Chapter 1

Early summer in Glendale City was always sweltering. It was only past 8:00 am, but the sun was already scorching.

Lorraine Somner got off the bus when it stopped at a station near Glendale Grand Hotel. Then, she pulled out her phone and called her mother.

"I'm near Glendale Grand Hotel, Mom. I'll head over there right away. Tell me again what my blind date looks like," she said.

On the other end of the line, Irene Hall asked, "Don't you have his photo?"

"I forgot to take it with me."

"Oh, you're always forgetting this or that. You might not be able to visualize his face even if I were to describe him to you. Just head to the café on the hotel's first floor and look for him.

"He works at the nearby construction site, so if you see anyone dressed like a construction worker and wearing a hard hat, that's probably him."

Lorraine pushed her glasses higher up her nose and made a sound of acknowledgment.

Irene continued, "Listen up, Lorraine. You can't afford to be picky anymore—you're already 27! If you still don't marry, you'll become a spinster. Stop hiding away in your orchard and being such a hermit."

"Alright, alright. I—whoa!" Before Lorraine could get any further, someone rammed into her. Her conversation with Irene was interrupted.

"Are you okay, miss? I'm so sorry. I was in such a rush that I didn't see you!" A woman in her 60s had accidentally run into Lorraine. She apologized profusely.

Lorraine was fine. The only issue was that her glasses had fallen to the ground from the impact, and the lenses had shattered. She was severely short-sighted and blind as a bat without her glasses. She wouldn't be able to recognize Irene if she were to walk past her right then and there.

"I'm fine, ma'am." Lorraine didn't want to waste too much time on the woman, so she assured her that she was fine. The woman kept asking, and Lorraine kept reassuring her. Eventually, the woman left.

Lorraine bent down to pick up her shattered glasses. There was no hope of salvaging them, so she just folded them and tucked them into her pocket.

Realizing that she was still on the phone with Irene, she gave her a quick rundown before hanging up. Then, she hurried into Glendale Grand Hotel. Without her glasses, her vision was blurry. She had to lean close and squint to even find the café.

It was quite busy inside. She walked in and gazed around, finally finding a man sitting in a corner. His clothes were similar to those of construction workers, and he wore a hard hat.

When Lorraine saw him, he was just taking the hard hat off. She knew he had to be her blind date, so she approached him.

Logan Moore noticed her but knew they'd never met before.

She politely asked him, "Excuse me, are you Logan Moore?"

Who was she? Logan pondered this but still grunted in agreement.

Since he had responded, Lorraine sat across from him and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Lorraine Somner. I'm your blind date."

She could barely see. She couldn't make out Logan's features despite being just across from him. All she knew was that he wasn't missing an eye or an ear.

Logan raised an eyebrow, his gaze becoming deep and icy. He stared sharply at Lorraine but tamped down the iciness and sharpness when he saw her clear gaze and natural actions. She wasn't the same as those women who deliberately tried to get close to him.

"I don't know whether you've heard about me from the matchmaker, Mr. Moore. I'm 27 this year, and I've only been in a relationship once. It ended with a breakup, and I've been single for the past seven or eight years.

"I have a career—I own a few orchards. I grow cherries, plums, mangoes, apples, grapes, persimmons, and watermelons. I'm generally quite busy, so I don't have time to date."

She paused, then continued, "I figured I could just get marriage settled by going on blind dates and marrying the first guy I'm okay with. It'll keep my parents from urging me. They're on my back so much that it's giving me a headache.

"Oh, I'm also the second of three children. I have an older sister and a younger brother, both of whom are already married." She was the only single child, which was why her parents kept urging her to marry.

Lorraine didn't want to waste too much time on the blind date. She still needed to buy fertilizer before heading home. As soon as she sat down, she told Logan everything she wanted to say, ensuring he knew everything he needed to know about her.

Logan watched her with interest. She wasn't as elegant and classy as the daughters of affluent families he'd met in the past, but she was the type that grew prettier the longer one looked at her. Her direct approach and lack of secrecy left him with a good first impression.

Since she had introduced herself, he did the same. "I have a much bigger family than yours, Ms. Somner, and I'm the oldest in my generation. I'm 31 this year and unmarried, but I'm raising two children.

"Their father is a friend who has passed away. When his wife went missing, the kids were left orphaned. I adopted them and think of them as my own."

"How old are they now?" Lorraine found that Logan's self-introduction was different from what the matchmaker had said. He was older than she remembered and even had two kids. They weren't his, but she would become a stepmother once she married him.

She knew matchmakers couldn't be trusted. They could twist anything to make it sound good.

"They're four. They'll be moving to the senior class in kindergarten in September, and they're twins—a boy and a girl."

