Chapter: 20

Bethany sighed in relief and finally relaxed a Little. She took a seat at the table and tasted the hot porridge Jonathan had prepared for her. To her surprise, it was delicious, as though it had been cooked in a restaurant.

After breakfast, the two headed to the courthouse to register their marriage.

Half an hour later, Bethany was officially Mrs. Bates.

It felt so unreal, even as she held the marriage certificate in her hand.

"My assistant will take you to the hospital first so you can visit your mother. Later, you can come to my place after work," Jonathan said, already dressed in his suit. The transformation was immediate; he had returned to his cold CEO demeanor, his tone brooking no argument.

Bethany nodded and did as she was told, leaving the courthouse with his assistant.

Shortly after they departed, a sleek black car pulled up beside Jonathan.

The back window rolled down, revealing Nikolas' handsome face.

"Sometimes I really don't understand you. You took such a big risk marrying her, but you didn't confess your love. What on earth were you thinking?"

Jonathan cast a cold glance at him, opened the door, and got in.

“She has no feelings for me right now," he replied icily.

"So?" Nikolas narrowed his eyes at his friend. "You know what'll happen if your parents find out you got married without their permission. Is she worth it?"

Nikolas was a simple man. In his eyes, if he had a vague interest in a girl, he'd have a one-night stand with her and say goodbye. If he was more interested, he'd sleep with her a few more times before moving on. He couldn't understand why Jonathan cared so much about such an ordinary girl.

“If you don't tell my parents, they won't know," Jonathan said.

"They'll find out sooner or later!" Nikolas retorted, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “Though, I have to admit-I really want to see how this story ends. What'll you do if she doesn't develop any feelings for you?"

Jonathan left the question unanswered, turning his focus to his laptop to signal that the conversation was over.

His work couldn't wait until evening. Today was their official wedding night, and he had no intention of leaving his wife alone.

As the car started moving, Nikolas suddenly remembered something. He touched Jonathan's shoulder and said, "By the way, Maddie is coming back from abroad next week. We should all catch up. Have you seen her photos on social media? She looks really beautiful now."

Nikolas was visibly excited, whereas Jonathan didn't even raise his head. "Let's discuss it next week."

"Hey! Maddie's coming back just to help you out. You should be grateful, you know?"

As the car zipped through traffic, Nikolas shared amusing childhood stories about the three of them, but Jonathan barely listened.

Upon reaching the company, Jonathan didn't even bother with a goodbye.

He made a beeline for the CEO's private elevator and went straight upstairs.

"Mr. Bates, should we consider hiring more lawyers for the Nexara Corporation infringement case?" his secretary asked, entering with a document in hand. "I've heard they've brought in an internationally renowned Lawyer."