The Professor's Lie Accidental Billionaire

In Aster Bay, late summer, a light rain was falling, casting a slight chill in the air. Elena Vance arrived at a trendy Western restaurant for a blind date. She wrapped her khaki trench coat tighter, clutched her ID card in her pocket, and mustered the courage to step inside. This time, she was determined to get married, no matter what. Her grandmother was eighty years old and in poor health; she hoped to see her granddaughter married before she passed. There was another reason: she needed to escape her suffocating family. Ever since her mother died in a car accident, she had become the stain on the Vance family—despised by everyone, even the dogs and pigs. Her stepmother and sister-in-law constantly complained that she didn’t contribute enough to household expenses, didn’t help with chores, and was never home, always leaving early and returning late. They frequently criticized her in front of her father and brother, yet both men would sit with cold, expressionless faces, pretending not to hear. It was clear they, too, found her unbearable. Fortunately, Susan Harrow, whom she had saved three months ago, offered to introduce her son and mentioned wanting them to marry soon. From Susan Harrow, she learned that her son, Julian Harrow, was a law professor at a university in Aster Bay. He was thirty, had no bad habits, earned a monthly salary of twenty thousand, drove a car worth over three hundred thousand, and had already paid off his mortgage on a place in the city center—meaning little financial pressure in the future. For Elena Vance, these were quite ideal conditions. Susan Harrow and her husband were both university professors—educated intellectuals with open minds. They believed in maintaining separate lives after marriage, only hoping for a child within five years, with no pressure to rush. She sat down at the table she had reserved and waited. A full half-hour passed before Julian Harrow arrived, composed and unhurried. "My apologies for keeping you waiting, Miss Vance." The man's voice came from behind her, magnetic and measured. Elena Vance, who had been busy on her tablet, looked up at the newcomer and was struck speechless. This man's looks would have been wasted on an acting career. Could someone this attractive even exist? Delicate brows and eyes, a sharply defined jawline, a tall, slender figure, and beneath the crisp white shirt peeking out from his black trench coat, the faint hint of an enticing Adam's apple... With looks like these, paired with a professor's job, how could he possibly lack for women? Was this some kind of joke? Had Susan Harrow misled her? The "rascal" she had described turned out to be this strikingly handsome? With his refined, dignified bearing and impeccably chosen attire, why would someone like him need a blind date, let alone a rushed marriage? "Are you Julian Harrow, Mr. Harrow?" Elena Vance quickly composed herself, suppressing her surprise. Julian Harrow gave a calm smile and sat across from her, crossing his long legs. "Yes, I am." "Mr. Harrow, you're thirty minutes late. Though you're Susan Harrow's son, principles still matter. I hope you can be punctual in future meetings." She was here to consider a rushed marriage, but that didn't mean she would tolerate being dismissed so casually. If a professor couldn't be punctual, what kind of example did that set for students? "Susan Harrow? I suppose it's still 'Susan' until after we've registered," Julian Harrow remarked with a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He studied her: Elena Vance's blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, curling naturally at the ends. Her skin was fair, her eyes dark as grapes, her lips pressed together in a slight pout—clearly unimpressed with his tardiness. His mother hadn't lied to him; Elena Vance was undeniably a rare beauty. Elena quickly deduced he was a fox—no wonder he had become Aster Bay's youngest law professor at such an age. He had already seized the opportunity to shift the conversation, subtly reminding her that she hadn't yet changed how she addressed his mother. "So, Mr. Harrow, do you plan to be late again in the future?" Though Elena Vance hadn't grown up pampered or spoiled, she had always been a stickler for principles. "Being late today was my mistake, and I apologize, Miss Vance. However, I should make clear that after marriage, I'll likely be home from Monday to Friday, while weekends will be spent dining with my parents. I'll take care of my own meals—it seems I won't often have the chance to share meals with you. I hope you understand." Julian Harrow was there only because his mother had insisted, threatening to take drastic measures and claiming she would accept no one but Elena Vance as her daughter-in-law. Otherwise, why would he be rushing to meet and marry a complete stranger? His words were a polite way of drawing a line. Elena Vance understood perfectly: they would be married, but each would live their own life—each responsible for their own meals, their own routines. He wouldn't even have the chance to be late again in the future. On the surface, Julian Harrow appeared refined and courteous, but beneath that veneer, he was keeping her at arm's length. Elena Vance smiled. Though she had worn light makeup today, softening her usual sharp, professional demeanor, to Julian Harrow, the smile seemed somewhat enigmatic. In the past, she would have slammed the table and walked out. But today, she had to get married. She needed to stop her brother and sister-in-law from accusing her of staying unmarried just to fight for her share of their parents' inheritance. She was tired of being called irresponsible, of not contributing to household expenses—even though she sent her sister-in-law ten thousand dollars every month. Between external pressures and her personal circumstances, she was forced to bend to reality. So she had agreed to Julian Harrow's mother: to marry Julian Harrow. The professor's mother was just as formidable as her son was outstanding. How such a brilliant son could agree to a rushed marriage was beyond her. Just as the two had reached an impasse and fallen silent, Julian Harrow's phone rang.