Lorraine was relieved to hear that. If the kids were old enough to be in kindergarten, life would be much easier as a parent. "Do you have photos of them? I'd like to see them."

She felt that he had to be an upstanding, kind man if he could adopt his friend's children without worrying about them affecting his future marriage. The fact that he could raise two children despite being unmarried indicated he had a good temper and was accommodating.

He was just the type she wanted. Since she had already decided, she wanted to see what the children were like.

Logan pulled out his phone and scrolled through his photo album for a photo of the children. He showed it to Lorraine. They looked adorable—almost like two cherubs.

She couldn't see properly, but all she had to do was lean close to the phone to see the photo clearly. She fell in love with the kids as soon as she saw them.

After that, she returned the phone to Logan. She said bluntly, "I have a good impression of you, Mr. Moore. Would you dare marry me now if you feel the same about me? If you do, we can go get our marriage registered now."

It was just marriage. She would marry herself off to keep her parents off her back. Flash marriages required guts, which was something she had plenty of.

Lorraine had the guts to take out a million-dollar loan and borrow money from all her friends and relatives to own a few orchards and do what she loved. Most men couldn't compare to her in this aspect.

Compared to that, what was there to fear about a flash marriage? She would do anything to keep her parents from nagging her and urging her to marry. That way, she could focus on her career.

All she wanted in a husband was for him to be honest and level-headed. Logan worked at a construction site, and the matchmaker had told her he was honest. More importantly, he wouldn't be home often because of his work, so she wouldn't have to be at his beck and call. It was perfect!

Chapter 2

Logan was surprised. Then, he chuckled and said, "If you have the guts for a flash marriage, Ms. Somner, what do I have to fear? I have a good impression of you too. I have to remind you, though—I have two children."

"They're adorable, and I like them already. I don't mind being their stepmother," Lorraine said. Besides, they weren't even his kids.

"Do you have your ID?" Logan asked.

Lorraine dug it out and put it on the table. She looked a little embarrassed as she said, "You might think this is dumb of me, but I bring my ID with me whenever I go on a blind date. That way, if I meet anyone I like, I can just marry him and get it over with."

It was just that she hadn't met the right guy despite going on plenty of blind dates. The men all had bones to pick with her too. That was why she was still being sent on blind dates.

"I can tell you're a decisive woman, Ms. Somner. It's good that I happen to be the same. Could you give me a moment while I ask someone to send my ID over?" Logan asked.

"Sure."

Logan got up and walked away. He called his brother, Daniel Moore. When the call was picked up, Logan said, "Bring my ID to me now, Daniel. I'll wait for you in the café on the first floor of Glendale Grand Hotel."

"Why do you need that, Lo?" Daniel asked curiously.

"That's none of your business. Just bring it over, pronto. I need it urgently." As the head of the Moore family, Logan had always been daunting to his siblings and cousins. No one dared disobey him.

Daniel was curious but dared not ask anything else at Logan's command. After he agreed, Logan hung up on him.

Logan returned to where Lorraine was and sat across from her. He said, "I've asked someone to bring my ID over. It'll probably take about 20 minutes."

That wasn't too long. Lorraine could wait. As they passed the time, Logan ordered her a cup of coffee. She looked like she was from the countryside, but her actions were elegant and poised as she drank.

Once she dressed up a bit, she would shine bright like a precious gem that had the dirt covering it washed away.

Lorraine and Logan got to know each other better while waiting. Based on Logan's description, Lorraine learned that the Moore family was a big family with a good upbringing.

Every member of the family got along, including the extended family. Logan was the oldest of his generation and had about a dozen younger cousins.

Lorraine almost spat her coffee when she heard that. Once again, she cursed the matchmaker for lying through her teeth. The matchmaker had told her Logan was an only child. She had also said he came from a good family despite being a construction worker.

According to the matchmaker, Lorraine would become the lady of the household upon marrying Logan. She wouldn't need to worry about conflict between siblings and other family members. In truth, Logan had one brother—Daniel—and a dozen other cousins.

"The construction site you work at is nearby, right?" Lorraine asked.

Logan's eyes glinted. He answered, "Yeah, I was at the site earlier. It's indeed nearby."

Moore Corporation was involved in the property industry. It had invested in the few construction sites near Glendale Grand Hotel, and he had come over to check on the progress without informing anyone. He pretended to be a construction worker so that he could see what things were really like.

He didn't expect to accidentally meet a courageous and interesting woman, even going so far as to marry her. He hoped Lorraine wouldn't ask for a divorce when she found out the truth one day. The Moore family didn't allow divorces, so marriage was something every member of the family had to consider seriously.

