The Scheming Mr. Hoffman: My Only Choice Free Preview

Late at night, inside a villa in Summitville.

The house was pitch black, and the girl's voice trembled as she cried, "Sir, let me go. I just came to deliver some documents!"

Her father asked her to deliver an urgent document here, but she never expected that as soon as she entered, a man would press her onto the sofa, kissing and touching her.

The strong masculine scent surrounded her, enveloping her completely. He was burning hot, his breath heavy.

His rough, big palm explored every inch of her skin, lifting her skirt, and reaching between her legs.

Sierra Gusman was scared out of her wits, struggling desperately for her life.

Jeremy Hoffman's self-control was almost shattered. The drug effects proved to be stronger than he had imagined, and this girl happened to walk in at that moment!

"What's your name?" his deep voice was full of desire as he tore the clothes on her body.

The unique fragrance on the girl's body was like a poison, completely detonating the drug in his body.

Sierra was vastly weaker than him and she couldn't break free. She trembled and cried, "Sir, please let me go. If you need a woman, you can find someone willing!"

The faint moonlight poured in, faintly outlining the girl's silhouette. His voice was hoarse, "But I need it now! Don't worry. After tonight, I will be responsible for you for the rest of my life!"

Jeremy finally couldn't hold himself, like a general rushing into the battlefield, relentlessly pushed forward with successive waves of attacks.

The spring rain fell quietly in the dead of night.

Sierra stumbled out of the villa, soaked by the rain, but unable to wash away the filth from her body.

Unaware of how long she had walked, she finally made it back to the Gusmans' residence and punched in the gate code, ready to go inside.

But she overheard the conversation inside the house. Her dad, Rupert Gusman, apologises while humbling himself, "I'm sorry, Mr. Dinsmore. I did ask Sierra to accompany you last night. I don't know why she didn't show up all night!"

Sierra's heart sank in an instant.

On her way back, she was filled with confusion, but she never considered this possibility.

Who would've guessed her dad would lie to his daughter for something like that?

Rupert was getting an earful when he suddenly spotted Sierra standing at the entrance in a messy state, with resentment in her shimmering eyes.

Before Sierra could say anything, he stormed over, taking the initiative to confront her, "Sierra! Did you completely ignore what I told you? Didn't I ask you to drop off those documents at Mr. Dinsmore's place? Where on earth did you disappear to all night?"

Sierra's eyes welled up with tears as she angrily flung the soggy document onto the floor. "Dad, the whole delivery thing was just a setup, right? You tricked me into … "

She hesitated, finding it hard to say. "Into Mr. Dinsmore's bed, didn't you?"

Rupert was caught red-handed and decided to come clean.

Putting on a fake smile, he placed his hands on Sierra's shoulders and said, "Sierra, you know my company is having financial difficulties. If I hadn't been desperate, I wouldn't have done this. Mr. Dinsmore agreed that if you accompany him for one night, he'll … "

As Rupert's words trailed off, he glanced in horror at the ragged clothes Sierra wore, revealing patches of ambiguous marks.

Those marks of shame, how did they get there? Adults knew!

"Sierra, who were you with last night?"

Rupert seethed with anger. If Sierra had lost her virginity, with her unattractive face marked with birthmarks, what could attract Franklin Dinsmore?

Sierra clenched her teeth. Thanks to you, I don't even know the guy who took my virginity last night! I couldn't even get a clear look at his face before fleeing in panic.

With a bitter smile, she fired back, "So you wanted to send me off to that guy to lose my virginity? Well, I was already with someone I liked last night. You can't use me again!"

A loud smack echoed as Rupert's hand landed hard on her cheek. "Shameless ugly girl!"

Sierra covered her face, tears streaming down like a waterfall.

Yeah, because of the birthmark on my face, I'd been laughed at my whole life.

However, she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that even her dad would look down on her like that, willing to sell her out for some cash!

Sierra spat out each word slowly, "I'll hate you forever!"

She stormed out of the Gusmans' residence, swearing never to step foot in there again.

Right now, in the towering skyscraper, a guy with a sleek and imposing silhouette stood by the floor-to-ceiling window.

He held a pendant in his hand, staring at the word "Gusman" inside it for quite a while. The typically cool gaze in his deep eyes unexpectedly softened.

