bChapter /bb68 /b

Ste froze, even forgetting how to react.

Kevin gazed at her with a fervent, pleading look, desperately hoping she’d say yes.

It took a long moment before Ste slowly withdrew her hand.

Kevin kept his eyes fixed on her every move, remaining silent as he anxiously awaited her answer.

Ste gazed out the window and said quietly, “Kevin, I’ve always seen you as my best friend, like a brother. I just don’t feel that way about you. Your idea is thoughtful, but I can’t ept it.”

Kevin said, “I know you don’t feel the same way, but you’re not turning me down just because we’re like brothers, are you? You’re trying to protect me, aren’t you?

“Ste, think about it. If you absolutely have to marry a Carver, marrying me would be a million times better than marrying Troy.

“Let’s make a deal. Let’s spend two years together. If you don’t fall for me by then, I’ll set you free, no strings attached. I just want to get you out of this mess.”

Ste cut him off. “Let’s drop it, I said no

“Ste, I know it’s not yourself you’re worried about. That family of yours… Whoever ends up with you will have to endure their unreasonable demands. But I’m not afraid. I’m willing to bear it all for you.”

“Kevin, thank you, but I really can’t ept this.”

Kevin bwas /babout to say more, but seeing the clear rejection on her face, he backed off

“Alright, it’s fine if you haven’t made up your mind yet, but you must prepare yourself. I overheard them scheming. They’re going to make it public that Troy has ruined your reputation. Once that gets out, you’ll have no choice but to marry him.”

Ste’s brows knitted faintly.

Kevin’s phone kept ringing. It was probably his parents calling.

Ste looked at him. “You have things to take care of. I can manage on my own.”

Apparently, he couldn’t ignore the calls any longer. Kevin conceded with a nod

The moment Kevin lett, Ste made a beeline for the door. ‘Why? Ste screamed inwardly. “Why is it that, no matter what happens, their first instinct is always to sacrifice me? What am I even to them? Why did they bring me back anyway?”

Ste wandered down the street, lost in her thoughts, so distracted that she nearly stepped right into the path of an oing car

The car screeched to a halt, and Ste, still reeling from the shock, stared wide–eyed at the driver, her heart pounding from the

close call

The driver hurried out, repeatedly asking if Ste was alright, but she just stood there in a daze, not responding. The driver was at aplete loss, seeing her like this. Then another figure emerged from the car. He instantly recognized bSte/b.

Ste suddenly turned to the driver, her voice choked with despair. “Why didn’t you just kill me? Why?”

The driver fraze, utterly at a loss.

“Ste.” A smooth, familiar voice called out to her. Ste looked up at the man before her.

He was devilishly handsome, almost unreal, with a faint, teasing smile at the corners of his lips. Those eyes made her feel as if he’d just stepped straight out of aic book.

Her memory froze. She couldn’t recall ever knowing someone like this. She stared at the man warily, suddenly on guard.

Jordan smirked. “With that look, you’d think I’m about to do something to you?”

Ste remained silent, still eyeing him with undisguised wariness.

“It’s me, Jordan,” Jordan gave her a helpless smile and reminded her who he bwas/b.

Ste’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at him. “You… you’re bJordan/bb?/b”

Jordan gave her a helpless smile. “What, am I not supposed to be Jordan or something?”

Ste never thought an online friend she’d known for years could be this stunningly good–looking in real life. She reached out and pinched his cheek, testing its warmth.

Jordan was baffled by her sudden cheek pinching.

Ste eximed, “Wow, you’re real. You’re not just some Al–generated avatarb, /bare you?”

Jordan was at a loss for words. True, they’d dabbled in this field, but it was all virtual. No Al avatars had ever started materializing in real life. “Trouble?” Jordan asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

bSte’s /bgaze snapped to him, her eyes filled with urgency. “I need your help with something important.”

Jordan gave a quiet nod. Although it was technically their first time meeting in person, after chatting online for so long, everything felt natural, like old friends who had known each other for years.

Jordan led her to a nearby café, where they found a quiet corner away from prying eyes.

Ste got straight to the point. “Can you help me find someone to pretend to be my husband? I’ll pay him for the act, and once we’re done, I’ll bgive /bhim a bonus.”

“Are your family trying to marry you off?” Jordan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jordan was unlike any man Ste had ever met. His entire being radiated a brooding, icy aura, yet when his gaze fell upon her, there was an unexpected warmth, a sense of familiarfort that defied his usual demeanor.

“You probably won’t believe this, but I bet you’ve heard some rumors about the Hayes family.

Jordan took a sip of his coffee, and the memory surfaced. “I heard your parents‘ schemes were exposed by your grandma, and it totally backfired on them. And now thepany’s valuation is plummeting”

At this, it seemed to click for Jordan. “So they’re seizing this opportunity to marry you off to someone else, thinking that bail out their failing business?”

Ste nodded.

Jordan frowned slightly. This was truly infuriating, but such things were all toomon in high society. Not just girls, even boys in high society didn’t have the freedom to choose partners.

Ste said, “They even threatened me that if I refused to marry him, they’d call the police and have me arrested again. My sister de down the stairs herself, but they framed me for it.”

Ste had been trying to find evidence, but since the incident, she’d never been given the time or opportunity, and the truth remained out of reach.

The Hayes family knew the Henry situation had dragged on for too long, so they couldn’t let the Troy matter linger any longer. So they had to marry her off immediately.

Ste needed to act fast. She added, “Have you heard of Troy? That’s who they’re trying to force me to marry”

Jordan had seen his fair share of terrible parents, but this was the first time he’d encountered ones this utterly inhuman

Troy had never been married, and everyone knew why. He was a notorious yboy, constantly leveraging his family’s wealth and status to seduce countless women. Any woman who fell into his trap had no choice but to endure in silence.

“You’re in a hurry?” Jordan asked.

Ste nodded. Kevin’s proposal, though she couldn’t ept it with him, unexpectedly lit up a clear path for her. She could marry any stranger if she had to, but there was no way she’d ever drag Kevin into this mess

Kevin was the only one among her friends who had ever shown her real warmth. But with the way her family was and the Carvers were, marrying him would be pure folly. She had to get married before Kevin came looking for her again.

“So you need someone with decent social standing but whose background can actually hold up under scrutiny?”

“Anyone who can y the part will do. We can handle everything else.” When it came toputers, making a fake identity for someone was child’s by/b.

Jordan asked with a yful grin, “How about bme/b?”