Curtis leaned in close.
His breath was warm, and his low, lazy voice slipped into her ear, making Dakota feel weak in the knees.
But a flash of glaring red in her peripheral vision snapped her back to reality.
Dakota quickly pushed him away, indignation flaring. "You creep! Who's your Mrs. Pineda?!"
The newlywed Dakota was instantly furious.
She snatched the marriage certificate, tossing it aside with no intention of acknowledging this plastic husband.
Yes.
They were indeed married.
Just yesterday.
Arranged by their parents, a business marriage.
Yet they had always been at odds, to the point that even if they posted their marriage certificate on social media, it would be mocked as a well-edited joke, as if today weren't April Fool's Day.
Curtis had seen this coming. "Whatever."
He figured he didn't have those feelings for his new wife, so Dakota's disdain and rejection didn't bother him at all.
Though last night had certainly been...
Thinking back to how Dakota had teased him, Curtis frowned and rubbed his temples.
It was quite strange to think about.
He had almost lost control last night.
He had never found Dakota so alluring when she was drunk before, it left him a bit dazed.
Suddenly, Curtis threw back the covers and got out of bed.
Dakota quickly wrapped herself tighter in the blanket, watching him warily. "You can't tell anyone about last night."
"Not interested."
He bent down to pick up the marriage certificate, revealing several red scratches on his sculpted back.
There were two clothing brand bags by the bed.
He rummaged through his bag, pulling out a new pair of dress pants, taking his time to slide his long legs into them, tying his belt in a way that looked quite dapper.
Dakota's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "You can't tell Lailah and Noe about the marriage either."
Curtis lifted his eyelids to glance at her, smirking with a relaxed confidence. "Sure."
He hadn't planned to make a public announcement anyway.
Dakota finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She hadn't expected Curtis to be so agreeable, he didn't seem nearly as difficult as she thought.
Having grown up together with overlapping social circles, their families saw them as a perfect match, while friends often joked about their fiery rivalry.
There was even a saying circulating among the younger generation in J City: "If Dakota and Curtis can get married, then pigs can fly."
If everyone found out that this was actually happening, and they were sharing a bed, she might as well just die.
So Dakota pressed on, "Then... shouldn't you give me a wedding gift?"
Curtis felt speechless.
He turned his head away, eyes half-closed in a relaxed manner, revealing a hint of arrogance and defiance.
Dakota's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Filled with hope.
Curtis slowly pulled on his belt, fastening it with a deliberate slowness that stretched the moment.
"One hundred million."
He casually raised a hand to signal a number. "Within one hundred million, however many items you want. Your choice."
Dakota jumped up with excitement, feeling that maybe this marriage wasn't such a bad deal after all.
This wasn't just one hundred million.
It meant there could be many more one hundred millions to come!
She didn't have many hobbies.
Her greatest passion was spending money, buying beautiful things that made her happy.
Curtis smirked softly.
He hadn't originally thought he'd have to woo the princess of the Gardner family with money.
But his parents had advised him that if he promised to marry her, he needed to fulfill his duties as a husband and treat her well, especially since Dakota had always lacked love.
He actually took that advice to heart.
Though it wasn't about love, few in their social circle could meet Dakota's outrageous material needs as well as he could.
Forget it.
"Three hundred million." Curtis relented, "And pick yourself a wedding ring that you like.
Dakota was about to scream and pounce over.
But she wasn't dressed yet. Curtis pushed her back onto the bed with his fingertips against her forehead, while bending down to fetch the clothes he had prepared for her.
He also reminded her, "Don't forget to take your marriage certificate when you check out."
This time, Dakota didn't throw the certificate away.
She nodded vigorously, holding the marriage certificate as if it were an ATM.
Seeing her smile so happily, and the change in how she looked at him, Curtis felt a sense of pride, and couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Let's go."
He lazily straightened up, buttoned his shirt all the way to the top, and turned to leave the hotel with a languid pace.
Dakota hummed a song happily.
The annoyance from last night was quickly replaced by the mood for shopping. She picked up her phone to start choosing her three-hundred-million-worth wedding gift.
But the financial news that popped up on her phone suddenly made Dakota's eyes widen in shock.
"Oh my god!!!"
In an instant.
The entire suite was filled with Dakota's hysterical screams as she jumped around.
The cracked phone lay pitifully on the floor.
The screen was still lit.
On it was the morning's newly reported news about the wealthy elite:
#Dakota Behaved Like a Drunken Bully#
#H Group's Curtis Was Teased#
Dakota never thought that the major incident she tried so hard to hide had actually been exposed by the paparazzi!
Damn.
Dakota dejectedly fell back onto the bed.
She would never be able to face anyone again.
……
Dakota didn't go to live in their marital home.
She slept for three days in her small villa, claiming it was to adjust to the time difference, but in reality, because her friends wanted to gather to welcome her, she chose to hide due to embarrassment.
However, she had indeed just returned from Italy after graduation, and upon returning, she hurriedly went to get her marriage certificate.
Adjusting to the time difference was indeed reasonable.
But what was bound to come could not be avoided. Her childhood friend Lailah Casey called her in a bombarding manner:
"Dakota! Are you incubating eggs at home? You've been back for so many days and still won't come out to see us!"
There was a lot of noise on the other end of the call.
It sounded like they were organizing a gathering.
Noe Preston, her childhood friend, shouted, "That's right, Dakota! It's been three days, surely you've adjusted by now? Come out for a welcoming drink! Curtis is here too!"
Curtis...
Curtis!
The media exposed everything to the point where all her friends knew about the Curtis she teased—the Curtis she kept hidden from everyone, her new husband Curtis!!!
