CHAPTER 7

Ryan's POV

The door is locked.

My hand is on the doorknob still. Then I turn it again but it won't budge.

It has been locked from the inside. Without thinking of a single reason why the woman I just got married to a few hours ago is locking me outside my own bedroom, I raise my hand to knock.

The knock is loud enough to wake the dead. She can't possibly tell me that she locked the door and slept off. I only spent thirty minutes outside trying to let everything sink into my head and also to think of what to do after this damn thing is over.

I have been trying to get over how she ridiculed me at the church wedding. She didn't let me kiss her on the lips. Isn't that part of the pretense? We are to make believe that we are real and beginning to like each other, isn't this what she said?

I felt humiliated. What if someone had seen that?

Fortunately, no one was quick to observe anything between us. Not even the tension and despise we feel for each other.

There is no answer.

"Valerie, open the door", I call her name loudly as I continue to knock.

Isn't she going to answer me? Is this woman I call a wife crazy? How can she do this on our wedding night?

I already know the exact type of personality she possessed when I first met her. She can do and undo. She doesn't even feel intimidated by me.

"Val?" I call out unconsciously. This is what her parents called her at the wedding reception. She is indeed good at acting. She was all smiles and clingy to me as we took pictures.

It was irritating the shit out of me, probably because I didn't like how touchy she was since we aren't real or because she rejected a kiss from me.

Me.

Girls die to have that one kiss.

Who the hell does she think she is?

With a mixture of anger and frustration, I bang on the door and it is thrown open instantly.

My gaze falls on a white towel and a hand wiping her hair.

Was she in the bathroom all along?

Without saying anything, I walk in but her face appeared from nowhere and she stops me, blocking my way with her hands spread out wide.

"Why were you banging the door that way?" She questions, her small face in a deep frown, as though the house belongs to her.

There is another towel wrapped around her bosom showing her smooth skin and her curvy shape.

"Excuse me", I say and she rolls her eyes without moving away for me to go in.

This is the penthouse. Mother insisted that we come here for our wedding night and I am sure they think we would consummate our marriage.

I can't bring myself to watch her for too long because the first impression of that ugly woman is still stuck in my head.

"Hey, go out", she utters with a tone of authority and I arch a brow at her, thinking I heard wrong.

"What?!"

"I said go out. First, I need some privacy because I just came out of the bathroom and secondly, this is my room, isn't it? We aren't couples, are we? We shouldn't spend the night together, should we? We can't share the same bed either."

She sounds breathless but I know better than to fall for her trick. She is full of pretense.

Gritting my teeth in annoyance and desperate to get out of this tuxedo so I can get into the bathroom and have a cold shower to ease the stress of the day's affairs.

"Move out of my way, woman!" I can't help but shout.

This isn't what I planned for. This is why I don't want to be married. Women can be handfuls and I am not going to let her boss me around simply because I need her more than she needs me.

I make the rules.

"No, husband. Go to the other room or find a nice couch to sleep on", she mentions and tries to push me out. 

I grab her hand and shove her away to go in.

"What the hell!" She screams and attacks me from behind. I feel her boobs from behind as she tries to push me back outside.

I let her do as she wishes but pushing me out is impossible for her. Within minutes, she is breathing heavily like someone who just did a marathon race.

She lets go of me and when I turn back to face her, the edge of the towel comes running down and she squats down quickly with her eyes wide open, to prevent me from seeing her nudity.

"Get away from here, you pervert", she cries out.

I would love to make her feel more uncomfortable by continuing to stare since she can't get up and find some clothes to wear without exposing some part of her body.

But I am the better one. I want to be the better one. I am not going to be as childish as she is.

Turning my back to her, I stroll to the closet to get a towel before going into the bathroom.

There is no towel where I usually hang it. Then I remember she has two towels with her; one on her body and the other on her head.

Shit!

"Jerk!" I hear her murmur to herself, still squatting down.

I take off my jacket and remove my pants, leaving me in shorts only. I have no problem undressing in front of her, she is the one making a big deal out of exposing her body when she is legally my wife.

Besides, I didn't give her the impression that she is attractive, so why would she even think I would find her attractive or seeing her naked body will have any effect on me?

I am not that kind of man.

I have my ideal type of woman and Valerie is definitely not one of them. The ridiculous way she was dressed and the stupid makeup she had on her face gave me a bad impression of her and I doubt if I can ever look past that appearance she had on that day.

When I turn back, thinking of asking her to give me one of the towels, she glares at me coldly, still on the floor, crouched in an uncomfortable position with her two hands around her body.

I am making a mental note to get another towel from the main house.

I never thought I would be spending my wedding night here so there were no provisions made for spending the night here.

It just happened.

Our two families are bent on making this marriage work without knowing that Valerie and I have other plans.

I only come to the penthouse to escape from the bustling noises of the main mansion.

There are two bedrooms but the other bedroom has been turned into a home office which leaves us with just one bedroom.

I take long strides to the bathroom door without sparing her a glance.

Whether Valerie likes it or not, I am sleeping here tonight.