Enjoy My Life after the Billion-Dollar Divorce Ch 5

Chapter 5 A Flash Marriage for the Sake of Survival
“Leah, bring the previous wine!” Desmond Castro, Jayden’s father, called out loudly.
Jayden added, “The one that was sent to me before tasted better.”
Leah looked confused for a moment before quickly reacting.
“Oh, oh, the previous wine was made by Xylia … It’s already gone.”
Jayden paused, while Desmond waved impatiently.
“Then bring out my treasured wine!”
Irene stopped him. “Dear, you can’t drink strong liquor. Just make do for now. Later, we can have Ruby make a lower-alcohol version for you. She’s a researcher—it’ll be easy for her.”
Desmond loved wine to the point of obsession. He had even suffered a stroke because of it. The doctor had repeatedly warned him that he couldn’t drink anymore—at most, only a tiny sip of extremely low-alcohol wine.
Hearing her name suddenly mentioned, Ruby froze. She had no idea how to make wine, but under Irene’s expectant gaze, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and agree.
“Alright.”
After much effort to appease Desmond, Yrian started making a fuss.
“Grandma, I want bacon bits salad!”
“Leah, go get it quickly.”
Jayden’s stiff expression relaxed slightly. He added, “I’ll have some too. My appetite hasn’t been great lately, and the bacon bits sent from home were delicious.”
Soon, Leah brought out a pack of bacon bits and gave some to them.
But after just one bite, father and son both frowned.
Awkwardly, Leah explained, “The previous bacon bits were also made by Xylia. It’s already gone … ”
“I want it! I want it! Get that old hag to make it!”
Yrian was not easy to placate. Ever since he was little, anything he wanted had to be delivered to him immediately.
Irene glanced at Ruby, who immediately caught on and coaxed in a gentle voice, “Be good, Yrian. Mom will make it for you later, okay?”
“I want it now!”
Ruby had been busy all afternoon—she hadn’t applied her medicine, hadn’t eaten, and had no energy to make something like this. But the moment Irene shot her a look, she fell silent.
“Alright, I’ll make it for you now!”
She had no choice but to obediently head to the kitchen and ask Leah for the recipe.
“I don’t know. Mrs. Castro was the one who made all of it.”
Ruby gritted her teeth. “Useless. I’ll figure it out myself!”
Leah shrank back at her glare, feeling both intimidated and exasperated. The Castros must have been short-sighted—no matter how she looked at it, Ruby was nowhere near as good as the former Mrs. Castro.
Inside the café.
The sky outside had darkened completely. Xylia stared absentmindedly at the snowy scene beyond the window when Sebastian’s warm breath brushed against her ear.
“What are you looking at?”
A ticklish sensation spread through her ear, making her body go weak and tingly. Instinctively, she turned her head, nearly brushing against Sebastian’s cheek. She quickly leaned back.
“Why are you so close to me?”
Sebastian had originally been sitting across from her, but now he had leaned across half the table, deliberately closing the distance between them. Their proximity drew curious gazes from the other patrons.
Despite being called out, Sebastian remained unfazed, calmly sipping his americano.
“You kept zoning out while I was talking, so I had to do something to get your attention.”
“Is that so?”
Xylia was skeptical but had no way to refute him. She had indeed been distracted, her mind occupied with thoughts of her ex-husband’s family.
“Are they newlyweds?” a passerby whispered.
“They must be. The City Hall is right across the street. They probably just got married. I was wondering why they weren’t seated on the same side—it turns out they wanted an excuse to get closer like this. Another person stifled a laugh.
Their conversation wasn’t loud, but it wasn’t quiet either—just loud enough for Xylia to hear.
Her cheeks flushed. She glanced at the man across from her, who remained completely composed, while she had no idea how to respond. Fortunately, the lawyer arrived just in time with the agreement.
Xylia carefully reviewed it and handed it to Sebastian.