"Do you need to let your site supervisor know that you need to go register your marriage later?" Lorraine asked.

"Yeah, I do." Logan pulled his phone out again. "I'll ask him for three days off."

"Half a day should be enough," Lorraine said. Registering their marriage wouldn't take too long.

"We'll be husband and wife after registering our marriage. We should take a few days to get to know each other better, right?"

Lorraine didn't say anything else. Logan made a call to "take some time off".

Shortly after, Daniel arrived with his ID. Logan didn't even allow him to see Lorraine and chased him away after getting his ID.

Daniel couldn't help thinking that Logan was acting very strangely, but Logan simply refused to say anything. It only made him more curious.

Since Lorraine's glasses were broken, she needed to get new ones. She thought about doing it before registering the marriage, but considering it needed time, she decided to get the registration over and done with first. Once she got the marriage certificate, she could go get her glasses and fertilizer before heading home.

…

An hour later, Lorraine and Logan exited the courthouse. They each had a copy of their marriage certificate. Lorraine was in a good mood because she could get her parents off her back and focus on her career now that she was married.

She held out a hand to shake Logan's as they stood outside the courthouse. She smiled and said, "Here's to a good life together, Mr. Moore."

Logan's eyes lit up with a smile. "It's my pleasure, Ms. Somner. Where are you staying? I'll send you home."

"No, it's fine. I have other things to do, so you can head home." Lorraine turned down his kindness and continued, "Let's exchange numbers so that we can keep in touch. I'll send you my location once I get home."

"Alright."

Lorraine turned down Logan's offer to send her home because she felt it didn't matter much. They had taken the bus to the courthouse to register their marriage, and she had to take the bus home. If that were the case, why should she trouble him to bustle back and forth for her?

Besides, she had things to do. After they exchanged numbers, Lorraine bade Logan farewell and left to catch the bus. Logan remained where he was, watching as she squeezed onto the bus and disappeared into the distance. He muttered, "Why do I feel like she's afraid of me pestering her?"

He pulled out his phone and called his bodyguard to pick him up at the courthouse. He needed to return to the company to deal with his work.

Lorraine knew nothing about this. She went to an optometrist to get a new pair of glasses. She was picking out the design when she received a call from Irene.

"Where are you, Lorraine? You told me you arrived at Glendale Grand Hotel two hours ago. Why haven't you met Mr. Moore yet? He's waited for you for an hour and a half!" Irene was almost roaring. Lorraine would be the death of her.

Lorraine hurriedly held the phone away from her ear so that she wouldn't go deaf from Irene's roar. She only brought the phone back to her ear after Irene's outburst. She said leisurely, "Who told you that Mr. Moore waited for me for that long, Mom? It's only been 20 minutes since we parted."

"He called the matchmaker, and the matchmaker called me to ask why you've yet to arrive. Mr. Moore also said that he couldn't reach you. Who were you on the phone with for over an hour?"

Chapter 3

Lorraine was lost for words. After a while, she said, "I can't even begin to tell you how wronged I feel, Mom. My phone's been reachable this whole time, and no one has called me. How's it possible that he couldn't get to me? He didn't need to call me anyway. We've already met."

"Do you think you can just say whatever you want and lie to me through your teeth because you're out of the house, Lorraine? Mr. Moore wasted so much time waiting for you when you didn't show up! Who the hell did you meet?" Irene snapped.

Lorraine was taken aback by Irene's outburst. She asked cautiously, "Are you being serious, Mom? Is my blind date still waiting for me at the café at Glendale Grand Hotel?"

"Of course!" Irene was so angry that she was close to having an aneurysm. Those orchards were the only things Lorraine cared about. She had arranged for Lorraine to go on so many blind dates, but none of them had led to anything.

Today, Lorraine had even gone so far as to stand her blind date up! The matchmaker was so pissed that she swore not to introduce Lorraine to anyone else in the future. It took a lot of persuading and appeasing on Irene's part to quell the matchmaker's anger.

"That can't be. Mom, I swear I met Logan at the hotel. I had a really good impression of him, so we went ahead and got married. We just got everything done half an hour ago! I'm finally married, Mom. You don't need to keep nagging me anymore," Lorraine said.

Irene fell silent. Lorraine continued, "One more thing—this matchmaker's a liar. She said Logan's an only child, right? He has a younger brother! She also said he's only 28, but he's actually already 31. Also, he has adopted the children of a dead friend. They're four this year and adorable. I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them.

"The matchmaker might've lied about everything under the sun, but at least she was truthful about Logan being honest and kind. Look at how he adopted his friend's kids and raised them like they're his own children despite being unmarried!"

Irene still didn't say anything. Lorraine had married someone she just met. Yes, the man she married was named Logan Moore, but there wasn't anything about him that matched the information the matchmaker had provided. What in the world was going on?

