It was like a scene straight out of those cheesy high-school romance comics.
The main character, in this case, Everly, scales a towering fence with reckless abandon.
She leaps down without a care in the world, oblivious to whether anyone’s lurking below.
And lo and behold, there’s the male lead, standing near the fence for no apparent reason other than to advance the plot.
In a typical scenario, the startled male lead would catch the female lead in a romantic embrace, or the female lead would land gracefully on the male lead’s chest, their faces inches apart, eyes locked in a moment of intense connection.
But in Everly’s case, reality decided to play a cruel joke.
When the man spotted a foot hurtling towards his face from above, he didn’t swoon or catch her.
Oh no.
With lightning-fast reflexes, he reached out and grabbed Everly’s ankle in a vice-like grip.
He yanked her down with such force that she was left dangling in mid-air like a ragdoll.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, his other hand shot out and grabbed her shirt.
And before she could even process what was happening, in a move straight out of a judo tournament, he slammed her to the ground with the precision of a seasoned judoka.
It all happened so quickly that Everly, who was usually as agile as a cat when it came to fighting, didn’t have a chance to react.
One moment she was flying through the air, and the next, she was flat on her back, staring up at the sky as if it held the answers to all of life’s mysteries.
Even the birds and insects seemed to go silent in awe of the spectacle.
And to add insult to injury, her glasses were sent flying off her face in the commotion, as if they were on a mission to escape the chaos.
Now, the hot man (because let’s be real, he was still incredibly attractive despite his violent tendencies) squatted down beside Everly.
One of his hands was still firmly gripping her collar, constricting her airway and making it difficult for her to breathe.
“Breaking into the Qin family residence?
How dare you?”
His voice was deep and cold, it could have frozen the blood in her veins.
In that moment, with his intense gaze fixed on her and his sexy voice sending her brain into overdrive, only one word echoed in her mind.
Daddy….?
“….?”
The man was certain he’d heard a girl’s voice utter “daddy,” but the girl sprawled on the ground remained as silent as a tomb.
Her eyes were as wide as saucers, as if she’d just witnessed a unicorn doing the moonwalk.
He knitted his brows, a sense of unease gnawing at him.
Something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Eventually, he convinced himself that it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.
As he reached for his cigarette, ready to take a long drag, he noticed that it had fallen to the ground near where he was squatting.
“Tsk.”
With lightning speed, he stomped on the cigarette, extinguishing it with a vengeance.
Then, he casually tossed it into the nearby trash can, which the servants had placed there specifically for his smoking convenience.
After all, this was his favorite spot to unwind and light up whenever he returned to the Qin family mansion.
Once that was taken care of, he turned his attention back to Everly, who was finally starting to regain her senses after the unexpected slam.
“What on earth were you thinking, climbing over that fence and trespassing onto my property?” he demanded, his eyes raking over her beautiful face and expensive attire.
“You don’t look like a common thief.
Did Uncle George send you to seduce me and get into my bed?
I bet the front gate was too heavily guarded, so you decided to sneaking in through the back.”
He’d lost count of how many women his uncle had sent his way over the years.
He knew all too well that George was after his heir.
His grandmother, a shrewd and formidable woman, had despised their gold-digging relatives who were always scheming to get their hands on the family fortune, so she’d laid down the law.
Only the main branch of the Qin family, specifically Cassian and his offspring, were entitled to inherit it all.
If he, the sole legal heir to the Qin family, were to die without any children, most of his vast fortune would be donated to charity, with only a tiny fraction going to the other family members, including George.
And that’s precisely why he was certain that George wanted his child.
If Cassian were to die and it was discovered that he had a child, even an illegitimate one, the entire Qin family empire would pass on to that child.
And if George managed to hide the child and become their guardian…
well, let’s just say the possibilities were too terrifying to contemplate.
At least as long as George didn’t succeed and there was no baby on the horizon, Cassian was safe from his uncle’s murderous plots.
For now.
Though he’d rather deal with attempted murder than the never-ending stream of seduction attempts from desperate women.
Cassian was like a human fortress, constantly on guard against any woman who dared to come within a ten-foot radius.
And now, as soon as he’d returned to the Qin manor to visit his ailing grandmother, this suspicious girl had popped up like a jack-in-the box.
Everly was fuming.
She wanted to give this guy a piece of her mind, but his iron grip on her collar was making her feel like she was trapped in a vice, unable to utter a single word.
