2026-05-13 18:48:42*****
Meanwhile, Nicholas followed behind Kelly in complete silence, still struggling to process everything that had just happened.
His brain genuinely felt exhausted, because somehow, he had entered City Hall single and exited... married.
Together, they walked out through the bustling city hall.
Neither of them spoke during the journey; instead, they both appeared lost in thought.
Nicholas kept replaying the absurd chain of events in his head, trying to figure out where exactly reality had collapsed.
Eventually, they exited the crowded hall. But just then…
“My name is Kelly Palmer,” she said. “Your current contractual wife.”
Nicholas: “_”
For a brief second that felt like an eternity, Nicholas just stared at Kelly, not reacting.
But Kelly didn’t notice… or if she did, she didn’t care enough to react.
“Your only responsibility during this marriage period,” she continued calmly without waiting for his response, “is to temporarily act as my husband so my family will stop forcing me to marry the playboy from the Johnson family.”
With this, silence filled the space between them, Nicholas still showing no reaction, then…
‘Wait…’
A faint light flashed across his eyes.
‘I think I finally get the entire picture.’
He stared at the woman again while replaying everything she had said in his head, and suddenly…
Everything clicked together perfectly.
He understood why she didn’t question him even after realizing he was clearly not the man she expected, why she still went ahead with the marriage, and why she remained so calm throughout the entire absurd situation.
It was because, to her, none of that mattered.
She didn’t need a husband, but instead, a legally registered obstacle to throw in front of her family, and somehow… he had accidentally been the one.
‘So just like that, I’ve become a human shield,’ he thought, having no idea whether to laugh or cry.
But just then…
“Just like I told my friend to explain to you,” Kelly continued, clearly believing Nicholas had already understood everything, “once the marriage dissolves, I’ll pay you the agreed-upon one hundred thousand dollars. Plus a bonus if you perform exceptionally well.”
Nicholas: “…”
‘Pay me? A bonus?’
His expression became strange.
He was someone whom people had always competed against each other to give expensive gifts to, even without him doing anything for them, yet now...
The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it became, yet strangely, Nicholas smiled, because despite the absurdity, the situation was genuinely amusing.
He had only just returned to Ironstone City, yet something interesting had already happened.
For a brief moment, Nicholas considered telling her the truth, that she had mistaken him for someone else, that he wasn’t the “human shield” her friend had arranged, and more importantly…
That someone like him would never agree to such an arrangement for even a trillion dollars, let alone one hundred thousand dollars.
But then another thought surfaced.
‘Wasn’t I already wondering how boring recuperating in Ironstone City would be?’
The thought lingered briefly, and then his smile deepened faintly.
‘Perhaps this might make life a little more entertaining.’
And just like that…
Nicholas officially accepted his accidental role.
“Alright,” he finally said, his tone carrying faint amusement. “I’m Nicholas Wellesley.”
As he spoke, he casually extended his hand toward her for a handshake, but…
“Another thing I’d like to make clear,” Kelly suddenly interrupted.
Her voice remained cold and aloof, her gaze lowering toward his extended hand with obvious disapproval.
“This marriage is strictly contractual,” she stated calmly. “Meaning physical contact will not be allowed.”
Nicholas: “_”
He stared at her blankly for a second, then slowly rolled his eyes internally.
‘Really?’
‘Then what exactly should I call what happened earlier when you dragged me through City Hall like a criminal suspect?’
‘Spiritual contact?’
Nicholas almost laughed, but in the end, he said nothing.
“Alright… alright,” he replied lazily while casually retracting his hand.
Seeing his compliance, Kelly discreetly nodded inwardly.
‘Good. At least he knows his place,’ she thought.
Satisfied, she turned around immediately.
“Let’s go.”
Her tone carried the natural authority of someone used to being obeyed. Then, not waiting for either agreement or response, she elegantly walked away.
Meanwhile, Nicholas simply watched her retreating figure for a moment before clicking his tongue softly.
“What a bossy woman,” he muttered while shaking his head.
Still, he followed behind her casually.
By the time Nicholas caught up, Kelly was already seated behind the steering wheel of a BMW 3 Series, the car perfectly matching her personality.
Without asking questions, Nicholas opened the passenger door and entered calmly.
The interior carried a faint fragrance, appearing spotlessly clean and organized.
The moment he settled into the seat, Kelly ignited the engine, but just then, her movements paused slightly.
It seemed she had suddenly remembered something she had completely overlooked earlier.
“What do you do for a living?” Kelly asked suddenly, staring at Nicholas expressionlessly while keeping one hand on the steering wheel.
Her tone remained calm and indifferent, but her eyes stayed fixed on him for a moment longer than usual.
Clearly, this question mattered to her; after all, even if it was contractual, she had just married the man.
‘This…’
Nicholas was genuinely caught off guard.
Of all the questions he expected… this was not one of them.
For a brief second, he paused.
Then he scratched the side of his head awkwardly before revealing a somewhat sheepish grin.
“I am…” he began slowly, then coughed lightly. “Currently unemployed.”
The moment those words left his mouth... silence filled the car.
Kelly became speechless.
Her hands remained on the steering wheel, but her usually cold expression stiffened slightly.
‘Wait…’ Her thoughts froze briefly. ‘Did I seriously end up with a kept man?’
The realization struck her so suddenly that even her calm mind went blank for a second.
Meanwhile, Nicholas lazily leaned back against the seat, completely unaware of the violent inner crisis currently happening beside him.
Kelly subconsciously glanced sideways at him again, and unfortunately, that handsome face entered her line of sight once more.
The sharp jawline, calm eyes, and ridiculously unfair appearance.
Then, before she could stop herself, another thought surfaced in her mind.
