Chapter 1

"Ms. Bennett, what's your monthly income?"

Clara Bennett paused mid-motion, her spoon frozen in the coffee. She looked up and met the eyes of her blind date.

According to her mother, he was a catch—a manager at a renowned company with a five-figure monthly salary.

At just 24 years old, Clara had been pressured by her mother to get married to the point that she was afraid to return home. So here she was, reluctantly going on yet another blind date.

She wanted to meet this so-called "catch", yet his first question was about her income.

"You're sitting in my café now," Clara said, maintaining her polite smile. After her blind date scrutinized around, looking pleased, she added, "But I've yet to break even."

The man's expression shifted. "I take it that you're operating at a loss right now."

She nodded, and he responded with a frown. "Well, did you invest with your own money or borrow from others? How much debt do you have?"

"It's a joint venture with my friend. I borrowed around a hundred thousand dollars," she replied honestly.

By then, he wore a look of disapproval. Perfect—Clara had no interest in this man, anyway.

"Ms. Bennett, since these are your pre-marital debts, I will not be responsible for clearing them after we get married. Considering you're in debt, I suppose you don't own any property.

"I have two under my name. You can say they're my pre-marital assets. Once we're married, you can live there and help me with the mortgage. However, I won't be including your name in the deed.

"I'm not getting any younger, Ms. Bennett. My parents are eager to be grandparents, so I hope you can conceive as soon as possible. They've worked hard to raise my siblings and me, and they've had a tough life. I don't want them to continue a life like that, so you'll have to take care of the baby yourself.

"Also, I can't cook. I can get really busy, so you'll have to prepare all the meals. I won't get involved with the housework either, but I like to keep things clean. Do take note of that because I want to come home to a clean house. Also—"

"Mr. Jackson," Clara cut him off.

Timothy Jackson frowned, clearly upset to be interrupted, but Clara couldn't care less about how he felt. Instead, she spoke without reservation. "You've got the wrong person. I can't fulfill your requirements. Frankly, you'd be better off hiring a housekeeper. Anyway, coffee's on me."

She pointed toward the door, ending the blind date.

Timothy was infuriated, not expecting Clara to be so blunt and rude. He had always considered himself a catch—a man with a great income and promising prospects. Thus, he had agreed to this blind date thinking that he was doing her a favor.

Given her youth and beauty, he had assumed he might be willing to compromise and marry her. To his surprise, she was not at all grateful and seemed to have no understanding of her place.

Timothy shot up from his seat, took out his wallet, and slammed a 100-dollar bill onto the table. "I can afford a cup of coffee just fine, Ms. Bennett."

He shoved his wallet back into his pocket and turned on his heel, storming off.

He had just taken a few steps but suddenly stopped and cocked his head at Clara, saying, "Mark my words: a woman who refuses to contribute to her family and lacks basic manners will never get married."

At that, Clara grabbed the cup of coffee on the table and hurled it toward Timothy. "Scram!" she shouted.

He was baffled by her outburst as she hit the target. The coffee splattered all over Timothy's white suit. Furious, he stomped his foot on the floor. The surrounding customers were looking at them, and he knew he couldn't lash out at Clara.

"Consider yourself lucky that I'm too much of a gentleman to hold this against you," he said before leaving in exasperation.

"What a damn joke. A catch, my ass."

What a waste of time! She would rather stay single forever than marry a chauvinistic jerk like him.

A few customers, who had been about to leave, paused to watch the spectacle of the blind date fiasco. After everything had calmed down, one of the men said something to his companions, and they left ahead of him.

Then, the man approached Clara's table. "Hey, Clara."

Chapter 2

A deep, magnetic voice waltzed into Clara's ears, pulling her focus to the approaching man. She sprang from her seat, giving him a charming grin. "Ethan, what are you doing here?"

Ethan Crawford smiled and replied, "I was here with some friends. You weren't around when we got here."

That explained why Clara, the boss of Café Kismet, hadn't noticed his arrival.

"May I?" he asked politely, pointing at the chair.

"Of course." She promptly invited him to join her before calling for the waiter to clean the table. Then, she said, "Give me a minute, Ethan. I'll make you a cup of coffee."

"It's fine. Just give me a glass of warm water." He already had a cup earlier; another one would keep him up all night.

After pouring him a glass of warm water, Clara instructed the waiter to bring over some desserts.

Ethan had gone to the same university as Clara's oldest brother, Alex Bennett. Although Alex and Ethan weren't close, they often took the train together during the holiday since they would return to the same city.

Clara was five years younger than Alex. She would see Ethan whenever she followed her father to pick Alex up at the train station.

Although their interactions had been limited to simple greetings, and she barely knew where he lived, they had known each other for 11 years. Despite not seeing him for years, she had recognized him instantly.

