The Billionaire Who Saved Me

“Garrett, this is not a difficult requirement. You just need to get married.”

Horror was clearly written all over Garrett’s face. Despite the room being at a normal temperature, sweat began to form on his forehead, trickling down the sides of his cheeks, making his tanned skin glisten under the piercing gaze.

“Just?” Garrett repeated the word in a chilling manner, clearly disagreeing with Nelson’s choice of words.

“‘Just’ is definitely not the right word to represent marriage,” Nelson chuckled. “I apologize. Marriage is indeed more than just that,” he corrected himself playfully. “But what I meant is, you should understand my real intention.”

Still not convinced, Garrett shook his head while pacing back and forth.

“I’m not sure if I understand what you mean, Sir.”

As Garrett continued to pace, Nelson kept his eyes fixed on him, nodding along with his movements.

“If that’s the case, let me clarify everything,” Nelson said, adjusting his sitting position. He went on to intertwine his hands on top of the open documents on the desk.

“You’re twenty-nine years old, which means you are more than deserving and appropriate for marriage.”

That was indeed true, but for Garrett, there was no correlation between age and marriage. Besides, there were no specific timelines for when he should get married.

“You are handsome, well-mannered, and possess everything a woman desires.”

Garrett’s restless steps came to a sudden halt. His face turned gloomy upon hearing Nelson’s statement, and the lawyer knew exactly what caused this reaction.

“You are the legitimate son of Garrett. No matter what others say, it won’t change the fact. You are the sole heir of the late Mr. Allan. The one and only rightful heir of the Morales family. What more is there to ask for?”

Garrett took a deep breath. “I thought that was my shortcoming.”

Nelson fell silent, seemingly able to guess what was going through Garrett’s mind-the fear of ending up in a life like what Norah experienced, albeit in a different way. He waved his hand in front of his face and let out a brief sigh.

“Alright, let’s put that aside for now,” Nelson continued, changing the topic. “Don’t you have any dreams and hopes of getting married? With a woman you love? Like I mentioned earlier, you are more than ready for marriage, Garrett. And I’m sure your mother would be thrilled to have adorable grandchildren around.”

“Argh!”

Garrett groaned, dramatically lifting his head with closed eyes. He roughly rubbed his face with his hands, clearly distressed by Nelson’s words. The lawyer chuckled.

“You know, you might be the only man in the world who’s afraid of marriage. Most other men out there, well… they’re very enthusiastic about it.”

It was not without reason. Seeing his mother’s marriage had certainly shaped Garrett’s perspective on the matter. But there was one crucial point.

“I’m not afraid of marriage. It’s just…” Garrett took a deep breath before looking helplessly at Nelson. “If I want to get married, who do I want to marry?”

Nelson coughed multiple times, clearly taken aback by Garrett’s confession. He asked, “You don’t have a girlfriend?”

Garrett’s face thickened. He did not answer directly, but Nelson could deduce the conclusion. It left him astounded.

“How can you not have a girlfriend, Garrett?”

“Is it strange for someone not to have a girlfriend?”

“Well… I’m not saying you’re strange. But, my goodness. It just doesn’t make sense. Finding a woman shouldn’t be difficult for you.”

“I work, Sir. I’m busy running my businesses, and I have to develop my ventures. How do you expect me to have time for women?”

It was a compelling defense, no doubt. Nelson nodded.

“Well, then, it’s clear that you’ll have difficulty fulfilling this clause. Ehm…”

Nelson paused for a moment, remaining silent. Until finally, Garrett asked, “Isn’t there something I can do to replace this clause? Maybe change it to something else?”

Nelson’s eyes glanced at Garrett with meaning. His face looked sour upon hearing the question.

“What do you think could replace the bloodline, huh? Tell me, what?”

There was nothing, that was the answer. Garrett fell silent.

“Even if you wanted to support all the orphans in the world, it still wouldn’t replace this clause, Garrett.”

