The Unexpected Marriage
Earth, United States.
Alex Hale stared at the café not far away, a helpless sigh escaping his lips.
“Grandpa, you really set me up for this,” he muttered, pinching the folded piece of paper in his pocket.
That paper was a marriage contract, sealed decades ago between his grandfather and an old war buddy. The deal was simple: if their kids turned out to be a boy and a girl, they’d marry. If both had sons, then their grandchildren would tie the knot.
As fate would have it, both grandfathers had boys. Now, in Alex’s generation, he was the only grandson—and his grandfather’s buddy had a stunning granddaughter.
Avery Grant. Alex had seen her photo, and no exaggeration—Hollywood A-listers paled in comparison to her. He’d also dug up some dirt online: the Grants’ public net worth exceeded ten billion dollars. And that was just the tip of the iceberg; their actual assets were probably way higher.
“She’s definitely gonna tear up the contract and walk away,” Alex thought glumly. “Why did I even agree to come here and humiliate myself?”
His mind was a jumble of messy thoughts as he dragged his feet toward the café. Before his grandfather passed away, he’d given Alex a phone number. Three days ago, Alex had dialed it, asking Avery to meet him here.
The moment he stepped inside, he followed the lingering gazes of every man in the room to a quiet corner—and there she was.
Avery’s aura was so sharp and commanding that no one dared to approach her, even though every eye in the place was glued to her.
Alex walked over and sat down across from her, ignoring the shocked stares of the other patrons.
“Hi, I’m Alex Hale,” he said, getting straight to the point. “I asked you to meet me today to talk about the marriage contract.”
Avery nodded slightly, her voice cool and calm. “Go on.”
Alex pulled out the crumpled contract and laid it on the table. “My grandfather and yours were like brothers back in the day. They made this promise, but times have changed. Let’s just pretend this contract never existed. My grandpa made me swear I’d meet you in person to say this.”
Avery’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. “You don’t want to marry me?”
Alex let out a bitter laugh, a self-deprecating smile tugging at his lips. “I know my place. The Grants are at the top of the world, and the Hales are just… average folks. We’re from two different planets.” He stood up, grabbing his jacket. “The coffee’s on me. Have a nice day.”
Wait.
Before he could take a single step, Avery’s voice stopped him cold. “When you called, I told you to bring your ID and birth certificate. Did you?”
Alex froze, then nodded slowly. He’d figured she planned to compensate him somehow—maybe get him a green card for New York City. Those were impossible to come by these days, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t need one. With a NYC green card, his future kids wouldn’t have to jump through hoops just to get into a decent school.
He’d have accepted that deal in a heartbeat.
But what Avery said next knocked him flat on his ass.
“Then let’s go get married.”
“Excuse me?”
Alex stared at her, his jaw hanging open. He must have misheard. Did she just say… get married?
“What did you say?” he asked, his voice cracking.
Avery’s expression softened a little, but her tone was firm. “My grandfather and yours made a vow. The Grants never break their promises.”
Alex gaped at her, his brain short-circuiting. “You don’t even know if I have a girlfriend! We’re just gonna… get married? Like that?”
Avery let out a faint, amused chuckle. “You might not know me, but I know you. You’ve been single for twenty-three years straight. No exes, no flings—nada.”
Alex was speechless.
“Avery, why?” he finally managed to ask, his brows furrowed in confusion. She could have any man she wanted—CEOs, movie stars, heirs to billion-dollar empires. Why him? A nobody with a bank account that had a six-digit password protecting a four-digit balance.
Was he gonna be a dad to someone else’s kid? But even then, millions of guys would line up around the block for that chance with her.
“I already told you,” Avery said, her voice turning serious. “The Grants keep their word.”
Alex hesitated, still stuck in a daze. Then he heard her add, softly, “Don’t worry. I’m not sick. I’m not pregnant with someone else’s baby. And I don’t need a fake husband to ward off suitors.” She leaned forward slightly, her eyes locking onto his. “We can live together after we get married, but I won’t expect you to… fulfill the duties of a husband. If we still don’t have feelings for each other in three years, we’ll get a divorce. No strings attached.”
