A Wife For The Billionaire

Chapter 4:

“I asked...” Michanel spoke louder and slower, “Alina, will you marry me, Michanel?”

Alina blinked, taking three seconds to confirm she wasn’t dreaming. A tall, handsome man, whom her aunt and uncle flattered, was proposing to her.

“I will,” she blurted out.

She loved doing things that made them uncomfortable.

The Miller family panicked. Mrs. Miller almost fainted.

Even Michanel found Alina’s straightforwardness surprising. Well, it saved him from saying more.

Immediately, Michanel took her away under the astonished eyes of the Miller family.

Mrs. Miller looked at her two beautiful daughters, unable to believe it. “The heavens are blind. How can this be? How can this be? Does Commander William have vision problems?”

Mr. Miller, realizing the gravity, slapped his forehead. “This is trouble.” He looked at Mrs. Miller with terrified eyes. She immediately understood and burst into tears.

Recently, Miller Group’s business hadn’t been going well, nearing bankruptcy. Fortunately, General Manager James Davis of Davis Group offered help, but not for free. James Davis had a weakness for young girls, especially underaged ones.

Initially, James Davis had his eyes on Emily, but Mr. Miller couldn’t bear to ruin his own daughter. After much discussion, they decided on Alina.

Mr. Miller instructed someone. Mrs. Miller drugged her, and the couple delivered their niece to James’s pre-booked hotel room.

Yet, the next day, Michanel brought her home to meet his parents. Michanel’s wife, serving another man, once exposed, would spell disaster.

The more they contemplated, the greater their fear grew. Despite the sultry afternoon, they broke into a cold sweat.

By the time they arrived, the Civil Affairs Bureau was closed. But one call from Michanel, and the director came to witness their marriage.

It took only two minutes.

Leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, the sky was dark, the sun setting in the west, and the twilight fading.

Perhaps the solemn military uniform made her trust him entirely.

Only later did Alina realize she had just registered to marry a stranger she had only just met. It felt like a dream.

Was she impulsive? Could she still change her mind?

Michanel’s tall figure walked ahead, occasionally glancing back to confirm. He scrutinized her from head to toe. Despite her injuries, one look confirmed her identity.

She has short hair that reaches her ears, with bangs that cover her forehead, and delicate features that resemble a painting up close. Her slender neck, white as jade, unmistakably her.

“Get in the car this way.”

“Yes, sir.”

When the car was halfway, Michanel’s phone rang; it was his family calling. He glanced at Alina briefly, didn’t stop the car, and answered, “Hello, what’s up, Mom?”

Mrs. William, on the other end, eagerly asked, “Did you bring your girlfriend home, son?”

“Yes.”

“That’s great. Come back quickly.”

Michanel glanced at Alina again, then worriedly said, “Can it be another day? Her condition is not great at the moment.”

“What’s wrong? Morning sickness?” Mrs. William was both excited and thrilled. “Don’t worry, son, the more morning sickness, the healthier the baby is. Bring her home; don’t let her have any prejudithrilled.ce against our family.”

“...” Michanel was truly at a loss for words. This was the path he chose; he had to see it through. “Alright, then prepare yourselves properly.”

“Okay, we are all set.”

In the grand, ancient mansion of the William family, Mr. and Mrs. William sat on one side of the sofa, while Michanel and Alina sat on the other. Between them, on the coffee table, lay two brand new marriage certificates.

Everyone remained silent, and the atmosphere froze with awkwardness.

Initially, the William couple had been very cheerful, but now they were silent. Their previous high expectations had turned into deep disappointment.

Is this a daughter-in-law? Her clothes were disheveled, her face bruised, and her ears pierced in multiple places. Even though ripped jeans were in fashion, her clothes were too tattered!

Mr. and Mrs. William couldn’t believe their son’s taste was this strange. They were speechless for a long time.

After a while, Mrs. William suppressed her inner turmoil and asked the most important question, “Is she really pregnant?”

“I...” Alina spoke, but Michanel quickly interjected, “It’s not the right time to say yet; it would be bad luck.”

“Alright, I won’t ask about that. How old are you, young lady?”

Again, Michanel answered, “Age doesn’t matter as long as you can legally register for marriage.”

