The Rural Riddle: The Heiress Behind the Mask Novel – Rumor had it that the heir of the Hooper family, Antonio Hooper, was paralyzed and in need of a “good luck” bride. Giovanna Langley was brought from the countryside by her family to replace her sister and marry Antonio. The Hooper family had mocked Giovanna as a country bumpkin who knew nothing. Rumors swirled that she was a killer, lacked education, and couldn’t even dress herself properly. But soon, everyone learned the truth. Giovanna was actually the world’s most renowned fashion designer, a top-tier hacker, a financial magnate, and a medical prodigy. Not only had she been a coveted expert sought after by the most famous investors, but even the giants of the medical field had come to her for guidance.And, most astonishingly, the powerful Antonio Hooper, who controlled the economic lifeblood of Chicago, was utterly captivated by her.
“You’re asking me to marry that paralyzed man instead of Kimberly? No way!” The woman standing in the living room had a charming figure. Her golden curls cascaded over her plump chest, rising and falling with each breath, making her look even more seductive and alluring. Her elegant demeanor, filled with grace and nobility, made it hard to believe she had just returned from the countryside. Giovanna Langley’s attractive eyes, as bright as stars, slanted slightly upwards with a hint of defiance. Her glossy red lips added an extra hint of sexiness to her beauty, but now they were trembling slightly with rage. Giovanna couldn’t believe that as soon as she rejoined the Langley family, she was confronted with such an absurd request. Her biological father was forcing her to marry a man she had never met, taking the place of her half-sister.
Hansen Langley looked troubled. “Giovanna, I went through a great deal to bring you back. Please, just agree to this. Your sister is already engaged to Mr. Bower. Do you want her to be disgraced?” “That’s none of my business!” Giovanna’s refusal was firm. When Bertha Langley married into their family, her father sent her and her grandmother to the countryside to avoid troubles. He hadn’t cared about them for years, and he had never even visited. If it weren’t for her own efforts, she would have starved to death long ago. “Giovanna, don’t be so ungrateful!” Bertha, her stepmother, looked at her with disdain and contempt. “I bet you’ve never dreamed of marrying into money. You think you’re worthy of the Hoopers’ heir?” Giovanna sneered.
Marrying into money? She couldn’t care less! “Even if I were to marry into the Hooper family, it wouldn’t be because of a homewrecker like you,” Giovanna mocked. “How dare you talk to your stepmother like that?” Hansen roared as he raised his hand, ready to strike Giovanna. She lifted her hand, blocking his slap. “You failed in your duty. What right do you have to hit me?” Giovanna’s eyes glinted with a chilling light. Never having been defied like this, Hansen felt humiliated. “You better take the offer while you can.” He then took out some photos from his bag. “These are the places your grandmother visited before she died. The last place was the Hooper Estate. If you want her death to remain a mystery, be my guest.” Looking at the photos of her grandmother, Giovanna felt a surge of anger and clenched her fists tightly. She didn’t care who she married because she could survive on her own. But she had to investigate her grandmother’s death. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Fine, I’ll marry.” Giovanna vowed to uncover the truth behind her grandmother’s death and bring the culprit to justice.
The next morning, Hansen sent a driver to take Giovanna to the Hooper Estate. Due to the urgency, he didn’t check Giovanna’s appearance. The Hooper family’s butler, Gary Moran, had been waiting at the entrance. When he saw Giovanna, the butler, he almost dropped his glasses in shock. ‘Wait… This girl is hideous!’ he thought. Her oversized black-rimmed glasses covered most of her face, her skin was dark and spotty, and she wore a floral blouse with loose black bell-bottoms, exuding a cheesy vibe. However, Edward Hooper had arranged the engagement himself. Despite his disdain for this woman, Gary had to maintain his composure. “Please follow me to meet Mr. Hooper.” Giovanna looked around. The estate was enormous, understated yet expensive in every detail. As they reached the hall, Gary explained, “Mr. Antonio Hooper was in a car accident earlier this year and is paralyzed from the waist down. He can’t feel anything below the waist, so please take good care of him.
Also, Mr. Hooper has a bit of a temper, so it’s best not to upset him. And—” Giovanna interrupted him coldly, “That’s enough, thanks. Just tell me which room he’s in.” Gary was taken aback by her boldness. Despite her shabby appearance, which made her seem utterly out of place in this luxurious estate, she spoke arrogantly like a president. Gary could only bow his head and lead Giovanna upstairs to Antonio’s bedroom. As he opened the door, the smell of disinfectant greeted them immediately. The room was pitch dark, even though it was sunny outside, giving it an oppressive atmosphere. She turned to Gary. “Why are the curtains closed? Open the windows for fresh air; it’s better for the patient’s recovery.” Gary patiently explained, “Mr. Hooper dislikes sunlight, so he has us keep the curtains closed. You’re new here, so it’s best not to interfere too much.”
