In the heart of downtown Kyoto, atop the financial skyscraper.
Inside the luxurious, sunlit office, Sophia Harrison sat behind her executive desk, casually flipping through a stack of documents handed to her by her secretary.
In front of her, William Brooks was rambling on, his voice a mix of urgency and nervous energy.
Standing behind William was a line of ten young men, each looking slightly awkward and out of place.
"Sophia, time is running out! These are the ten candidates selected by the old man. You have to pick someone to marry today!" William’s voice was growing louder and more insistent.
Sophia’s face remained as calm as ever. She simply grabbed a pen, marking key points on the paperwork, as though completely ignoring William’s plea.
William grew more agitated, pointing dramatically toward the office door. "Do you hear that? The families have already made their move! And don’t even get me started on the ten board members—they’re all on their way here as we speak!"
Right on cue, a loud banging came from the door, echoing through the room.
Shouts and murmurs filled the hallway outside. If it weren’t for Grace Mitchell physically holding them back, those people would’ve barged in by now.William Brooks sighed deeply, his tone full of urgency: “I know this is an impossible decision for you, but if you don’t get married today, that 10% will slip away. Without it, there’s no way you can outmaneuver your stepmother and fully control the company!”
“Chairman! Please, for the sake of the late Mr. Harrison, just make the compromise!”
Bang!
Sophia Harrison snapped the folder shut and handed it to her secretary, her movements crisp and decisive.
She stood, her voice as cool as her expression. “Let’s go.”
“What?” William blinked, startled.
“Isn’t the whole point to get married?” Her gaze swept casually over the group and landed on one of the ten candidates. “Him. Done.”
The chosen man looked like he’d just hit the jackpot, his face lighting up with pure elation.
William practically sagged in relief, rushing to open the door for her like a man who finally saw the exit sign.
Outside, the tension hung in the air like smoke. Kyoto’s elite, along with the board members of the Harrison Group, were clustered together. Some chatted idly, others stood silent with cold, calculating expressions.
But as soon as the door opened, every eye was on Sophia.
In their stares, she could see it all: the greed, the schemes, the quietly mocking disdain.
She ignored them entirely, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor as she headed straight to her car.
William, still stuffed with nerves, brought along the “lucky” candidate to another car, trailing close behind.
In the car ride to the registry, Sophia’s phone buzzed with a notification.The message was short and straight to the point:
"Candidate replaced."
Sophia glanced at the car behind her and sneered, "Lose them."
"Got it!"
Vroom—
The driver floored the gas pedal, and the car shot forward.
A few sharp turns later, they'd completely shaken them off.
"Miss Harrison, still heading to the registry office?" the driver hesitated to ask.
"Yes," Sophia replied, "but pick another one."
Half an hour later, Sophia stood at the entrance of a remote registry office.
She had ditched everyone, choosing to go alone.
She had no choice; marriage had to happen. Without it, she'd be stuck in a passive position forever. The problem was, her groom was currently out of the picture.
Sophia stood by the roadside, scanning her surroundings. Guess she'd have to wing it and find someone.
Then, someone walked up.
Sharp features. Gorgeous face. Probably around six-foot-one, with an athletic build.
But most eye-catching were his eyes—
They sparkled, like stars in the night sky.
Without hesitation, Sophia stepped forward and asked, "What's your name? Are you single?" Ethan Blake stared at the stunning woman in front of him, blinking in disbelief.
What was even happening right now?
Sophia Harrison cut straight to the point. “If you’re single, marry me. Move into the Harrison family.”
Ethan’s expression froze, a mix of bewilderment and incredulity written all over his face.
Sure, he was good-looking, but getting dragged into a marriage on the street? And moving in with her family? This had to be a joke.
Sophia glanced at her watch. Just ten minutes left before the civil affairs office closed.
“You don’t need to worry,” she said, calm and confident. “I’ll make sure you’re taken care of financially. You’ll get 10% of Harrison Group’s shares, your choice of luxury cars and houses, fifty million a year as pocket money... Or is there something else you want? Just name it.”
Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle.
This woman was... something else.
Fast forward ten minutes.
The two of them barely made it in time, registering their marriage just before closing. When they walked out, each held a small red booklet in hand.
