Chapter 1 I Will Not Marry You

“Don't touch me. I said, don't touch me! Get lost!” In the dimly lit room, there was tension in the air as panic took hold of her. Yan Wan cowered at the foot of the bed and backed away from him. But his towering silhouette was approaching her. Like a beast baring its fangs and claws, he was about to devour her. “Don't come any closer! Please, I beg you. Leave me alone!” “Hehe...” A burst of deep sinister laughter filled the darkness. It was dangerous as it was scornful. A large hand grabbed her by her jaw, and a man's face appeared from the darkness. His breath was hot as he whispered to her, “There is a price to pay for offending me. And now you are going to pay.” Price? What price? Yan Wan was scared out of her wits and could not think straight. She lashed out in fear and screamed, “No, please...” Before she could finish her sentence, her voice disappeared as if it had been swallowed. She was robbed of any means to defend herself. “No!” she screamed. Yan Wan opened her eyes wide in shock. She struggled to block out the sun's glaring rays. Her face was pale with cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. She fidgeted restlessly, unable to calm herself down. A dream. It was the same dream again. The soreness between her legs was a painful reminder of the horrid rape that took place the night before. And the threat by her assailant when she fought back as he made his escape. “This is not over. I will be back to get you for this!” he bit his lips and yelled. He was not done with her, and it was not an empty threat. Yan Wan sensed only death and despair from him. He was a dangerous man, and he could turn up at any moment. Yan Wan's fingers trembled uncontrollably. Her mind was shrouded with fear as she tried to recall what happened that fateful night. Despite her best efforts, she could not remember anything. She was clueless as to who he was, much less how she had offended him. “Ms. Yan, we have arrived,” said the driver. His words interrupted her thoughts. She forced a smile and looked out the window. In front of her was a luxurious café. She started to feel queasy. She was about to meet her fiancé, Huo Lichen. He was South City's richest bachelor and the current president of Huoting Group. It was rumored that he took only five years to transform Huoting Group from a local wealthy business into a global business empire. He quickly made a name for himself and was the envy of all business owners worldwide. His methods were ruthless and unforgiving, while his very name instilled fear in his rivals. Countless women from prestigious families tried all possible means to gain his favor in the hope of being the Huo family's young mistress. Yet, the woman chosen was one of humble origins. This was decided by Old Madam Huo, who selected her as the future granddaughter-in-law. Yan Wan did not know why Huo Lichen wanted to meet her on the eve of their engagement day. However, this also presented her with a golden opportunity to disavow the marriage. This may be the once in a lifetime dream for any other girl. But for her, it was a nightmare. She was raped just before her wedding, and that humiliation weighed heavily on her. She was about to turn down a marriage proposal from a man who was the definition of success, and she had no idea how to do it. With a guilty conscience, Yan Wan covered up the hickeys on her neck left by her attacker. She used her scarf to conceal them carefully. Not a single soul was seen in the luxurious café where the patrons were the rich and famous. Not even the staff. Tucked away in a private corner was an elegant man who wore a dark striped suit. His physique was flawless against the well-pressed shirt, and his long legs were crossed gracefully. Above that was a handsome face that would make any woman go crazy. He had a chiseled jaw, dreamy thin lips, and a sharp nose. His very gaze could rob a woman of her breath. This was the face of a man whom women would die for while other men would run from. With a cup of coffee in his hand, his thin lips curled up into a chilling sneer. “Did you find her?” His special assistant, Wei Qi, stood before him. He did a perpendicular bow and broke out in cold sweat. “I am terribly sorry, Mr. Huo. The surveillance tape of the hotel was tampered with. We were unable to retrieve footage of the perpetrator who broke into your hotel room the night before. It would be impossible to identify her by tomorrow,” Wei Qi spoke with a trembling voice. That meant the bride of his engagement party tomorrow would not be her. But Huo Lichen was not about to give up. Once he had his sights set on a woman, he would have her one way or the other. She made the mistake of offending him, and he intended to make her pay for it. The skirmish from the night before was only the beginning. “One month,” Huo Lichen sneered with arrogance. “You have one month to find her, whatever it takes.” “What about your engagement tomorrow?” Huo Lichen saw the Bentley from the corner of his eye. He pursed his mouth in a self-satisfied smirk. The plan needs a little tweaking. Yan Wan entered the café but saw no one except a gentleman. He looked like an assistant as he stood expectantly. “Ms. Yan, Mr. Huo is waiting inside. Please follow me,” he said to her. “Okay.” From the chauffeur to the exclusive reservation and butler-like service, she was guilt-stricken by what happened to her, and her fiancé's gentlemanly gestures made it worse. Did he want to discuss the details of the wedding? How would she approach the subject of canceling it? Yan Wan lowered her head in shame as she walked. She came to a halt when a pair of well-polished shoes came into view. Here we are. What will be will be. She gripped her purse tightly and forced a smile as she lifted her head. “How are you, Mr. Huo?” Yan Wan was momentarily stunned by her fiancé's good looks. He looked like he came out of a comic book with his suave looks, perfect porcelain skin, and elegance befitting of royalty. People were naturally drawn to such qualities, and many admired him. It would be blasphemy to turn her back on such a man. Yan Wan started to stress sweat, and she was visibly unsettled. Her throat felt like a rock had been wedged in, and she found herself struggling to speak. “I am here today to discuss our wedding...” she began. “Listen here, woman, I will not marry you,” he interrupted in a condescending tone. He was clear that it was not up for negotiation. Then he drank his coffee without so much as a glance at her. Yan Wan froze, and her mind drew a blank as she stared at Huo Lichen. She could not believe her ears. Won't marry? That would mean they have the same agenda! She suppressed her excitement and asked nervously, “So we are here today to break off the engagement?” “The engagement will proceed as planned, and we will have a divorce one month later,” he replied. Huo Lichen raised his eyes and looked at Yan Wan. As if he was an Emperor bestowing a charity gift to his subjects, he placed a cheque on the table. Yan Wan was in shock and awe as she stared at the numbers on the cheque. There are six zeros on it! Yan Wan had never seen such an amount in her life, and it could be hers! She gulped and peeled her eyes away from the cheque with difficulty. “Why one month?” she asked. It made more sense to call the entire thing off before the engagement. “That is none of your concern,” he remarked in an arrogant tone. Huo Lichen got up and trotted out without paying any attention to Yan Wan. He had no patience or interest in Yan Wan. The only person of interest to him was the woman from the other night. Just like that? Yan Wan stood there shell-shocked. She stared at him from behind as he made his way out with no intention of turning back. The entire ordeal was over in a blink of an eye, and he barely said a word. This gave a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Veni, vidi, vici'; I came, I saw, I conquered. But it worked out for the best. She only had to put on a show with Huo Lichen for one month. After that, they will go their separate ways.