Lilly stood frozen at the entrance of the City Hall, staring blankly at the marriage certificate in her hand.
She must have lost her mind.
Had she really just married a man she'd known for less than two hours?!
"Miss Lilly, if you're having second thoughts, it's not too late to go back in and get a divorce certificate."
A deep, smooth voice snapped her out of her daze. She turned her head and met the man's pitch-black eyes, glinting with amusement.
This man was her blind date from earlier today, but unlike her previous matches, he was... ridiculously handsome.
With striking features, refined brows, and an air of effortless elegance, he carried himself like nobility. And when his lips curled into a smile, he was like a mesmerizing poppy. Dangerous and intoxicating.
When it came to marriage, she didn’t expect her partner to be rich, but at the very least, he had to be pleasant to look at.
But someone this breathtaking? He was practically the holy grail of blind dates. Could anyone blame her for saying "I do" so quickly?
The more she thought about it, the more justified she felt. Tucking the certificate into her pocket, she met his gaze with resolve. "What's done is done. No point regretting it now. Let's make the best of it."
She glanced at her watch. "That's it for today. I've got things to do, so I'll head out first."
With that, she turned to leave.
Patrick watched her walk away without so much as a backward glance, his finely arched brows furrowing slightly.
Was she really just treating him like some kind of marriage paperwork assistant?
Should they simply part ways after receiving their marriage certificate?
The more he thought about it, the more it irked him. Reaching out abruptly, he grasped Lilly's wrist and said, "Aren't you going to leave me your contact info? How else are we supposed to stay in touch?"
Lilly paused mid-step, only then realizing they hadn’t even exchanged numbers. Flustered, she pulled out her phone and let out an awkward chuckle. "Let me add you on WhatsApp."
Patrick’s expression remained unreadable, his face a mask of indifference as he took out his phone and accepted her friend request. Once the connection was made, he sent her his personal number without hesitation.
"I don’t check WhatsApp much when I’m busy. If anything comes up, just call me directly."
"Got it."
Lilly caught sight of him deleting her WhatsApp nickname and replacing it with a simple, bolded "Wife."
In that instant, an indescribable feeling surged through her.
Who would’ve thought it would happen so suddenly? She was someone’s wife now…
She had initially planned to simply save his name as "Patrick," but under his unwavering gaze, she hesitated for a few seconds before finally typing in "My Mr. Kline."
Once they’d exchanged contacts, Patrick opened his mouth to ask where she was headed, so he could give her a ride. But his phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he had no choice but to say instead, "Be careful on your way. Call me if you need anything."
Lilly didn’t respond, simply raising her hand to hail a taxi by the roadside before slipping inside and driving off.
Alone in the backseat, she pulled the marriage certificate from her pocket, staring at the crimson booklet as her thoughts drifted back to two hours earlier…
Two hours earlier, at the café.
Lilly gazed at the strikingly handsome Patrick sitting across from her, her heart fluttering with a mix of surprise and delight.
This was the first time she had ever encountered such an attractive blind date.
By her count, this was her tenth arranged meeting in the past three months.
She had initially refused to participate in these matchmaking sessions, but her mother had resorted to extreme measures. Starving herself and threatening suicide, until Lilly had no choice but to give in.
The reason she was willing to rush into marriage with Patrick? Simple: his looks were leagues above any of her previous suitors.
Besides, Lilly was utterly exhausted by the endless parade of blind dates. With her family pressuring her relentlessly to marry, she had already made up her mind before arriving at the café. Unless this one was completely unbearable, she would agree to a quick wedding.
After all, the whole point of these meetings was to get married. Once she was wed, her mother would finally stop the constant suicide threats to hurry her along.
When Patrick heard her proposal for a swift marriage, a flicker of surprise crossed his face before he chuckled warmly. "Don’t you think it’s a bit hasty to jump into marriage right after meeting for the first time?"
