Emmanuel uttered that in a daze. "That's why you risked your life?" asked Mackenzie with a frown.
"Of course. I can't believe it's so difficult to bring my
wife home even after I'm married. I'm such a failure."
Emmanuel laughed self–deprecatingly.
He had read many trending novels about live–in
sons–in–law, but he found himself more pitiful than
them. At least those mothers had seen their
daughters–in–law before.
Mackenzie sighed inwardly, feeling utterly conflicted.
"By the way, I've negotiated with Mr. Webber. We only
need to pay them three million, and they'll get lost. I've
helped Terence Group save two million. The boss will
praise you, won't he?" Emmanuel added with a smile.
Mackenzie's lips curled into a disdainful smile. So, he
thinks I work for someone?
"All right. Stop spouting nonsense. Don't talk about the
company's affairs in public," Mackenzie warned. She
then called a taxi and went home with him.
To her surprise, Emmanuel was so drunk that he fell
into a deep sleep the moment he got into the car.
When they arrived at Yociam Residence, Mackenzie
could not wake him up, no matter how hard she tried.
"Miss, do you need my help?"
The driver was a middle–aged man. He had been
stealing glances at her from the rearview mirror
throughout the journey.
To have such a beautiful woman in his taxi was a first
for him.
Moreover, he was helping her send her unconscious
partner home. Will I have a chance to take advantage
of her? My life would be worth living if I could have a
moment with her.
Just then, he met Mackenzie's icy gaze. Her hostile aura.
was enough to make him shudder.
"Don't be nosy if you want to live," she snapped. That
ended the driver's imagination, and he quickly drove
off after dropping them off.
Having refused the driver's offer, Mackenzie had no
choice but to carry Emmanuel home alone.
Although she was trained to fight since she was young,
there was a limit to a woman's strength. Moreover, no
ordinary woman could carry someone as heavy as
Emmanuel.
It took her considerable effort to help him into the
elevator. When they arrived at the seventeenth floor,
Emmanuel staggered and fell, causing Mackenzie to
fall with him.
"Ugh. This b*stard!"
Mackenzie was two times lighter than him, but it was a
great fall. She grimaced in pain as she lay on the floor.
She was the eldest daughter of the Quillen family, yet
she was being pressed to the ground by a man.
Not only that, but he also reeked of sweat and alcohol.
As someone particular about cleanliness, it made
Mackenzie scowl with disgust.
This is unforgivable!
On top of that, she did not expect Terence, who was
waiting in the house, to walk out with a bodyguard
upon hearing the commotion outside.
The moment the bodyguard saw the scene in the
elevator, his jaw dropped.
Oh my goodness! Are they serious? Isn't this Ms.
Mackenzie? She's being pressed to the ground by a
man?
"What are you looking at? Help me lift this guy up!"
Mackenzie shot the bodyguard a look, making the
latter scurry over in fright.
"Don't help him up!" hollered Terence.
He was elated.
After all, he had been worried about Mackenzie's
misandry, and she would not let Emmanuel touch her.
Never did Terence expect to see such an exciting
scene that night.
Although Mackenzie did not have a choice, it was still
her first time being in close contact with a man.
"Not bad! This is a good start! Continue staying in this
position."
Terence laughed heartily and brought the bodyguard away. Let's not disturb the couple building their relationship. Mackenzie was livid. If that elderly man were not her biological grandfather, she would have taught him a lesson.
In the next second, she shoved Emmanuel away. Still feeling angry, she turned around and gave him two kicks.
"How dare you fall asleep? Hmph! You'll spend the night out here!"
Early the next morning, Emmanuel awoke feeling a cold gust of air blowing against his skin, causing his body to tremble profusely.
He absentmindedly ran his hand across the
goosebumps on his arms. Sneezing twice in rapid
succession, he realized he was lying on the hard, cold
surface of the floor.
Did she seriously leave me lying on the corridor outside
the house?
Fortunately, luck was on his side as the unit on the
seventeenth floor was the only unit on the top floor.
Had there been more, anyone who passed by would
have been amused at his peculiar situation.
"What a cruel woman!"
Emmanuel hurriedly got to his feet and recalled what
happened last night. It was obvious that Mackenzie
had left him to his own devices outside last night.
That wasn't all, for he also discovered a few shoeprints
on his clothes. The size of the prints perfectly matched
the shoes Mackenzie wore, so he was pretty sure she
did this to him.
I just helped her complete a mission. How could she do
this to me? What an ingrate. Is she a cold–blooded
animal?
Click.
Right then, the door opened to reveal Mackenzie, who
was prepared to head to work even though it was.only
half past six in the morning.
Their eyes met.
At once, Mackenzie feigned nonchalance and walked
past Emmanuel.
Emmanuel immediately gripped her wrist.
Her skin was so smooth that he nearly lost his grip on
her.
"Do you have a death wish?" Mackenzie shot him
daggers.
How dare he touch me? He must be tired of living!
Emmanuel quickly released her wrist and retorted
angrily, "Do you even have compassion? Even if I'm a
pig, shouldn't you take care of me considering the fact
that I am obviously in need of medical attention? It's
just a few more steps to get inside the house. How
could you abandon me and leave me to sleep outside
the entire night? What if my injuries become more
serious?"
He seemed really upset, but Mackenzie burst out
laughing to hear him compare himself to a pig.
"Serves you right!" Mackenzie told him.
She didn't bother explaining herself and turned to
leave.
A vortex of anger swirled inside Emmanuel.
Even though I have an aversion to hitting women and
had promised Mom to take care of my wife, I was
tempted to take action against her when she provoked
me!