Irene's brain short-circuited. She just couldn't wrap her mind around the matter. She finally found her tongue after a while and asked, "Have you really gotten married, Raine? Send me a photo of the marriage certificate. And where are you right now?"

"I'm getting new glasses done at the optometrist. I told you my old pair broke after someone ran into me outside the hotel, right? I need a new pair."

"You didn't have your glasses on during your blind date?"

"No. How could I wear them when they were broken?"

Irene snarled, "Send me a photo of your marriage certificate and your newlywed husband right this instant!"

Lorraine was severely short-sighted and blind as a bat without her glasses. She wouldn't even be able to discern her family members if they were to walk right past her when she had her glasses off. Irene suspected Lorraine had married the wrong guy.

Lorraine noticed the urgency in Irene's tone and linked it to the things the matchmaker had said. She finally realized something was amiss and hurriedly pulled out her marriage certificate. She checked it to see that the groom's name was Logan Moore. There was nothing wrong there.

She took a photo of it and sent it to Irene along with a photo of Logan. Less than a minute later, Irene called to scream at her, "Why didn't you ask him more questions, Lorraine? This might be Logan Moore, but he's not the Logan Moore you were supposed to meet!

"I told you to bring a photo of him along, didn't I? Yet you didn't heed my words and forgot the photo. Look what's happened now—you met the wrong guy! He's not the one you were supposed to meet!"

Lorraine was rendered speechless. Had she really gotten the wrong guy? That man was Logan Moore, wasn't he?

Irene explained that the Logan she was supposed to meet wasn't the Logan she had married. They just happened to share the same name.

Lorraine was dumbfounded. What could she do now? She and Logan were already married.

She calmed down after a few minutes and told Irene, "It doesn't matter who I marry since I have to marry someone, right, Mom? This Logan I've married might be a bit older than we expected, but he's the one I met and spoke to. He's the one I like."

Irene had nothing to say in rebuttal. Judging from the photo Lorraine had sent to her, the Logan Lorraine had married was much more handsome than the Logan she was supposed to go on a blind date with. In fact, he looked like quite a good match for Lorraine.

They looked good standing together. If there was one thing that made her keep her reservations, it had to be that Logan's gaze was too sharp. He didn't look like the easygoing type.

She asked, "Do you know what he does?"

"He's a construction worker. Didn't you see his outfit in the photo?"

Irene scrutinized the photo. Logan was indeed wearing a construction worker's outfit, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't an actual construction worker. "Is he with you now?"

"No. We went our separate ways after leaving the courthouse. I needed to get new glasses and fertilizer. I didn't want him with me."

Irene fell silent. Then, she snapped, "You're much too gutsy for your own good, you brat! How could you marry someone without finding out more about him? Do you know anything about his family? What if he turns out to be part of a gang or something?

"Don't come crying to me when you find out something's wrong with him. There's also the fact that you're now the stepmother to two young children!"

Lorraine said indifferently, "You're always saying that our dogs will roll around laughing if I ever manage to marry, right? You and Dad keep pushing me to get married, and it's getting annoying. You guys make it sound like I'm 37, not 27.

"Since I met someone and had a good impression of him, I figured I'd just marry him and get it over with. That way, you guys won't nag and take jabs at me anymore. You make it sound like I'm a disgrace to the family for being unmarried at 27."

She paused, then continued, "Look, just relax. Your brand-new son-in-law can't be a gang member. He's an honest and kind construction worker. Besides, what's wrong with being a stepmother? It saves me the hassle of going through labor to become a mother! I need to go, Mom. Go make yourself an iced coffee to calm down."

Lorraine hung up without waiting for a response. She didn't want Irene to continue ranting and raging at her. Irene had been constantly urging her to get married, but now that Lorraine had, Irene was berating her for blindly marrying someone.

Lorraine had gone on those blind dates with marriage in mind. Since she and Logan had a good impression of each other and were alright with the arrangement, what was so bad about cutting to the chase and getting married? It saved so much trouble.

Now that she had taken care of her marriage, she could focus on her orchards without worrying about anything else in the future.

Summer was coming, which meant the cherries and mangoes would start ripening. She had to quickly buy fertilizer and head back to the orchards to pick the fruits with her workers. Then, she had to contact the fruit merchants to pick the fruits up.

…

Moore Corporation's 68-story office building was located in the busiest part of Glendale's city center. It wasn't the tallest building around, but it was a place that countless elites wanted to step into.

The CEO's office was on the top floor. Logan came out of the lounge, having already changed out of his construction worker's outfit. He now wore a black suit.

