POV JEANNE
"With this, the judge decided that the transferring ownership of the Hart family's assets to Adam Moss was legal."I was stunned when I heard those words followed by the sound of a hammer knocking. How can the court declare that the letter is real? I don't even remember signing it before."What do you think? I told you going through this trial is useless, Jeanne Hart."Adam's voice sounded as if he was mocking me. I clenched my fists, trying to control the rising anger."Oh my dearest Jeanne, I'm sorry, but ...""...""... have you known that money can buy everything?" Lily whispered right next to my ear.My eyes got wide when I heard those words. I turned my head and looked at the two disgusting humans grinning at me, then I stood up from my seat."So you bribe the judge?!" I said in disbelief."Well ... it's your fault for living too straight," said Lily with a reproachful expression.Lily interrupted and made me fall silent with her words. So that's it, they used a dirty way to win this court, I thought."You lost your wealth, and even lost the man you loved because you acted too self-righteous. That's why he chose me because I can satisfy his needs."I tried to control my anger, but it seemed like that damn woman kept provoking me."I will only have sex after the wedding ... you say?" Lily's words then ended with her laughing."...""Well, it seems like being a nun suits you better. I'm not even sure that your parents had sex after marriage, maybe they did it so many times with a lot of people, hahaha."Enough, this has gone too far, I thought.I laughed mockingly and said, "You seem to have a lot of experience, don't you? Oops, I forgot ... aren't you the illegitimate child between your father and a prostitute in a bar? It's not surprising to see how cheap you are.""You ..."Then I whispered next to her face, "I will take back what is mine, but you can take him. I think you need his penis more than me."After saying that, I patted Lily's shoulder lightly and immediately left them. However, I remembered something and stopped my steps."Oh, I forgot to congratulate you guys. Then, congrats! I heard you two are getting engaged in the spring."I looked slightly at them while smiling mockingly and said again, "Anyway, isn't it an interesting combination? A prostitute and a gigolo. .. looks like you will give birth to children that suit your prostitution business later."After saying that, I left. I could hear Lily's scream cursing me.…I sat on one of the park benches while holding a large bag. Then I looked at my wallet and sighed.I never thought that I would be in this situation. I've tried to contact all my business partners for help, but they turned their backs on me. I suspect that Adam and Lily have also manipulated them."I even have to sleep like a homeless. I'm not sure if I can survive this winter," I said while smiling wryly at the sky.It's been a few days since the damn trial and I only have $50 left in my wallet. What a pathetic life, I thought.Suddenly, I remembered something, then I reached into my coat pocket. It's a necklace and I looked sadly at it."Seems like I don't have another choice," I said with a wry smile.This is the only thing my parents left behind and even though it is precious to me, I have to sell it for life. At least I can survive two or three months till I get a job.When I wanted to stand up, my gaze was drawn to a brochure that was flying and stopped right in front of my feet. Then I picked it up.There is written information about job vacancies as a barmaid.I could no longer hold back the smile on my face. Wait, this is an opportunity, I thought.“If I can get this job, at least I won't have to sell it,” I muttered while looking at a necklace in my hand.I immediately headed to the bar that was listed in the brochure. The bar is located not far from the park. It was about 50 meters away.The bar building looks simple with an old style. I think it's pretty unique considering it's New York.After taking a breath for a moment, then I entered the bar. A man greeted me while smiling. He looked neat in a bartender uniform and short black hair.I smiled kindly while showing the brochure and said, "Is it true that this bar needs a barmaid?""Yes, we are. And you're lucky that we haven't hired anyone." the man said while smiling kindly at me."So, who should I meet for the interview?" I asked again."Me."I saw him smile while pointing at himself. He's such a sweet-faced guy, I thought. Without realizing it, I was lulled by his smile."Miss?""A-Ah yes ... sorry, I was thinking something earlier," I said, immediately stuttering when he called me."Ah, okay. Then follow me."Then, he led me to a small room not far from the bar table. He then invited me to sit on a sofa and he sat in front of me."First of all, let's get to know each other. I'm Jonah Mason, the manager