Gerald was dressed in a white suit with silver threads adorning the lapels. He looked even more handsome with his clean-shaven face, specially prepared for this occasion. His thick, black hair was neatly styled with expensive musk-scented hair oil. His grandmother sat beside him, holding his left hand with her wrinkled right hand. Gerald patted that hand reassuringly. He loved his grandmother deeply, even more than his mother. And this marriage wasn't the marriage they initially wanted, but after learning who his bride was, both of them had found new motivation. They had entered the grand estate. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, along with their son, were waiting at the entrance, along with several people Gerald didn't recognize. They were all dressed in expensive and classy attire, clearly tailored for the occasion. They welcomed Gerald and his family as if they were honored guests. And indeed, they were honored guests. The Brooks family had to flatter them, or else their family's nobility woul
Gerald had stopped pretending to be sick. He sat on the bed, supporting his body by placing his hands on either side of him. His legs crossed each other. His eyes looked at Ariana, scanning her from top to bottom. "You're beautiful," the man said. "No need to remind me. I already knew that. You're not the first person to say that," Ariana answered casually. She was now sitting with her back to the mirror. Her hips leaned against the dressing table, while her arms were folded in front of her chest, making her ample bosom look even puffier. "Besides, if 'she' is ugly, how would a man like you marry her?" The sentence referred to his identical twin sister, Karenina. "A man like me?" Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Yes, men like you. And people like you. People who prioritize reputation above all else. Respect seekers," Ariana mocked. Gerald smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think you're right," he said later. "But my wife," Gerald rose again from his seat and slowly approached. Aria
The night had grown so late. Ariana once again entered the room that had been used for her preparations earlier. The reception was not yet over, but she was exhausted. Extremely tired. Especially because she had been forced to look elegant by wearing stilettos all night. Something she had avoided for so long. And she had no idea when the event would end. She didn't care anymore. What mattered was that she had fulfilled her duties as a bride earlier. Welcoming the guests. And after that, it wasn't her obligation to accompany and engage with them all night long. After all, she didn't even know them. They were Brooks family guests and her unfamiliar husband's guests. Not hers. Fortunately, the peach dress she was wearing was easy to take off. The only thing that puzzled Ariana now was, where was her change of clothes? The jeans and shirt she had been wearing earlier were nowhere to be found. As a result, she sought out the housemaid who had been accompanying her since earlier, asking h
Ariana struck the man's hand hard enough that her own hand hurt afterward. "What are you doing?!" the man asked in a drowsy voice. Ariana turned over, her head turning to the right to look at the face of the stranger who was now her husband. "I should be asking you. What are you doing?!" she retorted sharply, accusingly. "Didn't you say last night that you would take me home?" Instead of answering, the man slid closer and nestled his head against Ariana's neck, wrapping his arms around her waist and entwining his legs tightly. He didn't seem bothered at all. "I did take you home, dear. I brought you to bed, and I even kindly took off your clothes. What's wrong?" he said with a muffled voice against the curve of Ariana's neck. Ariana shuddered at his breath. "But why bring me here? Why not take me to the apartment?" Ariana now spoke softly. "Because your home is here. Where your husband is," he replied curtly. "Don't forget that I married you as a stand-in for Karenina," Ariana r
Ariana lightly slapped both of her cheeks. Oh God, what had she just done? Making out? It felt like more than just making out. It hadn't even been 24 hours since she became this man's wife, and she had already done such... "Aaarrrggghhhh..." Ariana stifled her restrained scream. She swore she felt embarrassed, even though she didn't want to admit it. The man had taught her such wicked things. For God's sake, Ariana had never been touched by any man before. So why had she behaved like a loose woman, allowing herself to be kissed and touched by a stranger? Okay, not entirely a stranger. He was her husband now. And Ariana hadn't committed any sinful act, even though she had gone further than that. But the man was still a stranger. Despite his status as her husband. All Ariana knew about him was his name, Gerald Zeroun. She barely knew anything about his job, age, and she couldn't even remember the name of the old woman, Rosaline Zeroun, who was apparently his grandmother. As for the w
"Axel is not my biological son." Gerald's answer made Ariana look up. Her eyes looked at Gerald confusedly. "I have a brother. His name is Axelo Darrel Zeroun. He is four years younger than me. One time, he got drunk and made love to a girl. He said she was his classmate on campus. We thought it was just a one-night stand. You know the society of today's young people. But it turns out our guess was wrong. Darrel is really into that girl. He was willing to give everything to the girl. My father didn't accept it. He wanted Darrel to focus more on his studies and work at the company. An unsanctioned love and typical youth rebellion. Darrel chose that woman over his family. This situation happened about five years ago. Darrel's age is the same as you are now. At that time, I didn't know. I am busy with my studies and work abroad. I didn't know about Darrel's rebellion because no one told me. And Darrel also changed into a more closed person at that time. Then, something happened. Fat
Ariana sighed deeply. "I don't have a choice, do I?" she asked, then shook her head. "You really didn't give me a choice," she said sharply. "All the decisions are in your hands. That's the contract you've given me. I just need to act like I love and care for the child, and voila, the child becomes yours." Ariana snorted. "I can do it, help you. And in return, don't interfere with my personal life." Ariana closed the folder and handed it back to Gerald. "Where are you going?" he asked when he saw Ariana getting up. "To fill my stomach. I don't want to die of hunger and make you a widower anytime soon," she said casually and left the room. This was the first time Ariana had set foot outside the room. Yesterday, when she entered the house, she was unconscious. She wasn't even aware that she had been undressed by her husband. Now Ariana was left wondering where to go. She knew she was on the second floor. Her phone displayed a little past six o'clock. Ariana decided to go downstairs.
Gerald had neatly parked the car in front of Leonida's. However, it turned out that his promise was false because instead of returning home, he casually led Axel inside the restaurant. Ariana's employees, who were busy wiping tables and setting up utensils, were surprised by her presence. The attention of the staff was drawn to her because of her boss's somewhat elegant appearance in an oversized sweater and a knee-length skirt. She rarely wore skirts while working, except for occasions that she considered "complicated" and required her to wear such attire. "Hey, last night, what happened?" Bryan, one of her waiters who was wiping glasses in one corner of the restaurant, asked. "Did you get possessed by something as a newlywed?" Ariana replied with a sly tone, making the young man unbelieving. "Is Amber here?" Ariana ignored his astonishment. "She's in the back with the boys," he answered. "But seriously, were you really possessed by a newlywed spirit, Miss?" He asked incredulous