Chapter 4 Living Separately

"You can take all this," Howard said, sitting upright, his tone icy.

"My condition is that from now on, you stay away from Valerie."

"Deal!" Daniel agreed without a second thought, rubbing his hands together, revealing his yellowed teeth.

"The contract..."

Howard gestured, and Joseph immediately retrieved a contract from his briefcase.

Both Daniel and Valerie were stunned, realizing that Howard had anticipated this scenario long before bringing her home.

Perhaps right after they registered their marriage, Howard had already thoroughly investigated her background.

Valerie lowered her eyes, feeling a twinge of embarrassment.

Her poor family background and her father were now exposed to her nominal husband.

She took a deep breath, noticing Howard's grip on her hand tightening.

As soon as Joseph handed over the contract, Daniel snatched it eagerly.

He scrutinized every word on the contract, but seeing how straightforward Howard was, Daniel's eyes darted around.

Daniel leaned in close to Valerie, patting her shoulder enthusiastically. "I've given you my beautiful daughter, you better not mistreat her!"

"You must have chosen her because she's good at taking care of you, otherwise, why would you give me an extra ten thousand dollars each month?"

Seeing Howard remain silent, Daniel gritted his teeth and threw out another number. "More five thousand dollars a month! No less."

"Children have the obligation to respect and support their parents as they grow up. You're asking me not to see Valerie anymore, that's a big loss for me."

Joseph crossed his arms, unable to hold back a sneer. "Greedy as a wolf."

"You don't have kids, so you can't understand the pain of a father marrying off his daughter and not being able to see her. A mere ten thousand dollars is too little."

"No more. I can annul the marriage, and you owe me two hundred thousand dollars." Howard spoke slowly.

Hearing there was no room for negotiation, Daniel immediately turned and signed where Joseph indicated.

Without a moment's hesitation, Daniel grinned as he hugged the money on the table, never once glancing at Valerie.

Valerie's clenched fists opened and closed repeatedly, leaving marks on her palms.

Joseph handed the signed contract to Howard, who signed his name.

With both parties signing, the contract took effect.

Daniel, holding the contract, smirked, noticing Valerie's gaze on the money in his arms. He quickly changed his expression, stuffed the money further into his pocket, and said, "Since we won't be seeing each other again, I hope you two leave my house immediately!"

Valerie stared at Daniel in disbelief. After getting the money, he burned the bridge, not even giving his daughter a word of concern.

All he cared about was the eighty thousand dollars!

She held back her anger, resisting the urge to slap this nominal father.

"Let's go," Howard's clear, deep voice came from beside her.

Valerie bit her lip and nodded.

Even after getting into the car and watching the scenery slowly recede through the window, Valerie still felt dazed.

Just like that, she had severed ties with the family that only brought her disgrace.

The freedom she had always dreamed of was now in her grasp.

And it was all thanks to Howard.

Valerie turned to look at Howard, who was resting with his eyes closed, feeling a mix of emotions.

She lowered her eyes and said, "Thank you."

Howard opened his eyes, his voice calm and cool.

"This is what I should do."

Valerie shook her head, not continuing the topic.

What Howard should do? She didn't see it that way.

He could have found a partner with a better background, but because of a strange encounter, they had an unexpected connection.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions.

Looking at the unfamiliar scenery outside the window, Valerie realized he wasn't taking her to Aurelia Holdings.

Startled, Valerie instinctively asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"My home."

"What?"

Howard glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Don't want to?"

Valerie blushed, shaking her head. "No, no."

"I'm just not used to it."

In just two days, she had married a man she had no emotional foundation with, and she wasn't used to it yet.

The car soon stopped in front of a villa.

Valerie was shocked to see the villa, then saw Joseph wheeling Howard over.

"This... your house?" Valerie stammered.

Howard nodded openly. "Yes, I've been lucky over the years, with high bonuses and some investments."

"To be honest," Howard said, a bit embarrassed, "after all these years, I only have this one house."

Valerie was so shocked her jaw dropped, her earlier mixed feelings instantly vanished.

All that was left was endless amazement.

They were both project managers at the company, yet the difference between them was stark.

He had investments and savings, while she...

Thinking of Daniel, Valerie felt a pang of sadness.

She sniffed, not wanting to dwell on the past.

Shaking her head, she followed them into the villa, listening to Howard introduce the layout, suddenly remembering something.

Her gaze lingered on Howard, a hint of awkwardness on her pretty face.

But since they were legally married, she found it hard to ask.

"What's wrong?"

Howard noticed her unease, turned around, and seeing her gaze, he understood.

He said, "We're not very familiar with each other yet, and I work late, so I might disturb your sleep. How about we stay in separate rooms for now?"

"Once we're more comfortable, we can decide if we want to share a room. Is that okay?"

Valerie's eyes lit up, nodding immediately.

Realizing she was too eager, she worried it seemed like she disliked him. Afraid of misunderstanding the man who had "rescued" her, she waved her hands.

"Actually, I..."

"Here, you don't have to worry too much, just be yourself."

"But sometimes, I might need you to help me, like pretending to be a loving couple. Can you do that, honey?"

Valerie looked at Howard's serious face, her heart racing.

She nodded hastily, grabbing her suitcase and rushing into her room.

Only after closing the door, cutting off that intense gaze, did Valerie slowly calm down.

Exhausted from the day, Valerie quickly fell asleep after a brief tidy-up.

Perhaps it was because she had finally cut ties with Daniel, or maybe it was Howard's presence next door.

That night, Valerie slept soundly.

The next morning.

Valerie yawned as she walked downstairs, drawn to the dining table by the smell of food.

"You can cook?"

"I'm quite good at it."

She was surprised, turning quickly and not noticing the shelf beside her. With a yelp, Valerie felt herself spinning.

But the expected pain didn't come. Instead, she fell into a warm, firm embrace. Valerie opened her eyes to see Howard's handsome face inches away, her heart racing, her face flushing.

Howard's arm held her securely, his warm breath brushing her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "Planning to stay on me forever?" His voice was deep and magnetic, a teasing smile playing on his lips, his eyes hinting at something more.