of this bar."The man named Jonah extended his hand towards me and I accepted the handshake while saying, "I'm Jeanne Hart. Nice to meet you, Mr. Mason.""Just relax, Miss Hart. Why don't you start by telling me about yourself and your work experience," said Jonah while smiling kindly at me.I paused for a moment and smiled wryly. This is my first time doing a job interview. I never thought that I would be at this point now, I thought sadly."What's wrong, Miss Hart?"I shook my head slowly and replied, "It's nothing. I just thought that I'm not qualified enough to work here because I don't have any experience.""Is it your first time applying for a job?""Sadly, yes. Are you looking for an experienced worker, Sir?""Not really, there is always a first time for everything as long as you can work properly."I saw Jonah looking at me seriously while occasionally talking to me about the job, salary, benefits, and so on. It didn't take long and the interview session ended with Jonah's words which surprised me."Okay, I think you should get the chance to work here starting tomorrow. Congratulations."Jonah extended his hand towards me for a handshake. I fell silent and looked at him a little confused. Is it that easy to get a job? I thought.However, I didn't want to think too deeply and immediately accepted a handshake from the man in front of me.With an awkward smile, then I said, "A-Ah, it's nice to be one of the workers here.""Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about additional benefits."I frowned and replied, "Yes?""Every employee gets a room on the second floor. You can stay there if you want."For a few seconds, I stared in disbelief at Jonah. Until finally I could no longer stop myself from smiling. It's like getting a bottle of water in a drought that is currently hitting me."Thank you, Mr. Mason. I will take the room," I said while bowing respectfullyPOV JEANNE"Miss Hart, our Boss will come in one hour for a meeting. I have to quickly prepare a room for him right now. So, could you please look after the bar for me?""Ah, okay, Mr. Mason,” I said while smiling at my manager.I saw my manager who immediately ran to one of the doors of the bar while picking up his ringing cell phone. It was a meeting room and according to the bar's rules, only the manager could enter there.I sighed and continued wiping the cocktail glasses in front of me even though I'm quite curious about that.Not long after, suddenly the bar doorbell rang. I immediately walked towards the entrance door to greet customers."Welcome to —""Oh, isn't this the esteemed lady of the Hart family??"That sound, I immediately widened my eyes. For a moment my body froze and my hands clenched into fists. I straightened my body and saw the two creatures I hated the most — Adam Moss and Lily Hayes.Damn it, why did they come here? I thought about cursing my bad luck. However
POV JEANNE"Where am I?"I tried to get up, even though the pain in my head was getting worse. However, suddenly a hand held me up."You are in Hospital right now. You should rest more," a man's voice said right beside me.I just realized that there were other people around me and immediately turned to the source of the sound. The voice sounded like deja vu for me."Who are you?" I asked."Leo, you can call me that," the man said in a cold tone.Then I frowned. Actually what I asked was not his name, more about who he was and whether I had seen him before. But it's also good to know his name."Leo? That's the cool name," I said while smiling at him.He just stared at me with a cold glare. The pair of his blue-sky eyes suddenly makes my memory go into flashback. Ah, he's that guy, I thought."Ah, I remember. You're the man who saved me before ...""...""It's nice to know the name of my savior and oh, I'm Jeanne Hart. You can call me Jeanne," I said with a friendly smile.I saw Leo did
POV LEO"I'll give you three days if you don't bring my future daughter-in-law soon ...""...""You must accept your arranged marriage. If you still refuse, then I will make sure your name will be removed as my heir."TUTI let out a long sigh as soon as the call ended. Then I massaged my temple, hoping it would ease my headache a little.This demand makes me sick. How can I find the woman who will be my future wife in three days?"Tsk! Damn it!" I cursed.Maybe it's better if I just accept the arranged marriage? But, I don't want my father took control of whom I should marry.DINGI glanced at my phone screen which was on because of the notification. It was a message from a dating app I had recently downloaded to banish my boredom, but I accidentally found a woman who had been on my mind for the last few days."Oh, she finally replied," I muttered as I opened my phone screen.["Hey, good morning. How did you sleep? Sorry, I just opened my phone because the bar was busy last night."]
