Chapter 5

“Who are you talking about?” Joseph asked.

“Count William Hunter.” Evan looked him straight in the eye. “He is visiting the Thorne Manor three days later, and he’s marrying his daughter into the Thorne family. Do you understand what that means?”

Joseph’s expression changed immediately.

William Hunter was one of the most influential figures in London and the entire state.

He commanded a private army and owned businesses across the country.

Anyone who gained his favor would rise overnight.

If the Thorne family became connected to William, offending the Thornes would be no different from offending William himself.

Joseph’s smile vanished.

He swallowed and forced out a dry laugh.

“Evan, marriage is a serious matter. We should think this through carefully.”

Emily also fell silent.

Evan looked at Rector, then at Isabella, and let out a weary sigh.

“Isabella, we can’t cancel the engagement right now.”

Isabella’s eyes widened.

“Why not?”

“Because the Cohen family can’t afford to offend the Thorne family,” Evan said bitterly. “At least not right now.”

Rector stood quietly to the side, saying nothing throughout the entire exchange.

He watched Isabella’s angry expression, Evan’s troubled face, and the way Joseph and Emily had instantly changed their attitudes.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

None of them knew that Ghost was standing right in front of them.

Then again, they didn’t need to know.

Not yet.

Rector turned around, picked up the tool bag beside the sofa, and said calmly, “Mr. Cohen, I’ll be leaving now. As for the wedding, I’ll follow whatever arrangements you make.”

With that, he walked out without looking back.

“I will never marry you!” Isabella called after him.

Rector didn’t stop.

He walked down the stairs, through the front door of the Cohen Estate, and into the moonlight.

Looking up at the night sky, he found himself thinking about that stormy night three years ago.

Isabella had been there too.

She remembered him.

She remembered Ghost.

But she had no idea that the man who had saved her was the same ex-convict she now looked down on.

Rector took a deep breath and headed toward the Thorne Manor.

Tomorrow, Williamwould arrive.

And everything was only just beginning.

Over the next two days, Isabella refused to give up.

The morning after she woke up, she immediately asked Evan to cancel the engagement.

Evan was caught in a difficult position, but before he could respond, Claire Carroll, the doctor overseeing Isabella’s recovery, spoke first.

Claire was in her forties, a private physician hired by the Cohen family and one of London’s most respected internal medicine specialists. She was also a close friend of Evan’s.

After finishing her examination, she set down her stethoscope and said calmly, “Miss Cohen, you can’t cancel the engagement right now.”

Isabella frowned.

“Why not?”

“Because your body is still extremely weak,” Claire explained. “Although you’ve awakened, the curse inside you hasn’t been completely removed. Rector’s curse energy is temporarily suppressing the instability within your body, but that suppression requires ongoing maintenance. If you cut off contact with him now, your condition may relapse—and it could become even worse than before.”

Isabella’s expression changed.

Claire continued, “My recommendation is that Rector remain by your side for at least two more weeks. He needs to stabilize the curse energy in your body once a day until your condition fully settles.”

“I don’t agree,” Isabella said coldly.

“Then ask your father.” Claire glanced toward Evan.

Evan remained silent for a long moment before finally saying, “Isabella, listen to the doctor.”

Isabella bit her lip and said nothing.

That afternoon, she approached Evan again, suggesting they find another doctor or exorcist.

Evan simply shook his head.

“For three years, nobody could wake you up. Rector was the only one.”

Isabella fell silent.

That evening, Claire returned to conduct another examination.

After finishing, she made several notes in the medical file before looking up.

“The color of your curse mark is fading. That’s a good sign. But if treatment stops now, it will likely return within three days.”

“So I still need that criminal?” Isabella’s voice was filled with disgust.

“You need him,” Claire replied. “At least for now.”

On the third morning, Isabella found Evan once again.

“Dad, I don’t want to marry him.”

Evan sighed heavily.

“I’ve considered it too. But the Thorne family is now connected to Mr. Hunter. If we cancel the engagement ourselves, what will they think? What will Mr. Hunter think?”

“So we just accept this?”

“I’m not saying that.” Evan shook his head. “But for now, we need to be patient. Once Mr. Hunter’s visit is behind us, we’ll find another solution.”

Isabella remained silent for a long time.

Finally, she said, “I want to talk to him.”

When Rector arrived at the Cohen Estate, Isabella was already waiting in the living room.

