Chapter 13

Emmanuel uttered that in a daze. "That's why you risked your life?" asked Mackenzie with a frown.

"Of course. I can't believe it's so difficult to bring my

wife home even after I'm married. I'm such a failure."

Emmanuel laughed self–deprecatingly.

He had read many trending novels about live–in

sons–in–law, but he found himself more pitiful than

them. At least those mothers had seen their

daughters–in–law before.

Mackenzie sighed inwardly, feeling utterly conflicted.

"By the way, I've negotiated with Mr. Webber. We only

need to pay them three million, and they'll get lost. I've

helped Terence Group save two million. The boss will

praise you, won't he?" Emmanuel added with a smile.

Mackenzie's lips curled into a disdainful smile. So, he

thinks I work for someone?

"All right. Stop spouting nonsense. Don't talk about the

company's affairs in public," Mackenzie warned. She

then called a taxi and went home with him.

To her surprise, Emmanuel was so drunk that he fell

into a deep sleep the moment he got into the car.

When they arrived at Yociam Residence, Mackenzie

could not wake him up, no matter how hard she tried.

"Miss, do you need my help?"

The driver was a middle–aged man. He had been

stealing glances at her from the rearview mirror

throughout the journey.

To have such a beautiful woman in his taxi was a first

for him.

Moreover, he was helping her send her unconscious

partner home. Will I have a chance to take advantage

of her? My life would be worth living if I could have a

moment with her.

Just then, he met Mackenzie's icy gaze. Her hostile aura.

was enough to make him shudder.

"Don't be nosy if you want to live," she snapped. That

ended the driver's imagination, and he quickly drove

off after dropping them off.

Having refused the driver's offer, Mackenzie had no

choice but to carry Emmanuel home alone.

Although she was trained to fight since she was young,

there was a limit to a woman's strength. Moreover, no

ordinary woman could carry someone as heavy as

Emmanuel.

It took her considerable effort to help him into the

elevator. When they arrived at the seventeenth floor,

Emmanuel staggered and fell, causing Mackenzie to

fall with him.

"Ugh. This b*stard!"

Mackenzie was two times lighter than him, but it was a

great fall. She grimaced in pain as she lay on the floor.

She was the eldest daughter of the Quillen family, yet

she was being pressed to the ground by a man.

Not only that, but he also reeked of sweat and alcohol.

As someone particular about cleanliness, it made

Mackenzie scowl with disgust.

This is unforgivable!

On top of that, she did not expect Terence, who was

waiting in the house, to walk out with a bodyguard

upon hearing the commotion outside.

The moment the bodyguard saw the scene in the

elevator, his jaw dropped.

Oh my goodness! Are they serious? Isn't this Ms.

Mackenzie? She's being pressed to the ground by a

man?

"What are you looking at? Help me lift this guy up!"

Mackenzie shot the bodyguard a look, making the

latter scurry over in fright.

"Don't help him up!" hollered Terence.

He was elated.

After all, he had been worried about Mackenzie's

misandry, and she would not let Emmanuel touch her.

Never did Terence expect to see such an exciting

scene that night.

Although Mackenzie did not have a choice, it was still

her first time being in close contact with a man.

"Not bad! This is a good start! Continue staying in this

position."

Terence laughed heartily and brought the bodyguard away. Let's not disturb the couple building their relationship. Mackenzie was livid. If that elderly man were not her biological grandfather, she would have taught him a lesson.

In the next second, she shoved Emmanuel away. Still feeling angry, she turned around and gave him two kicks.

"How dare you fall asleep? Hmph! You'll spend the night out here!"

Early the next morning, Emmanuel awoke feeling a cold gust of air blowing against his skin, causing his body to tremble profusely.

He absentmindedly ran his hand across the

goosebumps on his arms. Sneezing twice in rapid

succession, he realized he was lying on the hard, cold

surface of the floor.

Did she seriously leave me lying on the corridor outside

the house?

Fortunately, luck was on his side as the unit on the

seventeenth floor was the only unit on the top floor.

Had there been more, anyone who passed by would

have been amused at his peculiar situation.

"What a cruel woman!"

Emmanuel hurriedly got to his feet and recalled what

happened last night. It was obvious that Mackenzie

had left him to his own devices outside last night.

That wasn't all, for he also discovered a few shoeprints

on his clothes. The size of the prints perfectly matched

the shoes Mackenzie wore, so he was pretty sure she

did this to him.

I just helped her complete a mission. How could she do

this to me? What an ingrate. Is she a cold–blooded

animal?

Click.

Right then, the door opened to reveal Mackenzie, who

was prepared to head to work even though it was.only

half past six in the morning.

Their eyes met.

At once, Mackenzie feigned nonchalance and walked

past Emmanuel.

Emmanuel immediately gripped her wrist.

Her skin was so smooth that he nearly lost his grip on

her.

"Do you have a death wish?" Mackenzie shot him

daggers.

How dare he touch me? He must be tired of living!

Emmanuel quickly released her wrist and retorted

angrily, "Do you even have compassion? Even if I'm a

pig, shouldn't you take care of me considering the fact

that I am obviously in need of medical attention? It's

just a few more steps to get inside the house. How

could you abandon me and leave me to sleep outside

the entire night? What if my injuries become more

serious?"

He seemed really upset, but Mackenzie burst out

laughing to hear him compare himself to a pig.

"Serves you right!" Mackenzie told him.

She didn't bother explaining herself and turned to

leave.

A vortex of anger swirled inside Emmanuel.

Even though I have an aversion to hitting women and

had promised Mom to take care of my wife, I was

tempted to take action against her when she provoked

me!