Alex let out a huge sigh of relief, the tension draining out of his shoulders. “Okay, that makes me feel better.” He leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips. “You’re really sure about this?”
If she was serious… well, he wasn’t gonna say no. Even if they never became a real couple, waking up every day to a face like hers? That was a win in his book.
“Positive,” Avery said, nodding once.
Ten minutes later, they were out of the café and on their way to the courthouse.
Alex sat in the passenger seat of Avery’s Porsche, his mind still spinning. Half an hour later, they walked into the marriage license office. And before he knew it, he was holding a crisp, brand-new marriage certificate with both their names on it.
As they stepped out of the building, Alex felt like he was walking on clouds. He was married. Married to Avery Grant—the stunning, billionaire heiress he’d only ever dreamed of meeting, let alone marrying.
“Cancel your apartment lease,” Avery said, as they slid back into the car. “I bought a place for us. Our marital home. I’ll also get you a car—something nice for your commute to work.”
Alex blinked. “You’re gonna live there too?”
Avery nodded, her gaze softening. “I’ll come home every night. To the outside world, we’re a normal, happy couple. You can introduce me to your friends. No hiding.”
Alex turned to look at her, a playful glint in his eyes. “So… what do I call you? And since we’re married, people are gonna expect us to be affectionate in public. Hand-holding, hugs… that sort of thing.”
A faint pink flush crept up Avery’s cheeks, the first crack in her icy composure. She cleared her throat, her voice a little shaky. “You can call me Avery. And… since we’re husband and wife now, simple stuff like hugs and holding hands is fine. I won’t mind.”
Alex smiled to himself. Beneath that tough, unapproachable exterior, she was actually kind of cute when she was flustered.
“My tiny apartment’s not fit for someone like you,” he said, leaning back and closing his eyes. “Your place sounds perfect. And you don’t have to buy me a car—I take the subway every day, it’s fine.” He needed a minute to process everything. Today felt like a dream. A really, really good dream.
Forty minutes later, the Porsche pulled into the driveway of a luxury condo complex—one of those fancy buildings where the penthouses cost more than Alex could earn in ten lifetimes.
“We have three parking spots,” Avery said, parking the car in one of them. “You can use one when you get your car.”
Alex nodded silently. Yeah, that was gonna be a while. His bank account was basically a joke.
“The building has three elevators per floor,” Avery explained as they walked toward the entrance. “The third one’s for the staff only.”
Alex’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Three elevators per floor? His current apartment had one elevator for three floors, and it broke down every other week. Money really did buy everything, huh?
The elevator whisked them up to the twentieth floor, and Avery unlocked the door to a sprawling penthouse.
“Come in,” she said, stepping aside to let him pass. “It’s three thousand square feet. Not as big as the family estate, but it’s just the two of us. It should be enough.”
Alex stepped inside, and his breath caught in his throat—not at the breathtaking view of the city skyline, or the sleek, minimalist decor that screamed “money.”
But at the glowing silver treasure chest floating right above Avery’s head.
It moved with her, like it was glued to her.
“What the hell?” Alex muttered, rubbing his eyes hard. But when he opened them again, the chest was still there, glinting softly in the sunlight.
“Alex? Are you okay?” Avery asked, turning to look at him, her brow furrowed in concern.
Alex cleared his throat, a sudden idea popping into his head. He gave her a sheepish grin. “Well… it’s our wedding day. Shouldn’t we hug? For practice, y’know? So we don’t look awkward in public later.”
Avery stared at him for a second, then crossed her arms over her chest, a playful warning in her eyes. “Alex, don’t get any ideas. I’ve trained in martial arts since I was a kid. I could take down two or three grown men without breaking a sweat. Don’t push your luck.”
“Relax,” Alex said, holding up his hands in surrender. “Just a hug. Nothing more.”
Avery hesitated, then sighed and nodded. “Fine. One hug.” She took a deep breath, like she was gearing up for a fight, and stepped forward.
Alex closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waist. As their bodies touched, his head brushed against the silver treasure chest floating above hers.
DING!
[Chest System Activated!][Silver Chest Unlocked!][Congratulations, Host! You have obtained Master-Level Martial Arts Skills!]