He sat behind his desk and thought about Lorraine, his newlywed wife. So, he pulled out his phone and called his special assistant, William Cornell. When the call was answered, he said, "I want you to investigate someone for me, Will."

Chapter 4

"Who is it?" William asked.

"A woman named Lorraine Somner. I want to know everything about her," Logan said. He was used to being in control. Since his newlywed wife was a stranger to him, he had to do what he could to learn more about her.

William's interest was piqued. "Have you finally fallen for someone, boss? I can rest easy now that you're interested in a woman. God knows how worried I was that you were gay."

"If I were, do you think you'd still be single?"

William snickered. "I'll be honest. With how close we are, I wouldn't be able to escape your clutches if you really were gay."

Logan rolled his eyes. "I'll give you half a day."

He didn't want to waste his breath and time on this pointless conversation, so he gave William a deadline to get Lorraine's details.

"C'mon, boss. You've got to give me a photo so I know what she looks like. How else am I going to investigate her? She can't be the only Lorraine Somner in the world. I can't possibly investigate every Lorraine I come across," William said.

After a brief silence, Logan searched for the photo he and Lorraine had taken after registering their marriage earlier. He edited himself out of the photo before sending it to William.

William whistled after receiving the photo. He said, "You've got good taste, boss—she looks good. She's not the type to catch your eye when you first see her, but she becomes prettier the longer you look at her.

"Her smile is innocent, and her gaze is guileless. I only need to look at her to tell that she's the simple type. I can't believe there are still people in this world who haven't been polluted by the evils in this world."

He paused, then continued, "Where did you meet her? Wherever it is, are there more women who are like her? I want to hang around there too. Maybe I'll meet another woman like her."

William wasn't sucking up to Logan. People in their social circle were all schemers who hid their true colors behind masks. It was rare to find an unpretentious woman like Lorraine.

"She likes my children," Logan said indifferently without elaborating.

"Oh. Is she a nanny you hired for Finnegan and Luna?"

Logan had adopted his friend, Terence Quall's, twins. This wasn't a secret among Glendale City's upper crust. Everyone who knew about this praised Logan for being a good friend. At the same time, they scorned the Quall family for not wanting their flesh and blood.

Yet it was also because Logan had adopted the twins and raised them like his own that people thought he was in love with their birth mother. It didn't help that she and Logan had grown up together, so everyone thought they were childhood sweethearts.

This resulted in Logan having a hard time finding a wife. None of the daughters of affluent families wanted to marry him because they didn't want to be the twins' stepmother. They would only consider marrying him if he were to send the twins back to the Quall family.

"Just investigate her like I told you, okay? Stop with the questions and get to work." Logan didn't want to go into detail on the matter and hung up.

William muttered, "You're only making me more curious by keeping the truth from me, you jerk. You're just getting the twins a nanny, aren't you? It's not like you're finding them a mother."

He thought about how stoic and aloof Logan usually was. He had never dated anyone and constantly turned down the blind dates his family wanted to set him up on. There was almost no chance of Lorraine being the twins' mother.

He grumbled about Logan being all mysterious and leaving him hanging. Despite that, he still arranged for someone to look into Lorraine's background.

Lorraine was just a regular woman, so it was easy to investigate her. William only took an hour to find everything he could. He went through the dossier before going to look for Logan.

From there, he learned that despite seeming ordinary, Lorraine had nerves of steel. She had ignored her family's objections and taken out a million-dollar loan to kickstart her career. She even borrowed money from friends and family.

Wasn't she afraid she'd be in heavy debt if she were to fail? Wasn't she worried she wouldn't be able to pay off the loan despite working her ass off? And why did she return to her family's home in the countryside to plant fruits after graduating with a degree in landscaping?

William headed to the 68th floor with the dossier. He knocked on Logan's office door.

Logan had just received a location and message from Lorraine, "This is my address. You can just take a cab to the orchard's entrance if you're coming over. The roads have been paved, so you can reach it directly."

Logan replied, "Okay."

Lorraine sent another message, "There's one more thing I need to tell you."

Logan felt that typing took too long, so he called her. When she answered, he asked, "What is it?"

"I wasn't wearing glasses during our blind date, and I'm severely short-sighted. I basically can't see anything without my glasses… Like, I wouldn't be able to recognize my mother without them," she said.

He hummed in agreement. One of his cousins was also severely short-sighted and couldn't recognize anyone without his glasses. He could understand Lorraine's condition. But what did that have to do with anything?

"I got the wrong guy. You're not the man I was supposed to be on a blind date with. Your name is exactly like his, so I got you two wrong. I thought the matchmaker lied to me, but I was the one who got mixed up."

