The air was unusually fresh and pleasant in City S after the heavy rain. Even the heatwave, which lasted for many days, had become less intense. Now, it was much cooler to walk under the sun.
The luxurious Maybach drove through the busy traffic, adding a dash of bright color to this city in the afternoon.
The man in the driver's seat had the kind of handsome face which was envied by many. At that moment, he pressed his thin lips tightly, and his deep-set eyes were filled with anger.
He never expected that, after his mischievous grandparents played matchmaker and set his parents up, they would do the same to him.
The car stopped at an intersection before the traffic light. He was so annoyed that he kept honking. He no longer bothered to be well-mannered, like he always was, and started behaving rudely.
Well, his fate and future marriage was at the mercy of others. If someone managed to stay calm at a time like this, then that person must have lost his mind.
He took out his cell phone and dialed a number that he had known by heart. As soon as the call was answered, he immediately bombarded the person with his order. "Where are you? I'm heading over right now. I don't care if you have something important to attend to. Put it aside for now."
"I'm at work. What happened?" On the other end of the phone, Sapphira Xavier was slightly worried. She could tell from the tone of his voice that he was furious. She wondered what it had to do with her.
"Wait there," Jerzy Moore said, hung up the phone immediately, and sped toward the biggest magazine publisher in City S — Capital Star Magazine.
He knew that she was hired by that company after she returned to the country, but he had never met her since she came back.
Sapphira bit her lip and felt a little anxious for some inexplicable reason. Not knowing what was going to happen, she was concerned, and her face turned pale.
And knowing that Jerzy was coming to meet her, her heart was filled with mixed feelings. After all, it would be the first time that they met each other again after being apart for four years.
She paced back and forth in front of her company building, trying hard to suppress the agitation and worry in her heart. She wondered how she should greet him later. Would it be more appropriate to greet him gently or enthusiastically?
Followed by an ear-splitting sound of the car brake, a black Maybach stopped in front of her. A handsome man immediately got out of the car.
"Why did you do that?" Jerzy questioned her in an overbearing manner as soon as he started speaking. He sized her up impudently and was surprised to see so many changes in her after they had not seen each other for years. The first thing he noticed was that she seemed much more mature now.
"What?" Sapphira frowned confusedly. It had only been a little over a week since she returned to City S. It seemed unlikely that she had upset this guy within that period of time.
"Don't play dumb. It's you, isn't it? You asked my grandparents to set us up." Jerzy looked at her with disappointment in his eyes.
They grew up together, and they were almost like siblings to one another. However, ever since he found out that she had a crush on him a few years ago, he rejected her love without hesitation. She went overseas for that reason. He thought that she had let go of her feelings for him when she came back this time, but he did not expect to end up with her for the rest of his life.
"Jerzy, can you explain it clearly? I seriously don't know what you're talking about." As Sapphira listened, she grew increasingly confused. She did not know why he was angry. It had been years since they last met, but he had become more attractive now. Too bad he still did not have a place for her in his heart.
"Sapphira, it’s pointless to keep playing dumb. Dare you say that you know nothing about our marriage?" He had received a photo of a marriage certificate with both of their names on it from his grandmother. That was why he rushed to meet her to confirm its validity.
"What marriage certificate? Jerzy, can you explain?" Sapphira frowned deeply, because his accusation puzzled her.
He sneered coldly. "Was I mistaken and it's all just a misunderstanding? Or did you change so much that you've become a great actor?
Regardless of what you say, I will never approve of this marriage, so you'd better give up on me!" Jerzy chuckled sarcastically with a hint of contempt on his handsome face.
"Marriage? Do you mean we’re married to each other?" Sapphira tried to put snippets of what he had said together and finally realized what he meant. She wondered if it was a misunderstanding. She was utterly perplexed at the moment.
"Weren’t you the one who planned everything?" Jerzy said. As soon as she returned to the country, something like this happened. If she claimed that it had nothing to do with her, he wouldn't buy it.
"Do you really think so?" There was a faint and sorrowful frown on Sapphira's face. Yes, it was true that she loved him. Even after all these years, she still could not get over him. But it did not mean that she would allow him to blame her for the things that she didn't do.
"Don't try to pass the buck. If you didn't hand over your ID card and family register to my grandparents, how did we become husband and wife by law?"
Although there was a saying, "Money makes the mare go", his grandparents still needed some official documents for a marriage certificate.
"About that..." Sapphira bit her lip. Her father had indeed asked for her ID card, but he claimed that it was for the license plate registration for her new car. He never mentioned anything about the marriage.
Hence, she had no idea how to plead her innocence at that particular moment.
"Tongue-tied? Now you have nothing to say, do you?" Jerzy looked at her with hostility. Compared to a few years ago, she seemed more accomplished and confident now. He wasn't sure whether it was because she was in a business suit.
"I'm sorry! I seriously don't know anything about this. But please don't worry. I won't force you to stay married to me because of this." She indeed loved him, but a forced marriage was not what she wanted. She must figure out the whole picture before trying to resolve this situation.
"I hope you can fulfill your promise." Seeing that she had been courteous and well-mannered throughout their exchange, Jerzy's tone softened. After all, it was uncalled for him to be mean to her when she was being nice to him.
"Jerzy, we haven't met each other for a few years. Is this the only thing that you want to say to me?" Sapphira felt as if her heart had been run over by a car. She had never thought that they would end up in a situation like this when they finally reunited.
"I could have treated you like you're my younger sister, but you've wanted more. I can't possibly reciprocate your feelings. You should be able to foresee the heartbreak." Jerzy looked away. Both of their families had been friends for many generations, but he hated marriages that were built on the basis of that sort of relationship. A few years ago, he had already made it clear to her about that, but she still couldn't get over him.
"No matter how you insult my character, I must tell you that I have never crossed a line. If you want to accuse me, can you at least show me the marriage certificate?" Sapphira was a beautiful and elegant woman. She was extremely gracious and carried herself well.
"If I have it, I would have dragged you to the Civil Affairs Bureau by now. Why would I stand here and argue with you?" He was furious partly because he did not know where the marriage certificate was. After all, if he wanted to break up their marriage, he must get his hands on it first.