Nelson’s assertion made Garrett heave a long sigh. He felt increasingly dizzy, and his body suddenly felt tired. Eventually, he chose to sit back down and loosened the tie around his neck. It felt like he was having trouble breathing now.

“Listen, Garrett. If the potential bride is your problem here, I think I can handle it,” Nelson said.

Garrett scrutinized Nelson with an inquisitive gaze, trying to guess what was going on in the man’s mind.

“Don’t tell me you want to arrange a blind date for me or find me a match,” Garrett said.

“Hahaha. No way. Oh, come on! I’m a lawyer, not a matchmaking agency,” Nelson replied.

Garrett furrowed his brow slightly. “Then what?”

“If the issue is the potential bride, I think we can delay it for a while until you find that woman and get married. In other words, the inheritance will be frozen for a specific period,” Nelson explained.

“Can it be done?”

“Everything can be arranged,” Nelson said. “Of course, with Madam Daphne’s authority. And I believe she’ll tolerate it, especially since the company needs to be handled as soon as possible. Besides, considering her age, I’m sure she’ll easily warm up to you, Garrett.”

Garrett knew that after his grandfather’s passing, Daphne had openly shown concern for him. But with the treatment he received all this time, it was difficult for him to truly integrate into the extended family.

“Alright then, let’s set aside the matter of your father inheritance for now.”

Nelson’s voice snapped Garrett back to reality, causing him to blink once. He saw Nelson once again engrossed in the paperwork.

“Let’s take a look at the company’s assets that will be your responsibility in the future, Garrett.”

A sudden chill ran down Garrett’s spine. Frankly, it was something that scared him. He felt a sense of dread. He was aware that the larger the inheritance he received, the greater the responsibilities he would bear.

“But, Garrett.”

Before continuing their discussion, Nelson felt it necessary to say one thing to Garrett, not wanting him to ignore it.

“I don’t want you to overlook this. No matter what, I will try to find a way to delay the fulfillment of the marriage clause. But you have to remember, it’s just a postponement, not an elimination. These are two entirely different things.”

“I know.”

“That’s good then,” Nelson nodded once with relief. “So, I believe you know what you need to do.”

“Find a woman to marry?” Garrett asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty, grimacing. He truly never thought he would go to such extremes for the sake of inheritance.

“I don’t want to turn you into a heartless man. But at least I will make time for you. You can find a woman you truly love.”

There was a hint of doubt etched on Garrett’s face, which Nelson could somewhat sense. Therefore, he chose his words carefully for what he would say next.

“I don’t suggest you randomly pick a woman out there. Goodness! Your life isn’t a TV drama. But at least, you’ll have time. Take a moment during your days off to relax. Maybe go to a club, a tourist spot, or anything like that. I’m sure you might meet a woman who could make you fall in love.”

Garrett seemed uncertain, silently praying that Nelson would be satisfied with his role as a lawyer and not add an extra job, like being a love consultant. The thought made his stomach churn.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Alright, alright, alright, Sir. I understand,” Garrett said.

Nelson smiled mischievously, clearly seeing the suffering expression on the man’s face. On one hand, he felt a bit sorry for Garrett due to the hardships he faced in life and his dedication to prove himself. But on the other hand, he found the irony of a mature man like Garrett being unlucky in love quite amusing. It was peculiar, but that was how it turned out.

“I’ll do as you say. I’ll try to find a woman who might interest me,” Garrett stated.

“That’s a wise decision, you know? To inherit all this wealth, wisdom is a trait you must possess,” Nelson advised.

Wisdom in choosing a woman? That made Garrett grimace.

“Of course,” Garrett replied, not wanting to debate further. “I promise that starting this weekend, I’ll make time. I’ll try to find a woman who might be the right choice. Someone who interests me. Maybe I’ll meet her at a …”

Wait a minute.

“… club.”

Suddenly, there was a slight pause in Garrett’s words. Right when that particular place slipped from his lips.

Someone who interests me?

*