Valeria's decision to stay or leave was finally settled. She chose to stay with Shane, while Grandpa Hunter went to Neil's place.
Initially, Grandpa Hunter was reluctant to let go, but after having some fun and seeing Shane getting upset, he finally relented.
After Grandpa Hunter left, Shane took Valeria back to their dormitory. To their surprise, someone was already inside. When they reached the door, Shane froze, staring at the unlocked door.
Normally, Shane shared the room with Chris, his partner. Shane was the leader of the Iron-Blooded Brigade, and Chris served as the political commissar. Though they didn't get along well in daily life, they cooperated seamlessly when it came to important decisions, especially when competing with other brigades. They often spent sleepless nights strategizing.
Valeria couldn't lift her head even at night, feeling that what Shane did was just not right. It was broad daylight, still in the dormitory. How could he do that? She wasn't sure if anyone was passing by outside, and her heart was still pounding.Shane, on the other hand, seemed quite content, lying on the bed with his bare arms exposed. The quilt was draped around his waist, and in his arms was Valeria, who seemed to be wearing very little. One of his hands was patting her gently.At this moment, Shane felt that there was nothing happier than sleeping, especially when holding his Valeria. It was so comfortable being naked together.Shane lay on the bed with half-closed eyes, his voice carrying a lazy and hoarse tone. A pleased smile lingered on his face.
Civil Registry Office. Valeria Everhart frowned as she looked at the column for her spouse, hesitated for a moment, then turned to the man sitting beside her, "Your... your name..."Shane looked at her, slightly curved his lips, ignored the suspicious gaze of the staff, took the form, and quickly wrote his name – Shane Hunter. Valeria glanced quickly, sighed in relief; so, this is his full name. Exiting the Civil Registry Office, Valeria looked down at the cream-colored paper in her hand and suddenly realized a fact. She... got married! And, it was with a man she had known for less than 24 hours. But her lips also carried a bitter smile; her marriage was just a transaction, a story that began a week ago. Valeria's father, Ed Everhart, ran a small business, but recently, there were problems with the financial chain, causing him great anxiety. After graduating, Valeria worked at a magazine, a nine-to-five job as a magazine editor. She wasn't cut out to be a boss like her father, pre
Shane looked at Valeria and stretched out his hand.Valeria looked at him with confusion, not sure what he meant.Shane shook her hand and said, "What's the matter? Have you forgotten? We're already married!"Valeria hesitated for a moment, then placed her small hand in his large palm.It wasn't her first time holding hands with a man, but it felt like a sensation that could last a lifetime.Shane tightened his grip, fingers interlocking with hers, leading her to a Volkswagen car.Valeria glanced at Shane, forming a better impression of him.Shane opened the car door for her, then got in himself.Before starting the car, there was a moment of silence.Except for that period of dating, she had never been so close to a man, making her feel a bit breathless, hesitant to exhale."Don't be nervous, relax. If you keep holding your breath, you might suffocate in my car!" He genuinely didn't expect her to be so shy and timid."Yes, sorry!" The assertiveness she usually had seemed to disappear
Valeria cast a glance at him, then shifted her gaze to Shane, who had shielded her from the teacup with his body.If, for a moment, she had entertained the idea of divorcing Shane to salvage the Everhart family's financial crisis, that notion dissipated when he shielded her from the teacup.Shane was the one she had chosen, the one she had proposed to, and the one she wouldn't let go.She clasped Shane's hand and took the marriage certificate. "Dad, whether you agree or not, I won't divorce. I initiated this marriage, and I won't betray him."After making this decision, she suddenly felt much lighter."Sister, what about the family's financial situation?" Vanya inquired with a blank expression. From childhood to adulthood, Valeria had never dared to defy her father's words, but unexpectedly, in this crucial moment, she stood resolute."Are you saying you'd prefer this poor guy over me as your father?" Ed's voice boomed, as if making a significant decision."Dad, I—""That's enough!" E
"Stay at your place?" She suddenly realized that today was their wedding night, and according to tradition, it should be...Her face flushed intensely. She was married! Now she realized an ironclad fact, but should she go to Shane's house?In fact, she was currently homeless. If not at Shane's place, she had nowhere else to go except the company's staff dormitory, where she sometimes stayed when working late.If she went to Shane's house tonight, what would it imply? She was an adult and understood it in her heart, but actually taking that step, she didn't feel prepared.From her troubled expression, he already knew her thoughts. "You don't need to feel awkward. In fact, if you come to my house tonight, I won't do anything to you!" Shane felt a bit aggrieved. Did he really seem like the big bad wolf trying to deceive Little White Rabbit?Valeria blushed deeply. "How do you know what I'm thinking?"Shane said with a teasing tone, "Your face is all written with 'Shane is a big bad wolf!
Shane's flat was adorned in a warm and inviting manner, mirroring his amiable personality. It served as a cozy haven with a color scheme of pink and blue, her favorite, coupled with Mediterranean-style decor. The flat was somewhat smaller than she had envisioned, a bachelor apartment with just one room."Come in, why are you standing at the door?" Shane gestured for her to enter. She felt a bit self-conscious; after all, it was her initial visit to a man's home, wasn't it?"I," she appeared a bit shy, "can I use the bathroom? I've been holding it in for a while, but going to the bathroom somehow feels embarrassing."In the presence of the opposite sex, she seemed hesitant about such matters. Shane smiled and promptly said, "My apologies, go ahead!" He opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony to ease her discomfort.Upon entering the bathroom, Valeria realized she was unexpectedly experiencing her period. How awkward! The stress of recent days had caused her to forget that her
Valeria didn't know whether it was because of the change of bed or the presence of a man beside her, but her eyes had never closed."Can't you sleep?" Shane's deep voice rang in her ears, telling her that he hadn't slept either."You didn't sleep either?" She really couldn't sleep, but she had to get up early for work the next day.Shane reached out to circle her body. "Sleep, you're safe now. I won't harm someone unsafe!"Valeria awkwardly thought, how did he see through her that one time? Was it really that obvious?"Shane, can I hold your hand? Just grab your thumb." She wanted to hold his thumb because she wanted to know what it felt like to hold someone.Shane handed her his thumb, but the rest of his fingers tightly grasped the back of her hand. "Like this?"Valeria tried to lean her head against him, tightly holding his thumb, and then entered the realm of dreams.The next morning, when she woke up early, she didn't see Shane."Looking for me?" He smiled, coming out of the bath
Valeria was enjoying a rare afternoon tea in a dessert shop.Since she started working at the company, it seemed she had never had the chance to enjoy such leisurely moments. The difficult part was allowing herself to enjoy it.Little did Valeria know that chaos had erupted in the company since she left."What? Valeria resigned without any precautions. Didn't even hand over her work? Is the boss out of his mind this time?" The vice manager was shocked. Was the boss intentionally doing this? If so, it was truly helpless.Who knew how excellent Valeria was.Since she started working here, she was never late, never left early, even came to the office when sick without taking leave. Most importantly, at the age of twenty-eight, she hadn't gotten married yet, sparing the company from maternity leave issues.Sometimes, Valeria could accomplish things even men couldn't. Where else could you find such a good employee?"Vice Manager, lower your voice. Don't let the boss hear. He's not in a goo