Chapter 1

I was Skylar Adams, the illegitimate daughter my family kept hidden away. My only purpose was to take my sister’s place and marry the notorious Damian Thorne – a powerful magnate, rumored to be ill-tempered and confined to a wheelchair.

At the wedding, when the minister asked if I was willing, I grabbed the microphone, right there in front of all the city’s elite.

"I am not."

The entire room erupted. My father, Mr. Adams, was shaking with rage, his finger jabbing furiously as he screamed that I was insane.

But they had no idea. A voice in my head had just spoken.

[Congratulations, Host, for rejecting the arranged marriage! The Single Survival System is officially activated. Day one of being single: Reward – one million dollars, Life Points +1.]

"Skylar Adams, say that again, I dare you!"

My father, Mr. Harrison Adams’s, roar threatened to blow the roof off the chapel.

My sister, Amber, standing beside me in her bridesmaid’s dress, hissed under her breath.

"Are you insane? If you dare ruin this marriage, Mom and Dad will kill you!"

I looked at her calmly, then at the stunned guests below. Finally, my gaze settled on Damian Thorne, sitting in his wheelchair.

He was a business titan, a man who commanded an empire and could practically rule the city. An accident six months ago had left him wheelchair-bound, transforming his already formidable personality into something even darker and more ruthless.

Everyone said the Adams family was pushing me, their illegitimate daughter, into a living hell.

But they had no idea. The Adams family securing this connection to the Thornes? My parents had practically begged, pulling out every desperate plea they had to land this unimaginable fortune.

Damian Thorne’s face was expressionless, his deep-set eyes watching me from several feet away, as if observing a drama that had nothing to do with him.

His assistant, Liam Stone, behind him, looked furious and was already preparing to intervene.

"I am not willing," I repeated, my voice not loud, but clear enough to echo through the entire chapel.

SMACK! A stinging slap landed across my face. It was my mother.

She stormed onto the stage, trembling as she pointed at me.

"You ungrateful wretch! You’re absolutely insane! You’ve completely shamed our family! Apologize to Mr. Thorne right now!"

I licked the metallic taste of blood from my lip and smiled.

"Apologize? Why? My marriage is *mine*. If I don’t want to go through with it, does someone else get to force me?"

My father’s lips quivered with fury. "You… you bastard! You *will* marry him today, whether you like it or not!"

He started to lunge for me.

"Enough."

Damian Thorne maneuvered his electric wheelchair slowly to the front of the stage, his gaze calm as he looked at me. "Give me a reason."

I looked at him, this man rumored to be so brutal. There was no anger in his eyes now, only a piercing curiosity.

I took a deep breath and delivered the line I’d rehearsed. "I don’t like you. And I certainly don’t want to marry someone who’s… disabled."

The words were harsh, venomous, even to my own ears.

As expected, the entire room gasped.

Mr. Harrison Adams’s face went completely white; he looked like he was about to faint. Amber stared at me as if I were already dead.

Damian Thorne’s gaze finally darkened.

Liam Stone, his assistant, stepped forward, his voice cold. "Miss Adams, words have consequences. You can’t just insult the Thorne family like that."

The atmosphere plummeted to a freezing point, but in my head, I silently chanted, "System, settle up!"

[Ding! Day one of being single: Reward – one million dollars, Life Points +1. Cash has been transferred to your anonymous account.]

The system’s cold, robotic voice was my only comfort.

With money and more life, what did I have to fear?

I straightened my back, meeting Damian Thorne’s icy stare.

"I’m telling the truth. You can’t force happiness. Mr. Thorne, this marriage? It’s off."

With that, I lifted the hem of my expensive wedding dress and, to everyone’s disbelief, turned to leave.

I didn’t make it out of the chapel. Two bodyguards in black suits blocked my path.

My father, Mr. Adams, his voice trembling, pleaded with Damian Thorne, "Mr. Thorne, please don’t be angry. This girl isn't thinking straight. I'll tie her up and send her to you right away…"

"Dad!"

Amber quickly grabbed his arm, her eyes darting to Damian Thorne.

"Mr. Thorne, my sister is just being childish. Please don’t take her seriously."

Damian Thorne ignored their little performance. He just watched me, his gaze unreadable.

"Miss Adams, you agreed to this wedding yourself. Now you’re publicly backing out, just playing games with me?"

I clenched my fists. "I wasn’t playing games. I just realized that I want a life of my own, not one dependent on anyone else."

"Is that so?" Damian Thorne let out a soft chuckle, though no amusement reached his eyes. "Miss Adams, I admire your pursuit of independence. However, everything comes at a price."

The moment he finished speaking, Liam Stone stepped forward and addressed Mr. Harrison Adams. "Mr. Adams, according to the agreement, a failed alliance requires Adams Holdings to pay Thorne Industries a breach of contract penalty of one billion dollars. Furthermore, Thorne Industries will withdraw all investments and project collaborations with Adams Holdings."