"Marriage? Mother, you know I’m currently busy with the company. I can’t think about anything else." A man, fully dressed in a black suit, hurriedly walked down the stairs.

His mother, following closely behind, tried to catch up with him as she descended the stairs. "But Lucas, you're an adult now. You're at the perfect age to get married. Don’t you want to have children?"

"Marriage isn't just about having children; it's a lifelong commitment. And I'm still not convinced that two strangers can truly dedicate their lives to living together forever." The man, called Lucas, grabbed his phone from the living room table and continued to walk away swiftly.

Suddenly, his mother stood directly in front of him, blocking his path. This time, Emily’s face showed a deep anger, clearly displeased with her son's decision. "Fine. Say you don’t want to get married. But what about me? You know how much I want to have grandchildren. Lucas, you’re my only son. Don’t you want to see your mother happy in her old age?"

Lucas paused, staring at his mother with an expression that was hard to decipher. He then roughly ran a hand over his face. "If you really want grandchildren, I can give you one. But does it have to be through marriage?"

Lucas’s words made Emily’s eyes widen in shock. "What’s wrong with you? Are you willing to risk your own reputation? I want legitimate grandchildren, not children born out of wedlock."

"So what do you actually want? A child or a daughter-in-law? Mother, we have money. We can buy anything and anyone, including a child. Besides, in times like these, who’s going to care? People are too busy with their own lives to interfere with ours." Lucas’s light brown eyes stared intently at Emily.

But the woman simply crossed her arms over her chest. Her face was now expressionless. "Money may have power, but you can't buy love with it."

After saying that, Emily turned and left Lucas standing alone in the large living room. The man remained motionless.

A second later, the corner of his mouth lifted into a sad smile. "Mother would never know what it feels like to be abandoned by someone you love when you have nothing."

***

After the meeting, Lucas returned to his office. He roughly ran a hand over his face and looked down. Then, the door opened, revealing a young woman in a gray business suit, carrying a folder in her hands. "Sir, here are the documents you asked for."

"Yes," Lucas replied briefly, without looking up, remaining in the same position.

Although Lucas was the type of man who rarely spoke, the woman with her hair tied up high could sense that her boss was not okay. "Sir, are you sick? Do you want me to take you to the doctor?"

This time, the man finally looked up, revealing his disheveled face. He leaned back in his chair, his breath heavy before he spoke, "Do you think I should get married?"

Sophie Jane, the woman’s name, was taken aback by Lucas’s sudden question. But she quickly neutralized her expression and tried to respond casually. "You decide your own future, Sir. Marriage isn’t the only thing that must be done in life. It’s the most beautiful moment and should only be done once in a lifetime. Why do you ask?"

"My mother wants a grandchild. I already told her to buy a child without getting married, but she wouldn’t listen."

This left Sophie momentarily stunned. But then, she smiled sweetly. "Sir, a child isn’t something you can buy. Mrs. Emily might just want you to be happy by having a small family."

"But I can’t get married, Sophie. You know I’m still waiting for someone to return."

Sophie, who was her boss’s personal assistant, would not lie if she said she knew about the tragic love story her boss had experienced. She seemed hesitant to respond, but she gave it a try. "If that’s the case, maybe you could consider a contract marriage?"

For a moment, Lucas’s gentle gaze landed directly on Sophie’s face. Sophie, noticing this, quickly averted her gaze, nervously trying to amend her suggestion. "I mean, not like that, Sir. It’s just that you don’t want to be tied to a lifelong relationship with someone you don’t love at all. So I thought a contract marriage might be the only way. Where you can set the duration you need to have a child."

"A contract marriage?" The man pondered for a moment, considering his assistant’s words. "Why didn’t I think of this before? Mother doesn’t want grandchildren out of wedlock. But I could get divorced after having a child."

Lucas’s once gloomy face now lit up with enthusiasm. He looked at Sophie with gratitude. "You really are the best. I’ll raise your salary."

"Actually, Sir, I just want some time off," Sophie replied, smiling with a hint of pleading.

This made Lucas snort. "You’ll get your vacation after I find the right girl. That means you have to help me find her."

"Alright, Sir."

***

It was already the third day, but Sophie still hadn’t found a single girl to introduce to Lucas. Every time Lucas asked, she would say, "Sir, it’s not easy to find a girl willing to enter into a contract marriage. Besides, this is for your future heir. Don’t we need to be very thorough in checking her background?"

Lucas clicked his tongue. "What does someone’s background matter? A child is still a child, no matter what their family background is like."

The man poured another drink into his glass. Yes, tonight, Lucas was at a club trying to unwind after work. Until suddenly, an interaction between two people caught his attention.

"Are you just going to walk away? You’ve used me, so you have to pay. I don’t do this for free," the girl kept snapping, her face filled with anger. This didn’t escape Lucas’s notice.

Meanwhile, the man in front of the girl wore an indifferent expression. "You’re just a cheap woman. You’re not even worth paying. If you want money, why don’t you leave here and start looking for a real job?"

These words made the girl livid. She placed her hands on her hips and moved closer to the man. "I’m here to work. You think I want to serve someone as filthy and disgusting as you? I’m here to get paid, not to be your free wife. Even if I’m cheap, at least I still have value."

Slap!!!