His smile was like a gentle spring breeze, and Lilly, ever the sucker for a handsome face, nearly lost herself in it.
Regaining her composure, she skipped the formalities and launched straight into her introduction. "Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Lilly Crawford, I’m twenty-five, and I run a small jewelry stall at the night market. I make around ten thousand a month."
"My father passed away years ago, so it’s just been my mother and me all this time. I’ve had one serious relationship before, but I’m single now."
"I’m in good health, no bad habits. If there’s anything else you want to know, just ask. So… assuming no major issues, would you be open to a quick marriage?"
Patrick listened, then smiled again. "Why the rush to marry me? To you, I’m a complete stranger. Aren’t you worried I might be some kind of con artist?"
Lilly truly didn't know much about the man sitting across from her. All she knew was that this blind date had been arranged by her mother's colleague, not some random guy her mom found on a dating apps.
She'd expected yet another underwhelming candidate, perhaps someone with unfortunate looks, a middle-aged man battling baldness and a beer belly, or worse, one of those eccentric types with questionable morals.
But to her surprise, this one was strikingly handsome. Finally encountering a real catch, she decided she had to seize the opportunity. She was beyond tired of the dating grind.
"Before you, I've been on nine blind dates," she admitted bluntly. "I'm exhausted by the whole process. What I do know is that you're a local, work at the listed company K Group, lost both parents, have a solid work ethic, and most importantly, you're in a hurry to get married."
"Perfect. So am I," she continued, leaning slightly forward. "If you're up for a quick marriage, let's call it serendipity. Marriage is always a gamble anyway. I like what I see, so I'm willing to take that bet with you."
She paused, suddenly realizing she'd forgotten his full name. "Right, your surname is Kline... Kline something?"
Truth be told, she'd only half-listened when her mother briefed her earlier, barely registering his name.
"Patrick Kline," he supplied smoothly. "From Bellcrest. I own a car. A modest Chevrolet worth about 30,000 dollars. No property yet. Currently renting. Stable monthly income." His lips curved into an easy smile. "Single, no vices. The rest, you already know."
"Now that we've covered the basics," Lilly said decisively, "let's not waste time. I just need one answer: Will you marry me? Today?"
With that, she pulled out her household register booklet and placed it on the table between them. "If you agree, we can head straight to the City Hall. I'm fine with a no-frills marriage: no dowry, no banquet. We'll split expenses equally after marriage. What do you say?"
Her urgency stemmed purely from wanting to silence her mother's relentless matchmaking pressure. Any compatible partner would do. Someone tolerable to share life's mundane routines with. That was enough.
Patrick's fingers drummed a slow, thoughtful rhythm against the tabletop as he considered her proposition.
He thought to himself that he was already thirty this year, and his family had been pressuring him relentlessly to get married...
After a brief moment of contemplation, Patrick countered with a question, "If we get married, we’d have to rent a place to live. Are you really okay with that?"
"I’m renting right now too, so I understand your situation. Young people these days without family support rarely manage to buy a home on their own."
"But as long as someone has integrity and works hard, a house will come eventually."
Lilly was well aware of the housing prices in North City. As an ordinary person with no connections or extraordinary means, she had no right to demand that someone else already own property.
Hearing this, Patrick fell silent for about ten seconds before agreeing to a whirlwind marriage with her.
...
Meanwhile, Patrick stood on the sidewalk, watching Lilly’s taxi gradually disappear into the distance.
Just then, a Rolls-Royce pulled up beside him and came to a stop.
The window rolled down, revealing a man inside who looked at Patrick with confusion. "Bro, why aren’t you at the café? What are you doing at the City Hall?"
"And why haven’t you been answering your calls? I already scheduled the contract signing with Mr. Lane at Milth for six. The flight leaves at four. If you don’t hurry to the airport now, you’ll miss it!"
The man speaking was Perry, the second son of K Group.
And the one he called "Bro," Patrick, was in fact the true CEO of K Group.
