The CEO's Accidental Wife

Hannah looked left and right. There was no one else in the office.

"I am talking to you," John said.

"What?"

"Marry me."

John repeated it, his voice calm and firm.

Hannah's brain finally caught up to those two words: Marry me.

She still could not quite process it. She was a month away from graduating college. Marriage was something she had considered for her distant future, but certainly not right now.

Was John testing her?

For a high-powered executive, waking up with an intern might not be a total disaster, but it certainly was bad for business. He was probably trying to see if she had any hidden motives or big ambitions.

Her feelings were complicated. John's warm embrace and his captivating eyes, plus the fact that they had slept together, made him different from any other man to her. But she was realistic. A union between them was impossible, not just in this lifetime, but in the next.

John proposing to a woman so far below his social standing was definitely not out of affection.

Remembering how he had subtly warned her on the bus when returning her phone, Hannah felt even more certain: he was terrified she would cause trouble for him.

So, she lied. "I have a boyfriend."

"Are you planning to get married?" John asked.

"Oh, no. We haven't even graduated yet, and we don't have the financial foundation for that." Hannah kept her cool, acting as composed as possible under pressure.

"How far along are you?" John showed an unexpected level of interest in her personal life.

Not knowing what he was driving at, Hannah blurted out, "We... we live together."

Her underlying message was clear: I have a boyfriend, and I sleep with him. I care about my relationship, so I won't go around telling people I slept with another man.

She was telling him that the night of the retreat would stay buried in her stomach forever. He could relax.

"You live together?" John frowned slightly.

That night, she was clearly...

Noticing his doubt, Hannah instantly realized what he was thinking. She quickly added, "We've been dating for several years. We only moved in together after coming back from the company trip. We had just moved out of the dorms and finally found a suitable apartment."

"You aren't even going to ask why I want to marry you?" John did not seem particularly shocked by her claim of having a boyfriend.

"Why?"

"My grandfather is critically ill. Before he passes, he wants to see me married, but I don't have a girlfriend," John said, leaning back in his office chair, his tone completely under control. "As for why I chose you, you know better than anyone. I looked around, and you are the most suitable option."

The words the most suitable option stung her pride. Since they had already slept together, she was indeed the most convenient choice. Anyone else would hesitate or bring unnecessary complications, but with Hannah, he could skip those awkward initial steps entirely.

Even though she knew he was not marrying her out of love, hearing his reason still brought a wave of disappointment.

It was clear he remembered that night vividly. Worse, his voice carried a faint trace of disdain. Even though he was asking for her help, he still looked down on her.

It made sense. In his eyes, she was just a calculating woman who had engineered a way into her boss's bed.

She had slept with him, accidentally left her phone in his room, and was now playing hard to get to hook a wealthy husband. She was pretending to be an innocent flower, so how could she expect him to respect her?

"Name your price," John added with mild detachment. "Though it would be best if it doesn't exceed five million."

Five million dollars was a huge sum, but for Hannah, it was not impossible to refuse.

After a moment of silence, she tried to offer a subtle alternative. "Mr. Carter, you could consider getting a fake marriage certificate."

"If my grandfather finds out, it will cause serious trouble."

"Besides, the certificate is secondary. The key is finding the right person. My grandfather needs to see her in person to rest easy." John answered her with surprising patience.

Hannah gave a slow nod, biting her lip as she scrambled for a way to turn him down.

Seeing her hesitation, John added, "This marriage will have a time limit. If you agree, we can register tomorrow. As for the end date..."

"I refuse!" Hannah said firmly, her voice leaving no room for debate.

John went silent.

Whatever he had been about to say died in his throat.

He could only stare at her, his eyes locked on hers.

For the first time in his life, someone had given him an outright, non-negotiable no.