Chapter 1

My brother stood Rowan Hayes up on the day they were supposed to get their marriage license.

He only called me, his stand-in hype man, with a sneer:

"Rowan is a fake heiress. She's broke as a church mouse now. Am I supposed to marry her and starve on the streets?"

I hung up the phone. Suddenly, two lines of floating bullet-comments flashed before my eyes:

【Your brother is an idiot! The DNA test was messed up. Rowan IS the real heiress!】

【They were one step away from signing the papers, and he just threw away his ticket to a billionaire dynasty!】

I turned around immediately and saw Rowan standing alone in the corner of City Hall.

Even though she had been kicked out of the Hayes family, that cheap, faded dress couldn't hide her natural elegance.

After a brief thought, I stepped forward, carrying a face that was seventy percent identical to my brother's.

"I'm sorry," I said straightforwardly. "My brother isn't coming."

As if she had already expected it, she merely gave a faint, "Mm."

"The Shaw family owes you an apology for this."

"If you don't mind... will you marry me instead?"

Rowan narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over my facial features.

That day, my brother was busy searching for a new sugar mommy.

Meanwhile, Rowan and I signed the marriage license, making me the legitimate son-in-law of the Hayes family.

1

Holding the freshly stamped marriage certificate in my hands, I still felt a bit dazed.

Before today, Rowan and I had only met once when she visited our house.

My brother never allowed me to speak to the rich women he targeted, so she knew nothing about me.

Yet now, we were legally married, about to live under the same roof.

"I'm going to take a shower. If you're hungry, there's food in the fridge," Rowan said with slight awkwardness, pulling me back to reality.

I opened the tiny, battered mini-fridge. Inside was just a single cheap takeout container with some plain veggies.

Floating comments drifted across my vision:

【Poor girl. Not only was she kicked out, she owes the Hayes family over two million dollars in upbringing fees. Now she can only eat the cheapest five-dollar takeout.】

【She's definitely not used to this junk. She barely took two bites in the last two days.】

When Rowan came out of the bathroom, a chipped plate on the rickety table held steaming hot food.

I sat with my back to her, quietly eating my portion.

There wasn't much to begin with, and dividing it in half meant only a few mouthfuls.

I had intentionally waited until the sound of running water stopped before shoving food into my mouth.

On the way here, I had researched her background.

As the supposed sole daughter of the Hayes family, she grew up in luxury, stunning and wealthy, pursued by countless men.

Distant CEOs, clean-cut boys, charming bad boys―she had seen them all.

The only reason she liked my brother was because he once saved a drowning child.

She had a soft spot for kindness.

I couldn't stage an accident like that; it would be too obvious.

But a calm, grounded man who didn't cause drama and was willing to suffer alongside her would also look like pure kindness to a fallen heiress.

Sure enough, her voice turned slightly hoarse: "I thought you would look down on this."

I turned around, swallowing the last bite right in front of her.

"I'm not a picky eater, and I don't eat much."

"Still, takeout isn't healthy. Starting tomorrow, I'll cook for you."

I didn't miss the flicker of surprise in her eyes.

It lasted only a second before she looked away to take a phone call in the corner.

That night, she slept on the bed, and I slept on the floor.

I didn't argue.

I couldn't let her think I was a desperate creep who expected sex on day one.

In the dead of night, my brother sent a text:

"I found another rich woman. She has a few single friends. Pick one, and neither of us will ever have to work again."

Attached were five photos of wealthy, older women.

I directly sent back a photo of our marriage certificate.

"I'm married."

His side exploded instantly. I rejected all his incoming calls, so he texted in a fury:

"Silas, are you out of your damn mind? Picking up my trash is bad enough, but Rowan Hayes? The fake heiress?"

"Throwing away a good life... you deserve to be poor forever!"

In the glow of my screen, the bullet comments popped up:

【The brother is a clown! In forty days, Old Man Hayes is coming to bring her back. If you don't lock this down fast, you'll lose your chance at the Hayes fortune!】

Forty days was more than enough.

Rowan rolled over on the bed, likely noticing the light from my phone.

I whispered softly, "Rowan, did I wake you?"

"No."

"I heard you on the phone earlier. Was the Hayes family demanding the money back?"

"Yeah."

"How much do you still owe?"

She paused for a few seconds before answering faintly, "Five million."

【Why is she lying? The debt is only two million!】

While I glanced at the comments, Rowan spoke with a hint of mockery:

"What, having second thoughts?"

No, I was waiting for you to say that.

I sat up immediately, opened my banking app, Venmo, and Cash App, and transferred everything to her account.

Bank account, apps, plus the crumpled cash in my pocket―I handed it all over.

A total of $9,828.43.

Her expression went from confused to stunned, her breathing growing uneven.

"What is this?"

"It's all the savings I have. Use it to pay back the debt."

"I know it's just a drop in the bucket. But I have a $580 freelance check coming tomorrow, a $330 security deposit refund, and my $4,200 paycheck next week. As soon as it hits, it's yours."

The lamp clicked on, its dim light illuminating her gorgeous, trembling profile.

"I'm asking why you're giving me your money."

I looked at her with utter sincerity, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"We're husband and wife now. We share everything, in sickness and in health."

Disbelief was written all over her face.

My heart began to race with excitement.

From this moment on, my real game had begun.

Mason Shaw, who ends up broke for life is still up for debate.