"Wait up! When will you come home with me?"
Emmanuel asked hurriedly before she stepped into the
elevator.
"Early next month, I think," came Mackenzie's answer as
the elevator doors slid close.
It was a long time away, but at least she had agreed to
the meeting.
Emmanuel marched back into the house, seething
with anger. He was looking forward to taking a hot
shower to soothe his aching body when Roselynn's call
arrived.
Last night, Emmanuel promised to let her know the
exact time when he would be returning with his wife by
today.
He had no idea she would call him at seven in the
morning.
I don't understand women at all.
"Hello, Roselynn."
"Manny, have your wife confirmed when she'll be
coming home?"
"Early next month!"
Emmanuel felt anger sweep over him when he recalled
Mackenzie's earlier attitude.
He was worried that the woman would remain
poker–faced when visiting Alessandra back at home,
leading to a disagreement between the two. This was
a common phenomenon, as mothers–in–law and
daughters–in–law were often at odds with each other.
He was aware that his aunt and his cousin's wife had a tendency to clash with one another. It seemed that every time they encountered one another, a heated
argument would ensue, and on rare occasions, it
would escalate to a physical altercation, leaving his
poor cousin trapped in the middle of it all.
His cousin could still side with his mother and would
sometimes reprimand his wife, but Emmanuel knew
that he would meet his doom tomorrow if he had the
guts to yell at Mackenzie.
If she goes too far or speaks to Mom disrespectfully, I
may be forced to confront her. If this leads to a
disagreement, Mom may find out about our
arrangement and be distressed by it.
Even though Mackenzie had agreed to come home
with him, Emmanuel was still frustrated and anxious. It
felt like bringing a bomb that might explode anytime
home.
"Manny, what's wrong? Did she refuse to visit us?"
Roselynn snapped.
I don't care how capable his wife is. Now that she has
become a part of the Lowe family, she must conform
to the expectations laid out for her and cannot act
however she pleases. If she's already acting up when
we expect her to visit, how will Manny and Mom endure
her antics in the days ahead?
"Of course not, Roselynn. Don't get it wrong. She's just
too busy," Emmanuel quickly explained.
No matter how furious he was, Mackenzie was still his
wife.
"Good, then."
Roselynn was in a great mood having confirmed their
visit. She couldn't help but switch the conversation to
something else that was on her mind. "Manny, I
received an invitation to attend a high–society party in
Yeringham. I heard that many rich scions will be there!"
"Oh, I see. You want to see handsome guys there,
huh?"
Emmanuel knew Roselynn well. It could be said with
confidence that he was the person who knew her best.
Roselynn was a person who was driven to always strive
for perfection. She was quite the romantic, having
been entranced by the world of romantic dramas and
films since she was a teenager in high school.
In the beginning, she fell for Nick Jonas from The Jonas Brothers. Later, she took an interest in Jamie Dornan, famous for his role as Christian Grey.
Recently, she was infatuated with Alex Pretty face.
Anyway, the men she loved were tall, rich, and
handsome. They must be nothing short of perfect.
However, perfect men didn't exist in the world.
Thus, she was still single in her thirties. It wasn't because she was anything less than appealing or desirable; it was because her ideal partner seemed too perfect to exist in the real world.
Alessandra and Emmanuel both cautioned Roselynn that the male characters she adored in television shows weren't actually real, and urged her to adjust her expectations accordingly. Nonetheless, Roselynn still enjoyed the opportunity to lay her eyes upon attractive men at different events.
"Hey, this is a rare opportunity. I must attend the party.
Perhaps I'll get to meet my own CEO there!" Roselynn revealed her objective directly to her little brother. She even threatened him menacingly, "If you're free, come as my plus one. Whether or not I get married depends on your efforts!"
Emmanuel was speechless.
I can't marry you. Why would I put in any effort?
The invitation Roselynn received entailed her to bring a plus one. The party was happening tomorrow night. It was a Saturday, so Emmanuel agreed to be her companion for the night.
I'll try my best. If Roselynn still remains single, it isn't my fault.
Emmanuel also felt that it was a great opportunity for him to see the world. He wasn't ignorant at all. Now that he had married Mackenzie, a senior executive of a company, he knew she frequently attended these high–society events. He decided that attending these events would not only help him understand her better but also give them more common topics to talk about. It has been widely suggested that in a marriage, the couple would begin to influence each other in such a way that they eventually become similar to one another.
Emmanuel was prepared to make a change,
The following day, he paid his family a visit.
Even though he was only gone for a few days,
Alessandra behaved as if he had been gone for years. She was relentless in her interrogation, primarily concerning his marriage.
"Manny, your wife is going to pay us a visit early next
year. Should we invite your Uncle Benny's family and
other relatives to welcome her?"
Alessandra wanted to hold a grand party to welcome
her daughter–in–law home.
Cold sweat beaded on Emmanuel's forehead as he
replied hastily, "No, Mom! Don't invite anyone. Let's just
keep it simple. We can just enjoy a meal together."
Alessandra furrowed her brows as she contemplated
the situation. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said
hesitantly. "She's a senior executive, right? That means she's used to better things and enjoys eating delicacies. I'm afraid she won't appreciate it if I prepare something simple."
Emmanuel flashed a bitter smile. It looks like Mom is pretty accommodating to her daughter–in–law, but that doesn't always mean that this situation will last. If she is the only one consistently making all the concessions and sacrifices, it may create tension and resentment that can result in issues down the line.
"Mom, you don't have to be so careful. We can just show her our real selves!" Emmanuel insisted.
Alessandra was still unconvinced. She was about to speak her mind when Emmanuel suddenly shrieked in pain.