"What happened earlier?" Ethan asked gently.

The incident earlier left Clara exasperated. She began ranting to him, "Look, Ethan. I'm only 24, yet my mom pressures me to get married so much that I barely want to go home anymore.

"Every time she meets someone, she'll beg them to introduce me to a man so I can go on blind dates. Just this month alone, I've gone on more than ten of them because she won't stop blowing up my phone!"

"Mrs. Bennett does sound… desperate," Ethan commented.

Clara was only 13 when he first met her. Time flew, and she was now a 24-year-old woman being urged into marriage.

"Exactly! She told me my blind date today was going to be a great catch—more like catching me off guard! No wonder he's still single in his 30s. He literally expects women to do everything for him while he sits back and does nothing."

Ethan fixed his gaze on Clara. "You're too good to be going on blind dates. I bet men will line up to date you."

He had practically watched her grow up. She used to seem youthful and naive, but she had now matured, exuding a charm that balanced grace and femininity.

With every move she made, she captivated those around her. By all accounts, she should have no shortage of admirers.

Clara pouted as she explained, "I had a boyfriend back in uni. We dated for four years, and then six months ago, he dumped me because he had climbed the social ladder.

"My mom was worried that I'd give up entirely on love after the breakup, so she kept asking around to have me meet new people."

She was still in the early stages of her startup career, with neither the time nor interest in matters of the heart.

That said, she couldn't deny the pain she felt when she realized that four years of her love and dedication had been cast aside for the allure of money and status.

Ethan's eyes flickered with an indecipherable emotion as he listened to her story.

Right then, Clara's phone rang. When she saw the caller ID, she smiled wryly at him. "Here comes the 937th call from my mom today. I bet that chauvinistic jerk called the matchmaker and spoke badly about me."

Ever since her mother, Camilla Harper, made her go on blind dates, nearly every date ended with complaints to the matchmaker.

It wasn't that she was condescending or picky; she simply refused to compromise or lower her standards.

Marriage was a significant step in life, and if marrying Timothy meant she would have to work to pay off the mortgage and debts while being a housewife, she'd rather stay single forever.

Ethan chuckled. "You should talk to Mrs. Bennett."

"She'll never listen to me," Clara complained, then as if accepting her fate, answered the call.

Once the call connected, Camilla's voice came blasting through the speaker. "How many times do I have to remind you, Clara? You're 24! It's time for you to settle down before all the decent young men get snatched away by younger women!

"If you keep being this picky, you'll end up with the worst choices. Don't come crying to me when that happens!"

Chapter 3

"Mr. Jackson was a great candidate, yet you were so violent to him! Where did you learn your manners? I know I didn't teach you to throw a cup at someone! You seriously embarrassed me, Clara!

"He said that if you apologize to him, he'll forget about this matter and consider dating you. Even Josephine, who's two years younger than you, has married into an affluent family!

"I don't expect you to do the same. But at the very least, find a man and settle down! That way, I can finally stop worrying about you."

Clara waited for Camilla to finish her rant before helplessly saying, "Mom, I'm 24, not 34; I'm still young! I don't see you urging Alex, a 29-year-old bachelor, to get married."

Camilla countered, "I tried, and he won't listen to me!"

Clara's face dimmed. Oh, was that why Camilla shifted her target to a 24-year-old innocent single woman?

After being a loving daughter all her life, she received nothing but tortuous blind dates in the end. How tragic.

"Mom, you would've hated him if you'd been here. He's just… Anyway, I'll tell you more about him when I have time. And tell him to forget about that apology! I wouldn't even consider him if he were the last man on earth.

"Also, Josephine's life isn't as glorious as you think. She's just a mistress. Did you think I wouldn't know? That man is old enough to be her dad, and they're far from being an affluent family.

"They simply have more cash lying around than most people and own two buildings. If you're trying to impress me, tell her to marry…"

Clara suddenly covered the microphone and whispered to Ethan, "Hey, what's the wealthiest and most affluent family in Silverport City?"

Silverport City was a major metropolis filled with rich people. An ordinary person like Clara had no idea which family was the wealthiest or the most affluent.

Ethan softly replied, "The Montclair family is the wealthiest in Silverport City, a true aristocratic family. Their company, Celestine Group, has a vast network of industries nationwide."

At that, Clara quickly continued, "Tell her to marry one of the Montclairs. I can't believe you're impressed by a mistress. Do you want me to be one, too?"

"Oh, hell no! I'd rather you stay single forever than be a homewrecker." Camilla quickly changed her stance, but it didn't last long. She soon instructed Clara, "It's Saturday tomorrow. Close your cefé and come with me to meet someone.

