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Chapter 1
Chapter 1
“I know, Mom. I’m in front of the café. Call you later!”
Emmanuel Lowe hung up on his mother impatiently.
The twenty-eight-year-old man had never been in a relationship.
After spending seven years in the army, he retired from the military and worked at a hospital in Yeringham for three years.
He was a gynecologist at the hospital and madeeighty thousand a year.
Worried he would end up old and alone, Emmanuel’s mother urged him to settle down. Since he had no idea where to begin when it came to dating, his mother took matters into her own hands and set him up on multiple blind dates.
Thanks to her efforts, he had gone on seventeen blind dates so far.
Alas, wedding bells were clearly not on the horizon for Emmanuel. It was frustrating. He knew he was just going through the motions at that point.
“Help! Someone help me!”
Right before Emmanuel entered the café, he heard someone calling out weakly for help. you for your kindness!” replied the old man with a smile.
Emmanuel realized then that the old man’s attire was at odds with his airs. Despite his tattered clothes, the old man’s clean hands looked like those of a man accustomed to wealth.
Still, he had no time to satisfy his curiosity. After confirming that the old man was unharmed,
Emmanuel rushed into the café for his blind date. He never once considered being repaid for his kind act earlier.
The café was massive and practically structured like a maze.
Emmanuel’s mother mentioned that his blind date was seated at table number eight. He wandered through the confusing café, but before he could locate the correct table, he stumbled into a special area.
The lighting was softer there, and the floor was scattered with fresh petals.
The sweet scent of flowers wafted through the air. He wondered if he had set foot in heaven.
Emmanuel raised his eyes and immediately froze.
A beautiful, elegant woman sat before a table in the room.
It was no exaggeration to say she embodied perfection itself.
The heavens clearly decided to shower all their favors on her.
The woman quietly sipped her coffee with her legs crossed neatly to the side. On the table was a non- translated copy of The Power Broker.
When she noticed Emmanuel barging into the room, she looked up at him in confusion and disgust.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
When Emmanuel recovered from the shock of stumbling upon the beautiful stranger, he realized his heart was about to beat its way out of his chest.
Never once had he ever felt so attracted to a woman in his twenty-eight years of life.
The countless female bodies he had seen in his work as a gynecologist hardly appealed to him. At some point, he even wondered if he was attracted to women at all.
Against all odds, it seemed, the young woman before him made his heart race like a runaway horse.
Am I simply nervous, or am I already attracted to her?
More surprisingly, Emmanuel noticed a large number eight sign on the woman’s table.
She’s my blind date?
He took a deep breath to calm himself before approaching her table and taking a seat opposite her.
The young woman’s expression grew increasingly flabbergasted. There was even a hint of hostility in her pretty eyes.
The audacity of this man! Barging into my private room is bad enough, but he’s going to sit opposite me like it’s nobody’s business?
More surprisingly, Emmanuel noticed a large number eight sign on the woman’s table.
She’s my blind date?
He took a deep breath to calm himself before approaching her table and taking a seat opposite her.
The young woman’s expression grew increasingly flabbergasted. There was even a hint of hostility in her pretty eyes.
The audacity of this man! Barging into my privateroom is bad enough, but he’s going to sit opposite me like it’s nobody’s business?
Emmanuel ignored her expression. It was not the first time a woman had scoffed at him.
They were free to go their separate ways after getting the blind date done and over with.
He introduced himself, declaring, “Hi! My name is
Emmanuel Lowe. I’m twenty-eight years old, and I work as a gynecologist. I make eighty thousand a year and don’t own a car or a house.”
Any man would need an incredible amount of courage to say such things to a woman, but Emmanuel appeared unusually calm and unfazed.
The young woman stared at him in shock. A moment later, her lips curved into a smirk, and she replied with an introduction of her own.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Mackenzie Quillen. I’m twenty-seven years old with dual doctorates in finance and business administration from Harvard
University. I made three billion last year, and I have a car and a house.”
