The Chubby Bride's Glow Up

Connor examined the woman in front of him with a sharp stare.

For one brief moment, he wondered whether the woman from that night had finally shown up.

"Mr. Wallace, I've been standing for a while." Ashley looked away from his intense gaze and dug her nails into her palm. Then she managed a polite smile. "Can I sit down so we can talk?"

Connor remained silent and glanced toward the sofa on his left.

The moment Ashley sat down, he began studying her again.

Darkness had hidden the woman's face that night, but Connor still remembered how her entire body had felt beneath his hands.

That woman had possessed a fuller face and a soft, warm body. Even her sweet scent remained in his memory.

The woman in front of him, however, had finer features and a delicate face. She couldn't be the same woman.

Her figure also bore no resemblance to the one he remembered.

The Spencer woman's waist was remarkably slim, while the fuller curves of her body gave her a captivating beauty.

The mysterious woman from that night had felt softer, and her waist had been broader.

The Spencer daughter wasn't the woman he had been searching for.

Any interest Connor had shown quickly faded, and his expression became cold and distant.

"Tell me why I should pick you." He settled against the sofa and crossed his long legs with casual confidence. "Enough women want to become Mrs. Wallace to form a line all the way to the Aresding docks. What makes you different?"

"I'll do as I'm told," Ashley replied as she raised her eyes. Her voice remained gentle, but determination showed in her gaze.

Connor gave a quiet, humorless laugh. He leaned forward and gripped her chin with enough force to hurt. "The Wallace family already has plenty of maids who follow orders."

Pain crossed Ashley's face, but she refused to pull back. "A maid can't pretend to be your wife or give you what you need in bed. I also understand my position, and I'll never reach for anything that doesn't belong to me."

The defiance in her eyes brought back an unwelcome memory of the woman who'd slept with him and disappeared afterward.

Annoyance stirred inside Connor as his gaze grew colder.

"Many women would make good wives, but few men know how to appreciate one." Ashley smiled bitterly before using her greatest advantage. "My father spends all his time running after women and ignores everything else. If anyone understands what it's like to have a family that drags you down, it should be you."

Connor's grip on her chin suddenly tightened.

Everyone in Aresding knew Connor's parents had never loved each other. His father, Arthur Wallace, had also produced countless illegitimate children.

This woman was clearly trying to win his sympathy.

Connor recognized the strategy, yet he found that he didn't hold it against her.

"Sir," Devin chimed in at just the right time. "Your grandmother is losing patience, and we don't have another choice."

For three full minutes, Connor watched Ashley with such focus that she felt he might uncover every secret she carried.

"Put your signature on it."

Connor dropped a prenuptial agreement onto the table.

Ashley took the pen and signed her name at once without reading a single page.

"You're not even checking what you agreed to?" Connor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"All I care about is becoming Mrs. Wallace." She placed the pen aside and smiled brightly at him.

...

The courthouse stood beside the restaurant, and with the Wallace family's influence, they completed everything much faster than Ashley expected.

Once she received the marriage documents, Ashley glanced through the car window and saw Chloe hurrying toward the restaurant.

Ashley's lips curved into a cold smile.

Chloe's nightmare had only begun.

"Stay where you are," Connor instructed in a cold voice before starting the car.

"Where are you taking me?" Ashley's pulse jumped as she gripped the seat belt. "Mr. Wallace, it's the middle of the day..."

Could he already be planning to consummate their marriage?

The man she'd slept with that night had made her experience something incredible. Even so, Ashley wasn't ready to sleep with someone she'd met less than an hour ago.

Connor noticed how tense she'd become. "We're heading to the family estate. My grandmother is very sick, and she wants to see her new granddaughter-in-law."

Ashley relaxed and breathed out, though she couldn't hide a trace of emotion. "You married someone you barely know because of your grandmother. She must mean a lot to you."

"What did you say your name was?" Connor asked without warning.

Tension returned to Ashley's chest as sweat dampened her palms. "It's Ashley."

Connor didn't respond and pressed the accelerator to the floor.

Every part of the Wallace family estate displayed so much wealth that it felt overwhelming.

The crowd in the main living room left Ashley stunned as soon as she entered.

Dozens of Wallace family members waited inside and watched her with undisguised hostility.

Connor suddenly took her hand. His palm was dry and warm as he locked their fingers together.

Without showing any emotion, he brought Ashley directly to his grandmother, Eleanor Wallace, who sat in a wheelchair.

"Grandma, we're officially married."

Eleanor had appeared near death only moments ago, but the news brought her straight out of the wheelchair. "Finally! My grandson has learned some sense!"

Connor's face darkened. "Grandma, were you pretending to be sick?"

"Would you have rushed into marriage if I'd told you the truth?" Eleanor huffed with satisfaction before smiling warmly at Ashley. "Come closer, dear. Let me have a proper look at you, Chloe..."

Her voice stopped as soon as she saw Ashley clearly.

Shock wiped the smile from Eleanor's face, and suspicion sharpened her gaze. "You're not Chloe. Who are you?"