“Just a hundred million?” she replied, sounding let down. “When Cole spoils Elliana, he starts at a billion.”

Allan could only stare at her in disbelief. He had pegged her as some naive country bumpkin, but her hunger for wealth left him speechless. Even an offer of one hundred million failed to sway her.

Allan didn’t believe for a second that Adah had any concept of what a hundred million really meant. Someone like her would have no way of comprehending the value of holding a check for such a massive sum. Typically, he wouldn’t even bother trying to explain. In his mind, talking to Adah about finances felt about as productive as shouting into the wind.

Yet somehow, he found the words slipping out of his mouth.

“Do you know what a hundred million dollars could buy you?”

He felt his offer was generous enough. A sum like that would turn her into a living legend back in her backwater village. She would be richer than anyone for miles around, with no one able to touch her status.

Adah put on her most innocent grin.

“It’s not hard to figure out,” she retorted, playing the fool. “Bread’s just a dollar where I’m from. A hundred million would buy a mountain of bread. Maybe even a couple thousand loaves, I bet.”

Watching her, Allan clenched his jaw. That was precisely the sort of nonsense he expected to hear. Rumor had it her performance in math class was a local joke, remembered by everyone who had gone to school with her.

He decided to quit arguing. Reasoning with her felt pointless. If one hundred million wasn’t enough to please her, and if she honestly believed that Cole’s presents for Elliana were the standard she deserved, then he would push the stakes to a height no one could possibly match.

He had always believed that any problem which could be fixed by money was barely a problem at all.

Allan quickly filled out another check and passed it along with the first one. His tone was sharp as he spoke.

“That makes it one-point-one billion. Put an end to the engagement right now.”

Mσrε υpdαтes ιn Gαlnσνels.cσm

Adah had to bite down on her tongue to stop herself from laughing out loud. Getting the undesirable engagement annulled and walking away with 1.1 billion? It was a windfall of epic proportions.

But she made sure her face stayed neutral, playing the role she’d chosen.

“Our village chief used to say that a woman should only marry a man who truly cares for her. Otherwise, you’ll just end up getting mistreated,” she said, gazing at the checks but refusing to touch them.

“You don’t even like me, so maybe I should quit while I’m ahead. But are you sure these papers mean I’ll have bread on my table for life?”

A hint of a resigned smile appeared on Allan’s face as he said,

“You can relax. That amount more than covers it. You’re not looking at enough money for a single lifetime’s worth of bread, but enough to last for ten lifetimes.”

Mock suspicion flickered in Adah’s eyes as she pretended to doubt him.

“You wouldn’t try to pull a fast one on me, right?”

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