‘With his face… being a kept man doesn’t actually sound that bad.’
The instant that thought appeared… Kelly froze internally.
“…!”
A faint blush quietly spread across her cheeks, embarrassment immediately hitting her.
‘What nonsense did I just think?!’
Her cold expression nearly cracked apart on the spot.
Thankfully, Nicholas was currently gazing outside the window casually, unaware of her brief moment of mental betrayal.
Otherwise, Kelly genuinely suspected she might need to drive the car into a river out of sheer humiliation.
Without hesitation, she hurriedly shifted the car into drive and stepped on the accelerator slightly harder than necessary.
The BMW smoothly pulled away from City Hall.
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Chapter 121 – The Employed Applicants
*****Having been completely immersed in their anxious thoughts, most of the applicants nearly jumped out of their seats as soon as they heard the abrupt sound of a door opening, while several sucked in sharp breaths.Even the two lead guards, who had been silently exchanging murderous eye contact with Fatty Benny, instinctively turned toward the sound.This time, however, it wasn't the interview office.It was the main entrance.A moment later, the supervising guard strode inside.His steps were measured and unhurried, yet every footfall seemed to carry invisible authority.The instant he entered, the atmosphere shifted again, as though an even greater pressure had settled over the room.Meanwhile, once the two lead guards caught sight of the supervisor, their pupils contracted sharply.Without realizing it, every trace of arrogance, overbearing authority, and the domineering air around them collapsed in an instant.Then they quietly shrank into themselves, looking so ordinary that t
Chapter 120 – The Applicants’ Anxiousness
*****Although Fatty Benny agreed outwardly not to pursue the matter anymore, anyone could tell from the tone of his voice that he was swallowing his frustration rather than accepting the situation.Meanwhile, unlike Benny, nearly everyone else in the waiting room secretly celebrated.Only Leon showed traces of sympathy.The remaining applicants, however, couldn't stop the excitement bubbling inside them.'Hehehe... Two competitors are already out.’That thought echoed repeatedly through their minds.Several people even struggled to hide the smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths.Without speaking, four of the remaining applicants quietly exchanged glances, each understanding exactly what the others were thinking.‘You're my competition now.’With that realization came two completely opposite emotions.On one hand, there was relief.If Nicholas and Benny were truly eliminated, then everyone else's chances had naturally increased.But on the other hand, an even heavier pressure
Chapter 119 – Fatty Benny’s Rage II
*****The unmistakable sound of a door opening echoed through the waiting area.The abrupt noise sliced through the heated atmosphere like a sharp blade, and… everyone instinctively froze.The argument came to an abrupt halt.Before they even realized what they were doing, every head turned toward the source of the sound.At that exact moment, the office door where the interviews were being conducted slowly swung open, and… Nicholas stepped out.For an instant, no one reacted.The waiting room became so silent that even the humming of the air conditioner seemed unusually loud.The applicants merely stared at Nicholas, their expressions blank, almost as though their minds had failed to process what they were seeing.Several long seconds passed before someone finally muttered in a dazed voice,"Didn't... he just go inside?"The words snapped a few people back to reality.They blinked repeatedly before instinctively glancing at the wall clock, then someone's eyes widened."He wasn't even
Chapter 118 – Fatty Benny’s Rage
*****“Do you think they'll set their prejudice aside and give him the same amount of attention they gave the rest of us?” One of the applicants suddenly asked, sweeping his gaze across the room.The moment those words fell, the laughter and idle gossip filling the waiting area vanished as though someone had cut them off with a knife.Silence descended once more.The applicants exchanged meaningful glances, and although no one answered immediately, the reluctance in their expressions was impossible to miss.After a brief pause, one man finally let out a sigh.“Even if they've already decided what to do with him, this is still an official interview,” he said. “No matter how angry they are, they'll probably go through the motions and give him roughly the same amount of time they gave us.”Hearing that explanation, many of the applicants unconsciously relaxed, and several nodded in agreement.With that, the oppressive knot in their chests loosened ever so slightly.Then another applicant
Chapter 117 – The Interview Room II
*****‘Previous Occupation: Soldier.’As soon as he read this, the atmosphere inside the office instantly shifted.His pupils contracted sharply, and the irritation on his face vanished completely, replaced by surprise.He blinked several times, then slowly, he raised his head toward Nicholas.He stared at him for several seconds, then he lowered his head to the application.He looked at Nicholas again, and… almost exactly like his partner had done moments earlier, he began to alternate between Nicholas and the paper.Watching both men repeatedly compare his face with the paper, Nicholas couldn't help but become mildly bewildered.His brows rose ever so slightly.‘Is there really something that shocking written on that form?’ he wondered.Before he could think further, however, one of the guards suddenly slammed a palm onto the desk."Do you know," he barked coldly, glaring straight at Nicholas, "that impersonating military personnel is a serious criminal offense?"His eyes narrowed d
Chapter 116 – The Interview Room
*****Meanwhile, the moment Nicholas stepped into the office, the atmosphere changed completely.The room wasn't particularly large.A sturdy wooden desk occupied the center, while the two lead guards sat behind it.These were the very same men who had earlier strutted through the waiting room with the dignity of kings inspecting commoners.Yet now, not even the slightest trace of that composed authority remained.Their expressions were darker than storm clouds, their jaws were tightly clenched, and their foreheads bulged with visible veins.The air itself felt unusually heavy."That damned Fatty..." One of them ground his teeth so hard it almost sounded painful. "He actually dared..."His fist tightened until his knuckles turned white.The other guard slammed a palm against the desk. "How dare he!"His face flushed red with lingering humiliation.The two men were so consumed by whatever Benny had done that they continued muttering angrily under their breath, almost forgetting why the
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