Jack Hardy The Legacy Returns

002 The Blind Date

Jack stared at Juliet for a long moment, his eyes tracing her from the perfect waves of her chocolate-brown hair to the curves of her hourglass figure, down to the slender ankles peeking from expensive heels.

What a classy, attractive woman! He had hit the jackpot on the dating app.

Without betraying his thoughts, he leaned back in his chair.

"Juliet Forbes?" he repeated after her. "Never heard of you. I was waiting for a nice, homely girl named Clara Ford who likes cooking and rom-com movies."

Juliet clicked her tongue at him in annoyance. How come he hadn't heard of the Forbes family? Her hazel eyes narrowed at the handsome, athletic man before her.

His clothes lacked any designer labels, and his appearance gave no signs of wealth or status.

The heiress had seen a lot of meathead jocks like him. They spent all day at the gym, but their bank accounts were empty, and they never actually got into a fight in their lives.

"Are you a homeless veteran?" she asked condescendingly. "That would explain why you haven't heard of the Forbes family."

Jack chuckled and shrugged without offering an answer. He was impressed by her gorgeous looks at first, but now it seemed she was just another pretty heiress with an attitude.

Juliet continued without missing a beat. "So you don't deny it? Fine, then let me introduce myself. I am Juliet Forbes, CEO of Angel Skincare. It is our conglomerate's beauty products company, worth billions."

"What else?" Jack said, acting bored as if she merely mentioned the day's weather. "Do you make good spaghetti?"

"What kind of lame response is that?" Juliet snapped, annoyed at his indifference. Did billions mean nothing to him? All he cared about was whether she cooked well.

"It's a natural response. Lameness is bringing a SWAT team to a coffeehouse. Are you showing off your wealth to impress me?"

Juliet's jaw tightened. What was with this guy? Men usually fell over themselves when they learned her Forbes credentials. Even her looks were enough to make billionaires kneel at her feet.

This random homeless guy was ignoring her completely.

"The guards are for my protection," she replied through lightly clenched teeth. "When you're worth billions, people try to hurt you. And I have no reason to show off my wealth to a commoner like you."

"You are worth billions, huh?" Jack whistled softly. "And yet, you joined a dating app with a fake name and picture. It doesn't make sense."

Juliet cocked her head. "That is the problem. It is a precaution against gold diggers seeking the Forbes name and wealth. I wanted to see if someone could fit my criteria and meet my demands."

Jack's grin tapered. "Your reason for joining the dating app sounds like bullshit."

The young beauty felt heat rise in her cheeks. Why was this man so self-assured and annoying? He wasn't scared of her family's might, and he wasn't groveling for her favor either.

Jack Hardy just sat there, teasing her like she was any other girl.

A strange emotion Juliet had never felt before began to creep over her. "Most men would be on their knees by now," she grumbled. "You're being a nuisance."

"Kneeling isn't my style," he replied, sipping his black coffee. "But you're cute, I'll admit to that."

"Cute?" Juliet repeated sharply. She was about to inherit the city's most powerful conglomerate. The Mayor and Commissioner bowed to her grandfather. Nobody dared to call the Forbes heiress "cute."

Now Juliet had to turn the tables. She would humble him, break him. "So, Jack. Tell me about yourself. Do you have a job? A decent family? An ambition in life? Or do you live in a cardboard box?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't have a steady job right now. My family is kind of complicated. As far as ambition is concerned, it is getting married to a modest woman and living a quiet life."

The beauty's eyebrow arched. That's it? All he wanted was to drift through life doing nothing, and a traditional wife? What a big loser! "You would need someone desperate or stupid to marry you."

He clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch! But what about you? Why are you catfishing guys like me on a dating app? Don't bullshit me again."

Juliet glared at him, but decided to tell the truth.

"My grandfather gave me an ultimatum. I have to marry someone within three months, or I will lose the Forbes inheritance. I've been interviewing candidates who suit my agenda."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "You've been interviewing men for marriage, as if it were a job? That's interesting."

Juliet nodded and looked him over again. The homeless man had taken the bait.

"And you, Jack Hardy, are the worst candidate yet. You have no money, no connections, and definitely no future. You're broke, lazy, and dressed as if you sleep at bus stops. Pathetic."

"Fair enough," Jack said, pushing his chair back. Much to Juliet's surprise, he stood up slowly, stretching like he had all the time in the world. "I guess this date was a bust. It was nice meeting you, Juliet Forbes."

He tossed a few bills on the table and turned to go. As the beauty watched him walk towards the door, something twisted in her chest.

Most men would grovel at Juliet's ankles when they learned of her inheritance. Most men would kill to date a woman of her sophistication and beauty. This guy wasn't begging for her favor or demanding a second chance to impress her.

"Wait," Juliet suddenly called out, much to her own surprise.

Immediately, the Forbes bodyguards moved to block Jack's path. He chuckled and shook his head, wondering if the men really believed they could stop him. Did they have a death wish?

However, Juliet's sweet voice hooked him. He stopped in his tracks and turned around. "What do you want?"

The heiress rose to her feet, and he took a few moments admiring her shapely body and innocent beauty. Was this woman crafted in heaven? She did not have a single flaw in appearance.

Juliet smoothed her coat and looked straight at him. "You're insane," she said, teeth gritted. "And your credentials make you completely unsuitable to be my husband."

"However, if you're eager to get married, I have an offer for you."

Jack raised an eyebrow and crossed his muscular arms. "I'm listening."

"I have a pre-drafted marriage agreement. If you agree to the rules and sign the document, we can be husband and wife strictly on paper."

"A contract marriage. You'll be compensated monetarily for your troubles. What do you say?"

The cafe went dead silent. Juliet's eyes stayed fixed on Jack, waiting for him to refuse so she could move on to the next candidate.

Anybody, absolutely anybody else could be a better husband than this insane, cocky man—Jack Hardy.

On Jack's end, he didn't even think twice before responding to the offer. "Deal," he said with a casual shrug. "Let's get married."