Chapter 3 Escape and Entanglement

If Norris hadn't insisted on her delivering medicine last night, she wouldn't have run into that bloodied man. And she wouldn't have been ... Humiliation, bitterness, anger, and frustration surged in Robin's chest, twisting her heart so tightly it felt suffocating. What had she done wrong? Why was everyone intent on pushing her around? Clenching her fists, Robin fixed her gaze on Norris, who was still pawing at the woman on the sofa. Her heart hardened. There was no way she was going to marry him. The next day. At the Olson Residence. Sunlight filtered through the light blue curtains of the bedroom, falling softly on the face of the girl sleeping fitfully on the bed. The room was calm and peaceful. "Robin, wake up! Do you know what time it is? And you're still asleep!" Dawn Olson stormed in and, upon seeing her daughter still lying in bed, lost her temper immediately. She landed a loud slap on Robin's back. Robin yelped in pain, startled awake. She sat up instinctively, rubbing her sore back. Seeing her mother's stern face, she asked, "Mom, what's wrong?" After leaving the hotel last night, Robin was in no mood to return to her apartment and came to her parents' house instead. The rain had worsened her cramps, and the pain had been unbearable. Not wanting to disturb her parents, she endured the agony until morning before finally falling into a restless sleep. Now, her body still ached all over. Seeing her daughter looking dazed and clueless, Dawn placed her hands on her hips and glared. "You're asking me what's wrong? Today is the day you and Norris are getting married! Why aren't you up yet? Get washed up and ready—don't keep him waiting!" The mention of "getting married" jolted Robin fully awake. Robin dropped her gaze, her tone resistant. "Mom, I'm not marrying him." She had already sent Norris a breakup text last night, clarifying that she wouldn't be showing up to register their marriage. "What did you just say?" Dawn's voice shot up in pitch. "Are you out of your mind? The Badmans have such great conditions—marrying into that family is a blessing you could only dream of! Do you know how many people would kill for this chance, and you're saying you don't want it?" "He's messing around with another woman. I'm not marrying a man like that," Robin replied firmly. But her mother didn't even seem to register the first half of her words. "We've almost spent the wedding gift money from the Badmans! And if you call off the wedding now, how are we supposed to pay the tens of thousands in tuition fees for your brother next semester? "Think about me and your father! What do you want us to do, sell our blood to make up the money?" Robin stared at her mother in disbelief. She had been humiliated and wronged, yet her mother's first reaction was to care about money?! And since when had they accepted the Badmans's wedding gift without telling her? "Mom!" Robin's voice was filled with a hundred times more frustration than last night. "But I just don't want to get married!" "Enough of your nonsense! If you keep stalling, Norris will get impatient waiting!" Dawn didn't care about Robin's feelings. Returning the money they'd already spent was out of the question! She forcibly dragged Robin out of bed, made her wash up, and pushed her toward the City Hall. Standing in front of City Hall, Robin felt like she was suffocating. Surrounded by couples brimming with joy and anticipation, she couldn't breathe. She should have known better. In her family, no one cared about her feelings. Her entire life had been dictated by her parents' expectations—what school to attend, what friends to make, what major to choose. But this time, she couldn't let them control her. She couldn't marry a man who treated her like a toy! For 23 years, she had been the perfect daughter, never once disobeying. But now, a wild and reckless idea formed in her mind. Before Norris arrived, she'd find someone else to marry and end their plans once and for all! The problem was, where on earth would she find a groom? "So, my fiancée ran off with the bodyguard, and you're only telling me now?" Just then, a deep, cold voice came from behind Robin. That familiar tone made her instinctively turn around. Under a tree stood a tall and impeccably dressed figure, slightly angled away from her as he spoke into his phone. The man's dark suit was pristine and sharp, his presence commanding and aloof, radiating an oppressive aura even from two meters away. His breathtakingly handsome face was pale and icy. It instantly overlapped perfectly with the face she had seen on that rainy night. Robin's eyes widened. It was him. The man from last night! On the phone, the man—Edward—curved his lips into a mocking smile. "No need to search. Are women extinct on this planet? Why would I be forced to marry someone who ran off with another man?" The person on the other end, Edward's assistant, Ned Walton, hesitated before replying, "But Mr. Dunn, Mr. George—your grandfather— has made himself clear. He said you must pick another eligible young lady or grab someone off the street. Either way, you have to be married by the end of today. Otherwise, he said ... " Ned's voice dropped with guilt. "He said he won't go on living." That old man. Edward rubbed his temples, clearly exasperated. He was just about to respond when a soft, familiar voice came from behind him. "Excuse me, Sir." Surprised, Edward turned to see the young woman from last night standing before him. A flicker of astonishment crossed his deep black eyes, followed by a subtle, involuntary lips curl. "It's you." "It's me." Robin hesitated for a few seconds, her heart pounding as she tried to summon courage. Finally, she steadied herself and spoke firmly, "Last night, you said you owed me a wish. Does that still count?" "It does." Edward nodded, his voice calm but curious. "What do you want?" Her face turned scarlet as she forced herself to meet his gaze. "I ... I was thinking, since your fiancée ran away, would you consider marrying me?"