Chapter 120 The Marriage Registry Is Brightly Lit
William was amused by Thalia's bold declaration: "Why does everything sound so awful when it comes out of your mouth?"
Thalia thought for a moment: "Probably... because I'm telling the truth?"
"So? Is Ms. Smith trying to tell me that the truth is always hard to hear?"
Thalia raised an eyebrow: "Isn't it?"
William raised his hand to touch his chin, keeping his eyes on the traffic ahead while driving steadily: "Thalia, if you're chickening out, just say so. I'll let you out right here."
Let her out?
Thalia glanced at the elevated highway full of traffic.
If William let her out, the worst he'd get was a fine. But if she couldn't make it down, she could lose her life.
Thalia had never been one to care about saving face. She leaned back in her seat and nodded: "I've been thinking, compared to marrying you, I'd rather accept the fact that I'm poor."
William snorted inwardly. He knew it.
Fickle, easily distracted, inconsistent, always chasing the new—these labels were firmly stuck to Thalia.
William pulled the car over to the shoulder, glanced sideways at Thalia, grabbed the agreement from the door pocket, and jerked his chin: "Get out."
"You're just leaving me here?" What kind of man was William? Didn't he know how to treat a lady with care?
"What else? Ms. Smith toys with my feelings and wastes my time, and I'm supposed to politely drive you home? You think I'm one of those guys chasing after you?"
Thalia was speechless.
"I don't care. I'm not getting out."
William laughed in exasperation, casually tossed the documents back by the door, and started driving again: "Then you'd better think this through. Once I start driving, our destination is the marriage registration office. Ms. Smith won't get a second chance."
"Is Mr. Brown so desperate to register our marriage tonight because he's done something to screw me over and is afraid things might change?"
"Ms. Smith, that trick won't work on me. Save it for someone else!"
Thalia: ...........
"William, if I ever do something to wrong you in the future, will you chop me up and throw me down the drain? With your capabilities and methods, you could dismember me first, then throw me in the ocean. No one would ever know."
"Or, if we fight, will you hit me? Will you abuse me?"
"What if I die in an accident someday—will you fight my mom in court over my compensation money?"
William sat beside her, listening to Thalia the entire way. Throughout the drive, he didn't say a word, just listened as Thalia recounted case after case from the internet—dismemberment cases, wife-killing cases, murder cases, insurance fraud cases—one after another in his ear.
It was quite the wake-up call.
The car came to a smooth stop in front of the marriage registration office. Just as William had said, the lights were blazing bright.......
"Get out." William reached to unbuckle his seatbelt, then reached for Thalia's.
She extended her hand and pressed it against William's palm. Just like that, they were getting married? The beautiful scene she'd imagined as a student—going to the marriage registration office with the person she loved most—was just going to shatter like this?
All those dreams from her youth were just gone?
"I don't have the necessary documents."
Thalia didn't mention going back, but every word dripped with regret.
William's expression changed, his gaze fixed on her with some displeasure: "Your ID is all you need."
"I........."
"Get out. Don't make me say it twice."
"Forcing someone to marry is illegal," Thalia clung to William's arm and refused to let go, her chest pressing against his arm, soft and warm, stirring up William's desires.
William almost laughed in frustration at her pitiful, aggrieved expression.
"Then go! The Smith family will be bankrupt tonight."
Thalia: ..........."William, people should have morals."
"I lack morals."
"But you can't go after Vanguard Innovations Group just because of our personal grudge."
William glanced at the hand on his arm: "I want to go after you, but aren't you unwilling?"
"Hayden has plenty of other daughters, ranging from twenty-eight down to eight years old. I can find you another one. Just let me go."
William raised his hand to rub his temples. He had a headache. Talking too much with Thalia would definitely shorten his life.
He'd probably die from Thalia's aggravation someday.
Forget it. Let others off, let himself off.
He didn't want to die young.
"Fine, go!"
Thalia loosened her grip on his arm and pulled back a bit: "You're willing to let me go?"
"Are you leaving or not?" William's eyes darkened, his tone impatient, his gloomy expression scaring Thalia into a shudder.
Thalia had known William for so many years, and she'd never seen him lose his temper.
Thalia grabbed her bag and quickly pushed open the door to get out. Just as she was about to close it, she saw William take out his phone to make a call.
Thalia panicked: "What are you trying to do?"
"What I do is my freedom. What does it have to do with Ms. Smith?"
Thalia: .........
"William, have some conscience."
"Thalia, mind your own business."
"If I were you, I'd stay far away from me right now, so you don't hover around annoying me. Otherwise, Vanguard Innovations Group will just die faster."
Thalia: .......So frustrating.
William pushed Thalia's hand away and made the call. When the other side picked up, they were stunned. Angelina never imagined William could be this useless. Turned out there were things even he couldn't handle.
"Mr. Brown, can you do this or not? You got her all the way to the marriage registration office, and you........."
Before Angelina could finish her sentence, she looked at the disconnected call: "He hung up on me."
"What happened?" Brian's eyes widened with a gossipy expression.
"Mr. Brown can't do it."
Brian was shocked: "How is that possible? With Thalia's personality, if Mr. Brown really couldn't do it, she would've let the whole world know by now."
Angelina sighed, rubbed her temples, and patted Brian's head: "Sweetie, the 'can't do it' I'm talking about and the one you're thinking of are not the same thing. Be good and eat your dinner."
Brian: ........
Finn couldn't help but laugh out loud.
At the entrance of the marriage registration office, William strode up the steps while Thalia followed behind, dawdling like a brain-dead snail. It irritated William so much that he walked over, grabbed her arm, and pulled her up the steps.
"People who know would think you're here to get married. People who don't would think you're going to your execution."
Thalia stopped and grabbed William's arm: "William........."