So, she did the only logical thing – she grabbed his wrist with all her might, as if she was trying to turn it into a pretzel.
Cassian was taken aback by the girl’s unexpected strength.
He thought to himself, ‘This chick is no pushover.’
“Let go of me if you…
want me to answer…
or I…
will break your wrist…” Everly managed to wheeze out.
Cassian just stared at her with eyes as cold as an arctic winter.
“Try it.
And while you’re at it, I’ll snap your neck like a twig.”
Everly responded with a grin that could freeze lava.
“You…
really think you can take me on?”
She tightened her grip, but Cassian was lightning-fast.
He let go of her collar and his hand shot towards her neck.
But then, like a record skipping, his hand stopped mid-air.
He heard a voice in his head that made his eyes widen like saucers.
Trash husband!!!
Cassian was utterly bewildered.
But one thing was crystal clear – that voice in his head belonged to this girl!
Reluctantly, he pulled his hand away from her neck.
His eyes darkened as he saw his red and possibly cracked wrist.
“Spill it,” he snarled, his voice dropping several octaves.
“What kind of sick game are you playing?”
“Can’t you give a girl a break?
I’m on a mission to find my life partner!”
Everly rubbing her neck, then barked at Cassian, causing his already – high guard to shoot up like a rocket.
Great, just what he need.
Another intruder lurking around.
And what’s this about a life partner?
Does that mean she’s not one of George’s pawns?
But as he watched Everly get down on all fours, crawling around like a lost puppy, his theories started to crumble.
“Glasses…
where on earth are my glasses…?”
So, the life partner she was so frantically searching for was…
her glasses?
Not person?
She was looking for them with such intensity, it was as if she was on a quest to find the Holy Grail.
At one point, she almost stuck her head into a tree trunk, convinced it was some kind of magical glasses-hiding portal.
“…….”
Cassian was now certain of one thing: this girl had the strength of a bull but the brains of a goldfish.
Did Uncle George seriously send this…
scatterbrain?
Then again, dumb girls are easier to manipulate than the smart ones…
His patience was wearing thinner than a piece of tissue paper.
Finally, he stood up with an exasperated sigh and sauntered over to where Everly’s glasses lay.
He picked them up and tossed them at her like a frisbee.
“Now can you answer me, or do I need to draw you a map?”
Everly practically snatched the glasses out of the air, wiped them on her shirt, and put them on.
A huge sigh of relief escaped her lips as the world came back into clear focus.
She jumped to her feet and marched over to Cassian with an air of confidence.
But then, like a cloud blocking the sun, her expression changed.
Guilt washed over her face as she remembered the real reason she’d sneaked into this man’s mansion.
She couldn’t even bring herself to look him in the eye.
“I came here to steal…” she mumbled, her voice as small as a mouse’s squeak.
Cassian’s eyes narrowed into slits, like a cat about to pounce on a mouse.
His voice was so cold it could have frozen the Sahara Desert, and his aura was like an icy blast that made Everly shiver despite the sweltering heat.
She felt like she needed to wrap herself in a dozen fleece jackets just to stay warm.
“Cut the crap.
Look me straight in the eye and tell me the truth.
If you really are a thief, then what the hell were you planning to steal?”
Everly finally caved and looked up at the man towering over her.
Her brain, which had a serious weakness for handsome faces, immediately went haywire.
It was like a computer trying to run a thousand programs at once, creating all sorts of wild scenarios, just like the time she’d first laid eyes on Jeremy.
“I want to steal your heart~♡”
I want to steal the delicious fruits in your garden.
Everly’s mouth and mind were working at cross-purposes, resulting in a hilarious mix-up.
She blurted out what was on her mind, and her mind, in its confused state, said what she actually meant to say.
“You want to steal what…??!!!”
Cassian’s temperature dropped even further.
He was convinced this girl was George’s people.
But then he heard the word “fruits,” and it was like a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit.
It was hard to believe she’d risk breaking in just for some fruit.
“I mean…
I want to steal fruit!!!”
Suddenly, Everly’s face contorted into a pitiful expression.
She struck a dramatic pose, as if she’d just been accused of the most heinous crime in the world—like having an affair, even though she actually had a whole harem of handsome men.
“You have no idea what I’ve been through today!
My grandfather punished me just because I thought his evil stepmother was dead, but guess what?
She’s alive and kicking!
How was I supposed to know she’d outlive a tortoise?
I was made to kneel for hours in the ancestral hall without a single bite to eat.
