Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The marriage certificate—which bears the government’s seal—contained the names of Timothy Barker and Samantha Larsson, the bridegroom and bride respectively.

The marriage certificate was effective proof of their marriage.

Everyone was shocked, and Samantha, doubly so.

She looked at the marriage certificate on the big screen and her black pupils continued to shrink even more. When she got married, she never went to any government department and merely signed a document. As a result, she never saw her marriage certificate with Timothy.

She originally thought that there would not be a marriage certificate at all since Timothy hated her so much. It was therefore a surprise that they ended up having one.

Mr. Cheadle’s face became extremely ugly but he continued to make a last-ditch effort. “Don’t believe them, all of you! I’m Samantha’s newly married husband. This marriage certificate has to be a forgery too!”

Timothy’s dark gaze fell lazily on Mr. Cheadle. That faint glance alone scared Mr. Cheadle into having his hair stand on end. He then unconsciously retreated a couple of steps back.

That man was too dangerous!

“Lies can never be true. And the truth can never be a lie!” Timothy said this sentence slowly, and then looked at the reporters. “You’re welcome to check the government records and verify the certificate’s authenticity! Then you’ll know who Samantha’s real husband is!”

Mr. Cheadle was immediately lost for words.

He initially thought that Timothy might be just as fake as him. After all, the person who hired him stated that Samantha’s husband was someone that could not come to the public eye, and therefore could not have been Timothy. As long as he could be more convincing, Timothy’s statements would not be able to hold water either.

Unfortunately, Timothy’s words were the clearest indication that he and Samantha were a rightful couple who have received the marriage certificate!

Mr. Cheadle’s face turned red and he was unable to squeeze another word out.

The reporters inside the conference room were all experienced individuals, so once they quickly digested the news, eagerness started pumping in their veins and they began to ask questions.

“Mr. Barker, did you know that Ms. Larsson went out and got involved with different men after your marriage?”

“Mr. Barker, you broke off the marriage publicly two years ago. Why did you marry Ms. Larsson now? Was it true that news about you spending the night with her, making her force you into marrying her?”

“Mr. Barker, you married Ms. Larsson but kept it under wraps. Are you unhappy with this marriage?”

“Mr. Barker, what do you think of the mess in Ms. Larsson’s private life before and after marriage?”

At that moment, the reporters’ questions were getting sharper and more direct. They did not seem to mind whether or not they would offend Timothy. After all, every single word that Timothy said was of great importance, especially when it involved such a huge issue.

One could say that such news would definitely hog the headlines.

There were no reasons why they should not ask more questions if they were able to!

Samantha’s face paled slightly as the reporters started firing away.

Although she did not know why Timothy came to the rescue, she knew very well that the topic of other men was Timothy’s trigger.

His anger stemmed from repeatedly misunderstanding that there was something going on between her and other men. If Timothy became angry in public right then and there, she could not imagine what kind of result would happen!

Samantha wanted to stay calm, but the reality was that her body trembled uncontrollably. Little by little, her hands and feet started to turn cold too.

Timothy sensed the change in Samantha’s body. He glanced at her from the side and saw her still trying to maintain a calm expression. Even so, he could clearly see a near-imperceptible fear and fragility in her eyes.

His heart tensed up suddenly, as if someone had delivered a strong blow to him.

The fearless Samantha who disregarded her own life in the past and rushed out to block the gunshot seemed to have developed a sense of fear when she was beside him.

Did she put on too good an act before, or was he unable to see her true emotions because he always viewed her with bias?

Timothy’s big palm could not help but squeeze Samantha’s hand, trying to transmit his warmth over to her.

His movements caused Samantha to snap back to her senses. She unconsciously looked at him and met those bottomless eyes of his.

Ever since they got married, Timothy’s eyes were cold, derisive, angry, and hateful. That was the first time that he looked at her with such gentle eyes.

It was as if he was saying silently to her: ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m here.’

Samantha’s long curly eyelashes trembled uncontrollably. She entered into a trance, as if she had returned to the moment where they were madly in love.

At that time, Timothy would always protect her and help her clean up her mess. It did not matter what happened to her or what trouble she caused. At that time, Rochelle teased her and said that it was quite a good deal to save such a devoted boyfriend just from giving up her life!

Seeing Timothy’s silence, the reporters thought that they had been telling the truth about their marriage. Each one wanted to dig up even more information from the couple’s mouths and so posed questions even more loudly.

“Mr. Barker, could you please provide a proper response!”

“Mr. Barker, are you and Ms. Larsson a fake couple? Did you come and rescue her today out of your own volition, or are there other reasons for your actions?”

“Mr. Barker, does Ms. Larsson have something against you that can be used as blackmail? Please elaborate!”

Some of the more radical reporters had no qualms jumping over the railings in front of the stage, rushing straight toward Timothy and Samantha.

Once one reporter rushed up, the other reporters were not about to let themselves look like little weaklings. The entire crowd rushed forward like a pack of hungry animals.

The scene turned chaotic instantly.

The reporters did not dare to do anything to Timothy, so they pointed the microphones and cameras at Samantha’s face.

Timothy’s black eyes sank and he wrapped his long arms around Samantha’s slender waist. He pulled her right into his embrace to keep the microphones and cameras away from her.

He swept his gaze coldly across the crowd and the reporters felt choked all of a sudden. Their frenzied movements froze instantly and they stepped back unconsciously to avoid getting closer.

It was only then that Timothy moved his thin lips and spoke. His voice was cold, resonant, and clear. “I’ll only say it once, so listen up!

“I’m the only man my wife, Samantha, has both before and after our marriage. Our marriage is a happy one, and there are no affairs or cheating!”

As soon as he finished his words, everyone exclaimed and sighed. Some of the female reporters showed looks of envy and hatred.

Those words called into question all the scandals in a very direct manner. It was also very domineering and incredibly sweet!

It was the real-life version of ‘domineering CEO falls in love with the girl next door’!

Everyone knew that there was nothing more they could dig out from Timothy and felt reluctant to just things end like that. A reporter turned to Samantha, who had not yet to snap back to her senses, and asked unexpectedly, “Ms. Larsson, is Mr.. Barker’s response true?”