My Accidental Husband is a Billionaire

Chapter 151 - 151:  Hold Your Hand

The marriage certificate even had footprints on it, dirty and grimy.

Mrs. Olsen took out a handkerchief to wipe it, her eyes downcast. "No matter what, Isla shouldn't have damaged Keira's marriage certificate."

Taylor scoffed. "She shouldn't have resorted to physical violence either! With that barbaric and uncouth temperament of Keira, why are you still worried about her?"

Mrs. Olsen ignored this remark. After cleaning the marriage certificate, she prepared to open it and take a look.

However, the marriage certificate was snatched away by Taylor. "What good will it do? Didn't her husband already visit our house last time? That laborer let his wife be someone else's mistress and homewrecker. He's such a useless man! Stop looking at it to avoid getting angry all over again!"

Mrs. Olsen's jaw tensed, and she finally said, "Before we leave, let's return the marriage certificate to Keira…"

"… Alright, alright. Shirley, you're just too kind-hearted!"

As they conversed, they walked toward the hall.

...

Keira didn't return to the front hall, Instead, she went to the back garden.

This year's winter seemed particularly cold. The chilly wind pierced through her thin dress, quickly making her feel as if even her bones were chilled. Yet, these sensations couldn't compare to the coldness in her chest.

She didn't blame Mrs. Olsen for the misunderstanding, nor did she feel qualified to blame her.

Mrs. Olsen was the sole source of warmth in her childhood life.

It was Mrs. Olsen who taught her self-respect, self-love, and to live life not by others' definitions; Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

It was Mrs. Olsen who helped her with the enrollment paperwork when Keira started elementary school, giving her the chance to receive nine years of compulsory education.

The first doll she ever received as a child was a gift from Mrs. Olsen, even though it was later secretly torn up by Isla.

The first dress she received was also from Mrs. Olsen, telling her that a girl's beauty isn't for pleasing men, but for pleasing herself, even though that dress was later stripped off by Poppy and given to Isla.

Likewise, it was Mrs. Olsen who helped her break free from Poppy's control in middle school, and Mrs. Olsen provided her with identification for the college entrance exams, without which she probably couldn't have attended university…

If not for Mrs. Olsen, she might have died in infancy, perished from the beatings of her childhood, or lost her life in the mountainous areas where she was nearly sold off. Even if she had survived by some stroke of luck, she would have been no better than a living corpse.

She held an uncontrollable admiration for Mrs. Olsen.

That was why she felt so exceedingly sad when Mrs. Olsen asked her to leave just a moment ago.

She stood by the man-made lake, silently gazing at the lake's surface. Oceanion was foggy today. It blurred her vision and seemed to obscure her future.

Just at this darkest, coldest moment, a warm coat was suddenly draped over her shoulders.

Keira turned around blankly, only to see Lewis had approached at some point. The night had softened the sharpness he exhibited during the day, adding a gentle touch to his demeanor.

He was looking at her intently, his voice low and gentle. "Why are you out here alone? Aren't you cold?"

Keira's nose tingled.

Seeing him at that moment filled her heart with an indescribable sourness, moistening the rims of her eyes.

She blinked rapidly, trying hard to hold back the tears…

But then he suddenly embraced her.

The warmth from his body seeped through their thin clothes and into hers, gradually awakening her frozen body…

She didn't know when it started, but it seemed that every time she was sad and hurting, this man would always appear just in time.

Keira's mood finally began to settle, and she pushed him away. "Shouldn't we head back now?"

"Well," Lewis's lips curved into a smile. "Grandma is sending people everywhere looking for you. She can't wait to announce our marital status."

He took Keira's hand and suddenly looked down at her. "Miss Olsen, you understand what it means to announce our relationship, right?"

His gaze was serious and persistent, making Keira's heart race. She knew what it meant but deliberately asked, "What does it mean?"

Lewis didn't poke through her thoughts and simply said, "The marital status of the CEO of Horton Group, a publicly listed company, needs to be stable, or it will affect the whole company. So... once the relationship is announced, we are husband and wife for life."

Keira was about to retort that, coincidentally, her company was also about to go public...

But it seemed as if the man knew what she was going to say, his voice suddenly deep and magnetic. He cut her off before she could speak, stating each word clearly. "Miss Olsen, you have seen the state of the Horton family. The future is full of uncertainties, and it's possible that I may be ousted by the first branch of the family or even driven out of Horton Group. So, are you willing to spend a lifetime with me?"

Keira was stunned.

His words were realistic, laced with hints of uncertainty and cautiousness as if he wasn't sure she would agree.

Keira cocked her head, "If you really fall into hard times in the future, getting kicked out with nothing to your name, you can live off my money."

At her words, Lewis was momentarily taken aback, then he couldn't help but laugh.

Apart from the Horton Group, he had many backup plans... The things he had just said were a reminder of the unknown road ahead for Keira, but he didn't expect her reply to be this.

She always caught him by surprise.

From the first meeting to their subsequent encounters, he didn't know when he began to like her... Perhaps it was her mischievous way of approaching him with different identities, maybe it was her defiant look when threatened by Jake, or possibly it was her eternally confident smile, or even the inexplicable familiarity he felt the first time he saw her...

He remembered the first time he went to the Olsen family for Jake's engagement. Upon entering, he noticed a girl standing in a corner, quietly fixing her gaze on him.

Her eyes were clear, filled only with curiosity and appraisal.

She believed she was unnoticed in the shadows, yet she didn't know that even the shadows couldn't hide her stunning charm and radiance...

That must have been what they call love at first sight, and eventually, love that deepens over time.

Everything was just right.

Lewis looked down with tenderness, whispering softly, "Alright, then you'll have to make a good living. I tend to spend quite a bit."

"...No problem."

After answering his question, Keira realized that she didn't know when Lewis had taken her hand, and their fingers were interlocked.

She paused for a moment.

Always independent, she wasn't opposed to the idea of having someone to share her life with, as there had been many who courted her.

But she never felt she needed a man to rely on.

Yet now, the thought of having him by her side seemed quite nice.

A phrase suddenly came to mind. "Hold your hand and grow old with you."

The two of them walked toward the front hall.

Their steps were firm, their eyes smiled at each other, and together they stepped into the back door of the banquet hall.

At the same time, Mrs. Olsen and Taylor also entered the front hall, looking everywhere for her.