"Aunt Jane has found a guy for you. I've seen his photo, too. He looks decent."

"Mom, I just got off a blind date. Give me a break, alright?"

"I'll give you a break when you find yourself a boyfriend. I went to a tarot reader, and she told me you won't meet the love of your life if you don't get married this year; you'll spend the rest of your life alone!"

"How desperate is she to take the words of a tarot reader?" Clara thought.

"Clara, are you listening? Don't place your phone on the table and make me talk to myself."

"I'm listening, Mom. Why would I, your loving daughter, do something so awful to you? Also, those readings are only accurate if they look into the past. The future is undetermined, Mom.

"If it's not, can you tell her to give me the winning lottery numbers for tomorrow? I'll put my entire savings into it."

Ethan, sitting by the side, stifled his laugh as he listened to their conversation. When Clara glanced at him, he quickly cleared his throat and pretended to cough.

After finally coaxing Camilla, Clara hung up and slumped over the table, looking utterly disillusioned.

"Ethan, when do you think my misery will end? I get shivers every time my phone rings now." She straightened up and gazed at him, ready to rant more about Camilla, when she suddenly met his smiling gaze.

She blinked as an idea struck her. Then, she studied him from head to toe.

Ethan had striking features and exuded an air of effortless elegance, paired with a gentle and kind demeanor. Overall, Clara would give him a score of nine out of ten.

After some thought, she asked, "You're the same age as Alex, right? Have you gotten married?"

Chapter 4

Ethan smiled warmly. "Yes, Alex and I are both 29. I neither have a wife nor a girlfriend."

Clara replied, "I see. Aren't your parents anxious about you not settling down yet? You're 29. Why are you still single?"

"I've told them I'll only consider settling down once I turn 30. As for being single…" He glanced at her with a deep gaze, calmly and warmly replying, "I guess I haven't met the right person yet."

Clara grunted in response and stared briefly at Ethan. After a few minutes of hesitation, she decided to ask something.

"Ethan, can I… rent you as my fake boyfriend?" Seeing him look so startled, she quickly added, "Don't worry, I'll pay you well. I won't get involved in your private life, either.

"We can sign an agreement and terminate it once you turn 30. By then, we'll stay out of each other's lives."

After two minutes of silence, he fixed his gaze on her pretty face and asked, "Are you sure you want me to be your fake boyfriend?"

Clara nodded. She was confident a man like Ethan could hold back Camilla's nagging for the time being. After all, he was way better than any of the men she'd met on those blind dates.

"What happens if Mrs. Bennett likes me and urges us to get married?"

She smiled. "She won't, for the time being, as long as I have a boyfriend."

Though Camilla was notorious for pushing her daughter toward marriage, she would assess the boyfriend for a certain period to ensure Clara wouldn't end up with another heartbreaker.

Ethan picked up the glass of warm water before him and took a few sips. Placing it back down, his slender fingers tapped lightly on the table.

After some thought, he proposed, "How about we go all out?"

Clara blinked in confusion. All out?

"Do you mean pretending to get married?" she asked. "But my mom will never believe me unless she sees a marriage certificate."

Ethan was decisive. "We can get it at the courthouse."

"That means we'll have to be legally married first." Clara was smart enough to grasp that. Once their union was officiated at the courthouse, they would legally be partners.

He smiled. "Didn't you say you're renting me? Let's sign an agreement."

She pondered his suggestion. Looking at the man she'd known for 11 years, she thought it wouldn't be bad if they became husband and wife.

"Then, we'll sign an agreement as part of our contractual marriage."

His eyes lit up. "Fine by me. And who will be drafting it?"

Clara quickly answered, "I will. Once I'm done, I'll let you review it. We'll proceed with the signing once you agree to all the conditions. By then, I'll finally have some peace away from my mom's endless nagging."

Ethan chuckled. "Why don't you do it now? I can review it today, and if everything looks good, we can proceed to the courthouse later this afternoon. I happen to be free."

"Why… do I feel like he's more eager than me? No, I must be overthinking this. Ethan is just trying to help," she thought.

"Alright, I'll draft it now and print two copies later. Have some desserts and wait for me here, Ethan," Clara said as she stood. He nodded with a smile, gesturing for her to go about her business.

It wasn't until she stood up that she realized where she was. She glanced around nervously, confirming the customers were either enjoying their coffee or chatting with their friends—no longer paying attention to her.

She supposed no one had overheard her conversation with Ethan. Sighing in relief, she left to draft the agreement.

After Clara left, Ethan fished out his phone and made a call. When the line connected, he instructed with his deep voice, "Ms. Schultz, please push back the 3:00 pm meeting to 9:00 am next Monday."

