They Mocked Me, Unaware I'm The Trillionaire's Treasure

October remained unbearably hot in Evrata. Only the cool air during the early morning and late evening gave the slightest sign that autumn had arrived.

Coralie Campbell had been awake since sunrise. By then, she had cooked breakfast for her sister's family of three, cleaned the living room, and wiped the floors. Once she finished, she picked up two simple bread rolls, placed her ID in her pocket, and quietly left the apartment.

"Starting now, we're dividing every expense equally. That includes the household bills, mortgage, and car payments. Since your sister lives here, she should cover her part too. What she's chipped in so far isn't nearly enough. She's practically staying here for free!"

Coralie had overheard her brother-in-law say those words the previous night while he argued with her sister.

To prevent more conflict, Coralie needed to find another place to live. However, the only way she could move out without making her sister worry endlessly was to get married.

Marriage had to happen soon. Since she didn't have a boyfriend, there was only one option left. She would agree to Judie Warren's suggestion and marry her oldest grandson, Jasper Warren.

Once she reached the group floor, Coralie rushed toward the main street and noticed a bus waiting at the stop. She checked the route sign and saw that it passed the courthouse. Without wasting another second, she sprinted forward and stepped inside just before the doors shut.

After finding a seat by the window, she watched the streets pass outside while the bus moved forward.

Evrata was a lively and wealthy city. Tall buildings rose along both sides of the road, making its success impossible to miss.

About twenty minutes later, Coralie got off the bus outside the courthouse.

"Coralie."

As soon as she reached the sidewalk, someone familiar called out to her. Judie was standing nearby.

"Mrs. Warren."

Coralie approached her and quickly noticed the tall man at Judie's side. His cold presence made him seem difficult to approach. He had to be Jasper, the man she would soon marry.

When she came closer and finally saw his face clearly, surprise washed over her.

Judie had once explained that her thirty-year-old grandson had terrible luck with relationships and couldn't even find a girlfriend. His situation had worried her for a long time. Coralie had met Judie several months earlier after the older woman fell on the sidewalk, and she had taken her to the hospital.

As they spent more time together, Judie became increasingly fond of Coralie. After discovering that Coralie was still single at twenty-five, she came up with the idea of introducing her to her grandson.

Coralie had always believed that a thirty-year-old executive with a high salary who still couldn't find a girlfriend had to be terribly unattractive.

In her mind, a successful man who remained single was either far too demanding or so unpleasant to look at that no one wanted to give him a chance.

She had somehow been completely convinced that Jasper belonged to the second group.

Standing before him now, Coralie understood how badly she had misjudged him. Jasper clearly belonged to the first group. He was remarkably handsome, and his sharp features matched his distant personality. While standing beside Judie, he wore a dark expression and gave off such a cold presence that no one would dare approach him.

Nearby, a black MPV sat by the curb. It was a good-looking vehicle, but it wasn't one of those luxurious cars worth millions. That small detail helped Coralie feel that the difference between their lives might not be as great as she had imagined.

Coralie had only continued living with her sister because she couldn't bring herself to leave her sister and her nephew behind. Her own earnings were already enough to support herself. She shared ownership of a bookstore near Evrata School with one of her former classmates.

Evrata School was a well-known institution that taught students from kindergarten through high school and had thousands of pupils. Study materials were always in demand, and although many stores competed for customers, their business continued to perform well.

During her free time, Coralie also made crafts by hand and sold them online. Those orders brought in a decent amount of money as well.

After paying the expenses, the bookstore still brought in good money every month. Together with the income from her online shop, Coralie actually earned a steady amount each month.

In Evrata, anyone earning what she did was already considered to be doing quite well.

Still, her brother-in-law had no idea about any of this. He believed Coralie's bookstore barely made money, so he often looked down on her. The truth was that Coralie gave her sister a reasonable amount every month to help cover the household expenses.

Coralie had also been careful enough to ask her sister to quietly set aside half of that money for emergencies, where her brother-in-law wouldn't find out about it.

Since her sister had a general idea of how much Coralie earned, she often reminded her not to spend money casually. Instead, she wanted Coralie to save enough to buy a small apartment and finally have a home she could call her own.

"Coralie, this is Jasper, my oldest grandson. He's already thirty, but he still hasn't found a wife. He might come across as cold, but he's a good man and knows how to care for others. You saved my life, and we've known each other for three months now. You can trust me. I would never introduce you to someone who'd treat you badly."

After hearing his grandmother speak about him that way, Jasper gave Coralie a brief sideways look. His dark eyes remained cold, but he stayed silent.

He had likely heard his grandmother repeat the same words so often that they no longer affected him.

Coralie knew Judie had three sons, and each son had given her three grandsons. She had nine grandsons altogether, yet she didn't have even one granddaughter. Ever since Coralie rescued her, Judie had treated her like the granddaughter she had always wanted.

A soft blush touched Coralie's cheeks, though she kept her composure. With a courteous smile, she held out her right hand to Jasper. "Hello, Mr. Warren. My name is Coralie Campbell."

Jasper looked her over from head to toe with a sharp gaze. He remained silent until Judie gave a deliberate cough. Only then did he briefly shake Coralie's hand. His touch felt cool, and his low voice carried the same chill. "Jasper Warren."

As soon as he released her hand, he checked the time on his watch. "I don't have much time. Let's finish this quickly."

"Alright," Coralie responded.

Judie's face lit up. "Both of you should head inside and complete the documents. I'll stay here and wait."

"Grandma, you should wait in the car. It's too hot outside," Jasper insisted.

While saying that, he carefully led his grandmother back to the vehicle.

After seeing how he treated Judie, Coralie began to think the older woman had been telling the truth. Jasper seemed distant, but he still knew how to show concern in his own way.

They might have been total strangers, but Judie had told her that Jasper fully owned his house and didn't have a mortgage to pay. Marrying him would allow Coralie to leave her sister's apartment, and her sister would no longer have to argue with her husband because of her.

To Coralie, this was simply a marriage based on convenience.

Not long after, Jasper returned and stopped in front of her. "Let's go."

Coralie gave a small nod before quietly following him into the courthouse.

Before they signed anything, Jasper decided to warn her one last time. "Miss Campbell, you can change your mind if you're uncertain about this. You don't need to worry about disappointing my grandmother. Marriage is a major decision, and no one should rush into it."

From his tone, it almost seemed as though he wanted her to walk away.

It was obvious that marriage wasn't what he wanted, especially with a woman he had only met that day.

Coralie matched the way his grandmother had described her. She was young and attractive, and she carried herself with a calm and educated grace. Even so, neither of them knew anything about the other.

For months, his grandmother had pressured him to meet Coralie. Judie had raised him because his parents were always occupied with work. Since he cared deeply for her, he eventually gave in to her request and came to the courthouse.

"I've already given my word to your grandmother, and I'm not changing my mind."

She had taken several days to think carefully about the arrangement. Whenever she settled on a choice, she followed through with it.