And from there, I saw the most mouthwatering fruits in your garden through the window.
So, I sneaked out, even though I had to witness that semi-r18 scene between the guard and the chef.
And now, here I am.”
As she spoke, Everly wiped away imaginary tears, adding an extra layer of drama to her story.
“Oh…”
Cassian’s response was as flat as a pancake.
His mind was racing, trying to figure out if this girl was really as crazy as she seemed or if there was something more sinister going on.
He had met some oddballs in his day, but Everly took the cake. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
She was like a walking enigma, making it impossible for him to tell if she was spouting the truth or just making up the most outlandish stories on the fly.
“I’m dead serious!
When it comes to food, I lose all sense of self-control!”
Everly declared, patting her stomach as if it were a separate entity with its own appetite.
Of course I’ve got to load up on grub.
It’s all for our little munchkins…
munchkins…
your good-for-nothing daddy doesn’t trust mommy…
He thinks I’m after another romp in the hay with him…
again!
He’s forgotten that wild night…
the night that led to all of you…
Cassian, who was in the middle of reaching for another cigarette, dropped his cigarette case and lighter as if they were on fire.
Everly’s thoughts were like a bolt of lightning striking him out of the blue.
He was now one hundred percent certain that he could hear her thoughts, and they were more than a little intriguing.
Scandalous was an understatement; they were the kind of thoughts that could give a man like Cassian a heart attack!
“What did you just say?”
He took a menacing step closer to Everly, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
“Huh?
I said I’m not lying about the food!!!”
Babies, your dad is not only rude and has a temper that could rival a volcano, but he also seems to be a few fries short of a happy meal.
I hope you all inherit my good qualities but with your dad’s chiseled face…
sigh…
at least your daddy’s grandma adores mommy.
She even offered to arrange a marriage between me and your dad without him knowing…
should I take her up on it, babies?
For the first time in his life, Cassian’s brain, the calculating and ruthless mind of the Qin family’s heir, went completely blank.
His grandma…
marriage…
babies….
The words were swirling around in his head like a tornado, leaving him feeling dizzy and disoriented.
Of course, Everly was blissfully unaware of Cassian’s grandmother.
She’d just spouted that nonsense because in every cheesy romance plot, the male lead’s grandma was always a sweetheart who took an instant liking to the female lead.
Everly also had no idea that this particular scenario was scarily accurate for Cassian’s situation, considering his grandma was the powerful matriarch of the Qin family, and currently she was on a mission to get her grandson hitched.
Even she was prepared to offer the lucky bride a gift so extravagant it could send Everly into a two-day coma.
“You…
you’d better not be making this up…
I could squash you like a bug or have you thrown in jail…”
Cassian growled menacingly, but his brain was working overtime, trying to piece together the events of the past one to three months.
There was only one night that remained a hazy blur in his memory…
Could it be that while he was drunk off his face with his best friend and crashed at a hotel, this girl had somehow managed to sneak into his room and take advantage of the situation?
So, was she really…
pregnant?!!!
And his grandma knew?
She actually wanted to arrange a marriage between them without even consulting him?!!
Meanwhile, Everly was utterly perplexed.
Why was he so dead set on calling her a liar and threatening her?
This guy’s temper was worse than a spoiled toddler’s!
She let outa heavy sigh and bowed her head.
“I’m really sorry for trespassing on your property and trying to steal your fruits!”
Babies, I’ve made up my mind.
I’m not going to marry your good-for-nothing father!
I’ll find a decent stepfather for you all!
My five little bundles of joy will have a new dad!
Once again, Cassian’s mind was sent into a tailspin by Everly’s thoughts.
Five babies?!
And she was planning to find a stepfather?
Over his dead body!
He’d hunt down and destroy any man who dared to even think about taking his place as the father of his children.
Everly turned on her heel, ready to scale the fence and make her way back to the Zhou mansion.
But Cassian’s hand shot out like a lightning bolt, gripping her arm tightly.
“I’ll marry you.”
“…..?”
“….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“=@#$%&*¥£€?!!!”
Everly’s jaw practically hit the floor with a resounding thud.
It was as if it had detached itself from her face and gone on an adventure of its own.
Married?!!!
This was beyond random!
Meanwhile, at the Shen mansion, Jeremy suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for someone.
But he had no clue who that someone was.
If only he know that Cassian was currently going through the same mind-bending experience as him, and quite possibly, Cassian was even more unlucky…