Logan didn't say anything. Had she just realized she'd gotten the wrong guy? Could she possibly be thinking of getting a divorce? Were they going to have a flash marriage and divorce on the same day?

Lorraine continued, "We're already married, so I'm not getting a divorce. I didn't force you into this marriage anyway. You were a willing party."

Logan smiled slightly. He wanted to chuckle but held it back. He grunted in acknowledgment. Yes, he was a willing party. She didn't force him to marry her.

"So, we can just continue like this, okay? You can take a cab here once you pick the kids up in the afternoon. I think it's troublesome, but you do have to meet my parents. We wouldn't want a situation where you can't recognize your in-laws despite running into them on the street," Lorraine said.

"I'll be busy lately. The cherries and mangoes are ready for harvesting, and they're going to hit the markets soon. After harvesting this batch, I'll squeeze out some time to meet your parents. Is that okay with you? If it's not, I can make time to meet them tomorrow.

"Oh, there's also the fact that I've taken out a million-dollar loan with the bank. Don't worry, though. I got into it before marriage, so I won't make you repay it with me. I'll draft an agreement, which you can sign when you come over later. That way, you won't have anything to do with my debt."

Lorraine wasn't the type who expected her spouse to help repay her debts once she married. She had brought the loan upon herself, so she would settle it.

Fruits were selling well this year, and the prices had increased compared to last year. Thanks to her attentive care, the fruits in every orchard had grown well and aplenty.

Once she harvested another batch of fruits before the winter, she could repay some of her debt after covering her expenses. As long as the market remained strong, she would soon be debt-free.

Chapter 5

"Let's discuss that when we meet later," Logan said.

Lorraine hummed in agreement. "That's all, really. I need to get back to work now."

"Okay."

Lorraine hung up. Logan was still staring at his phone when William came in. When William saw him sitting there, looking thoughtful, he asked teasingly, "What's so captivating about your phone?"

He placed the dossier on Lorraine before Logan. "Here you go. It was done in an hour. Remember to give me a higher bonus. You have no idea how many want to steal an assistant as capable as I am from you."

He gave Logan a look, telling him to appreciate him. But all William got in return was an eye-roll from Logan. Logan picked up the dossier, saying, "It's not like I'm shortchanging you on that front."

As his special assistant and trusty right-hand man, William held much power in Moore Corporation. His annual salary was the highest among his peers.

Logan continued, "I won't be coming into the office tomorrow and the day after. If there are any urgent documents that I need to attend to, bring them over today."

"Where are you going? On a business trip?"

"Are you the boss, or am I? Do I need to report to you on everything I do?"

William curled his lip and muttered, "I know exactly where you're going. You're going to look for that woman."

"I can sew your mouth shut for you if you can't keep it zipped."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

Logan looked up at him. He hurriedly added, "I'll get lost and get back to work right now."

"There's no need to lose yourself. I'd have to send a search team after you, and you'll scare the other employees," Logan quipped.

William was lost for words. After a while, he sat down. "We might have a superior and subordinate relationship professionally, but we're friends in our personal lives. I'm just worried about you. Can't you tell me what's going on?

"You're just piquing my curiosity by leaving me hanging, you know. I'll obsess over this and neglect my work."

"Lorraine is the mother of my children."

"What, their birth mother?" William blurted.

Seeing Logan roll his eyes again, William hurriedly said, "Wait, are you actually looking for a mother for Luna and Finnegan? Their birth mother isn't dead. You can find her with some time and money. Why do you need to get them a different mother?"

Logan's expression darkened at the mention of the twins' mother. "Don't bring that woman up in front of me!"

Knowing what she had done, William apologized, "Sorry, I'll try not to mention her in the future. Did Luna and Finnegan ask you about their mother?

"I suppose it's normal, seeing as they would've seen other kids with their parents when going to kindergarten. They only have a father, after all… Wait! Are you saying Lorraine is your wife?"

The only way Lorraine could be the twins' mother was if she and Logan were married.

Logan looked at William like he was a fool, making him feel incredulous. William couldn't believe it. In the next second, he snatched the dossier from Logan and snapped the attached photo of Lorraine.

He said, "This is a photo of her going about her daily life, and it's much clearer than the one you sent me. I have to remember what she looks like. She's the CEO's wife, after all!"

Logan didn't stop him. The photo of Lorraine was candid, and it made him feel at ease. The only thing he didn't like was that her glasses were a bit too big for her face. He said, "Keep this a secret. I don't intend to announce my marriage any time soon."

He and Lorraine had a shotgun marriage and barely knew each other. He wanted to wait until they weren't complete strangers before making anything public. He added, "I also want you to add my name to the list of workers at the construction site near Glendale Grand Hotel."

