Chapter Four

The next morning, Knight Villa gate.

A Black Maybach stopped.

Driver opened door. "Mrs. Knight, we arrived."

Ariana looked out and saw a big villa. Guards everywhere.

She had one small bag. One tote. That's it. No wedding dress. No makeup. Jeans and white t-shirt again.

Inside living room, three people already waiting.

Victoria Knight, Ethan's mother, elegant, cold, holding teacup, looking like queen. Emma Knight, Ethan's sister, pretty, but eyes sharp, sitting with phone. And Rose, grandmother, 70s, soft smile, but eyes scanning.

Ethan stood near window, black shirt, hands in pockets, cold as always.

Ariana walked in.

Rose stood first, smile warm. "You must be Ariana. I'm Rose. Welcome, dear."

Victoria didn't stand. She looked Ariana up and down.

"Jeans? You come to Knight Villa for first time in jeans?" Victoria said.

Emma laughed. "Mom, maybe she thinks this is market. Did you forget to buy tomatoes on the way?"

Ariana looked at Emma. Calm.

"I like jeans. Comfortable. I can run faster if someone chases me," Ariana said.

Emma frowned. "What?"

"Nothing," Ariana said, putting bag down.

Victoria put teacup down hard. "Ariana, let me be direct. Ethan told us contract marriage. One year. I don't like contract marriage, but Henry and I need grandchild story for board. So you are here."

"Okay," Ariana said.

"You will not embarrass us," Victoria continued. "You will not wear jeans to Knight family dinner. You will not post on social media you are Mrs. Knight. You will not touch Ethan's things. You will not fall in love with my son."

Emma added, "And you will not think you are really my sister-in-law. One year and you are gone. 50 million, right? So don't dream too much."

Ariana crossed arms. "I won't. Don't worry. I don't dream about your brother."

Ethan turned from window. "Enough."

Victoria stood up now, walked to Ariana.

"Where is your family? No one came with you? Cole family didn't even send car?"

"They don't care," Ariana said. "I care."

Rose stepped between them, soft voice. "Victoria, enough. Ariana just arrived. Let her sit. Give her tea."

Rose pulled Ariana to sofa. "Sit, dear. Are you hungry? Did you eat?"

Ariana sat. "No. I left early."

Ethan looked at Leo. "Breakfast."

Leo ran to kitchen.

Victoria sat back, still staring.

"So tell me, Ariana. What do you do? Leo said you have no job. Useless?"

Emma laughed again, looking at phone. "People says Cole elder daughter is useless, dropped out, stays home."

Ariana looked at Victoria, not scared.

"I do something. But not your business. Contract says no interference. Remember?"

Victoria's eyes widened. "You dare talk like that to me?"

"Victoria," Rose said, calm but firm. Let her be. What contract?”, Rose asked but all she received was silence.

Ethan walked closer. "Ariana. Rules of this house."

He looked down at her sitting and whispered.

"One: You have your room, second floor left. My room right. Don't enter my room without permission. Two: We act like real couple to outsiders. In house, we are strangers. Three: Don't touch my things. Four: Breakfast 8 AM, if you want. Dinner only if family dinner."

Ariana looked up at him.

"I have rules too," she said aloud.

Ethan raised eyebrow. "What?"

"One: Don't order me like servant. I am not your staff. Two: Don't come to my room. Three: Don't ask about my past. Four: If your sister or mother insults me, I will answer back. I won't stay quiet to look good."

Emma shouted, "You! How dare you!"

Victoria said, "Ethan! Do you hear how she talks? This girl"

"Accepted," Ethan said coldly, cutting them.

Everyone froze.

"What?" Emma said. "Brother, you accept?"

Ethan looked at Ariana. "Accepted. As long as you do your job when needed."

Ariana nodded. "Deal."

Breakfast came. Toast, eggs, coffee. Simple.

Ariana ate fast, like she didn't care who watching. Victoria watched with disgust.

"Eat slowly. Knight family women eat elegant," Victoria said.

"I'm hungry. Elegant later," Ariana said, taking another toast.

Emma recorded secretly on phone. "This will be funny to post on the internet. The newly married wife eats like construction worker."

Ariana saw phone. She stopped eating.

"Emma," she said, voice calm. "Delete that video. Now."

Emma smiled. "No. Why should I?"

"Because if you post my video, I will post yours," Ariana said.

Emma froze. "What my video?"

"I saw you last night at Blue Bar with a boy. Red hair. You kissed him in parking. Want me to send to Victoria?"

Emma's face went white. "You! How you know! You spying!"

"I didn't. I guessed. Now I know it's true," Ariana said, sipping coffee.

Silence.

Victoria looked at Emma. "Emma! Blue Bar? Who is boy?"

"Mom! No! She lies!" Emma shouted.

Rose still naive about the contract marriage laughed small . "Okay okay. Enough drama for morning. Ariana, Emma, stop. You guys have been on about Contract and meddling with my daughter-in-laws affairs"

Ethan stared at Ariana, surprise again. How did she know? Bluffing?

Ariana put cup down. Stood up, took bag.

"Where is my room? I want to rest," she said.

Ethan said, "Leo will show you."

Leo came fast. "Mrs. Knight, this way."

Ariana walked upstairs, not looking back.

Behind, Victoria whispered to Ethan, harsh.

"Ethan, this girl is rude, no manners, not suitable! Why did you choose her? Chloe Cole was better! Pretty, sweet!"

"Chloe is too noisy. And too greedy," Ethan said coldly. "Ariana is better for contract. She doesn't want me. That's what I need."

Emma still angry, holding phone. "Brother, she threatened me! She is dangerous!"

Ethan looked upstairs where Ariana disappeared.

"She is not dangerous. She is just... not afraid of us."

Rose smiled, watching stairs.

"I like her," Rose said quietly. "She has eyes like your grandfather Henry when he was young. Fierce. She will be interesting."

Victoria sighed. "Mother, don't encourage her. One year only and she reveals who she truly is."

Ethan walked to his office room.

Upstairs, second floor left room.

Ariana opened door. Big room. Bigger than whole Cole house. Bed, wardrobe, balcony.

She locked door. Dropped bag. Sat on floor again, back against bed.

She took out Patek watch from tote.

She whispered to herself, looking at watch.

"One year in this villa with cold CEO, rude mother, sharp sister, and sweet grandma. And he still doesn't know I'm the girl with butterfly tattoo."

She put watch on table.

"Let's see who can't fall in love first, Mr. Knight."

She lay on big bed, staring at ceiling, smiling small but tired.

Downstairs, Ethan in his study looked at his wrist still no watch since that night and thought about butterfly tattoo girl he still couldn't find.

And his new contract wife was sleeping just one wall away.