His assistant, Evie Schultz, was surprised because that was an important meeting. Nevertheless, she respectfully affirmed, "Yes, Mr. Crawford."

He ended the call.

About 30 minutes later, Clara returned with two pieces of paper and handed one to Ethan. After taking her seat, she whispered to him, "Have a look at the agreement, Ethan."

He retrieved the paper, placed it on the table, and carefully reviewed the content.

She had listed four conditions.

Clause 1: Ethan Crawford agrees to enter into a contractual arrangement with Clara Bennett, wherein he will provide the services of a boyfriend (or husband) for a monthly fee of 4000 dollars. This fee includes provisions for food, accommodation, and two sets of seasonal clothing per year.

Clause 2: Should either party encounter genuine romantic affection ("true love") toward a third party during the term of this agreement, the contract may be terminated early without penalty.

Clause 3: Both parties agree to respect each other's privacy, with no interference in personal matters, during the term of this agreement.

Clause 4: In the event that neither party experiences "true love" during the term of this agreement, the contract shall automatically expire and be considered null and void after one year from the commencement date.

An embarrassed Clara said, "I only opened this café last year, Ethan. I was running at a loss then, and while we're not losing money this year, we have yet to make a profit. So, that's all I can offer you in terms of money. But I can provide you with food and accommodation."

Ethan didn't seem to mind it. "It's okay. I have a job, too."

Then, he asked, "Also, can I amend this?"

Chapter 5

Clara nodded eagerly. "Of course. Feel free to raise any concerns you have with any part of the agreement."

Ethan asked for a pen from her and subsequently crossed out the third clause of the agreement before passing the paper to her. "We only need three clauses. Print two fresh copies of the agreement, and we'll sign them together with our thumbprints."

From that day onward, he had become her "kept man".

Clara stared at the crossed-out third clause and couldn't help but frown. After a few minutes, she seemingly thought things through and did as he said—printing two new copies of the agreement.

The two signed the papers and left their thumbprints using the inkpad she had prepared.

Ethan glanced at the watch on his left arm and said, "The courthouse should be open at this hour. Let's get on with the procedures."

However, Clara appeared hesitant. "But Ethan, I accidentally left my wallet at home today. My ID is inside."

Retrieving her waller would take at least a few hours to return home. By the time they arrived at the courthouse, it would have closed for the day.

Ethan smiled. "Well, we can still handle the marriage procedures by going to the police station and getting an official notarized document for your 'lost' ID card. I have a friend who works at the courthouse. He can help with the process."

At that moment, Clara couldn't shake the feeling that the man before her was far more eager to get married than she was.

A few minutes later, they left the café.

Ethan led her to a Mercedes-Benz, unlocked the car, and opened the door for her like the gentleman he was.

Clara stared at the luxurious car, knowing it was worth at least 30 thousand dollars—a detail she knew thanks to her car enthusiast brother.

"Is Ethan rich?" she wondered.

As if seeing through her confusion, he explained, "It's a used car I bought from a friend of a friend. I got it for only a few thousand dollars. It helps elevate my status when I meet clients."

Clara was at a loss for words.

A Mercedes-Benz cost at least 30 thousand dollars, and she found it hard to believe that he had bought it for just a few thousand—whether used or not. Besides, it looked pristine.

Still, it wasn't her place to question him.

Once Clara entered the car, Ethan closed the door for her and made a phone call.

Within two minutes, he got into the driver's seat, fastened his seatbelt, and said, "I've talked to my friend. We can just collect the notarized document at the police station and head straight to the courthouse."

She nodded. "Your friend is so helpful."

Ethan smiled. Indeed, he was.

They began their journey, and along the way, Clara carefully asked him about his life. Although they had known each other for 11 years, they were far from close friends. Even Alex didn't know much about him.

"Ethan, where do you live? And where do you work?" she asked before quickly explaining, "I'm not trying to interrogate you. It's just that we've known each other for so long, yet I know nothing about you. If we're getting into this contractual marriage, I should at least know where you live."

Ethan patiently answered, "I rent an apartment at Enchanted Garden. It's close to my office, which is why I chose it. Oh, and I work at Celestine Group."

When Clara heard that he was renting an apartment, she secretly sighed in relief. She was worried that he might have some undisclosed background.

She certainly didn't want to get involved in any drama, like his parents thinking she was out of his league and offering her a check to leave their son.

"I'm sure the benefits at Celestine Group are great. It's expensive to rent a place at Enchanted Garden." At least she knew she couldn't afford to live there.

Ethan remained calm. "The benefits are great. I've been with the company since I graduated, so I've been working there for some time. The salary is also decent enough to support myself."

He glanced briefly at Clara and added, "So, even if I get married, I'll be able to support my wife and children too."