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MOONLIT DESIRES: THE CEO’S DARING PROPOSAL


Chapter1 Marry Me "Aimee, this is an emergency!" Bethany Holt gushed as soon as
the call connected. "Can you get me Mr. Bates' phone number?" "Whose number?"
Aimee Bates asked groggily, as though Bethany's call had woken her up. "Jonathan
Bates!" The CEO of Ensson Corporation. "Keep dreaming," Aimee said sleepily. "I
don't think you're fully awake yet." "I don't have time to explain. Please, this
is an emergency!" Because she had blocked Jonathan on social media and even left
the group chat with him in it, the only person she could turn to was Aimee. Only
then did Aimee realize that Bethany wasn't joking. She sat bolt upright in bed
and thought for a moment. "I don't think I'll be able to get his phone number,
but I can give you his room number." "Oh, right!" In her haste, Bethany hung up
on her without saying goodbye. She threw on some clothes and ran to the hotel's
presidential suite. But as soon as she reached the top floor, she was stopped by
Jonathan's secretary. "May I help you?" "Hello, I need to speak with Mr. Bates,"
Bethany said, out of breath. The secretary looked her up and down and asked, "Do
you have an appointment?" Bethany shook her head sheepishly. "Not exactly..."
"Then you can't see him." "Can you please make an exception for me? Just tell
him that Bethany Holt has something urgent to discuss with him. He'll definitely
agree to see me once he knows it's me!" However, the secretary simply turned a
deaf ear to her pleas. Just as Bethany was beginning to feel hopeless, she
suddenly heard Jonathan's low voice from inside the suite. "Let her in." The
secretary, hearing Jonathan's order, finally stepped aside. Bethany opened the
door cautiously and found Jonathan standing in front of the French windows,
sipping from a cup of black coffee. He was still wearing the same crisp business
attire from earlier. When he turned his head to look at her, Bethany smiled
awkwardly. "Mr. Bates, did you by any chance see a contract that night?" "That
night?" Jonathan echoed dryly, raising his thick eyebrows at her. "What night?"
The pressure emanating from him was so intense that Bethany stepped back
subconsciously. She knew that Jonathan was just making things difficult for her,
and changing the topic wouldn't help, so she quit beating around the bush and
told him the truth. "Mr. Bates, I'm sorry, but the text I sent you that night
was meant for my friend, not you. I was drunk, so I mistakenly sent it to you. I
don't remember anything else. I just need the contract that I left in the room."
"Bethany, I need to get married," Jonathan said abruptly, leaving Bethany at a
loss for words. "What?" she gasped, wondering if she had misheard. "I said,
marry me." Jonathan's eyes locked onto hers as he approached, his voice calm as
if he were discussing the weather. Bethany stood frozen in place. "Your mother's
undergoing treatment right now, yes? I'll find her the best doctors and cover
all her medical expenses. If you agree to my proposal, we can go to the city
hall and make it official tomorrow." He said this with a straight face. It
didn't seem like he was joking. But... "Why?" Bethany asked. "I just said I need
to get married. The reason I chose you is because you're the most suitable one,"
Jonathan explained.

Chapter2 I Have A Boyfriend "Mr. Bates..." Bethany racked her brains for a good
excuse to refuse him. "You see, the thing is...I have a boyfriend." Good things
in life were never free-this was something she firmly believed in. So, whether
Jonathan was just testing her or genuinely wanted to get married, Bethany didn't
want to get involved. Claiming she had a boyfriend seemed like the perfect way
to make him back down. Sure enough, at the mention of a boyfriend, Jonathan's
expression darkened. "Really?" he asked dubiously, brows furrowed. "Why would I
lie about this?" Before he could question her further, Bethany stretched out her
hand and said briskly, "Mr. Bates, please give me the contract." "Fine." Before
kicking her out of the presidential suite, Jonathan told her to get the contract
from his secretary. Bethany left quickly, contract in tow. As she made her way
back, she pondered over what happened, wondering if it was all just a dream. Did
Jonathan actually want to marry her? How bizarre! In the corner of the hotel,
Jonathan withdrew his gaze, his expression frosty. His friend, Nikolas Bennett,
who had been standing aside watching the scene, couldn't help but chuckle. "Tsk!
That girl's gorgeous. No wonder you're into her! Don't worry, bud. Let me handle
this. I promise that by the end of the night, she'll be contect you!" Jonathan
frowned and remained silent. Misconstruing Jonathan's silence for acquiescence,
Nikolas became more excited. "I don't need to do anything drastic to an ordinary
employee like her; I just need to find some thugs that'll scare her." "Hurt her
and you won't live to see tomorrow," Jonathan growled. Bethany took a deep
breath, trying her best to banish those messy thoughts to the back of her mind.
Just then, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID. When she saw that it
was the hospital calling, her heart leaped to her throat. With trembling hands,
she tapped the answer key and pressed the phone up to her hear. "Hello?" "Is
this Bethany Holt? Your mother had a heart attack and is in critical condition.
She was sent to the resuscitation room just now. Please come quickly!" This
terrible news shocked Bethany to her core. Her legs went limp, and she almost
crumpled to the floor in despair. She hailed a taxi to the hospital and found
her mother had been moved from the resuscitation room to the ICU. Seeing her
mother's pale face, Bethany tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn't. They
fell silently, landing on the white hospital sheets. "Don't cry..." Marie Adams
weakly peeled her eyes open and tried to wipe her daughter's tears, but she
didn't even have the strength to hold out her hand. "Who said I was crying?"
Forcing a smile, Bethany wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Mom, the
doctor said you just need to rest. Don't worry; you're going to be okay." Marie
nodded weakly, too tired to say anything more. After a while, her attending
doctor came and called Bethany out of the ward. "Dr. Dawson, what happened? How
come my mom suddenly had a heart attack? Didn't you say she was in stable
condition?" "We've been doing our best, but it's because she didn't receive
treatment in time," Casey Dawson said with a sigh. "What's your plan? If your
mother doesn't have surgery soon, episodes like today will happen frequently.
You need to be prepared for the worst." Without hesitation, Bethany asked, "How
much will the surgery cost?" "At least a million for the surgery. The follow-up
treatment will be an added cost, but it isn't as urgent." All the color drained
from Bethany's face. The doctor mentioned one million as if it were a trivial
amount, but for Bethany, it was an insurmountable sum. It would take her years
to earn that much, and by then, it would be too late. As though seeing the
turmoil in Bethany's eyes, the doctor sighed again and cautioned, "Think about
it." Then, the doctor left. Bethany stood alone in the empty hospital corridor,
enveloped in the nauseating smell of disinfectant. For so many years, no matter
how hard things got, Bethany had never borrowed money from anyone. But this
time, she was truly out of options. She had spent almost everything she earned
to keep her mother alive. All of a sudden, Bethany had an idea.

Chapter3 Jonathan's Phone Number Jonathan's offer echoed in Bethany's ears. He
had said he'd pay for her mother's medical expenses and even find her the best
doctor. At this point, with death knocking on her mother's door, this was her
only option. Desperate, Bethany began searching for the phone number of her
junior high school classmate. Fortunately, she found it and begged him to add
her back to their group chat. "Does anyone know how to get in touch with
Jonathan?" she immediately messaged the group, not caring about the gossip her
question might spark. Soon, one of her old classmates replied, "Bethany, I have
Jonathan's phone number, but I haven't contacted him in years. I don't know if
he's changed it. I got it back when he first asked me to add him to the group."
The message was from their junior high class monitor. Soon, he forwarded the
number to Bethany in a private chat. Bethany wasted no time in dialing the
number, eyes sparkling happily, as though she had found a hidden treasure. What
was she doing? Had she really taken Jonathan's words seriously? How could she
forget the vast difference in status between them? Now she couldn't even get in
touch with him, yet she still hoped he would help her after she had refused his
proposal. Her lips were cracked and bleeding from a day's dehydration. Only then
did she realize she hadn't drank a single drop of water that day. Pocketing her
phone, Bethany let her arms drop to her sides. That night, it was especially
cold in the hospital. Bethany, who was slumped over the chair next to her
mother's bed, suddenly woke up with a start, realizing guiltily that she had
drifted off to sleep. She stood up and carefully tucked her mother in, then got
up and left the ICU. She suddenly saw a tall figure emerge from the other end of
the hospital corridor. He looked like a god descending from heaven. The man
strode towards Bethany. Seeing her trembling there, he shrugged off his coat and
wrapped it around her thin shoulders. "You'll catch a cold," he chastised. His
voice was still frosty, but to Bethany, there seemed to be a hint of concern in
his deep-set eyes. "Mr. Bates, what're you doing here?" "You wanted to talk to
me, right?" Nervous, Bethany averted her gaze and instinctively reached out to
tuck her hair behind her ear. "Well, yes... I've been trying to contact you..."
Her voice trailed off; she didn't know what to say next. It was Jonathan who
broke the silence. "Have you reconsidered my proposal?" he asked in a low voice.
This time, Bethany nodded without hesitation. "Yes! I'm willing to marry you.
So, can you help my mom? Please, I'll do anything." Jonathan had never seen
Bethany so flustered before and couldn't help but smile. But suddenly, a thought
occurred to him, and his smile disappeared. "What about your boyfriend?" Bethany
was taken aback. "I refuse to interfere with your relationship," he continued.
"You should break up with him first." Remembering her lie, Bethany almost
blurted out that she didn't have a boyfriend, but she managed to stop herself in
time. After all, admitting this would've implied that she had lied to him
earlier. So, after a moment's hesitation, she nodded decisively. "Okay, I'll
break up with him right now." "Alright. We'll get our marriage license first
thing tomorrow morning."

Chapter4 Mr. Bates Is A Good Man Bewildered, Bethany thought things were moving
too fast, but there was no way she could back out now. Wrapped Jonathan's suit
jacket, the faint smell of his tobacco filled her nose, giving her an
inexplicably sense of security. Perhaps it was because her tense mood had been
eased that her stomach began to growl inappropriately. Bethany was so
embarrassed that she lowered her head, unable to look him in the eye. "Haven't
you eaten yet?" he asked. "I have," she said quickly, but her growling stomach
said otherwise. She was so embarrassed that she covered her burning cheeks,
refusing to continue the conversation. Checking his watch and said, "I've
arranged for your mother to stay in a VIP ward, where she'll be monitored by a
nurse 24/7. They'll inform us when she wakes up. So, for now, come with me."
Surprised, Bethany raised her head and asked, "Where are we going?" "Someplace
you can eat." Still embarrassed, she coughed and protested, "But I've already
eaten." He smiled, a hint of gentleness softening his usually sharp angles.
"Then eat with me." Overwhelmed with hunger, Bethany didn't object anymore.
"Okay." With that, Jonathan turned and started walking. Bethany, unsure of
herself, hesitated for a moment before trotting after him. Looking up at his
broad back, she suddenly felt as though she had someone to rely on. This was a
feeling she had never experienced before. After getting into his car, Bethany
kept her head down and held her breath. She was too shy to look at him. He
seemed exhausted, because he soon fell asleep in the back seat. The light from
the passing streetlamps outside occasionally illuminated his face, highlighting
his thick, fluttering eyelashes. His features were delicate yet pronounced, with
a jawline so sharp that even in sleep, he exuded a sense of authority. It wasn't
the first time Bethany had seen him asleep. Back in junior high, she often
missed classes to work, as she was her family's breadwinner. Her teacher,
feeling sorry for her, allowed her to stay after evening classes for free
tutoring sessions. Jonathan, who sat beside her in class, also had to stay late
due to issues at home. But he didn't need to study; he just rested his head on
the desk and slept, waiting for his family's driver to pick him up. Bethany
vaguely recalled that Jonathan always liked to wear basketball clothes under his
school uniform. His bright eyes and short hair made him look like a typical
teenager, but his demeanor set him apart as someone special. He wasn't just tall
and handsome; he was also the top student in school. Countless girls pursued him
and sent him love letters. Never in her wildest dreams did Bethany imagine she'd
end up entangled with Jonathan, let alone marry him. Of course, she was keenly
aware that this marriage had nothing to do with love-what it had to do with, she
didn't know. After passing through a bustling street in Odonset, the car finally
pulled to a stop in front of a humble restaurant. He got out of the car first.
When she looked up, she met the gaze of Jonathan's assistant in the rearview
mirror. "Miss Holt, I was the one who called you back with Mr. Bates' phone."
Bethany's smile stiffened. "Ah, thank you so much..." "Just doing my job! Mr.
Bates was in a meeting at the time, but when I informed him you called, he
immediately dropped what he was doing. He tried to call you back, but you never
picked up, so he rushed to the hospital." Bethany didn't know if she was
imagining things, but there seemed to be a hint of flattery in the assistant's
tone. He must've misunderstood the nature of her relationship with Jonathan,
assuming she was very important to him. Bethany didn't know how to respond.
"Well, Mr. Bates is a good man."

Chapter5 Mrs. Bates Bethany got out of the car and caught up him. She felt
emboldened to speak her mind. "Mr. Bates, how long will our marriage last? How
about we sign a contract first?" At the end of the day, this so-called marriage
was just a transaction between two consenting adults, and it would be wise to
set a concrete deadline. If Jonathan wanted the marriage to last for years, she
would have to reconsider. A man's prime lasted much longer than a woman's. When
Jonathan got the divorce certificate, he would still be a desirable golden
bachelor, but she would be left in a difficult position-an older woman with a
tarnished history and possibly a pregnancy, unwanted by anyone. Jonathan fell
silent, as if considering her concerns. After a long pause, he nodded and said,
"Okay, how about a year-long contract? I can ask my secretary to draw one up."
"Sounds good." ** After the next breakfast, the two headed to the courthouse to
register their marriage. Half an hour later, Bethany was officially Mrs. Bates.
It felt so unreal, even as she held the marriage certificate in her hand. "My
assistant will take you to the hospital first so you can visit your mother.
Later, you can come to my place after work," Jonathan said, already dressed in
his suit. The transformation was immediate; he had returned to his cold CEO
demeanor, his tone brooking no argument. Bethany nodded and did as she was told,
leaving the courthouse with his assistant. Shortly after they departed, a sleek
black car pulled up beside Jonathan. The back window rolled down, revealing
Nikolas' handsome face. "Sometimes I really don't understand you. You took such
a big risk marrying her, but you didn't confess your love. What on earth were
you thinking?" Jonathan cast a cold glance at him, opened the door, and got in.
"She has no feelings for me right now," he replied icily. "So?" Nikolas narrowed
his eyes at his friend. "You know what'll happen if your parents find out you
got married without their permission. Is she worth it?" "If you don't tell my
parents, they won't know," Jonathan said. "They'll find out sooner or later!"
Nikolas retorted, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Though, I have to admit-I
really want to see how this story ends. What'll you do if she doesn't develop
any feelings for you?" Jonathan left the question unanswered, turning his focus
to his laptop to signal that the conversation was over. Few days later... She
sat down at her desk to work, the company's internal phone rang. Bethany
answered the phone politely. "Hello, Bethany Holt speaking." "Miss Holt, Mr.
Bates wants you to see him in his office." It was Jonathan's assistant calling.
Expressionless, Bethany tidied up her clothes and headed for the CEO's office,
her high heels clicking against the tiled floors. Before entering, she knocked
on the door. Unexpectedly, it was a woman's voice that called out, "Come in!"
Bethany pushed the door open and walked in, but Jonathan was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, there was a woman holding a glass of red wine. Bethany stopped in her
tracks. The woman was stunningly beautiful, radiating confidence from within.
She wore a lilac dress that accentuated her graceful figure, every movement
exuding the same noble aura as Jonathan's. But what really struck Bethany was
the striking resemblance the woman bore to herself. The woman seemed equally
surprised when she saw Bethany's face clearly, "And you are...?" "I'm Bethany
Holt from the investment department. Mr. Bates summoned me to his office just
now." As she spoke, Bethany averted her gaze timidly. Seeing the complex
emotions on Bethany's face, Maddie sensed that Bethany had misunderstood
something. She could use this misunderstanding to her advantage. "I see."
Regaining her composure, Maddie pointed to the door to the lounge. "Jonathan's
just changing his clothes. You can wait here." Bethany nodded. The next second,
she heard Jonathan's cold voice from the other side of the closed door. "She's
just a substitute." Bethany couldn't take it any longer. An inexplicable emotion
swept over her, and her feet seemed to move on their own, heading for the exit.
"It seems Mr. Bates isn't available, so I'll come back later," she croaked, her
voice strained. Without waiting for a response, she left, the door closing
behind her with a resolute click. The door to the lounge finally opened.
Jonathan emerged with a serious expression, glanced at the closed office door
with a frown. "Did anyone come by just now?" "No." Maddie shook her head without
skipping a beat. "Why? Were you expecting someone?" "Never mind." He sat back in
his chair, crossing his long legs. Jonathan picked up the company phone,
intending to call Bethany. However, after hesitating for a while, he decided to
send her a message instead. Go straight to East Shade Bay after work," he
texted. East Shade Bay was where he lived. In her office, Bethany read and
reread his text, feeling perplexed. Maddie was back, wasn't she? So, why was
Jonathan still inviting her to his home? Did he want to flaunt their
relationship in front of her? Or... was he planning to terminate their contract
in person? ... What happens next? Available chapters here are limited, click the
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