Chapter 22: Chapter 22

1,392 words

<html><head></head><body>Lucille was stunned for a moment before she looked up. Right at the main entrance, stood Joseph. He was dressed in a black high-cut suit and was walking over in a leisurely manner. The man was tall and slim, with a pair of amorous eyes. The corners of his eyes were slightly raised, showing his charm. However, there was a hint of coldness in his them. The look on his face was cold and arrogant, and his temperament was prestigious. He was like a divine being, too high to reach. Walking in the direction of the light, his deep eyes were staring right at Lucille. With every step he took, Lucille’s heart felt as if it had been shaken for a second. Cries of surprise could be heard from all around. “It’s Mr. Joseph!” “What’s he doing here? He has never attended social events before this!” “Oh my god! It’s my first time seeing him. He’s so handsome!” The Collins family’s crown prince, Joseph, was the man idolized by countless socialites in Shein City. So many people yearned to meet him, but they were never given the chance. All the rich single daughters dreamt of being his wife, and the rich sons wanted to gain his favor. In short, his presence here today was a pleasant surprise to everyone. Just as everyone was about to step forward and introduce themselves, Joseph stared straight ahead noveldrama and cut Through the crowd towards Lucille. He lowered his eyes and stared right into the girl’s cold eyes. L “Lucille, I want to marry you.” He didn’t ask if she wanted to marry him. Instead, he was straight forward with it. ‘I want to marry you’. That meant he was the one asking, and she had the power to make the decision. What his words meant was, ‘I like you’. These words were like a tornado suddenly rolling up on the calm surface of the sea, stirring up great waves. Everyone widened their eyes in shock, as if they couldn’t believe their ears. What did he just say? Mr. Joseph was proposing to the notorious Lucille Jules in front of everyone? Standing on the stage, Samuel’s face turned black. He had just broken off his engagement with Lucille, but Joseph overtook his stage by proposing to her? What did this mean? Did that make him a man who didn’t know how to treasure the pearl before him? He was so mad that he unconsciously tightened his grip on Zoey’s hand. Zoey felt the sharp pain and cried out in a low voice, “Samuel, you hurting me.” Samuel came to his senses and released her hand. “I’m sorry.” Zoey shook her head with tears in her eyes, but her heart was full of spite. Damn it! Lucille, were you placed on earth just to annoy me?! She had invested so much time and effort to make Lucille lose everything she had. But in the blink of an eye, Mr. Joseph just proposes to her in public? It was Mr. Joseph they were talking about! He was the man that dozens of girls idolized. But for some reason, he just confessed his feelings to Lucille in such a sincere manner. If Lucille said yes, then wasn’t she the daughter-in-law of the Collins family? If that was the case, wouldn’t all of her years of hard work be in vain? No! She would never allow Lucille to marry into the Collins family! Zoey narrowed her eyes viciously, a fierce glint flashed across them. On the other side, Lucille, who had become the center of attention, pulled Joseph aside in front of everyone. She lowered her voice and said, “What exactly are you doing?” The man looked down at her with a serious and gentle expression. “Well, you always asked me why I tried to get closer to you.” “Now, I’m declaring my intentions loud and clear. My goal, is you.” My goal is you. These simple words put together made Lucille’s heart skip a beat. She lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, “Mr. Joseph, you can only lie to na?ve girls. You can’t fool me.” Joseph’s eyes darkened, and then he smiled helplessly. “You are indeed smarter than I thought. I’ll get straight to the point then. The reason I’m here, is to strike a deal with you.” Lucille looked up. “What deal?” “You say yes to marrying me, and in exchange, you have full control of whatever the Collins family has power over.” Cúcille raised her brows and a hint of interest flashed across her eyes. She had to admit that his offer was indeed tempting. She was alone now and had no one to rely on in Shein City. As for the Collins family, they were extremely powerful in Shein City. If she could borrow the power of the Collins family… Lucille’s eyes darkened and she made a decision in an instant. “What do you want me to do?” Joseph’s eyes were fixed on her, and there was an obscure light in them. “You just need to handle my grandma. If you have any doubts, we can sign a contract, I will keep to my word.” A few years ago, something had happened to his body and he wasn’t well. He had to take multiple medications in a day. Not long ago, his doctors said his prognosis was not good. Madam Collins became anxious when she heard that. She kept nagging him about getting married day by day. She said it was a celebratory event that everyone deserved to experience. Of course, it was hard to refute his elder. He couldn’t change her mindset, so he could only try his best to avoid her. Somehow, the rumor spread all over Shein City. Now, the entire city knew that Mr. Joseph, of the Collins family was looking for his future wife. Lucille also seemed to recall this from the memories stored in her mind. Hence, there wasn’t an inch of doubt in her right now. Just putting up an act for Madam Collins? Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! “For how long?” Lucille asked. “Give me a period of time.” “One year.” Joseph’s eyes were tightly fixed on hers as he said in a low voice, “In a year, the contract will become void.” Lucille nodded. After a short while, she asked, “I’m very curious. Why me? There are so many other socialites in Shein City. You could easily get anyone you desire.” Joseph narrowed his eyes, which were filled with a profound meaning that even Lucille could not see through. He lowered his eyes and said meaningfully, “Because you’re the only one who wouldn’t actually fall for me.” Joseph was looking for a girl like Lucille, who always had her head above all else. Hearing this, Lucille could not help but raise her brows. Was he acknowledging that she was a rational girl who always put her head before her heart. What a coincidence. She too felt that way about herself. “Okay!” Lucille stretched out her hand and said, “Deal.” Joseph lowered his eyes and looked at her long, cold, and pale fingers. His thin lips curved slightly. The next second, he reached out his hand to cup her pale, tender palm. “Nice working with you.” The others were far away, so they couldn’t hear what the two were talking about. They only knew that the two of them were very close, and their postures seemed very intimate, and there was a smile plastered on their faces. Someone couldn’t help exclaiming. “Did she actually say yes to his proposal?” “I don’t understand. What does Mr. Joseph like about her? Which young lady from an aristocratic family here isn’t better than Lucille?” The socialite who Lucille had just stomped on, was also one of Joseph’s fanatics. Seeing that Lucille and Joseph’s bodies were so close, she was boiling with envy. “Mr. Joseph!” The girl completely forgot about her reputation and shouted like a madman, “A woman like Lucille, who just broke up and has no morals, isn’t worthy of you.” Her words revealed the thoughts of the other socialites present. All of a sudden, everyone echoed. “That’s right! Mr, Joseph, with your status, you deserve a prestigious, well educated woman. Lucille, isn’t worthy of you!” “Mr. Joseph, you better think twice. Don’t be deceived by her appearance!” </body></html>

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

1,392 words