A Talent of Persuade Others

Daniel used to say his boss had a talent for recognizing talented people and would try to recruit them at all costs to make a big profit. Irene used to think Daniel's words were hyperbole, but she finally understood that her asshole ex wasn't lying.

Sebastian was willing to write his name on the marriage certificate to get Irene and offer so many benefits that she could not resist the temptation.

Sebastian never forced Irene to fulfill his wishes, but he was a soft-spoken manipulator who would ensnare his prey through sweet words and promises.

Unfortunately, Irene was tempted by his sweet offer.

"Well, I guess I have no reason to refuse."

Sebastian smiled broadly and gave her a hand. "Then we got a deal, Miss Russell, or should I call you Mrs. Delacroix now?"

Irene shook Sebastian's hand firmly. She smiled and said sarcastically, "Should we just get married tonight?"

The smile on Sebastian's face slowly faded, and his expression looked more severe than before. Irene thought she might have said the wrong thing, but her thoughts were immediately dismissed as soon as he said, "Why not?"

"Haha ... how funny."

"No, I'm not joking at all. We just need a marriage certificate, right? I can ask Mrs. Cain to prepare our documents, and you can come home with me."

Irene understood that Sebastian considered their marriage a mere business contract, but she didn't expect him to act that uncaringly.

She broke their handshake and snarled, "You are a famous businessman, Mr. Delacroix. If you want to show me off as a beautiful wallflower at a party, you should have displayed me at your wedding first."

Although Sebastian never showed his face publicly, Irene was sure some important people had seen it in person and would invite him to their prosperous events.

If Sebastian hadn't invited them to his wedding, they would think Irene was a fake wife he had hired to accompany him. In the end, both of them would look miserable, especially Irene.

They must take the role seriously if they want to pretend to be a loving couple.

"We need a grant wedding. Not too big, but at least looks lavish, so people will assume you love your wife dearly." Irene smiled, but her emerald eyes held so much power in them. "I also want to establish my position in your world, Mr. Delacroix."

The world of the top 1% of people was always cold and ruthless. If Irene came into their world unprepared, she would become a meal for those beasts. She understood that well because her mother had also been their meal in the early days of her marriage to Nathan Russell.

"You're right. I'll ask Mrs. Cain to prepare our wedding banquet. I don't mind if you want to invite some of your friends and family," Sebastian said.

"Family ...," Irene hung on her words for a few moments. "I'll think about it."

That one word had always weighed heavily on Irene's heart. She had been away from her family for 15 years; occasionally, she would come home to celebrate an important day, but it could be counted on her fingers.

During her time away, her father rarely asked about her situation, or maybe he just didn't care about his daughter's life and preferred to focus on Catelyn.

Hence, Irene had forgotten the concept of family, never even expecting to invite them to her wedding. Moreover, she was having a beef with her bitchy step-sister, so Irene didn't want to see their faces even more.

"Since we'll get married soon, you can move to my house tonight," offered Sebastian. 

His words didn't sound like a suggestion but rather an ultimate decision. Irene folded her hands in front of her chest and asked sarcastically, "Why are you so obsessed with me, Mr. Delacroix? Earlier, you asked me to marry you tonight, and now you want me to move into your house tonight."

"I just want to help you, darling." The corners of Sebastian's lips lifted, revealing an expression that irritated Irene. "You'll get married to a notorious family, Miss Russell. You need to get used to living in luxury before our wedding so you don't look like a nouveau riche."

Irene laughed. "For your information, I also don't come from a poor family."

Besides that, Irene knew Sebastian didn't care about that because he had never thought that far before. She wasn't sure why he changed his mind, but she guessed Sebastian wanted to lock her up and ensure she wouldn't run away before their wedding.

"Surely. However, your family's company did not grow too fast, and your family became hot stuff just because some of your family flaunted their wealth on social media like peacocks."

Sebastian scoffed, "Your family's company was even close to bankruptcy if only your sister hadn't stolen your jewelry designs. Am I wrong, Miss Russell?"

Unable to contain her anger, Irene finally stood up from the chair and carried her bag. "I guess our conversation is over, and I can't move to a man's house I just met in one day."

Before Irene walked away, Sebastian got up from the chair and held her arm. "If we meet again tomorrow, we're not strangers anymore, right? Pack your things tonight because I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."

"What if I don't want to?"

Sebastian smiled meaningfully. "Oh, I'm sure you'll come with me voluntarily."

Irene rolled her eyes and denied, "I'm not staying at your house until we get married."

"Well. Well. We'll see it tomorrow." Sebastian let go of Irene's arm and opened the door for her. "I will prepare a room for you tomorrow. Good night, Miss Russell."

As Irene walked out of the room, she briefly locked eyes with Sebastian. Those gray eyes filled with a million mysteries seemed to hold a hidden intention that sent chills down Irene's spine.

She didn't know what Sebastian would do, but Irene was sure he wasn't the kind of man to give up easily.

"Everything's all right, Miss Russell?" Amber asked as soon as she saw Irene coming out of the restaurant with an expression that she could hardly decipher. 

Irene nodded and waved her hand. "I'm fine."

Amber pointed at her injured hand. "What happened to your hand?"

Irene then lowered her head, looking down at her right hand, which she carelessly wrapped in a handkerchief with peonies on it. The white cloth was starting to turn red as Irene's wound reopened.

"It's nothing." She didn't want to bother explaining the situation to Amber, so she asked something else, "Are you going to take me home?"

Amber was still curious about the wound on Irene's hand, but since she didn't want to discuss it, she didn't talk about it anymore. "Yes, Mr. Delacroix asked me to escort you home."

She opened the car door for Irene, then said, "Please, come in, Miss Russell."

Irene just smiled in return and got into the car. She breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the backseat as she finally relaxed her body.

When the car started moving, Irene saw Sebastian's figure standing in front of the restaurant through the rearview mirror. After spending less than an hour with Sebastian, Irene could conclude that he was not as scary as people said.

He did have an intimidating aura, but Irene didn't feel threatened around him. 

"Mrs. Cain, do you know why Mr. Delacroix invited me here?" asked Irene.

For a few moments, Amber didn't say anything. She seemed to know that Irene was asking that question because she wanted to test Amber. If she said she knew, then Irene would try to pry information about Sebastian out of her.

"I don't know anything, Miss Russell." Amber glanced at Irene's face through the center mirror. The auburn-haired woman cast her gaze to the side and looked nonchalant as if she had already predicted Amber's answer. "If you want to know something, you should ask Mr. Delacroix directly."

Irene lifted the corner of her lips slightly and murmured, "What a loyal dog."