Sitting by a window in a cozy and elegantly decorated cafe, Nathalie casually sipped her cup of coffee.
Her gaze slowly fell on the person in front of her. After a brief examination, she couldn't help but wonder, "Is it so hard for men to get married these days that such a handsome face has to resort to blind dates?"
The man facing her had a breathtaking appearance and intense, mesmerizing narrow eyes that also carried a hint of inscrutable coldness. A slight lift at the tail of his eyes made him look seductively charming.
Wearing only a plain white shirt and trousers, his broad-shouldered slim figure stood out along with his naturally calm demeanor, making him look like the heir to a prestigious family.
Had she not known about his 'ordinary' background before their meeting, Nathalie would have been fooled by his appearance.
Composing herself and sorting her thoughts, she cut to the chase, "We have already talked about my situation online. If you're okay with it, we can register our marriage later."
While saying this, she kept a serious tone as if she was discussing business matters, keeping it simple.
Although this was her first marriage, for Nathalie it meant securing the inheritance rights of the Jenkins family.
Originally, there was no need for her to go through all this trouble.
As the Jenkins family's young heiress, she could have easily inherited the shares under her name once she turned eighteen.
However, on the night of her coming-of-age party, her stepmother Faye Langley, and stepsister Samantha Jenkins, tricked her into getting pregnant through despicable means.
With threats and intimidation, she lost her inheritance.
Nathalie thought she had also lost all chances of changing her situation, but she never expected her mentally disturbed biological mother to have left a trump card.
And that was: as long as she got married, she could inherit twenty-five percent of the shares under her mother's name.
After getting the marriage certificate, it takes effect immediately.
During this time, Faye and her daughter had been thinking about that a lot, which is why Nathalie was forced to hurriedly find someone for a blind date and to get married.
When it comes to a marriage partner, she didn't have many requirements, someone obedient and easy to handle would do.
But the current situation is better than she had imagined.
This man is quite a feast for the eyes!
Everyone loves beautiful things and Nathalie was no exception.
She felt less frustrated because of that.
While she was pondering, the man opposite her raised an eyebrow, a playful emotion flashed across his seemingly affectionate, yet actually cold and distant eyes.
Cameron Bennett was almost certain the woman had mistaken her blind date's identity.
The person his stepmother, Olivia Carter, pushed his way was an illegitimate daughter from a minor family, ordinary-looking.
However, this woman, whether it was her appearance or personality, completely surpasses the other. They were not on the same level.
Cameron found that interesting.
Olivia hoped to restrain him with a marriage, her scheme was clear.
So, he wondered what kind of expression she would have if she knew her plan had gone awry.
Wouldn't that be incredibly exciting?
A faint glint of coldness flashed across Cameron's eyes.
"I have no concerns as well. We can get married right now."
His voice was deep and magnetic, tinged with a hint of chill.
"Alright, let's go then."
Nathalie was a firm believer in efficiency, so upon receiving approval from the other party, she immediately set things in motion.
An hour later, they were outside the Department of Vital Records.
Clutching the freshly issued certificate, Nathalie was momentarily stunned, a rare occurrence.
Transitioning from being single to being married was a change that she was struggling to adapt to.
However, the man beside her seemed to fit into his newfound status very well, “Let's have a pleasant relationship, Mrs. Bennett! Where should we head next? Should we celebrate our first day of marriage with a candlelit dinner? I've heard that you ladies place a lot of importance on such traditions.”
Being called ‘Mrs. Bennett’ left Nathalie flabbergasted. It took her quite a while to regain her composure and erase the expression of unfamiliarity across her beautiful face.
She said, "You can just call me Nathalie, no need to call me Mrs. Bennett, it feels... unfamiliar. As for the dinner, if you'd like, I can arrange it. However, let's first discuss how we should interact from now on. After all, we are not exactly familiar with each other. To avoid any family disputes in the future, it would be reasonable to set our expectations."
Cameron showed surprise, finding these words quite novel.
Married couples that are not familiar with each other.
It was an argument he couldn't refute.
When it came down to it, they had only met for the first time today.
However, Cameron didn't agree immediately. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Go on."
Nathalie wasn't too surprised by his reaction.
This man appeared aloof and upright, emanating an indefinable sense of distance.
He didn't seem easy to get along with.
Nathalie didn't beat around the bush and detailed her conditions.
"After we get married, considering that we have no emotional basis, we don't have to fulfill our marital duties. But, we still have to adhere to the moral bottom line. You can't be flirting around, and I will be a good wife and do what I'm supposed to do.
You can move your things home later, I've had a guest room prepared for you. Since we're married, there's no need to live separately.
You work at a bar and your social circle is diverse, so I'd like you to quit and stay home with the kids. Of course, I will give you a sum of money every month for living expenses and pocket money. Also, you can use the spare car in the garage when you go out.
As for lifestyle, I don't have any bad habits, I don't smoke or drink to excess. What about you?"
At this point, she looked at Cameron.
He didn't answer but squinted his eyes.
The conditions she proposed for their marriage seemed fair and agreeable to him. He had no objection.
But, was there something off just now?
Furrowing his brow, he dug the key point from Nathalie's words, "Do you have children?"
This woman, does she expect him to 'play house'?
Was he being forced into living off a woman's money?
"I told you about this, did you forget?"
Nathalie also frowned.
Before going on a blind date, she had confessed through messages.
At that time, he expressed no objections.
Cameron was left speechless.
This was not part of the plan.
Although he agreed to the marriage to mess with Olivia, he hadn't expected Nathalie to have kids.
Cameron had mixed feelings about suddenly becoming a dad.
But the certificate had been issued already, and it was too late to regret.
After a while, he could only accept it and said, "You're right, I forgot. It won't happen again. How many children do you have? Boys or girls?"
Nathalie remembered that she had not mentioned this, so she softened her expression and answered, "Triplets, all boys. Their names are Ethan, Noah, and Lucas."
Cameron remained silent.
It was like getting three for the price of one!