Gary inwardly scoffed, ‘Hmph! What could this bumpkin possibly know about Mr. Hooper’s preferences? What a fool!’ Giovanna found it ridiculous to believe that avoiding sunlight could help recovery. She had heard that Edward had sought treatment from several famous hospitals with little success. It seemed he was desperate for Antonio to walk again. Fortunately for Antonio, his luck had brought him to her. She had been trained in medicine since childhood, so she could give it a try. But she wouldn’t reveal her skills just yet; she needed to keep her cards close to her chest. Giovanna Langley turned to Gary. “Mr. Moran, please give us a moment. I want to speak to my husband alone.” “Hus—” Gary’s shocking look was almost amusing. ‘ They haven’t even met yet, yet she already addressed him as her husband?’ He found this fact hard to believe.
Seeing Gary still standing there, Giovanna teased, “What, do you plan to stay and enjoy the show?” At that moment, the man on the bed cleared his throat and said, “Gary, do as she says.” So, this sickly guy was Antonio Hooper, the man she was going to wed? Chapter 2 Antonio, who was lying on the bed, was surprised by Giovanna’s tone. He had heard from his grandfather that his bride was supposed to be Kimberly Langley. However, Kimberly had recently been found to be possibly infertile, so Giovanna married him instead. Hearing Antonio’s voice, the butler immediately responded with respect, “Yes!” Giovanna turned to size up her husband. The man was propped up against the headboard. Even though he was paralyzed from the waist down, his domineering aura was undiminished. If she could get information from him about her grandmother’s death, her purpose here would be fulfilled. The room plunged back into darkness, which Giovanna found unsettling.
She asked, “Can we open the curtains?” “No,” he refused without hesitation. “Don’t you think it’s a bit gloomy in here?” The cold aura around him made her feel like she was about to freeze. Antonio chuckled softly, “Isn’t it better this way? We’re in a marriage of convenience. It’s better if we don’t see each other.” “But we’ll have to see each other every day. Do you plan to stay like this forever? Besides, how can I treat your legs if it’s this dark?” In the darkness, Antonio’s eyes widened in surprise. “You can treat my legs?” The fish had taken the bait! Giovanna shrugged modestly. “I can give it a try.” She wasn’t offering to treat Antonio’s legs out of charity. If he owed her a favor, he would help investigate her grandmother’s death. No one in the Hooper family knew more than he did. Antonio hadn’t seen the sunlight for months. Since learning that his legs would never function again, he had shut himself in his room. Could this girl really cure him? His grandfather had brought in numerous renowned doctors, and taken him to many hospitals, all to no avail. Recalling those failures, his eyes dimmed again.
“Forget it. Not even the specialists can do the tricks. What makes you think you can?” It was better to stay hopeless than clinging to the futile possibility. Giovanna understood his skepticism. Such a handsome man confined to a bed—it was indeed demoralizing. “What’s the harm in letting me try? Maybe this time you’ll get lucky.” Antonio glanced at her coldly. “Lucky? I doubt that.” Giovanna chuckled, not taking offense. “Come on, don’t be so pessimistic.” Antonio was curious to see what she could do. “So, what do you plan to do?” “Hold on a second…” Giovanna retrieved a small bag from her suitcase. She opened it to reveal various medical tools, which he found quite shocking. Could this girl really have some skill? When Giovanna approached Antonio with a bag of needles and checked on his legs, he finally got a good look at her. She had deliberately dressed down to keep a low profile, and… What an ugly sight! Giovanna glanced at his leg and got a rough idea of what was going on.
Then she looked up and finally took a moment to study him. His flawless face and sharp features seemed somehow aggressive yet alluring, and his aura was one of innate nobility and distance. It was a pity he was paralyzed, but meeting her could be his stroke of luck. “I need to start examining you. It might hurt a bit, so bear with me.” “Wait.” Antonio eyed the needles skeptically. “Do you even have a medical license?” Giovanna was taken aback. License? Her credentials were professor-level, and patients usually had to wait months to see her. However, with her current appearance, he’d probably never believe it. “My license is back in the village, but trust me, I can handle this.” Just as Giovanna was about to proceed, Antonio grabbed her wrist. “Are you sure? You should know that my legs have been examined by countless specialists, both local and international, and none of them could help.” Antonio doubted her skills. How could this… unpleasant-looking “doctor” possibly succeed where others had failed? “Are you sure you’ve seen all the specialists?” she questioned. He had certainly not seen her. Antonio remembered that there was indeed one specialist that he hadn’t seen.
