Wilfred slowly lifted his head. His eyes moved from Hilary to Hildegarde.
Hildegarde Pruitt was the eldest daughter of the Pruitt family, one of Cloudhaven's five great houses. At only twenty-six, she helmed the Pruitt Group, with a net worth approaching ten billion dollars. Every man in Cloudhaven considered her the untouchable goddess of the business world.
Five years ago, her childhood sweetheart Patrick Lyons had left to marry another woman abroad.
The news had devastated her. She drowned herself in alcohol night after night.
One evening, stumbling out of a bar, she was cornered by a group of thugs. They dragged her into an alley, and just as they were about to assault her, Wilfred—on his way home from work—intervened without hesitation.
He fought them off and pulled her from their grasp.
That night, whether out of gratitude or revenge against the man who'd abandoned her, they checked into a hotel and spent the night together.
The next morning, Wilfred woke with his body aching. Hildegarde was already dressed, watching him with cold eyes. She gave him two choices.
One: Go to Family Court with her and register their marriage. Become a live-in son-in-law for the Pruitt family.