“Take a look at this prenuptial agreement. If there are no issues, sign it.
“My conditions are simple: after marriage, we won’t interfere in each other’s personal lives. If we need the other to make an appearance, we’ll inform them in advance. No intimate relations.
“As for assets, we will keep them completely separate. If necessary, I can accompany you to get a more detailed financial certification.”
She stated the main terms in one breath, already prepared to go through the complex legal formalities for asset division.
She had little to her name besides one billion, but Sebastian was different—he had the Jackman Group behind him and likely a mountain of private assets.
If they did a thorough financial certification, it would take until tomorrow.
Xylia had originally planned to discuss the marriage further the next day. If it weren’t for the Castros’ relentless pressure—and the fact that the man in front of her had no reason to scheme against her—she wouldn’t have made such a hasty decision.
Sebastian flipped to the last page, swiftly signed his name, then handed the contract back to her.
“You haven’t signed yet.”
Xylia’s lips twitched. Is the richest man really this casual? He doesn’t even bother reading the contract carefully.
Maybe he didn’t care about this small amount of money.
The time was short, but Xylia had thought this marriage through carefully. She had even secretly hired a lawyer to investigate Sebastian’s background again.
After triple-checking everything and confirming there were no issues, she finally signed her name.
Technically, the City Hall should have been closed at this hour, but thanks to Sebastian’s influence, it was still open—though only for this particular “newlywed” couple.
With everything going smoothly, when she finally held the red marriage certificate in her hands, Xylia felt like it wasn’t real.
It felt like a dream.
“Are we staying at your place or mine tonight?” Sebastian asked.
Xylia’s brain hadn’t fully processed everything yet. She blurted out instinctively, “We have to live together?”
Sebastian chuckled lightly. His sharp features had a naturally cold edge, but at this moment, there was a faint warmth in his eyes, softening his entire presence. With slow, deliberate movements, his long, calloused fingers untied his scarf and carefully wrapped it around her neck.
“Of course. Otherwise, how would I protect you?”
The scarf still carried his warmth, and a faint scent of mint lingered at the tip of her nose—cool yet comforting.
Xyria suddenly felt like things between them were getting a little ambiguous.
“T-That doesn’t seem appropriate … ” she mumbled dryly.
“But I need to protect you. Your ex-husband … ”
Xylia pressed her lips together. She was afraid too, of course. Sebastian suggested, “If you’re not comfortable, we can stay at a hotel tonight.”
Xylia hesitated. They were already married, even if it was just an agreement. Eventually, they would have to face the reality of living under the same roof.
No, she had to trust him. Since she had already decided to believe in Sebastian, she shouldn’t overthink things.
Besides, Sebastian was a retired soldier. There was no one more suited to protecting her than him.
“Let’s go to my place first. I’ll pack some things, then later, I’ll move in with you.”
Afraid he’d misunderstand, she quickly explained, “My place is pretty small. You definitely wouldn’t be comfortable there. As for me, I can live anywhere. I just need a room.”
Sebastian’s lips curved slightly. “Alright, we’ll do as you say.”
After getting in the car, Xylia’s face still felt warm. His tone and attitude were perfectly normal, but for some reason, he gave off an inexplicable “good husband” vibe.
But then, she thought about how the Castros had always been guarded around her and looked down on her. Worry crept into her heart again—how would Sebastian’s family see her? Was this marriage too impulsive? She just hoped she hadn’t jumped from one nightmare into another.
Her mind was a chaotic mess, and she started to regret the flash marriage.
At least it was just a contractual marriage. They weren’t in it for love. If things didn’t work out, they could always get divorced.
The car pulled up in front of a pink apartment building. As she opened the door, she suddenly realized something.
“Uhm … If you really don’t like this place, we can stay somewhere else. My parents arranged this apartment for me. Back then, I was young and I liked pink … ”
Her face burned with embarrassment. She could already imagine the disdain on his face.