So, her last name is Gusman. Wonder which family she belongs to. Why did she just burst in last night?

Images from the alluring scenes of last night flashed through his mind, softening his features with a touch of tenderness.

His assistant knocked on the door and entered, saying, "Mr. Hoffman, we've figured out who drugged your drink at the party last night. It was Annie Xanders, the actress who's been trying hard to get close to you lately."

Many women try to flirt with Jeremy, but it is rare to find someone daring enough to drug him directly.

Thankfully, nothing serious happened last night. Jeremy's heart condition was unpredictable, and mistakenly taking such a strong drug could have been dangerous!

Jeremy finally shifted his gaze away from the pendant.

He glanced down at the morning scenery below, his expression suddenly changing. "I don't want to run into her in the Baycrest again."

Peter Patterson got it right away. "Understood, I'll reach out to her agency immediately and make sure she's completely blacklisted."

Jeremy stopped him, handing over the pendant carefully. "Take this. You must find its owner."

Peter was confused. "Has the owner of this pendant also upset you?"

The coldness in Jeremy's eyes disappeared, replaced by seriousness. "No, she's going to be my future wife."

After that evening, Sierra had applied for a spot in the staff dorms, where she stayed temporarily.

She was working as an intern nurse at People's Hospital. In her younger days, she had dreamed of following her mother's success as a top-notch doctor.

However, life threw her a curveball three years ago when her mother tragically fell from a building. As a result, her father urged her to give up her admission to a prestigious school and enrol in nursing school instead.

He believed it would allow her to start earning sooner, thus saving on expenses.

Over the past few years, Sierra had been enduring the challenges at home to care for her seriously injured mother. Since entering the workforce, she worked diligently, throwing herself into her job with determination. Regardless of the role, her ultimate aim was to fulfil her dream of saving lives and comforting the injured.

Just after finishing her night shift, Sierra made her way to the intensive care unit to visit her mother.

For three years, she had been steadfast in visiting whenever she could. Each time she entered, she took a moment to massage her mother's body and talked with her, even though there was never any response. Yet, she maintained her belief that her mother could hear her.

Thirty minutes flew by quickly, she had to leave with tears in her eyes.

No matter how fervently she called out, she couldn't rouse a coma patient who had suffered severe brain trauma. But Sierra wouldn't give up. She believed her mother could hear her calls, just as she was tirelessly striving to carry on.

On her way back to the dorm, Sierra was stopped by Megan.

Megan was her half-sister, sharing the same father but different mothers, and had always been indulged and headstrong since childhood.

She used to scorn places like hospitals and had been always insulting for Sierra's profession. So, it was quite unexpected for Sierra when she suddenly appeared there.

"Sierra, you should marry into the Hoffman family on my behalf," said Megan.

Megan's grandmother had arranged a childhood betrothal for Megan with the heir of the esteemed Hoffman family, the most prominent family in Baycrest.

Sure, the Hoffman family was influential, but a few years ago, Megan had somehow heard a secret claiming that Jeremy had inherited his mother's congenital heart disease. They said he wouldn't live past thirty, and he was also deemed useless.

Megan, always proud and headstrong, couldn't fathom marrying a man with such a short life expectancy and ending up a widow.

She had been putting off the wedding date, and the Hoffmans weren't pushing it either, so both sides had stopped mentioning the engagement altogether.

Recently, Rupert, in urgent need of money, wanted to "sell his daughter." Meanwhile, the old lady from the Hoffmans suddenly wanted her grandson to get married, so both sides quickly agreed to proceed with the marriage as soon as possible.

Sierra looked at Megan with a cold gaze and couldn't help but laugh. "Why should I be the one to marry into the Hoffman family for you?"

Megan scoffed mockingly. "With your looks, marrying into the Hoffmans would be doing you a favour, wouldn't it? It's like turning an ugly duckling into a phoenix. I'm giving you a good deal!"

Unreasonable!

Sierra exclaimed, "You can give that good deal to others. I refuse."

She didn't bother engaging with Megan any further and simply moved past her.

With a forceful shove, Megan insisted, "Sierra! This is Dad's decision. You can't just refuse!"

Sierra, her delicate frame weakened by recent poor sleep and diet, was sent tumbling to the ground by the push.

Dizzy from the impact, Sierra fought back tears and stood her ground. "Forget it. Neither you nor your father can dictate my life anymore!"

With her arms crossed, Megan looked down at her. "Fine, you think you're so tough, huh? From now on, Dad won't spend a penny on your mom's medical bills!"

Sierra's expression stiffened. "Dad said that too?"

"Yep, he did. Want me to give him a call and confirm?"

Sierra's lips trembled, tears streaming down her face. She was well aware of her mother's condition. Without medication, even just for a day, she could pass away at any moment.

Still, during her internship period, Sierra couldn't afford the expensive medical bills, even if she skipped meals and drinks.

After a long silence, her face drained of colour, she reluctantly responded, "Okay, I agree."

Three days later.

In a mansion resembling an estate.

Sierra sat uneasily in the expansive living room.

Rupert had brought her to the Hoffmans' estate to discuss the wedding arrangements.

As soon as the servants of the Hoffmans laid eyes on her, they began whispering among themselves.

"I don't recall ... when she was young, she didn't have this birthmark on her face," Agatha Hoffman remarked, her demeanour still gentle and calm. However, despite her kindness, she couldn't ignore the sudden flaw on the face of his grandson's future wife.

Rupert had already prepared his response and chuckled, "Old Madam Hoffman, have you only seen one photo of Sierra at her one-month celebration? Her face was so small back then, you couldn't see clearly. Birthmarks do tend to appear as people grow up."

Agatha and Megan's maternal grandmother, Isla Smith, had been childhood friends. Isla later married and moved far away to Sunnydale, so they rarely saw each other anymore.

After the baby was born, Isla sent a photo of her adorable granddaughter. Seeing the little girl, with her fair skin and lovely features, Agatha was charmed and decided to arrange the engagement.

Though she wasn't entirely satisfied with Sierra's appearance, Agatha couldn't ignore her grandson's health condition and his reluctance to have a girlfriend.

Finally, she decided to go through with the marriage, even giving Rupert a generous sum of money on the spot.

Rupert laughed heartily, while Agatha's expression betrayed a hint of disdain, though she kept quiet about it.

After chatting for a while, the groom-to-be was still nowhere to be seen. Agatha gestured for a maid to go and get him.

A maid went up to urge him.

After a while, a tall, imposing man made his way down the stairs from the second floor with a confident stride.

Hearing the footsteps, Sierra glanced up and couldn't help but be surprised.

Jeremy wore a sleek, high-quality suit that accentuated his naturally well-proportioned physique. His short, stylishly tousled hair framed his strikingly handsome face, emitting an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Upon closer inspection, not a single flaw could be found in his features. His broad, prominent forehead, sharply defined nose, and enticingly rosy lips formed an irresistibly attractive combination. But most captivating of all were his deep, ocean-like eyes, capable of captivating anyone's heart in an instant.

As Sierra sized him up, Jeremy's gaze also landed on her.

His expression soured as if he had spotted something distasteful.

It wasn't the birthmark on her face that bothered him, but rather the girl's frail appearance—pale, skinny, and seemingly unable to withstand a breeze. Considering she had supposedly been living a life of luxury in the Gusman family, she didn't look the part.

No wonder she's willing to be tossed into a mess with a little money.

Spotting his remarkable future son-in-law, Rupert's eyes sparkled with excitement. He approached, nodding and bowing in an attempt to flatter.

However, Jeremy remained indifferent, showing no interest in the flattery, leaving Rupert feeling awkward.

On the other hand, Sierra couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement. This man had indirectly vented her frustration. Her father's embarrassment was a small victory in her eyes.

Agatha smiled warmly at her grandson. "Jeremy, I consulted a fortune teller, and tomorrow is an auspicious day. You and Sierra can go ahead and register your marriage. As for the wedding, we can take it slow and plan it after you've had children."

Jeremy's expression remained stoic. He had no desire even to sit down and get to know Sierra.

"Whatever," he said curtly, then casually strode out the door.

If it weren't for Agatha threatening him with her own life, he wouldn't have agreed to marry that ugly woman.

But this marriage wouldn't last long.

Once he tracked down the girl from that night, he'd bring her home. His grandma pushed him into marrying Sierra, but truth be told, she was just eager for a great-grandchild.

Once she found out he had already committed to the other girl, she'd surely agree to his divorce from Sierra and his marriage to that woman.

The next day, they got their marriage certificate and inevitably faced their first night together.

Sierra waited alone in the room, her hands unconsciously trembling, feeling extremely nervous.

Time passed incredibly slowly.

That night, the moon outside the window shone bright and beautiful. But to Sierra, it felt particularly ironic.

With a sudden "bang," the door was pushed open.

The tall figure of a man slowly approached.

Sierra's heart rate suddenly accelerated, almost leaping into her throat.

His polished shoes caught her eye.

She was about to raise her head when her chin was firmly gripped, forcing her to meet his gaze.

In the dim light, his handsome face seemed to be cloaked in ice.

"Grandma has someone listening outside. Just play along and do a little acting," he said.

Before Sierra could fully understand his words, she was pushed onto the bed.

A familiar scent made her body tremble, leaving her stunned for a few seconds.

No, it couldn't be. How could he be the man from that night? It must be my nerves playing tricks on me.

As Sierra drifted into a daze, he leaned closer.

She pushed against his chest in alarm. "What are you doing?"

Jeremy said, "Making some noise. Can you do that?"

Sierra didn't know exactly what it meant, but she got the gist.

Instantly, her face turned crimson.

"If you don't want to be grounded every night in the future, better put on a good performance tonight," he said.

Glancing at the shadow under the door, Sierra suddenly realised that Agatha had stationed someone outside to keep an eye on her and Jeremy's ... bed activity.

She whispered, "But I don't know how. How about you demonstrate first?"

Jeremy was at a loss for words. He had no experience beyond that one night when the girl beneath him was crying and yelling.

As he pondered, he genuinely felt sorry for that girl. Where could she be now? He just wanted to make up for everything to her.

"So stupid! Don't you have any experience at all?" Jeremy scolded her.

Sierra felt utterly embarrassed. "I don't."

Apart from that one night, when she was being taken advantage of by a stranger, she was so overwhelmed that she couldn't remember how to even make a sound.

The painful memories made her heart hurt, and she felt close to tears.

Jeremy didn't notice her distress. After a few moments of silence, his large hand suddenly reached down and firmly grasped her waist.

"Ah!" Sierra shrieked in fear, her tears welling up again.

"That's it. Keep screaming like that," Jeremy commanded, his patience with Sierra running thin.

Sierra gritted her teeth and continued to scream, each cry only adding to her embarrassment.

Avoiding eye contact with the man above her, she forced herself to look elsewhere, desperately hoping for him to leave soon.

She didn't realise that Jeremy's body tensed slightly.

The fragrance from this woman is becoming more familiar, and even her voice ... it sounds somewhat familiar.

The most ridiculous thing was, that he felt a strange warmth building up inside him, an inexplicable impulse towards the ugly woman!

His heart fluttered slightly, and he turned his face away, quietly adjusting his breathing.

Sierra's screams came to a halt.

"The person outside has gone," she said, her cheeks flushed with relief, thankful for the dim light in the room that hid her blush from him.

Jeremy snapped out of it, quickly moving away from her as if she were contagious.

He switched on the lights in the room and settled gracefully onto the nearby sofa, crossing his long legs.

No one said a word, and there was an awkward silence in the air, with an unspoken tension lingering between them.

At that moment, they were lost in their thoughts.

Jeremy was trying hard to differentiate between the woman from that night and the scent coming from Sierra.

It couldn't be her, could it? Could life be that coincidental?

If it were true, maybe it was all planned by her and her money-minded father!

Jeremy hated nothing more in life than being deceived and manipulated.

Sierra sat up, gathering her courage to speak out her pre-prepared proposal. "Mr. Hoffman, how about we strike a deal?"

Jeremy squinted slightly, a hint of sharpness gleaming in his eyes. "Spill it. What's the deal?"

His demeanour turned chilly, and Sierra could even sense it.

Capitalists were always self-centred and ruthless, and Jeremy was no exception. Sierra hadn't planned on gaining anything from him in the first place.

"I know you and I are the same, you aren't keen on going through with this marriage."

Jeremy gave a little scoff. "Isn't that pretty obvious?"

Sierra took the chance. "So, how about we just pretend to be married for a while and split in three months?"

Jeremy paused, giving the ugly woman a deep glance.

His mind raced with calculations.

"Three months is too long," he retorted. Once he tracked down that girl, he'd file for divorce right away.

Sierra shot back, "You can do your own thing during those three months. I won't bother you. I just need three months. And you'll need time to convince your grandma, right?"

Jeremy went silent for a moment, seeming to be swayed by her words. "Why do you need three months?"

He wasn't that easy to deceive. Don't even think about telling me you have no agenda.

Sierra cast her eyes down, her long lashes fluttering like angel wings, captivating anyone who looked at her.

Her job would go permanent in three months, with a salary bump that would barely cover her mom's medical bills. So, she planned to pick up some side hustles during this time to stash away more cash. Then, she could finally break free from the Gusman family for good.

She looked up, her eyes shining bright. "I don't need to tell you about that, just like you don't need to let me know about your personal life. Don't you think so?"

Sierra's boldness and self-assurance made Jeremy take notice.

Though there was a weird tightness in his chest like something wasn't quite right.

"Deal."

After that night, Jeremy never set foot in the Hoffmans' mansion again.

Sierra kept up her routine, going to work as usual and finding an excuse to stay in the hospital dorms.

Apart from a new marriage certificate in the drawer, life seemed to roll on unchanged.

At Multicorp Group, Jeremy kept his brows furrowed throughout, making his top-notch team feel like they were walking on thin ice.

Finally, the meeting wrapped up, and Peter came in looking pleased.

"Mr. Hoffman, we've tracked down the owner of the pendant!"

The cloud of gloom that had been hanging over Jeremy's head for days suddenly lifted.

His eyebrows shot up. "Who is she? What's her name?"

Peter's expression turned a bit complicated. "Her name's Megan, she's your wife's sister."

Jeremy's expression turned serious.

He hadn't even realised Sierra had a sister until Peter mentioned it!

"This is Megan's info. Please take a look."

After scanning through them, Jeremy set them down and quickly shrugged into his suit jacket. "I gotta go meet her right away."

He took a few steps before pausing abruptly. "What kind of gift do you think a girl like her would appreciate?" he asked his driver, Ethan Clark.

He'd never dated before and hadn't even held hands with a girl until that night.

Ethan scratched his head, then suggested, "Um … girls usually love flowers. Why not give her some?"

So, Jeremy hit up the florist himself and snagged a bunch of blue roses.

But he didn't want to risk it with just flowers, so he made a special trip to a high-end mall and bought a bunch of gifts that girls might like.

Poor Ethan struggled to cram it all into the trunk.

Then they hit the road, finally pulling up at the Gusmans' place.

Upstairs, the sound of a beautiful piano filled the entire villa.

Megan glanced through the floor-to-ceiling windows and spotted a fancy Maybach parked outside.

The piano suddenly stopped playing.

Her eyes were fixed on the man stepping out of the luxurious car.

In a split second, he had her attention.

With flowers in hand, Jeremy walked towards the door, taking a moment to straighten his outfit.

His heart raced with a nervousness he'd never felt before.

The doorbell ringing brought Megan back to reality from her mesmerised state.

Megan rushed downstairs, accidentally hitting her foot against the pillar.

The servant came out, asking, "Miss, are you alright? Let me open the door."

Megan winced in pain and shoved her away, saying, "Step aside. I'll do it!"

The servant, Edna, looked confused. This young lady usually wouldn't even pour herself a glass of water, always expecting everything to be done for her. So why was she suddenly so eager to open the door for the guest today?

The door swung open, and before Jeremy stood a strikingly pretty face.

Megan glanced up and found herself caught in the man's deep gaze, momentarily losing her footing.

"Sir ... who are you looking for?" Megan's tough demeanour from before melted away, replaced by a flirtatious and soft tone.

Jeremy pulled a pendant out of his pocket and held it up to her.

"Is this pendant yours?" His voice, much like his looks, oozed charm!

Megan gave him a sceptical look, glanced down, and shyly said, "Yeah, that's my pendant. But how did it end up with you?"

Jeremy recalled that night vividly and smirked. "Did you ever give it to someone else?"

Frowning a bit, Megan remembered that the chain of the pendant had broken recently, so she had asked Sierra to take it for repairs. Could it be …

Shaking her head vigorously at the thought, she asserted, "It belonged to my late mom. I've always kept it with me."

Jeremy's usually icy eyes softened a bit.

"So ... you're the girl who barged into my house that night?"

As a big-shot CEO, he usually tackled any challenge head-on in the business world, but this seemed to be a bit of a tough topic for him.

Megan couldn't help but gaze at him, feeling a rush of excitement as she noticed his slightly flushed cheeks.

This guy isn't just good-looking, he's also getting shy in front of me.

She decided then and there that she was smitten with him!

But wait, he mentioned a girl breaking into his house? Could it be that annoying brat Sierra?

Megan was all over the place.

Rupert's voice suddenly chimed in, "Jeremy, my son-in-law, what brings you here all of a sudden?"

Rupert returned from outside, spotting his son-in-law's fancy Maybach parked right at their doorstep, which was quite unexpected.

Seeing him holding flowers and his assistant lugging a bunch of gifts made him even more surprised. He marvelled at Sierra's skills. She managed to win over Jeremy in just a few days, something no other woman could pull off!

But Sierra wasn't living here anymore, so why did he bring all this to the Gusmans' residence?

As soon as Rupert finished speaking, Megan inside the door was shocked, her mouth hanging open.

He-He is Jeremy! The man with the heart condition who wouldn't live past thirty?

Her face turned pale, unable to bear such a blow, and she staggered to one side.

Jeremy reached out, his long arms pulling her up and steadying her.

"Are you okay? Why do you look so pale?" Concern filled his eyes.

Was it because of what happened that night? Did it scare her?

The bloodstains she left on the sofa that night told him she was still a virgin, but he had treated her so roughly and rudely.

Thinking about his behaviour that night, Jeremy felt even more guilty in his heart.

Meanwhile, Megan was already indulging herself in his embrace, intoxicated by the moment. His scent is pleasant, and his chest is broad and sturdy. How can such a robust man be impotent?

Her anger surged. How could I have pushed such a charming man towards Sierra?

No, I have to win Jeremy back.

As Megan's thoughts raced, Jeremy decided to immediately confront Megan's father.

Ten minutes later, in the study, Rupert was full of shock.

He slumped into his chair, trying hard to make sense of the situation.

Recalling the day when Sierra returned, covered in those marks.

Jeremy lived in Summitville, and Franklin also lived in Summitville. Could it be that Sierra mistakenly entered the wrong villa and ended up encountering Jeremy like that …

Seeing Rupert unable to speak for a long time, Jeremy bowed to him. "I'm the one who made Megan suffer, but don't worry, I will take full responsibility for her."

Rupert suppressed his tangled thoughts. "Jeremy, but you've already married Sierra."

Sierra marrying over was one thing, he didn't want to sacrifice his precious daughter, Megan.

No matter how outstanding Jeremy was, he still had a short-lived illness.

"Dad! In this lifetime, I won't marry anyone but him!" Megan rushed in, interrupting their conversation.

Anger flashed in Rupert's eyes. "Meg, don't meddle in this matter."

Megan said, "What do you mean by meddling? My first time ... has already been given to Jeremy. I'm already his woman!"

Rupert widened his eyes, knowing that his daughter was lying.

Megan dared not meet her father's gaze directly, deliberately lowered her head, and pretended to wipe away tears, with a pitiful look.

Just now outside the door, she overheard everything.

As long as she insisted that she was that girl, coupled with the evidence of the pendant, she could deceive everyone!

Megan approached Jeremy who was looking at her. "When you said you'd take responsibility, did you mean it? Will you divorce Sierra and marry me?"

Jeremy was touched. The happiest thing in life was when you wanted to marry her, and she was willing to marry you.

He gently ran his fingers through her hair, indulgently saying, "Of course. I always do what I say!"

Meanwhile, Sierra was working at the hospital.

Her phone kept vibrating in her pocket.

After finishing her work, Sierra finally answered Megan's relentless calls.

"What's up?" she asked, sounding icy and collected.

Megan's voice sounded urgent on the other end, almost like a roar, "Sierra, I command you to divorce Jeremy right away!"