slowly falling for you

CHAPTER 2 (ACCEPT THE GAME RULES) Sharlene was reluctant, but the worry on her father's face and the fact that the Wood family business was once her mother's achievement left her no choice. For her mother's sake, she reluctantly nodded in agreement. because of this, Trenton had grown to resent her. The bond they once shared was overshadowed by his anger at her taking the place of the woman he loved. in recent days, Sharlene often had the same dream, but only the first half was based on reality. As for the rest... she had no idea why she dreamed of such things. Was it a hint about her future life? No matter how difficult things would be, now that she had chosen to marry into the Howard family, there was no turning back. Grandpa Dayton's only requirement was that she and Trenton could not get a divorce. "Today..." Sharlene hesitated, quickly glancing at Trenton's expression before summoning her courage to continue, "I’m supposed to..." Before she could finish, Trenton slammed a file folder onto the coffee table. Take a look at the terms. If you don’t have a problem, sign it." Sharlene was taken aback. "What is this?" Trenton didn't respond, his face showing a hint of impatience. He ignored Sharlene and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it for himself. Sharlene paused, bending down to open the file folder. inside it was just two pieces of paper, but as soon as she saw the title, she couldn't help but freeze in shock. Marriage Agreement? She looked at Trenton in confusion before continuing to read the contents of the pages. Trenton’s demands weren't too many, but they were detailed. He required that during the marriage, Sharlene must not do anything that would harm him or the Howard family, must not interfere with his personal life, could not voice objections to his behavior, and definitely could not tell other people that she was his wife. After their divorce, he would compensate her with thirty million and three properties under his name. The duration of this arrangement? Just one year. After the divorce, he wanted nothing to do with her. At the bottom, there was Trenton’s vigorous signature. This..." Sharlene swallowed hard, surprised yet undeniably intrigued. "Are you serious? Just one year before divorce?" Trenton replied coolly, "What do you think?" "But Dayton said..." Before she could finish, he interrupted her, "If it weren't for your Grandpa, do you think I would marry you? One year, this is the best I can do." After saying that, Trenton took a puff of his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke. The swirling haze obscured his perfect features. Through the smoke, he looked at Sharlene, his eyes distant and cold, tinged with unmasked disdain. Sharlene felt a pang in her heart, then bitterly nodded. "Okay, I understand." If she hadn’t happened to be in his room that day, the person marrying him would have been Brinley Anderson. Maybe not now, but Trenton would eventually marry Brinley; it could never be Sharlene. Sharlene knew all too well what it felt like to marry someone one didn't love. She had grievances, but who could she blame? Fate had played a cruel joke on her. it was her mistake to enter Trenton’s room; he hated her, and she could understand that. She wouldn't hold it against him. "Good," he said, a mocking smile flickering across his lips. "Sharlene, don’t think that marrying me means you can live without worries. Since your family had the guts to play tricks, you should know that the game has begun, and you must accept the rules without question." Sharlene knew how much he despised her right now. Given the Wood family’s current situation, it was hard not to think that everything was her scheme. Have you made up your mind? If you have, just sign here." He looked at her, his gaze sharp and piercing, his tone dripping with impatience. "If you haven't decided yet, I can give you a minute to think it over, but I don’t take no for an answer. Understand?