The Fallen Heiress: Contract Marriage with the CEO Who Hates Me
Chapter 34: Proposal

Chapter 34: Proposal

Jane felt as though the marble floor was crumbling beneath her feet. If she hadn’t been sitting, she would have sworn she was plummeting into the depths of hell.

Of all the things Vernon could have asked of her tonight, she never once imagined that he would ask her to marry him.

"Why... why would you want t-to do th-that... all of a sud-den?"

Vernon shrugged, his expression unshaken by her stunned curiosity.

"You don’t need to know all the details. All I’ll say is that I need to get married as soon as possible—so all the old investors who’ve tied their money up in my company stop hounding me about marrying their useless, lazy, money-sucking daughters. And..."

He paused, his lips pressing together as if regretting what he had started to say. His intense gaze never wavered from Jane’s blank expression, as he seemed to debate whether or not to continue. The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, pulling them both into a taut stillness.

Jane could feel her body stiffen under his penetrating stare. It was clear he was holding something back, something he was reluctant to say. What could be so difficult to voice that even someone like Vernon Lin hesitated?

’I have many reasons to marry you, Princess.’ The thought drifted through his mind, his dark eyes still fixed on Jane. ’For instance, I wouldn’t mind making your life a living hell—just to let you experience the kind of life where you have nothing to lose... or nothing to gain.’

The silence had become unbearable, and Jane, unable to stand it any longer, decided to break the quiet.

"I c-can’t marry you, even if it’s j-just a charade. I’m d-dating Charles Chastain... I can’t hurt him l-like this..."

For a moment, the eerie stillness on Vernon’s face remained, but then it was replaced with something far more menacing. He scoffed, his eyes darkening as though her words had embarrassed him.

Without another word, he stood up, walked around the dining table, and paused beside Jane’s chair. Looking down at her through his perfectly clean lenses, he gave her a moment to turn and face him before grabbing her by the chin, forcing her head up. The spark of protest in her wide blue eyes sent a tremor of faint excitement through his chest.

"And where is your boyfriend now, princess?"

The question, though simple, sent a chill through Jane’s spine. Her body froze, but her heart raced wildly, beating like a trapped animal.

The intensity in Vernon’s gaze was almost suffocating. She could swear his face darkened, as though a shadow had consumed him.

Reluctantly, Jane parted her lips, ready to respond, but before she could speak, Vernon placed his thumb on her soft pink lower lip, tracing it slowly from side to side, as if trying to wipe something away.

The gentle pressure of his touch rendered Jane speechless, and in that moment, she forgot how to form words.

Savoring her reaction, Vernon stretched his lips into another grin.

"Has it still not sunk in? Even without the news of your father reaching the public, you’re about to become a social pariah. You have nowhere to go, no one to turn to. You’re drowning in debt—when I saw the numbers, even I was shocked... So tell me, princess..."

He leaned in, their faces so close that Jane’s lips dampened from his hot breath. "Tell me, princess... Are you still going to refuse my proposal?"

Jane swallowed hard, but surprisingly, her gaze remained unwavering, locked firmly on Vernon’s sly glare.

"No," she managed to say, her voice steady, and somehow, she felt a weight lift off her chest.

A slight frown flickered across Vernon’s features, but he quickly masked it as he pulled away from Jane.

Shoving her face aside, he released her chin from his tight grip, then retrieved his phone from the breast pocket of his jacket and tossed it onto her lap.

"Call him," he ordered, his voice cold.

Jane’s brows shot up in confusion. "What?"

A bitter smirk twisted Vernon’s lips. "I assume you’ve already tried reaching him and his family, right? Call him from this number. Maybe they’ll finally pick up if they see it’s not you."

It was painfully clear what Vernon was trying to do. He had already guessed that no one had offered Jane help when she reached out to those she thought she could rely on. To prove his point, he intended to show her that even someone like her boyfriend would easily discard her at the first sign of inconvenience.

Without saying a word, Jane unlocked the phone and dialed Charles’s number. The dial tone seemed unnervingly loud, but Jane’s mind was elsewhere. Silently, she prayed that Charles would ignore the call as he had done before.

Unfortunately, her prayers went unanswered.

"Hello?"

Just an hour ago, hearing his voice would have made Jane feel as though she were on cloud nine. But now, she was utterly lost, unsure of what to do next. Her mind went blank, and her lips trembled as she struggled to say even a single word.

Finally, a flicker of courage emerged, and Jane whispered, "Charles... it’s m-me, Jane..."

Charles didn’t hang up, but he didn’t speak either.

"Charles...?" Jane asked again, her voice barely a breath. This time, the silence was broken by a long, irritated sigh.

"I’m sorry, Jane."

That was it. That was all he said to her. His voice was colder than she’d ever imagined.

Heavy tears rolled down her cheeks, but she made no sound. Her hands shaking, she placed the phone back on the table and whispered two quiet words: "Thank you."

It was agonizing to watch. With a deep sigh, Vernon grabbed Jane’s chin again, lifting her face, and gently wiped away her tears with his blue silk handkerchief. His calm, steady voice sliced through her pain like a knife.

"I’m going to ask you one last time, princess. After that... you’ll really be on your own. Will you marry me?"

Jane’s heart and mind shattered into a million pieces. Vernon was right—it hadn’t fully hit her before, but now it did. She was alone. Nobody wanted her. Nobody except him.

"Yes," she said quietly, her ice-cold eyes locking with his. "I... will m-marry you."