Since he wanted to put on an act, he had to cover all his bases. Even if Lorraine didn't mind and didn't ask around about him, her family likely would. Since she thought he was a construction worker, he would let the site supervisor know about this so that the Somner family would know he was a worker there.

"Alright." Now that William's curiosity had been satisfied, he didn't yap on. He did whatever Logan wanted.

…

Cowtail Village was the village where Lorraine lived. It was named as such because one of the mountains in the village looked like a cow from afar.

While Logan had to field William's questions, Lorraine had to face Irene.

"I told you to bring the photo along, but you didn't. I told you to always have a spare pair of glasses with you, but you refused. Look at what's happened now! You went on a blind date and married the wrong man!

"Honestly, the nerve of you! You'll be the death of me one day!" Irene stood beneath a cherry tree with her hands on her hips. She raged at Lorraine. At the same time, she was afraid the others would hear about this—it was such a humiliation.

So, she kept her voice down as she berated Lorraine. She looked furious, but her voice wasn't loud enough to be scary.

Lorraine threw a bunch of cherries down at her. She deftly caught them before continuing, "Stop throwing them around, or they'll spoil! This bunch has to be about ten pounds! Cherry season is just starting, so they're still expensive now. The ones I'm holding now should be worth quite a lot."

Lorraine grew two types of cherries—one type ripened early, and the other was the Staccato cherry, which ripened later than the other. The cherries that ripened early could fetch a high price if they were to be sold now.

As for the Staccato ones, they could still fetch a high price because she could produce cherries when other farmers had already run out. Wasn't that what business was all about? It was essential to have something that others didn't have. That way, she'd have a unique selling point.

"Those are for you to try, Mom," Lorraine said.

Irene didn't hold back. She ate one, saying, "It's bad enough that you got into a shotgun marriage. Why haven't you brought your husband back so I can meet him in person?

"I've lived longer than you, so I have more life experience. I'm also a better judge of character. You need to bring him to meet us so that I can see whether he's trying to con you."

"Don't worry, Mom. Your son-in-law isn't going anywhere. He'll come over later in the day once he's picked the kids up, so you still have time to prepare a feast later. Go and buy snacks for your grandchildren from the supermarket."

Irene fell silent. She was starting to wonder whether she'd gone too far in urging Lorraine to marry. Look at how Lorraine had gotten into a shotgun marriage and become a stepmother!

"I'm going to ask your father to ask around about Logan in Glendale. If there isn't anyone by that name at the construction site, that means you've been tricked," she said.

"I trust him. I'm sure he hasn't lied to me." Lorraine's instinct told her Logan was a good guy who wouldn't lie to her. Besides, she wasn't drop-dead gorgeous or anything. She was even in debt! What would he get out of lying to her? Her debt?

"Will he really be here in the evening?" Irene asked. She checked the time—it was already past noon. "I need to head home and ask your grandfather to start cooking, then. I'll buy some vegetables. Bring some fruits home with you later."

Despite her grumbles about Lorraine's shotgun marriage, Irene still stopped berating her about it when she heard Logan was coming over. She hurried home to prepare a delicious feast for him.

Lorraine muttered, "You guys were on my back when I refused to marry, and you're still at it despite me already being married."

At least Irene was gone now. Otherwise, her nagging would only give Lorraine a headache and possibly cause her to fall out of the tree.

Chapter 6

Now that Irene was no longer around to nag, Lorraine could focus on her work.

Meanwhile, Logan settled all his work before leaving the office at 3:30 pm to pick the children up from kindergarten. He brought them to the shopping mall to buy gifts before having a bodyguard drop them off at Cowtail Village.

In the car, he told the kids, "Finn, Lulu, I've found you two a mother today. We're heading to her house now to have dinner. Remember to be nice to her when you see her later, okay? She's seen photos of you two and adores you."

Logan had remained single despite already being 31 for a few reasons. Firstly, he hadn't met anyone who had caught his interest. Plenty of women admired him, but he'd never given them hope or led them on. His love life had been nonexistent thus far.

Secondly, he was raising Terence's children. Finnegan and Luna weren't his flesh and blood, and the outside world thought he had decided to raise them because of their birth mother. She and him grew up together and were considered childhood friends.

He had never loved her, of course. She'd only been like a sister to him. But the outside world thought he was desperately in love with her, leading to him adopting Finnegan and Luna—who had only been three months old—after Terence's death.

It wasn't like the Quall family had ceased to exist. Why was it necessary for him to adopt the twins back then?

Logan had never cared about what others thought of him, and he couldn't bother to explain his motives. He allowed the outside world to guess at the truth. All he knew was that his family had stopped urging him to marry since he adopted the twins, which left him at peace.