Edward had mentioned a prodigy who became a professor at a young age, often working abroad. Despite many offers from prestigious medical institutions, she remained elusive. Quite mysterious, indeed! Besides, her last name was even the same as Giovanna’s, but he couldn’t recall her full name. But what did it have to do with Giovanna? She couldn’t possibly be that prodigy. That would be too unbelievable! Seeing him lost in thought, Giovanna decided not to say any more. She slapped his leg lightly. “Come on. Time to get started.” Then, she picked up the needle and began her work. As she finished her initial examination, Antonio’s younger sister, Yolanda Hooper, burst into the room before she could pack up her stuff. Seeing the needles in Giovanna’s hand, Yolanda instantly turned pale. She rushed forward, shoving Giovanna away. “You evil hooker! Are you trying to kill my brother?” Giovanna was caught off guard and fell to the ground, exposing her hideous look.
“Oh my God, Grandpa must be crazy. Even if Antonio is paralyzed, he doesn’t deserve this. Just look at what you’re wearing! Even our maids dress better than you.” Giovanna adjusted her glasses, her eyes sharp and penetrating. “I’m your sister-in-law now. You should show me some respect.” Yolanda was taken aback by her sharp tongue. “Respect? If your sister wasn’t infertile, you wouldn’t even be here. Do you think you’re fit to be my sister-in-law?” Giovanna smiled faintly, “In that case, please leave. Don’t disturb my husband.” “Husband?” Yolanda was dumbfounded. “You ugly bumpkin! You can’t marry my brother! You don’t deserve him!” Deliberately putting on a sweet smile, Giovanna wrapped her arm around Antonio’s. “Our marriage certificate says we’re already husband and wife. Sorry, but could you leave us alone? We need some privacy.” Antonio looked down at her, amused by how naturally she called him her husband. It was quite endearing.
Apparently, she wasn’t that boring kind of woman. Though she seemed cheesy and wasn’t quite easy on the eye, her demeanor was something different. Yolanda was livid. “You… shameless!” Giovanna kept provoking her. “We’re married by law. Any objections?” Yolanda stomped her foot and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. “Just you wait!” Giovanna sighed in relief. As she moved to release Antonio, he suddenly pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. “Antonio, let go!” She struggled but was surprised by his strength that locked her firmly inside his embrace. His cool breath brushed her ear. “Tell me, who exactly are you?” Giovanna froze briefly and then looked up at Antonio, feigning confusion. “Am I not your newlywed wife?” “You know that’s not what I mean.” “Explain yourself, please?” She couldn’t break free, so she didn’t even bother trying. “Don’t you play dumb with me.” He tilted her chin up, his eyes gleaming with suspicion. Giovanna’s clear eyes showed no sign of panic, only an unsettling calmness. “You don’t need to be so tense. I’m not here to harm you.”
Antonio scoffed, amused by her confidence, “And what could you possibly do to me?” “I can cure you. Your legs aren’t suffering from ordinary paralysis.” She had examined him earlier and noticed that his legs were gradually stiffening. Within three months, he would be at risk of amputation. Antonio frowned. “What do you mean?” “Someone tried to harm you during your treatment by adding something to your medication. I need more time to figure out exactly what it is,” She spoke with a seriousness that left no room for doubt. Antonio wasn’t surprised to hear someone wanted to harm him. As the heir to a wealthy family, many of his enemies were hidden within it. But for this girl to deduce this just from an examination, she certainly wasn’t ordinary. He released her and leaned back against the headboard. “If you don’t want to waste your youth here, you’d better leave.” “I’m not leaving. We’re married, and I take our vows seriously. My grandmother always taught me to keep my promises.”
Moreover, Edward wouldn’t allow it either. Staying in the Hooper family gave her a chance to investigate her grandmother’s death and treat Antonio’s legs. When she eventually left, she wouldn’t owe him anything. Antonio’s eyes narrowed. “I’m paralyzed. I can’t give you the physical relationship you want.” “I don’t care about that,” she said without hesitation. Antonio wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or insulted. Did she not care, or did she think he was incapable? Just then, Gary knocked on the door. “Mr. Hooper, Mr. Edward Hooper requests Mrs. Hooper downstairs.” Giovanna finally had an excuse to leave. “I’m leaving. And please, keep the curtains open, Mr. Fake Vampire. It’ll help with your recovery.” She got up, packed her medical tools back into her small suitcase, and left the room. After Giovanna left, Antonio called for his assistant, Eric Ford. “Mr. Hooper,” Eric greeted. “Look into Giovanna’s background. I want to know everything about her, down to the smallest detail.” Antonio’s intuition told him there was more to her story.