Chapter: 9

"What?" she gasped, wondering if she had misheard.

“I said, marry me." Jonathan's eyes locked onto hers as he approached, his voice calm as if he were discussing the weather.

Bethany stood frozen in place.

“Mr. Bates, you don't have to test me," she replied after a moment.

She wasn't naive. If Jonathan wanted to get married, countless women would jump at the chance.

She was certain this had to be a test.

Obviously, Jonathan just wanted to see if she was ambitious and money-hungry; after all, marrying him would be her ticket out of hardship.

But Jonathan ignored her words and said, “Your mother's undergoing treatment right now, yes? I'll find her the best doctors and cover all her medical expenses. If you agree to my proposal, we can go to the city hall and make it official tomorrow."

He said this with a straight face. It didn't seem like he was joking.

But...

“Why?" Bethany asked.

“I just said I need to get married. The reason I chose you is because you're the most suitable one," Jonathan explained.

"Mr. Bates..." Bethany racked her brains for a good excuse to refuse him. "You see, the thing is...I have a boyfriend."

Good things in life were never free—this was something she firmly believed in.

So, whether Jonathan was just testing her or genuinely wanted to get married, Bethany didn't want to get involved. Claiming she had a boyfriend seemed like the perfect way to make him back down.

Sure enough, at the mention of a boyfriend, Jonathan's expression darkened.

"Really?" he asked dubiously, brows furrowed.

"Why would I lie about this?"

Before he could question her further, Bethany stretched out her hand and said briskly, "Mr. Bates, please give me the contract."

"Fine."

Before kicking her out of the presidential suite, Jonathan told her to get the contract from his secretary.

Bethany left quickly, contract in tow. As she made her way back, she pondered over what happened, wondering if it was all just a dream.

Did Jonathan actually want to marry her?

How bizarre!