Stranger Spouse

Chloe Clark had been hanging out at the City Hall entrance with her driver's license for what felt like forever—two hours to be exact. As she watched the clouds roll in, she couldn't shake off the nerves.

Yesterday, her grandma, Cassidy Clark, had been on her case, reminding her over and over that the guy she was marrying today was the grandson of her best friend. She kept telling Chloe to be careful.

Seeing Cassidy lying there in the hospital bed, still worrying about her marriage, Chloe just couldn't say no.

So here she was, about to marry a guy she'd never even met. It felt like one of those old-school arranged marriages, and she couldn't help but feel like she was diving in blind.

Just as the first raindrops started to fall, a flashy Maybach pulled up at the entrance.

Chloe clutched her bag, feeling her heart race.

The car door swung open, and out stepped an elderly man.

Chloe's first instinct was to bolt, and she did. She hadn't expected the guy to be old enough to be her grandpa.

"Are you Ms. Clark?" A deep voice with a hint of amusement called out behind her.

Chloe stopped in her tracks and awkwardly turned around. "Sir, I don't think we're a good match."

The elderly man, Zane Griffin, chuckled, realizing Chloe had misunderstood. "Ms. Clark, you've got it all wrong. I'm here on behalf of my employer, Mr. Taylor, to handle the marriage registration."

Chloe was floored. Could someone else really handle a marriage registration? Didn't both people need to be there?

Twenty minutes later, Chloe stared at the stamped marriage certificate in disbelief. Apparently, the rich really could do whatever they wanted. She held the certificate, still trying to wrap her head around it.

Along with the certificate, there was a composite photo of her and her new husband. They looked more like they were getting divorced than married.

"Ms. Clark, Mr. Taylor is abroad and couldn't make it. As an apology, here's a card for you. You can spend the money inside however you like," Zane said with a smile, handing her a card.

Chloe looked at the card, feeling weird, like she had just sold herself for money.

"Did Mr. Taylor agree to this marriage voluntarily?" she asked, hesitating.

Zane smiled, "Of course. Mr. Taylor instructed me to give you this card. Ms. Clark, if you need anything, feel free to contact me. I won't keep you any longer. Goodbye."

Chloe left City Hall in a daze. It was raining now, and the Maybach was long gone.

Standing under the eaves to avoid the rain, Chloe opened the marriage certificate and examined it closely.

She murmured the name on it, "Luke Taylor."

Yep, it was the grandson of her grandma's friend, Donna Taylor. But Cassidy never told her that Donna's family was so wealthy!

Looking at the photo, Luke's handsome and striking features were hard to miss. He was probably even better-looking in person. Too bad she hadn't met him, and now he was her husband in name only. It was surreal.

Chloe took a deep breath, put away the marriage certificate, and dashed into the rain.

She thought Luke would reach out soon, but three months went by without a word from him.

At first, she had hoped to build a good life with Luke, but as time passed, she gave up on that idea. Day after day of waiting turned into disappointment, and eventually, she forgot about Luke and stopped hoping for a peaceful life with him.

A year flew by in no time. Chloe had climbed the ladder from a small-time copywriter at a branch of the Harrison Group to the PR department at the headquarters. Just two weeks ago, she got promoted to manager of the first PR department.

The Harrison Group, which started in electronics, was now a giant in the industry, with businesses all over the globe. Today was the big industry summit, and as the PR manager, Chloe had to be there.

Dressed in a starry-themed strapless gown, Chloe looked stunning, lighting up the grand conference hall. She caught the eye of many men.

After fending off yet another admirer, her colleague, Samantha Wilson, came over with a glass of wine and teased, "Chloe, you're a knockout. The way you attract men is unreal."

"Cut it out," Chloe playfully glared at Samantha.

"By the way, I sent the speech to your planning department. Are you all set?" Chloe asked, frowning a bit.

"Relax, Chloe. We've been ready for ages. Just wait and see, you'll blow everyone away on stage," Samantha smiled, giving her a reassuring nod.

Tonight, the big shots from various industries were here, and Chloe couldn't afford any slip-ups. The summit was organized by the Harrison Group's planning and PR departments, and if anything went wrong, her new director position could be in jeopardy.

Chloe felt a bit uneasy all night. She and Samantha sat in the front row on the far left. After a while, the host announced the start of the meeting, and representatives from various industries took the stage to speak.

"Next, let's welcome Mr. Harrison, the CEO of the Harrison Group, to share his insights on the future applications and development of the electronics industry. Please give him a warm round of applause," the host's clear and powerful voice echoed through the room.

Vincent Harrison, the CEO of the Harrison Group, had always been abroad. People in the industry thought he had been excluded by the Harrison Family. No one expected him to return in such a high-profile manner.

The lights in the conference hall dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the center of the stage. A man walked slowly from behind the scenes.

"Oh my God, when did Mr. Harrison come back? This is huge news. How come we didn't know?" Samantha looked excitedly at Vincent on stage and then asked Chloe, "Didn't the PR department know? Why didn't you tell me?"

Chloe shook her head, just as confused. "I had no idea either."

Chloe watched Vincent walk to the center of the stage, stunned. She was supposed to be the spokesperson for the Harrison Group. How had it become Vincent?

Looking at Vincent's handsome and charming face, Chloe suddenly felt a strange familiarity, but she couldn't place where she had seen him before.

Vincent's deep, magnetic voice was soothing and pleasant to listen to.

"Are you stunned? Mr. Harrison's high-profile return is really unexpected. Did you hear what he said?" Samantha nudged Chloe.

Chloe shook her head. She had been too focused on Vincent's face to catch what he said.

"I feel like he looks familiar, like I've seen him somewhere before," Chloe murmured.

Samantha laughed, "Every single woman says Mr. Harrison looks familiar. I didn't expect a married woman like you to be infatuated with him, too?"

Chloe stayed quiet, genuinely feeling he looked familiar.