Finnegan and Luna were only four, but they knew Logan wasn't their birth father. They were both excited at his words, and Luna chirped, "Is our mom back, Dad?"

All the other children in kindergarten had mothers and fathers, but they only had their father. Logan had told them that their mother had gone to a faraway place because of her job and that it would take her a long time to come home. With his mention of a mother now, the twins thought their mother was back.

Logan lifted Luna into his arms. The twins both looked like Terence. Logan supposed this would bring Terence peace if he could see them from the heavens above.

"This 'mother' I'm talking about is my wife, Lulu. She's not your birth mother, but you can call her 'Mom' if you want. If you don't want that, you can also call her Lorraine. That's her name—Lorraine Somner," he said.

Despite the twins' young age, Logan treated them like they were friends. He didn't use his status as their parent to force them into submission. Instead, he would give them room to make their own decisions. Whatever they chose, he would respect them.

They didn't understand what a wife was, but they did know the other kids' mothers were their fathers' wives.

"Can I wait until after I meet her to decide, Dad?" Finnegan asked. He was the older twin and slightly more level-headed than Luna. His personality resembled Logan's, perhaps because Logan had raised him since he was three months old.

He acted like a mature older brother all of the time, so much so that Logan couldn't help but think he was way too mature for his age.

Logan rubbed Finnegan's head affectionately and smiled. "Of course. I'm sure you guys will love her, though. She's an… interesting woman."

"I'll wait until after meeting her to decide too." Luna copied everything Finnegan did. Since he wanted to wait, she would too.

Logan pulled them both into his arms. "Trust me, okay? I won't allow a bad woman to be your mother."

Marriage wasn't child's play. He only agreed to Lorraine's suggestion for a shotgun marriage because she had left an exceptionally good impression on him. It wasn't a decision he made in the heat of the moment—he had truly felt something for her.

Of course, it'd be too far-fetched to say he was madly in love with her. At most, he had fallen for her at first sight.

There was also the fact that he had thought about the kids when deciding. If Lorraine had shown even the slightest hint of scorn for them, he wouldn't have married her no matter how good an impression she had left.

"There's one more thing I have to tell you two," he said. The twins looked at him, and he continued, "Don't let your mother know what our family is really like, okay? Even if we have to tell the truth, I should be the one to do it."

Seeing that they didn't really understand him, he chuckled and said, "All you need to do is pretend to be poor when she's around. Don't let her know that I'm the son of an affluent family. She thinks I work at a construction site."

The twins still didn't seem to get it, but they nodded seriously. They would complete any task Logan assigned them to the best of their abilities. They wouldn't drag him down.

But why was he teaching them to lie? And to their mother too. Hadn't he told them they had to be truthful at all times? Alas, it was so hard to understand adults.

…

The bodyguard followed the navigation app to the location Lorraine had sent. It took about an hour to arrive.

Lorraine had sent Logan the location for her orchard, so the bodyguard parked at the entrance and turned to the family of three in the backseat. "We've arrived, Mr. Moore."

"Remember not to be so respectful to me before my wife finds out who I really am, Stephen," Logan said.

Stephen Nord was baffled. Then, he said, "Yes, sir."

This place was so out of the way. He couldn't believe Lorraine lived here.

Logan carried the kids out of the car. Then, he told Stephen, "Come over at 6:00 am tomorrow to pick Finn and Luna up."

He had taken three days off work, but the twins still had to go to kindergarten. He hadn't asked for time off for them. It would be the weekend in three days, so he could rest for five whole days.

"Yes, sir."

Logan collected the gifts he had bought from the trunk and gestured for Stephen to leave. Once the car was out of sight, he called Lorraine.

The children looked around curiously. They thought the place looked like an orchard deep in the mountains. They could see the trees laden with ripe cherries.

Lorraine soon answered Logan's call. He said, "I'm outside your house, Lorraine. Should I head inside myself, or are you coming out to meet me?"

"You're outside my house? How did you know where I stay?" Lorraine was surprised. How did he find out her address?

Logan paused, then said, "You sent me the location."

"Oh." Lorraine laughed awkwardly. "I forgot about that. The location I sent you is actually for my orchard. Hold on a second while I come outside to meet you. Once I'm done counting the fruits, I'll lead you to my home."

"Okay."

Lorraine couldn't help feeling dazed for a second after hanging up. She had just realized what a nice voice Logan had. It was like music to her ears.

"Give me a minute. I need to go meet someone." She apologized to the fruit merchants before leaving to meet Logan.

When she saw him and the children standing at the orchard's entrance, she was taken aback for a second. She looked around, making sure no one else was around. Then, she smiled and approached them, asking Logan, "Are you Mr. Moore?"