Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law

Facing her indifference, Hansen Ruiz didn't know what to say. He would rather have her yelling at him as she used to; at least then he knew she was angry. Now, her detachment was like a breeze that vanished with the slightest puff of air.

He knew perfectly well what she was thinking.

"I'm serious about you, Rachel," Hansen Ruiz said, not wanting to give a long speech, so he summarized his feelings in one sentence. "No matter what my family thinks, it won't change how I feel."

Rachel Bailey didn't speak. She just quietly looked at the road ahead, lost in thought. Her small face was slightly tense, her lips pursed, and deep within her bright eyes, there was a touch of embarrassment and heartache.

The appearance of Mrs. Ruiz had deeply hurt her, yet it had also ignited her fighting spirit. She told herself that she must work harder, strive more, and one day, she would stand on her own two feet, under a sky she could call her own. She wanted to show Mrs. Ruiz through her actions that she, too, could become someone of consequence and wouldn't always be there for others to trample or bully.

"Mr. Ruiz, I'm a bit tired. Could you stop the car?"

Her reply was still as calm as still water, and his heart clenched with pain.

Hansen Ruiz found it hard to adjust to this calm, aloof Rachel Bailey.

Ever since he'd met her, her mouth had been like a machine gun, always rattling off a barrage of words that were hard to counter.

"Rachel…"

"Stop the car!"

Rachel Bailey suddenly growled. Her usually bright and clear eyes flashed with hurt during her outcry. Even if only for an instant, it was enough for Hansen Ruiz to understand that his mother's appearance had deeply wounded Rachel Bailey's spirit. This young woman, though she came from humble beginnings, was never short on ambition. Her aspirations soared high, and she was fiercely independent and confident.

Hansen Ruiz stopped talking, but he did not stop the car.

He drove onto the highway.

Rachel Bailey didn't know where he intended to take her. Feeling annoyed, she kept asking him to stop.

She was incredibly frustrated and longed for the quiet of her small rented room. Her ordinary world had been thrown into turmoil by Hansen Ruiz's intrusion, and she desperately wanted to quell the raging waves.

"Hansen Ruiz, stop the car! I want to get out!"

Hansen Ruiz seemed to turn a deaf ear, continuing to drive.

"Hansen Ruiz, what on earth do you want? I told you, we're not from the same world! Stop the car! Damn it, are you that desperate for a woman? You'd even stoop to 'nibble' at a 'blade of grass' like me? You…"

The moment Rachel Bailey got angry, her words turned sharp again, though this time laced with self-deprecation. This greatly displeased Hansen Ruiz. SCREECH! He slammed on the brakes, stopping the car abruptly at the side of the highway exit. He quickly got out, circled the vehicle, opened Rachel Bailey's door, and pulled her out. Before she could even steady herself, he was back in the car and sped off with a WHOOSH.

Rachel Bailey was dumbfounded.

She had asked him to stop, and he had. But he'd abandoned her in this desolate place and driven off by himself.

This place was in the middle of nowhere, with no village ahead and no shop behind, and yet he had…

Rachel Bailey felt terribly wronged. She bit her lower lip hard, refusing to let herself cry. After standing still for a minute, she loosened her tightly bitten lip, tossed her ponytail, and turned to walk along the highway.

Did he think leaving me here would make me helpless? Even if I have to walk, I'll find my way back! Damn Hansen Ruiz! That graceless bastard! If he couldn't stand me, why did he even bother me? Just because I was frustrated, he abandoned me here. 'Serious'? What a load of bullshit!

In her heart, Rachel Bailey cursed Hansen Ruiz a thousand times over. Yet, without realizing it, she had actually grown accustomed to his presence.

Hansen Ruiz was angered by her self-deprecation.

He really disliked it when she put herself down; he much preferred her confidence.

He had driven off coldly after leaving her by the car. But a moment later, he urgently turned back. Seeing Rachel Bailey walking stubbornly along the roadside, he couldn't help but feel a mix of exasperation and amusement.

He drove up to her, keeping pace beside Rachel Bailey, the car crawling along as slowly as an ant.

The car window rolled down. A smile touched his handsome features as he called out to Rachel Bailey, "Get in; I'll give you a lift."

What the heck! Rachel Bailey thought. I must have met the most shameless man in the world! To think I always believed he was a highly cultured man, as gentle as jade. It seems everyone has many sides, some unknown to others. He abandoned me by the car, and now he has the audacity to come back and offer me a lift in that charitable tone of his. Could he be any more shameless?

"Get in. It's a long way from here to the Emerald Garden Building. If you walk, you won't get there until midnight. Besides, this road isn't safe with so many cars coming and going. Aren't you afraid of running into bad people who might rob you of your money and your virtue?" Hansen Ruiz chuckled, his words making Rachel Bailey want to strangle him.

"Don't worry; I won't charge you for the ride. It's free."

"Hansen Ruiz, you jerk! Get lost!" Rachel Bailey was so angered by his words that her stomach ached.

"Alright, I'm a jerk. Can you get in the car now? I promise I won't abandon you again. But I don't want to hear you put yourself down anymore," Hansen Ruiz's tone softened, his smile vanished, and he looked at Rachel Bailey very earnestly.

Hearing this, Rachel Bailey stopped walking. She turned to look at him, feeling extremely conflicted about whether to get in the car or continue walking.

The road ahead stretched endlessly; who knows how long it would take to walk back to my own little world. Alright. A wise woman knows not to fight a losing battle.

With that thought, Rachel Bailey immediately opened the car door and decisively climbed into the back seat.

He brought me here; it's his duty to take me back.

On the way, the two of them fell into a rare silence.

Soon enough, the car returned to the bustling, prosperous City District.

Seeing the familiar streets, Rachel Bailey's heart felt a bit more at ease.

But that was only temporary. She quickly realized Hansen Ruiz wasn't taking her back to the Emerald Garden Building on Betra Street but was heading to the new waterside community in South Hill District. That area was an upscale villa district, surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on one, with incredibly expensive land, comparable to Golden Kirin.