Chapter 1 Which is the Real Fiancee and Which Isn't?

Inside a four-story terrace mansion on the outskirts of Riverstead City, Cordelia Smith, Tobias Larkin's fake fiancee, swiftly tapped on the keyboard and sent out dozens of resumes. As for her reason, she figured that it was time for her to seek a formal job instead of continuing to live off of her fiance's "support." Beep-beep-beep! Just then, her phone on the table started vibrating. Once Cordelia answered, she heard an excitement-filled voice coming from the other end. It was none other than Grace Johnson, her best friend. "Cordelia! I think I saw Tobias' real fiancee! Do you still remember the photo Tobias showed you when he asked you to pose as his fiancee? That's right! I think I saw that woman in the photo. Oh, my God! She looks almost identical to you!" Like a shot, Cordelia's grip on the phone stiffened, and she frowned slightly. So, this is it, huh? I will finally stop pretending to be Tobias' fiancee and return to my old life. "Hello? Earth to Cordelia! Are you even listening to me talking?!" Grace yelled upon receiving no response from the other end. Meanwhile, Cordelia was in her own world. A figure naturally popped up in her mind at the mention of Tobias Larkin, the man who had asked her to pose as his fiancee. In her recollection, Tobias always fancied wearing a black handmade suit and pairing it with a light gray shirt inside. He didn't button his shirt all the way up, though. Instead, he would leave the collar loose and put on a tie. And to complete his look, he would wear a Patek Philippe watch on his wrist. Cordelia recalled the day he came to her college to find her. At that time, he was sitting in the back seat of a posh Rolls-Royce. Even though he only showed his sharp and angular side profile through the half-opened car window, it was enough to make a group of female college students squeal. Hence, she would politely say no to Tobias every time he offered to take her back to the campus after they registered for marriage. She feared the crowd's gossipy nature. After all, she was just in her sophomore year at that time. Three years had passed in the blink of an eye. Although her relationship with Tobias didn't reach the extent of deep conjugal love, they still treated each other with respect during these three years. He never made a move on her and would only return to the suburban villa Cordelia stayed now and then. Even so, he slept in a separate bed. However, something suddenly crossed Cordelia's mind. A realization hit her after she calculated the time. I seem to have not seen Tobias for over three months now. "Cordelia, hear my advice; hurry up and win him over if you really develop feelings for Tobias through this fake relationship. Otherwise, getting kicked out is the only fate you will meet once his real wife returns!" Grace's voice sounded again on the other end of the phone. Despite Grace proceeding to offer her opinions, Cordelia didn't actually give an ear to what she said after that. In fact, she wasn't even sure when she hung up the phone. All she felt was bursts of icy chill crawling at her chest as she gripped the phone tightly in her palm. Cordelia's mind went blank for several hours straight. It wasn't until Tobias' call came in that she came to her senses. With a trembling hand, she answered the phone. "Uh… Hello? I-Is there something you need?" If truth be told, Cordelia felt strange talking to him after not seeing him for three whole months. Even his phone call gave her a sense of unfamiliarity. She tried to steady her breathing. Yet, her thoughts involuntarily drifted to what Grace said. Because of that, her voice sounded somewhat nervous. Is Tobias calling me now because he has received news about that woman? Cordelia mused. "My mom called just now. She asked me to bring you home for dinner tonight." As he spoke, Tobias sat in his office, which was located on the 19th floor of the Great Larkin Group's world-class building after having just finished an international meeting involving several different countries. He held the phone in his left hand while his right hand stopped at the document's signature field. Even though Cordelia found her heart fluttering upon hearing his husky and bassy voice, she was surprised that the reason Tobias called her had nothing to do with that woman. Instead, he intended to take her home again. Sure enough, the home Tobias referred to was none other than the Larkin Estate. Like carrying out a routine, Tobias would take her home almost every middle of the month and constantly made sure to parade her existence in front of his parents, Richard Larkin and Agnes White. Even so, not once did Cordelia forget that she was his fake fiancee. "Tobias, can I… not go? As you know, I'm scared I'll slip up in front of your parents. What if I get caught?" A touch of sorrow appeared on Cordelia's brows as she imagined how heartbroken the kind-hearted Richard and Agnes would be. "No, you won't. Rest assured. I know how to keep the situation within boundaries. Get ready. I'll pick you up after 5 p.m." Tobias put down his pen before leaning forward to pick up the cup on the table. But when he took a sip, he realized that the coffee in the cup had already gone cold. With a frown, he pressed the pager. Shortly after, someone knocked on the door and brought him a new cup of coffee. "But…" Cordelia was still in a dilemma. Should I tell Tobias that the woman Grace mentioned today might be the real fiancee that he needs to look for? "What's wrong? Do you still have any other questions?" Tobias' tranquil voice rang in Cordelia's ears. "N-Nothing." For some reason, Cordelia bit back the words she wanted to say in the first place. Considering that her mother's condition hadn't truly gotten better yet, she needed the money Tobias provided. Hence, after brief consideration, she decided to keep this matter deep in her heart first for the time being and tell Tobias again when the time was right. "Okay," Tobias hummed with a mellow voice and hung up the phone first.