Twilight. Outside the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Sophia Rivers stared at the vivid red booklet in her hands, feeling like she was still wrapped in some bizarre dream.

Just yesterday, her father had asked her to go to the Rivers' family villa to pick up her mother's belongings. She had naively thought he’d finally come around and decided to return her mother’s last keepsakes. But as soon as she arrived, the truth hit her hard—it was all a trap. They locked her in and tried to force her to take her stepsister’s place marrying some brutal, old man.

No matter how much she resisted, it was useless.

Her stepmother, Victoria Lee, coldly sneered, “Sophia Rivers, you're nothing more than the stray dog this family raised. You don’t get to say ‘no’ to us!”

When desperation almost swallowed her whole, she managed to find a chance to sneak out late at night.

She wasn’t about to let them toy with her life like this. If they wanted to see her married off, fine—she’d pick someone random and thwart their plans entirely!

So, after browsing a bunch of dating websites, she found someone who seemed to match her circumstances well enough. She grabbed her household registry and arranged to meet him immediately. As long as the guy was willing to marry her, she was ready to seal the deal on the spot.

But before her supposed date even showed up, she unexpectedly ran into Ethan Cole—the CEO of Haeven Group and, coincidentally, her boss.

What was he doing here?It was mid-afternoon, the perfect time for coffee. So, was he here for coffee and business talks?

Sophia Rivers saw Ethan Cole sitting across from another man, deep in conversation. For a second, she thought his gaze flicked in her direction.

She quickly looked away, pretending not to notice. The less trouble, the better.

Ethan Cole had only been the CEO at their company for two weeks now. As a designer in the planning department, Sophia hadn’t had any direct interactions with him yet. Surely, there was no way Mr. Big Boss would recognize her.

"Sophia Rivers." A low, crisp male voice suddenly spoke her name above her head. Calm and soft, yet carrying a commanding authority.

Sophia stiffened but forced herself to remain composed. She turned with a polite smile. "Mr. Cole, what a coincidence."

He stood tall in front of her, his steely presence exuding a sense of dominance that brought her right back to the mindset of dealing with a superior at work.

Wait, the man he was talking to earlier? Gone already? Do business meetings end that abruptly?

Clenching her hands lightly, she maintained a respectful demeanor. She hadn't expected this CEO to actually know who she was.

As more people started trickling into the café, she silently hoped Ethan would leave soon. The last thing she needed was for him to stick around when her blind date showed up—it would be beyond awkward. "I’m late, sorry about that." The man’s lips curled into a faint smile, almost teasing, as he handed her a box of chocolates and gracefully took the seat across from her.

Sophia Rivers’ eyes widened in disbelief. Two heart-shaped chocolates—this was the agreed-upon signal she had set up with her blind date. But why did Ethan Cole have them?

The realization hit her like a cold splash of water, and she instinctively covered her mouth with her hand.

He’s the blind date?

No way…

Ethan’s gaze lingered on her, one eyebrow slightly arched. "Your photo doesn’t really do you justice."

Heat flushed Sophia’s face. The photo she had used was an old, makeup-free picture she’d uploaded from her personal account long ago. Even though she was desperate to get married, she still believed in staying cautious about her personal info.

So, had Ethan done the same?

She scrambled to recall his profile picture, but it was hopeless—she’d swiped through so many faces last night that everything blurred together. The only thing she vaguely remembered was thinking his face looked decent at first glance.

Then there was the information he’d entered on his profile—his job was in venture capital, just like hers. Other than that, though, nothing really stood out.

So this guy, who she thought had a similar background to hers, turned out to be her boss, Ethan Cole?

The thought made her suck in a sharp breath, stunned by her own conclusion."Ethan Cole's lips curved slightly as he picked up a small bouquet of baby’s breath flowers that Sophia Rivers had left on the table.

Everything matched up—he’d brought her chocolates, and she’d prepared the baby’s breath for him…

It was really him.

No wonder he recognized her and could call her name so accurately.

“Well, this works out. At least, we already understand each other to some extent,” Ethan said in a calm and steady tone, his sharp eyes fixed on Sophia.

Sophia’s smile froze. Understand each other? Not even close.

Aside from knowing he was her boss and absurdly good-looking, she knew practically nothing about him.

And as for him, other than the fact that she worked at Haiying, it seemed like he didn’t know much about her either.

Just as her thoughts raced in chaos, his voice interrupted again, smooth as ever. "If your conditions are acceptable, we could get married right away. We’ve got time now—let’s head to the civil affairs office and get the paperwork done."

Sophia sat there dumbfounded, her brain grinding to a halt.

She had planned to marry someone as soon as possible, sure, but her own boss?

Her mind was spinning so wildly that everything seemed tangled.

She snapped back to reality when she saw Ethan stand up, grab his jacket, and start walking toward the door. Panicking, she quickly called out, "Mr. Cole, this isn’t appropriate!"Ethan Cole stopped and turned to look at her, his thin lips pressed together slightly, as if waiting for her to explain.

His sharp, bright eyes rested on Sophia Rivers' face, carrying a hint of curiosity and a trace of gentleness. The usual sharpness in his striking features seemed to soften in this moment.

If she didn’t know his true identity, Sophia thought, she wouldn't have hesitated.

She swallowed hard. “Mr. Cole, you could definitely find someone much better.”

The words were barely out of her mouth before her face turned bright red. What was she even saying? What gave her the right to say something like that? Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling—it was absurd for someone like Ethan Cole, so exceptional, to rush into a marriage with her.

Ethan’s brows pulled together slightly for a moment.

“What if I told you that you’re exactly the right person?”

“Huh?” Sophia was momentarily stunned, unable to process his words.

His expression darkened briefly, though the corners of his lips quirked up in a faint smile. “I’m guessing that for someone like you—even if I don’t know the full story—you wouldn’t be doing this unless you had a good reason. I’m the same. I need to build the image of a well-rounded, settled businessman, and quickly. That means creating a stable family. So from this perspective, we’re a perfect match.”

“Besides, we’re both adults. We know that when it comes to marriage, compatibility sometimes matters more than anything else.”

Sophia nodded hesitantly, unsure if she fully grasped his point, but unable to ignore how his words carried a surprising warmth. Ethan's words were undeniably compelling. Besides, let's be real—he's the CEO and she's just an ordinary employee. If he's willing to marry her, what exactly is she hesitating over?

———

“Sophia.” That deep yet gentle voice suddenly echoed, pulling Sophia Rivers out of her thoughts.

She made a soft sound in reply and looked up.

Under the warm glow of the setting sun, Ethan Cole stood a short distance away, next to his sleek luxury car, his eyes meeting hers.

Was he... waiting for her?

Sophia's cheeks flushed slightly. She quickly tucked the red marriage booklet away and jogged toward him. “Mr. Cole—”

The sharp look in Ethan's eyes instantly made her words catch in her throat.

“You should start calling me something else now.”

She fidgeted, her lips moving, but the name "Ethan" wouldn't come out no matter how hard she tried. In her mind, he was still that untouchable, high-and-mighty CEO.

For a brief moment, an unreadable emotion flickered across Ethan’s face, but it disappeared just as quickly, replaced by his usual calm expression. “Get in. I’ll take you home.”