A Contract Marriage After a ONS novel Chapter 3

Summer got up at six in the morning because she had to prepare for the parent-teacher conference.

The nights were longer in the Winter, so it was still dark outside. When she looked out the window, she could vaguely see the branches swaying in the chilly wind. The climate had changed, apparently.-

Christmas was coming in two days, but there was no snow-probably climate change was real. Holding a glass of water in her hand, she stood by the window, and her mind was elsewhere.

Just then, there were loud footsteps. Amara Lincoln, Summer’s sister-in-law, staggered into her room. Amara wore a heavy makeup and reeked of alcohol.

Summer frowned. "Are you drunk, Amara? Did you go gambling again?” she asked in a low voice.

Amara looked at her. "Who told you I lost? Who dares t o say I lost? I was just having bad luck. I will win it all back in two days."

Summer glanced at her, picked up her scarf and handbag, and walked out of the room without saying a word again.

School.

It was 10:00 am, exactly the time for the parentteacher conference.

The parents were seated. But there was one empty seat. Summer gently bit her lip as Jazz's guardian was absent again.

She turned around and was about to go to look for Jazz when her heart skipped a beat. How could it be him?

Mark was wearing a white shirt with a camel coat hanging on his arm. He was walking in a hurry, with a careless vibe in him.

There was a fleeting sense of astonishment in his eyes when he saw Summer. But no one had noticed his reaction.

As he walked past her, he glanced at Summer as if she was a stranger.

Her heart was pounding. Even her hand holding the roster trembled. She did not know that he was Jazz's guardian.

What a small world-so small that they were crossing paths again.

She swallowed, feeling as if a fishbone stuck in her throat. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

As all the parents who attended the conference were women, Mark stuck out like a sore thumb.

What made him stand out even more was his sharp facial features. He looked so perfectly good-looking that it was as if God handcrafted him, not to mention his distinguished, elegant temperament. Those women took out their mobile phones and started to snap photos of him. Some of them, who were social media freaks, even went as far as posting his photos o n Twitter. 1

Mark frowned as he found these people were annoying. He nearly lost his patience. But he still managed to control himself. He looked at Summer and said in a deep voice, "Has the meeting not started yet, Miss Hart?"

She was flustered, feeling uneasy. But she kept her back straightened, trying her best to ignore the tall man's powerful sense of presence as she spoke in the tone of voice, just as she did in class.

"Thank you for coming, despite your tight schedules. The purpose of this parent-teacher conference is to report to parents on the students' academic and general performance for the past one year. I am going t o do a roll call. Please acknowledge by raising your hand." She started to read aloud names. These people here were parents or guardians of the top ten students in the class.

Summer was doing it unhurriedly. Her voice was a little hoarse, probably because she had caught a cold. Nevertheless, it still sounded pleasant. She was bouncy when talking about students.

Mark raised his brows, squinting to study her.

Her black hair was shoulder length. Her eyes were round, black, and lustrous like beads. She had a small, delicate nose, and her lips were vermilion.

Her cheeks glowed like a jade. The red down jacket she wore made a striking contrast with her fair skin.