Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Terms of Agreement
Joy swiftly picked up her dress and retreated into the room to change. She applied a fresh coat of makeup from the array stocked in her bag, all while reflecting on the novel's plot.
What did the original story say about Dean?
He was the CEO of Reed Corporation in City G. At the age of eighteen, he returned from studying abroad to take over his family's business. With decisive reform, he shifted the enterprise's core to new energy and technology. In merely a decade, he had surpassed the numerous affluent families of City G, earning the pinnacle position in the social hierarchy.
He wasn't one of those second-generation rich kids who boasted impressive titles without the actual prowess to back them up. He was a legitimate powerhouse in the corporate world. Even in the original novel, where the main male character was written to be quite formidable, he considered it an honor to collaborate with Dean.
Joy looked at her reflection in the mirror with satisfaction. She possessed a stunningly delicate face, a fair and tender complexion, and a well-proportioned figure. Apart from her mind being written by the original author, her attributes were top-tier! But now that she had crossed over, things were going to be different! After one final check of her appearance, she opened the door.
She had found her new business partner!
Dean was lounging on the couch, his long legs crossed casually. His posture was relaxed, yet radiated an undeniable aura of authority.
"Could you explain?" Upon seeing Joy emerge from the room, radiant and composed, sitting opposite him without a trace of the timidity she had shown in the presence of the Johnsons, Dean was further convinced; this woman had two faces.
"Christopher is my fiancé. My parents, fearing I would have no one to care for me after their death, arranged our engagement. After the engagement, his family started to encroach on my assets, claiming that they were taking care of me and covering all my expenses. You've seen what my future mother-in-law is like. She was never content with me, and now, with the rumors of my 'indiscretions' behind her son's back, there's no chance of the marriage proceeding!"
Dean chuckled softly, "It seems like you're rather looking forward to it. Your fiancé seems quite devoted to you and doesn't seem to mind your past relations."
"That's because I still hold something he wants. My father's assets are being managed by a trust manager and will only be transferred to me after I get married. If he doesn't marry me, he can't get his hands on my family's most valuable assets."
Dean commented, "You seem to have a clear understanding of the situation."
Joy stepped forward a little, asking shyly, "So, I'm actually quite wealthy. Would you consider marrying me?"
Dean curled his cold lips into a smirk, "Unfortunately, money is the least of my concerns."
"I want to marry someone who doesn't need money, so they won't covet mine or do anything repugnant," Joy stated, her clear, innocent eyes filled with sincerity as she looked at Dean.
This man wasn't easy to seduce. Amanda, the original female lead, had to exert a great deal of effort and exploit his psychological weakness to make him slightly fond of her.
Fortunately, she knew Dean's psychological weakness as well, and she was the first woman he had truly been intimate with. This fact should give her a unique status in Dean's mind.
She needed to seize this opportunity. Once she had Dean on her side, she could deal with Christopher and Amanda at her will.
"I won't demand anything from you, nor interfere with your personal life. After marriage, if you're unsatisfied, you can divorce. We don't even have to publicize our marriage. I just need someone to marry me so I can access my shares."
"And what's in it for me?" Dean countered.
He was a businessman; he wouldn't engage in something that holds no benefit.
"My family's company is worth something. Could I tempt you with half of it?"
"You could ask anyone with that proposition," Dean scrutinized Joy with sharp eyes.
Joy bit her lip shyly, replying, "Well... we've already been intimate, so naturally, I thought of you first."
She was ready to award herself a hundred points for that performance.
"Aren't you skeptical that you were drugged last night? Don't you suspect me?"
Joy blinked at him, "Would someone with your charm need to resort to such means?"
Dean curled his lip into a smirk, "You seem to have thought things through."
Joy took another step closer to him, standing before him with hopeful eyes, "So, can we get married?"
Dean extended his arm to pull her into an embrace, his slender fingers gently lifting her chin, "That's all you ask for? Do you know who I am?"
Of course, Joy knew! But she had to play as if she didn't!
"While I may not know, judging by your demeanor and eloquence, you must come from a distinguished background. This isn't a demand, but a request. Out of all the people in the world, you and I ended up together by some strange twist of fate. Besides, last night was pretty harmonious, wasn't it?"
Joy looked up at him, her face flushed as she tried to keep her composure. She was a bit shy, but there was a boldness in her eyes, a fearlessness. To change Joy's fate, she had to play her cards right.
If she wanted to claim her father's inheritance, she needed to marry someone, and Dean was the most suitable candidate.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone