Chapter 1

Inside City Hall, the heater hummed uselessly, failing to chase away the bone - chilling cold. Heavy snow pressed against the windows, blurring the winter scene outside into a hazy white. Valerie Brown stood at the marriage registration window.

"Cancel the appointment." Valerie's voice trembled slightly, yet carried undeniable determination.

"Are you sure, Miss? Maybe you should wait a bit longer?" The city hall clerk looked at her with concern, then glanced at the raging snowstorm outside. "This is winter's first snow. He might just be stuck in traffic..."

"That won't be necessary." Valerie bit her lower lip, her answer quick and decisive, though her tightly clenched hands betrayed her emotions.

Valerie slowly raised her head, her gaze landing on the giant screen of the downtown department store. The screen showed a romantic proposal.

Watching that scene, Valerie felt a bitter ache in her heart. She knew the proposal she had been desperately waiting for would never come.

Valerie and Wayne Smith had grown up as childhood sweethearts. In Valerie's eyes, Wayne was perfect, yet she alone knew his true feelings. Three years ago, Laura Johnson left to study abroad. Perhaps out of spite, on the day Laura left, Wayne agreed to be with Valerie.

During those three years, Valerie centered her life around Wayne. Just because Wayne once mentioned liking career - driven women, Valerie pushed herself to the limit, working tirelessly until she entered Aurelia Holdings, one of Emerald City's top corporations. In just one year, she was promoted to project manager. She quickly discovered this was just Wayne's excuse to distance himself.

Three months ago, Wayne's grandmother, Harper Smith, passed away. The old woman's only dying wish was to see Wayne and Valerie married soon. Lost and confused, Wayne had promised at his grandmother's bedside that they would marry when the first snow fell. In that moment, Valerie had cried tears of joy, believing her years of devotion would finally pay off. She happily threw herself into preparing every detail of the wedding.

Yet just now, after waiting over two hours past their appointment time, Valerie had seen the news of Laura returning to the country and Wayne proposing to her on the giant screen across the street.

Valerie's eyes were instantly drawn to the sparkling diamond ring. Her heart sank—it was the exact ring she had once adored but Wayne had refused to buy.

"Laura, marry me." Wayne's clear proposal cut through Valerie's heart like a blade. She stared blankly at the screen, at Wayne's handsome face—now strangely unfamiliar to her. Though she had suspected it all along, seeing them embrace amid cheers still sent a sharp pain through her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Valerie's eyes reddened, tears blurring her vision. Angrily, she tore her marriage registration appointment number to pieces.

Not far away, a black sedan sat quietly by the roadside. Inside, Howard Carter sat in the back seat, his gaze fixed on the woman at the entrance. His deep eyes locked onto Valerie's figure and wouldn't look away.

"Hasn't she arrived yet?" Howard's voice, wrapped in winter frost, echoed in the car's small space.

Joseph Miller quickly glanced at the time, then carefully turned to look at his boss.

"Mr. Carter, Miss Davis she—" Joseph hadn't finished when Howard's phone suddenly rang.

Howard glanced at the caller ID and pressed the answer button.

"Howard, are you kidding me? You're just a cripple!" A woman's sharp voice came through the phone, full of contempt.

"So what if you're the heir to the Carter family? Can you even handle that position?" The woman's voice grew increasingly shrill.

"I don't care how much you paid my family. This marriage will never happen unless I'm dead!" With an angry roar, the call ended abruptly.

Howard's face instantly darkened like the sky before a storm. He gripped his phone tightly, veins slightly bulging on his forehead.

Howard didn't respond. He slowly raised his head, gazing through the window at the lonely figure in the distance. His eyes flashed with a complex emotion, then he pressed a button on his wheelchair, opened the door, and moved toward Valerie.

At that moment, Valerie was wearily preparing to hail a taxi. Suddenly, a clear, deep voice came from behind her: "Miss, will you marry me?"

Valerie froze. She slowly turned around, her eyes full of confusion and shock. Before her was a man in an impeccable suit, sitting steadily in a wheelchair. Despite his limited mobility, he radiated an innate authority that couldn't be ignored. His expression was serious and sincere, deep eyes glimmering with determination.

Valerie tried to leave, but Howard maneuvered his wheelchair to block her path. Howard's gaze seemed to have a magnetic power; Valerie's eyes were drawn to him again. As she looked, she couldn't help but marvel that this man was even more handsome than Wayne.

A strange defiance rose in Valerie's heart. She raised her head, looking directly into Howard's eyes, and asked, "Did you go to college?"

Howard, surprised by the question, thought of his doctorate and nodded.

"Do you have a house?" Valerie asked next.

Howard smiled faintly: ‘I have land’.

Valerie's heart sank. She assumed Howard's family might only run an ordinary farm. With this thought, she couldn't help comparing him to Wayne, feeling disappointed. Even though she was furious, she couldn't be rash enough to marry a stranger.

Just as Valerie was about to refuse, Howard continued unhurriedly: "That land was later developed, and the government compensated us with a commercial apartment."

"I was stood up today. If you agree to marry me, I'll transfer the apartment to your name as compensation." Howard's voice was deep and magnetic in the cold winter air.

"Also, you won't have to take care of in - laws. We'll live separately."

"I have limited mobility, so you won't have to fulfill marital duties."

Valerie's heart trembled. Logic told her she should refuse without hesitation, but deep inside, a voice kept tempting her.

The man she loved had just proposed to another woman right before her eyes, and now her heart felt dead. Who she married seemed truly unimportant. Thinking of her gambling - addicted father who constantly demanded money from her, Valerie saw a chance to escape this painful life.

"I need money. How much can you give me?" Valerie bit her lip and asked the question that mattered most to her. She desperately needed enough money to completely cut ties with her nightmare of a family.

Howard raised an eyebrow, surprised by Valerie's directness, but he found himself appreciating her honesty. The woman before him was breathing rapidly, her eyes full of conflict, her hair dancing in the cold wind, giving her a peculiarly touching charm.

Howard's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "In addition to the house, the government also compensated eight hundred thousand dollars. Is that enough?"

Eight hundred thousand dollars. A brand new identity. Freedom.

The price for all this was simply to marry the wheelchair - bound man before her, tying her life to his.

Valerie raised her head, looking directly into Howard's eyes, her mind racing.

Snowflakes danced around them, weaving a dreamlike white world.

Howard extended his hand, palm up, waiting.

"Well, Miss?" His quiet voice cut through the winter air. "What's your answer?"