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Novel Catalog
Chapter 38
Well, too bad the young couple was not that close. Zachary and Serenity were only sharing a living space while still leading separate lives. Even if Zachary was upset with her to no end, Serenity couldn’t care less as long as he didn’t kick her out. Serenity washed the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and mopped the entire house before sitting on her recent purchase—the balcony swing—to enjoy the cool night breeze. The balcony was a mini garden, and Serenity marveled at Zachary’s competence in getting the job done. The sound of steady footsteps led to the balcony, and soon, Zachary appeared. Seeing Serenity swing leisurely only seemed to add grim lines to Zachary’s scowling face. He approached and handed her two sheets of paper.
“What’s this?” Serenity asked out of curiosity.
Although Zachary didn’t speak, the message was clear—she would understand once she looked at the papers. Serenity grabbed the papers, reading through the content. It was a contract. Zachary had printed two copies—one for each of them. His signature and personal seal stamp were already on the documents.
Tch. What was this? Making it official?
Serenity pushed back and let the swing motion carry her as she continued reading. The contract was full of terms and conditions, but Serenity focused on the main points. She was not to seek his affection since they were strangers and only husband and wife by name. In essence, they would sleep in separate rooms and refrain from engaging in marital duties. If they failed to develop feelings for each other in six months, an amicable divorce would follow. Zachary was willing to sign over the house and the national MPV to Serenity as a divorce settlement.
That was about all Serenity could expect from the divorce. Zachary made it clear that Serenity could forget about Nana’s assets. Aside from the house and car, the terms were hardly in her favor. Zachary had taken precautions to safeguard his wealth and chastity from Serenity.
Zachary coolly stated, “Serenity, we might be married, but certainly not for love. I think we should have a written agreement between us. Don’t worry, everything else, unless outlined in the contract, will remain unchanged.” In short, she was not to fall in love with him, sleep with him, or take Nana’s assets.
Serenity had no hard feelings at all. She understood why he would want to cover all bases. “I have no intention of taking Nana’s possessions,” she said. “I’m able-bodied and fully capable of caring for myself. There’s no need for me to mooch off the elderly.”
In Serenity’s mind, Nana was a retiree living off a modest pension. Even if Nana received an allowance from her family, there was only so much she could save. Serenity never thought of taking what wasn’t hers.
The whirlwind marriage to Zachary was to stop the fights between Liberty and Hank. It was also to reassure Liberty that Serenity was in safe hands. Before getting the marriage license, Serenity had asked Zachary if he wanted to split the costs. Splitting responsibilities seemed best for their situation, especially since they were married for pragmatic reasons, not love.
Serenity looked Zachary over from head to toe and complimented him, “Mr. York, you must be favored by God because He gave you a nice face and a hot body. Some might revere your unapproachable vibes, while others might be tempted to conquer your heart.”
Zachary’s eyes darkened with a grim expression.
But Serenity quickly shifted her tone, adding with glee, “But not everybody would adore you…”