Mr. William’s face grew darker. He didn’t expect his future daughter-in-law to be an aristocrat, but at least she should be elegant and well-mannered. Was that too much to ask? But this girl in front of him... was truly unpresentable.

Mrs. William suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. She patted her chest and asked, “Do your parents know, young lady? Are they okay with this?”

Michanel calmly said, “Her family has no objections. Oh, right, Dad, you might know them. It’s Mr. Miller; he used to work for you.”

William pondered briefly. “Mr. Miller’s daughter?”

Alina wanted to respond, but saw Michanel’s look of wanting her to stay quiet, so she kept silent.

Michanel stood up, pulling her along, “Dad, Mom, you’ve met my girlfriend. We’re not staying for dinner. Let’s go.”

“Your... attitude is unacceptable!”

“You brat, come back here, come back!”

Ignoring his parents’ anger, Michanel hurriedly dragged the pitiful Alina out. If he could leave at 7:00, he wouldn’t stay until 7:01.

In the ten brief minutes from entering the house to leaving, Alina remained in a daze.

The night covered everything, and stars twinkled in the sky. Alina couldn’t see the William house clearly, but she could see the expressions on Mr. and Mrs. William’s faces. They expressed great displeasure towards her.

Pleasing them would have been odd.

“Hey, you...” She didn’t even know his name. “What about us? Are we really getting married?”

“We’ve already registered the marriage. Isn’t that certain enough? Don’t worry, I’m in control of the situation.”

“Why me?”

Under the bright moonlight, Alina turned towards him, but still couldn’t look him straight in the eyes. Her doubtful eyes lowered, more captivating than the moonlight itself.

Many years later, Michanel still couldn’t forget Alina’s cautious demeanor when she first asked him this question. He thought, at that time, she was too helpless, too weak, so much that she would grasp any straw to survive, fearing to lose the chance.

Michanel didn’t answer. Although he had been drugged, he couldn’t deny that his mind had wavered, nor could he deny he had violated her. This incident was like a curtain covering a festering wound on the lowest moral line he held; he didn’t want to discuss it with anyone.

In the early autumn night, a chilly breeze blew gently.

The icy wind, coupled with Michanel’s icy gaze, made Alina shiver, hugging herself tightly.

Michanel quietly slowed down, and when Alina wasn’t paying attention, he walked beside her.

Suddenly, someone draped a jacket over her thin shoulders. The oversized military jacket still carried the warmth of the strange man.

Alina shuddered, nervously trying to take the jacket off, “No, no, you wear it.” To her, the military uniform was sacred, and wearing it would be disrespectful.

He gently pressed her hand down. “Keep it on; it’s cold at night.”

His gentle, low voice poured into her ears. She looked up, noticing the bones in his hands, the long, clean fingers. Feeling the warmth from his fingertips, her heart skipped a beat.

Although he was serious and cold, sometimes he was considerate and caring.

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?”

“No, no,” Alina whiffled her head. Facing a strong and older man, she instantly became a meek little bun. Before knowing whether he was friend or foe, it was best to hide her true self.

However, her rumbling stomach betrayed her.

Michanel smiled slightly. “Your mouth says no, but your body is honest.”

“...” Clearly, he was an experienced man.

Halfway through driving to find a restaurant, Michanel’s phone rang again, another call from his family. He didn’t need to guess what his mother wanted to say.

He sighed and finally answered the call after rejecting it multiple times.

Mrs. William’s voice was angry. “Your father confirmed with Mr. Miller that Alina is not his daughter! Do you want to drive me mad? Why would you repeatedly bring home a girl who looks neither male nor female? She’s young, okay, but Mr. Miller said her parents divorced when she was young, and she was left undisciplined. She’s a problematic student; your father and I do not agree!”

“It’s too late; the rice is cooked.”

“She can give birth or not; it’s up to her. If she gives birth, we’ll raise the child; if not, she should leave early!”

“Mom, this time you’ve gone too far.”

“You’re the one going too far, Michanel!” Mrs. William was so angry she was seeing stars. She handed the phone to Mr. William. His voice boomed, scolding over the phone, “You insolent brat, are you deliberately going against me?”

His voice was so loud that Michanel held the phone away a bit, accidentally seeing the little girl in the passenger seat looking at him fearfully. Her eyes seemed to say: Please don’t leave me.