating at the university cafeteria. They were not real family, and she should not enjoy such services.

After discussion, they compromised: the cleaner would come regularly to clean the apartment; the assistant would deliver meals to Ella when she was in the apartment and needed them; Ella's transportation needs would be taken care of by the driver.

Compared to the driver's service, she preferred public transportation. She was born into an ordinary middle-class family and was not used to professional driver services.

But Lucas also had reasons to persuade her: "We need to live together due to the agreement, but the apartment is far from the State University, and your commuting time is longer. The driver's service is my compensation. Also, your behavior represents the Bennett family. Public transportation is not suitable for Mrs. Bennett and will damage the family's image."

Well, the family's image. Although Ella couldn't understand the old Bennett's so-called "image," she could only choose to compromise.

The driver took her to State University. She thanked him politely and informed him that he didn't need to pick her up for lunch, as she had an appointment at noon.