"Wait up! When will you come home with me?"

Emmanuel asked hurriedly before she stepped into the

elevator.

"Early next month, I think," came Mackenzie's answer as

the elevator doors slid close.

It was a long time away, but at least she had agreed to

the meeting.

Emmanuel marched back into the house, seething

with anger. He was looking forward to taking a hot

shower to soothe his aching body when Roselynn's call

arrived.

Last night, Emmanuel promised to let her know the

exact time when he would be returning with his wife by

today.

He had no idea she would call him at seven in the

morning.

I don't understand women at all.

"Hello, Roselynn."

"Manny, have your wife confirmed when she'll be

coming home?"

"Early next month!"

Emmanuel felt anger sweep over him when he recalled

Mackenzie's earlier attitude.

He was worried that the woman would remain

poker–faced when visiting Alessandra back at home,

leading to a disagreement between the two. This was

a common phenomenon, as mothers–in–law and

daughters–in–law were often at odds with each other.

He was aware that his aunt and his cousin's wife had a tendency to clash with one another. It seemed that every time they encountered one another, a heated

argument would ensue, and on rare occasions, it

would escalate to a physical altercation, leaving his

poor cousin trapped in the middle of it all.

His cousin could still side with his mother and would

sometimes reprimand his wife, but Emmanuel knew

that he would meet his doom tomorrow if he had the

guts to yell at Mackenzie.

If she goes too far or speaks to Mom disrespectfully, I

may be forced to confront her. If this leads to a

disagreement, Mom may find out about our

arrangement and be distressed by it.

Even though Mackenzie had agreed to come home

with him, Emmanuel was still frustrated and anxious. It

felt like bringing a bomb that might explode anytime

home.

"Manny, what's wrong? Did she refuse to visit us?"

Roselynn snapped.

I don't care how capable his wife is. Now that she has

become a part of the Lowe family, she must conform

to the expectations laid out for her and cannot act

however she pleases. If she's already acting up when

we expect her to visit, how will Manny and Mom endure

her antics in the days ahead?

"Of course not, Roselynn. Don't get it wrong. She's just

too busy," Emmanuel quickly explained.

No matter how furious he was, Mackenzie was still his

wife.

"Good, then."

Roselynn was in a great mood having confirmed their

visit. She couldn't help but switch the conversation to

something else that was on her mind. "Manny, I

received an invitation to attend a high–society party in

Yeringham. I heard that many rich scions will be there!"

"Oh, I see. You want to see handsome guys there,

huh?"

Emmanuel knew Roselynn well. It could be said with

confidence that he was the person who knew her best.

Roselynn was a person who was driven to always strive

for perfection. She was quite the romantic, having

been entranced by the world of romantic dramas and

films since she was a teenager in high school.

In the beginning, she fell for Nick Jonas from The Jonas Brothers. Later, she took an interest in Jamie Dornan, famous for his role as Christian Grey.

Recently, she was infatuated with Alex Pretty face.

Anyway, the men she loved were tall, rich, and

handsome. They must be nothing short of perfect.

However, perfect men didn't exist in the world.

Thus, she was still single in her thirties. It wasn't because she was anything less than appealing or desirable; it was because her ideal partner seemed too perfect to exist in the real world.

Alessandra and Emmanuel both cautioned Roselynn that the male characters she adored in television shows weren't actually real, and urged her to adjust her expectations accordingly. Nonetheless, Roselynn still enjoyed the opportunity to lay her eyes upon attractive men at different events.

"Hey, this is a rare opportunity. I must attend the party.

Perhaps I'll get to meet my own CEO there!" Roselynn revealed her objective directly to her little brother. She even threatened him menacingly, "If you're free, come as my plus one. Whether or not I get married depends on your efforts!"

Emmanuel was speechless.

I can't marry you. Why would I put in any effort?

The invitation Roselynn received entailed her to bring a plus one. The party was happening tomorrow night. It was a Saturday, so Emmanuel agreed to be her companion for the night.

I'll try my best. If Roselynn still remains single, it isn't my fault.

Emmanuel also felt that it was a great opportunity for him to see the world. He wasn't ignorant at all. Now that he had married Mackenzie, a senior executive of a company, he knew she frequently attended these high–society events. He decided that attending these events would not only help him understand her better but also give them more common topics to talk about. It has been widely suggested that in a marriage, the couple would begin to influence each other in such a way that they eventually become similar to one another.

Emmanuel was prepared to make a change,

The following day, he paid his family a visit.

Even though he was only gone for a few days,

Alessandra behaved as if he had been gone for years. She was relentless in her interrogation, primarily concerning his marriage.

"Manny, your wife is going to pay us a visit early next

year. Should we invite your Uncle Benny's family and

other relatives to welcome her?"

Alessandra wanted to hold a grand party to welcome

her daughter–in–law home.

Cold sweat beaded on Emmanuel's forehead as he

replied hastily, "No, Mom! Don't invite anyone. Let's just

keep it simple. We can just enjoy a meal together."

Alessandra furrowed her brows as she contemplated

the situation. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said

hesitantly. "She's a senior executive, right? That means she's used to better things and enjoys eating delicacies. I'm afraid she won't appreciate it if I prepare something simple."

Emmanuel flashed a bitter smile. It looks like Mom is pretty accommodating to her daughter–in–law, but that doesn't always mean that this situation will last. If she is the only one consistently making all the concessions and sacrifices, it may create tension and resentment that can result in issues down the line.

"Mom, you don't have to be so careful. We can just show her our real selves!" Emmanuel insisted.

Alessandra was still unconvinced. She was about to speak her mind when Emmanuel suddenly shrieked in pain.