Marrying

Chapter 2 

Valerie ended the call and hopped on her scooter, making her way to the city hall. Lost in her own thoughts, she was completely oblivious to her surroundings, not even noticing when a car parked right next to her. 

It wasn’t until she was engulfed by a shadow and met a pair of blue eyes that she realized a stranger was standing before her. 

Valerie’s hear skipped a beat as she took in the stranger’s formidable presence. His tall and imposing figure commanded attention, and she couldn’t help but feel a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. The man’s light gold glasses, frameless and sleek, added an air of sophistication to his stern countenance. His intense, cold gaze seemed to penetrate right through her, emanating an undeniable sense of authority. 

Despite standing at a solid 5.4 feet, Valerie had to crane her neck to meet his gaze. An inner monologue kicked in, commenting on his height. Damn, he’s tall. and kinda hot too. 

The night they met was a blur, and fleeing the scene the next morning, she hadn’t spared his looks much thought. Prepared to marry him sight unseen, she was now pleasantly surprised. “Well, at least our kid will be cute, she mused, a smirk playing on her lips. 

Sizing him up, Valerie couldn’t help but be impressed by the man’s impeccable outfit, which screamed sophistication and wealth. He exuded an air of unapproachable elegance, reminiscent of those untouchable tycoons she had seen on TV. However, her attention quickly shifted when her eyes landed on his vehicle a Chevrolet in an unexpectedly adorable macaroon blue color. 

The stark contrast between his polished appearance and the unexpectedly cute car caught her off guard. A mixture of surprise and amusement washed over her. ‘Didn’t see that coming she thought to herself, finding à intriguing how appearances could sometimes be deceiving. But she also took a sigh of relief 

Extending her hand conficiently, she introduced herself. “Hey there, I’m Valerie Warren.” 

Matthew Grant didn’t return the introduction, but instead asked with a raised eyebrow, “You’re the one who called” His tone was frosty and unwelcoming, and he made no move to shake her outstretched hand. 

In a brief exchange, his icy once–over made Valerie feel like she was undergoing a full–body scan. 

“How can you prove you were the woman that night?” he questioned. 

After a beat, she retorted. “That night we made love, you kept kissing my chest, leaving a mark that’s still there. Want to check?” 

Her blunt manner had left Matthew momentarily at a loss for words After a pause, he finally spoke up, asking. “You sure about marrying me?” 

His dark tone sent a ripple of panic through her, but Valerie was on a mission. She wasn’t normally this forward, but she had put herself out and was going to see it through. 

“Sir, you said you’d give me whatever I asked for. Don’t tell me you’re the type to go back on your word,” she said, her voice unwavering. 

Do you even know who I am? You’re ready to marry met Matthew was incredulously amused. 

He had assumed this was just some run–of–the–mill shakedown, that she’d hit him up for a fat wad of cash and be on her way. To his surprise, Valerie had her sights set on a much bigger prize–integrating herself into the prominent Grant family, the pillars of Kranson City high society renowned for their vast fortune and sterling reputation 

“Kranson men were a faithful bunch–they didn’t go chasing skirts all over town. But that night, Matthew had been doped up, head all fuzzy, and wound up in a wild romp with Valerie, who’d also been drugged. When he found out that she beat a hasty retreat the next morning, he figured she must be cut from a different cloth than the usual money–grubbing harlors. 

And yet, here she was, brazenly angling to become the next Mrs. Grant–a notion that left him positively disgusted” 

However, Valerie seemed to have completely misread the situation. “Hey, no need to stress out,” she said. “Even if we end up getting hitched, I won’t be asking you for a single penny. We’ll keep our finances totally separate. I take care of myself just fine, you know. Plus, judging by that wheels of yours, you might not be raking in much more than me, so you don’t need to worry about me siphoning off your cash or anything” 

Her pride was practically oozing out of her. As a top–performing sales rep at a Kranson City car dealership, with a lucrative side–gig to boot, she was far from hand up for cash. In fact, she was sometimes pulling in as much as $6,000 a month which, in Kranson, she considered a pretty respectable income. 

Valerie took another good, appraising look at Matthew. He was certainly easy on the eyes, and his attire seemed to have come straight out of a high- end fashion catalog. However, her gaze then shifted to his mode of transportation–a Chevrolet that she doulited would fetch more than $6,000 on the open market. 

A girl driving something like this, okay, I get it, she thought to herself skeptically. But a guy? That just screams low income to me. Bet that fancy suit he’s got on is just a front–probably trying to give the impression he’s got more money than he really does. Valerie couldn’t help but feel a Twinge of judgment creep in as the sized up Matthew and his modest vehicle. 

Once again, Matthew was left completely speechless by her shockingly blunt remarks. He glanced over at the car parked not too far away, realizing 

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the implication behind her words. The truth was, he had actually rushed here straight from his company and had run into some people he’d rather have avoided along the way–which is why he had ended up driving his subordinate’s car instead of his own. 

she really thinks this is my actual vehicle of choice! And she has no idea who I truly am? he mulled over, his expression darkening as he processed her misguided assumptions 

“You’re not scared of me?” he asked. 

Valerie shot back confidently, “Why would I be?” She had dealt with her fair share of deadbeat men before, and to her, the mere fact that Matthew had shown up meant he was a man of his word. 

Matthew took a deep look at her, which she met squarely. 

“Let’s go,” he said, straightening his collar. 

“Huh?” Valerie hadn’t quite caught up. 

“We’re getting that marriage license, aren’t we?” Matthew frowned slightly. 

hastily 

Men of the Grant family were typically not ones to rush hastily into marriage. But Matthew seemed determined not to go back on his word. He didn’t want to be in anyone’s debt or appear as if he was reneging on his promise. He didn’t want to one her anything. Now, what had Matthew more intrigued was trying to get to the bottom of whether Valerie was truly in the dark about his identity, or if she was playing some cunning game in a bid to capture his attention. 

If she is indeed trying to manipulate me, I can think of a hundred ways to make ber regret this decision, he swore silently to himself, 

However, what Matthew failed to realize was that all Valerie had wanted was for her child to have a responsible father figure–the idea of snagging a Grant heir had never even crossed her mind. 

Upon hearing his unexpected agreement to marry her, Valerie had let out a huge sigh of relief, thinking happily, “Hell yes. My baby won’t be a bastard! With that, she hastened to keep up with his quickening stride. 

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