She wore a white nightgown beneath a dark cardigan.

Her complexion was still pale, but she looked noticeably healthier than when she had first awakened.

She watched him enter, her eyes cold.

“Sit.”

Rector took the seat across from her.

“I don’t want to marry you,” Isabella said without hesitation.

“I know.”

“But I can’t cancel the engagement right now,” Isabella continued. “My father is afraid of offending the Thorne family, and the doctor says I need your treatment. So I want to make a deal with you.”

Rector looked at her.

“What kind of deal?”

“A marriage in name only,” Isabella said. “In public, we maintain the appearance of a married couple. In private, we live separate lives. We won’t share a room, and we won’t interfere with each other. Once I’ve fully recovered and this situation with Mr. Hunter is over, we end the engagement. You can name your price.”

Rector was silent for several seconds.

He had never planned to spend his life with a stranger.

He had returned for the truth about three years ago.

To find his birth mother.

Marrying Isabella was simply something the Thorne family had forced upon him.

Either way, it made little difference to him.

“Fine,” he said. “But I have conditions too.”

“Go ahead.”

“First, I need unrestricted access to the Cohen Estate, except for your private bedroom. Second, when the time comes, you can’t oppose ending the engagement.”

Isabella considered it briefly before nodding.

“Fine. But I have one additional condition. Except when treatment is necessary, you are not allowed to touch me.”

“No problem.”

Rector rose to his feet.

“Then we have an agreement.”

He turned to leave.

“Wait.”

Rector stopped and looked back.

Isabella hesitated.

Then she said quietly, “Thank you for saving me. But that doesn’t mean I’ll marry you.”

“No need to thank me,” Rector replied calmly. “I never intended to make you marry me.”

Then he left.

That afternoon, Claire returned for Isabella’s routine examination.

After finishing, she closed the medical file and said, “Your recovery is progressing better than expected. Rector’s treatment is remarkably effective.”

Isabella remained silent.

Claire studied her for a moment before suddenly saying, “I heard Mr. Hunter is arriving at the Thorne Manor this afternoon.”

Isabella looked up.

“So?”

“There are two reasons I want you to accompany Rector to the Thorne Manor today.”

“Why?” Isabella frowned.

“First, your treatment can’t be interrupted. If Rector spends the evening at the Thorne Manor while you remain here, he won’t be able to stabilize your curse tonight.”

Claire paused before continuing.

“Second, Mr. Hunter’s visit is extremely important to the Cohen family. As the Cohen family’s only daughter, appearing before him would benefit your father. Your engagement to Rector has already been announced. Attending together would be perfectly reasonable.”

Isabella did not answer immediately.

She didn’t want to go to the Thorne Manor.

She wanted even less to appear in public as Rector’s fiancée.

But Claire’s reasoning was difficult to refute.

Her father needed support.

And making a favorable impression on William Hunter could only help.

“Does Rector know about this?” she asked.

“He’s already waiting downstairs,” Claire replied. “And Mr. Cohen has approved it.”

Isabella took a deep breath and stood up.

“Fine. I’ll go. But I’m not going as his fiancée. I’m simply paying a visit.”

Claire only smiled.

Downstairs, Rector stood in the living room.

He still wore the same brown jacket, though it had been cleaned and pressed.

For once, he wasn’t carrying his tool bag.

When he saw Isabella descending the stairs, he glanced at her but said nothing.

She had changed into a dark blue dress.

Her hair was neatly pinned up, and she wore light makeup.

She looked far healthier than she had only a few days earlier.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Together, they walked out of the Cohen Estate.

A black sedan was already waiting outside.

The driver opened the door.

Isabella entered first, and Rector sat beside her.

A full seat remained between them.

The car pulled away from the estate.

Neither of them spoke during the journey.

Isabella stared out the window, thinking about what she would say when she met the Thorne family.

She knew little about Rector’s relatives, but based on the way he had been treated, she doubted they were good people.

Meanwhile, Rector leaned back with his eyes closed.

Rector closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

He was thinking about what news William would bring today, his mother's whereabouts, and the truth from three years ago, which were what he truly cared about.

Twenty minutes later, the car came to a stop outside the gates of the Thorne Manor.

Rector opened his eyes.

He looked at the familiar estate for a moment.

Then he pushed open the door and stepped out.