POV JEANNE"What time is it?" I mumbled while rubbing my eyes. I unconsciously fell asleep because I was exhausted, even though I was still in the middle of a chat with someone I knew from a dating app. Then I grope around and find my smartphone to see what time it was. "W-What the ...."I was surprised to see many messages on my phone screen. Those are all from dating app. I quickly opened the app and read one by one the messages sent by a man that I know from there.["Hey, why aren't you answering me?"] ["I've been waiting for you to reply, but you just read my messages without replying."]["Are you angry?"]["Are you still there?"]For a moment, I smiled as I read the series of messages. Three days passed since I decided to reply to his messages on the dating app and without realizing it, I started to feel comfortable chatting with him even though I don't know him.He introduced himself as "Mr. Lion", while I use the name "Snow Moon" on the dating application.["I'm fine. Sorry
POV JEANNE…"You finally recognize me, Snow Moon — ah, I think I should called you, Ms. Hart."My heart felt like it stopped beating when I heard my boss's confession. What kind of coincidence is this? — I thought. "I'm sorry, but I think your act is too much as a man. This is really disrespectful," I said while glaring at my boss. I saw a faint smirk on his face and then he spoke to me casually, "Disrespectful? What part of my rudeness?" "I already told you that I don't want to see you. But it seems like you don't have the manners to respect other people's decisions," I said while looking at him coldly. "I didn't ask you to meet me as Mr. Lion, but as Leo Morgan. So, what the problem is?" he said and I closed my eyes to control my emotions. "Since you unmasked yourself here as 'Mr. Lion', isn't that the same?" I replied sarcastically.After that, I heard a loud laugh from him. The man in front of me then grinned as he looked at me intensely. "This is why I want to marry you. Y
POV JEANNE…"A contract marriage? What do you mean?" I said with my heart beating faster. Afterward, I saw his face move away from my ear so that I could see a smirk on his face. "You know very well what I mean, Ms. Hart," he said.Hearing his words made me wonder even more about his purpose. Contract marriage was something that had never crossed my mind and even though I was born and raised in a big city like New York City, my family was quite strict about moral and religious values."I refuse," I said firmly while staring into his eyes that seemed to intimidate me. Shortly after, the man in front of me laughed as if mocking me and said, "I knew it. You'll definitely reject it again."I gave him a cynicly smile and said, "I was told you. No matter how many times you persuade me, it would just be in vain. So don't waste your time more, Mr. Morgan."I hoped my answer would make the man in front of me give up. However, what I saw was a faint smile on his face that seemed to say 'I'v
POV JEANNE…"Three conditions? Tell it," he said and his smirk was replaced with a cold stare that made me uncomfortable.I cleared my throat to eliminate my nervousness and then said, "First. I want us to live separately," I said and he nodded slowly."Ok. As long as you can act well as if we are lovely couple," he said briefly.When I heard his words, I furrowed my brow as I looked at him disagree. However, he spoke again. "At least out marriage life should look happy in the public eye. You must also know very well who the Morgan's family is," he said and I snorted as I thought that he is right."Ok, then next. Second, after you fulfill your responsibility to help me, you are not to interfere in my business and I will not interfere in yours either," I said as I looked at him seriously."No problem."I let out a deep breath as I was grateful that he had agreed to it, so far. "Third. I don't want we've any sexual relations," I said and this time I saw his face look a little surpris
POV JEANNE..."Hahh, I'm so tired," I muttered as I laid down on my bed.I stared at the ceiling of my room while thinking about many things, especially the man who had been in my mind since yesterday, Leo Morgan. After our meeting yesterday, somehow I felt like my life was about to have a lot of changes. "Is this the right way?" I asked myself with doubt. Suddenly the sound of my phone seemed to pull me from my thoughts. I snorted in annoyance as I took my phone from my side. "What else does he want?" I grumbled as I stared at my phone screen with the caller contact name 'Leo Morgan'.I immediately received the call and muttered, "Hm?" "I'll pick you up in an hour," he said straightly.I raised one eyebrow and replied, "What for?""Didn't I tell you yesterday after you signed our contract?" Hearing his words, I tried to remember what he said yesterday. And after a few seconds passed, I finally remembered it."Ah, sorry, I just remember it," I said as I got up from my bed."Then