Emmanuel was stunned.
What the heck is happening?
He always thought women on blind dates came with red flags.
Mackenzie, however, was arguably flawless.
Where’s the catch? Perhaps she’s mental? Or crippled? Or infertile?
All sorts of fantastical theories filled Emmanuel’s mind.
Mackenzie smirked at his perplexed expression. The pride in her cool gaze was evident.
She deliberately introduced herself to put the stranger in a difficult spot and intimidate him into retreating.
As expected, awkward silence lingered in the air after her words.
Urgh, forget it!
Whether Mackenzie was telling the truth was beside the point. Emmanuel decided to go through all the motions so he could at least mollify his mother, even if the date did not result in a trip to the altar.
He declared, “I don’t make much, but if you decide to date me, I promise I’ll always protect and cherish you. I’ll take over all the household chores so you can be a queen at home. Of course, I hope you’ll allow me to preserve my masculine pride in front of my family. If we do get married, I can give you about five to six thousand every month.”
It was a well-worn script that Emmanuel recited in a single breath.
Mackenzie was dumbfounded at his earnest expression and apparent lack of shame at his much lower salary.
A long while later, she burst into a chuckle. She had never met a man who could humor her so.
“What are you laughing about?” Unimpressed by her reaction, Emmanuel continued, “I know I don’t check all the boxes, but I promise I’ll be a good and responsible husband if we’re married!”
Mackenzie failed to keep in her snigger. An annoyed Emmanuel demanded, “Why are you laughing, Ms. Quillen? Don’t you think you’re being rather rude?”
“Sir, you’re a very good man!” Mackenzie stopped smiling and retorted coldly, “But I think you’re the confused one here. I’m not here for a blind date!”
Huh? What is going on?
Emmanuel’s eyes widened in horror as he sputtered,
“Isn’t this table number eight?”
“Yes, but this is the VIP area. You must be looking for table number eight in the common dining area. Please go out and turn right!” She pointed a slender finger at the exit.
“I… Sorry! I’m so sorry! I mixed things up!”
Emmanuel wished he could sink into the floor in embarrassment. He jumped to his feet, ready to make a hasty escape.
That was so embarrassing! How could I sit at the wrong table for a blind date? No wonder she was laughing so much. She must have thought I was
shooting above my weight!
Shortly after Emmanuel’s departure, an old man
entered Mackenzie’s private room, escorted by four
black-clad bodyguards.
Emmanuel would have been astonished if he was still
around. The old man was none other than the stranger
he had helped earlier in front of the café!
He implored, “Perhaps this is fate, Mackenzie. You’re
twenty-seven, but you’ve never been in a relationship
because of your misandry. No man would dare come
near you! But that young man succeeded! He’s also a
kind and just person. A while ago, he helped me Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
outside the café and didn’t expect a reward for his
actions!”
The old man’s true identity was Terence Quillen,
chairman of Yeringham’s premier financial
corporation.
While his wealth could trump that of entire nations, he
had a major regret in life.
Terence had had three sons who tragically passed
away before him. They either had no children of their
own or only left daughters behind.
Mackenzie was Terence’s favorite granddaughter and
next-in-line to helm Terence Group.
Her intelligence and charisma did not change the fact.
that she was a woman.
Before Terence met his maker, he wished his favorite
granddaughter could give him a great-grandchild.
That spurred him to fake his fall in front of the café and
scout a decent man for his granddaughter. To his
surprise, the young man who helped him earlier made
a blunder of his own blind date and ended up meeting
Mackenzie instead.
Mackenzie remained stoically unmoved by her
grandfather’s words. “Grandpa, he may have passed
your test, but he hasn’t passed mine. I’ll marry him if he
aces my test.”
She wanted to fulfill her grandfather’s wish, but she
naturally wished to promise herself to a good man.
Marrying a man after one blind date was simply too
hasty and careless.
Terence’s gaze lit up expectantly, and he replied, “All
right! I’m sure he will pass your test!”