6: Rules

Carla

When I woke up the next morning, I thought that all that happened the previous day was nothing but a dream. However, the sight of the unfamiliar room was a reminder of how my life drastically changed yesterday.

As I showered, I tried to imagine how the rest of my life was gonna go in the next one year. I had a feeling I was gonna suffer one way or the other before the year is up, and now that I’ve signed the wretched contract, there was no turning back. I couldn’t even dare to run away again else I had a death wish.

I had a feeling Zade had another motive aside from the one he revealed to me. Someone like him couldn’t be trusted at all, he was a literal devil, one that I loathed with everything within me.

After dressing up, I reminded myself that I’ll still figure this out no matter how tough it might get for me. With that in mind, I stepped out of the bedroom and walked right into the room next to me, which belonged to Ella.

Ella.

Zade’s niece.

My heart ached in my chest as my eyes settled on her. She was being fed breakfast by her nanny, and she was clutching a doll tightly against her chest.

As I walked towards where they were seated, as soon as her eyes landed on me, she was beaming brightly and throwing her little hands in the air.

“Mommy!”

My heart stuttered in my chest before it squeezed tightly and for a moment, my eyes stung with tears. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to that.

The grin on my face right now wobbled as I got to her side and picked her up, then I rocked her against my chest.

“Hi, baby Ella.” I crooned in a quiet voice, staring into her large blue eyes which were filled with so many winders as she looked up at me.

“Mommy.” She said again, her eyes bright and I nodded, feeling extremely horrible on the insides that I was lying to her.

But it was only because I had no choice.

“Yes, Ella. It’s mommy. Mommy’s here now.” I murmured as I stroked her chest. She rested her head against my chest as her eyes fell close and I continued to rock her around.

I was thankful that she wasn’t crying today like she did yesterday. Although, a little part of me had hoped she’d not call me ‘mommy’ today, so Zade could see no use for me and decided to discard me. But I had quickly discarded that thought because if Zade sees no use for me, he’ll return me back to prison, and no matter how horrible Zade is, being forced to get into a contract marriage with him was way better than being locked up in prison for another two years.

I was still rocking Ella when the door suddenly opened, and Zade’s cologne filled up the room immediately before I turned around to stare at him. The sight of him made me swallow emptily as a small shiver rolled down my spine, there was something unreadable in his eyes, which I couldn’t recognize, then he was walking towards me in the next moment and stroking Ella’s cheek once he was at my side.

I swallowed emptily again and tried not to breathe his cologne in, but it was impossible since he was standing so close to me, that I could feel his body heat.

“Hello, Angel.” He cooed down at Ella, a beautiful grin on his face that knocked the breath out of my lungs.

Since we crossed paths again, this is the first time I’d be seeing him smile, which made him look completely different than the imposing and ruthless tycoon that he currently is.

The smile reminded me of the one he usually gave me while teasing me relentlessly, when we were still young.

Ella offered him a smile and the sight warmed my heart.

So, she could indeed hear. She just refused to speak, till I showed up.

Why is that? I haven’t the slightest idea.

After I returned her to the nanny, I waved at her and Zade kissed her head, then we stepped out of the room together, a tense silence between us.

As I walked behind him, I was reminded of the little argument that transpired between us last night and how he trapped me against the wall.

I ended up shoving the thought away, feeling irritated at myself for even thinking about that again.

“So, what’s gonna happen now?” I asked once we arrived in the sitting room.

“We’ll start planning a wedding now, which would take place in a week.” He responded bristly, his voice cold.

I swallowed emptily as dread curled within me. Married on paper was one thing, but having a wedding and all was a different thing entirely.

“Do we have to hold a wedding?” I muttered and his eyes brightly narrowed at me.

“Absolutely, and it needs to be very big.” He paused before continuing. “We’ll go ring shopping today.”

“I don’t want a big wedding.” I mumbled and he scoffed out a laugh.

“Well, too bad you don’t have a say in this situation. We’ll start appearing in public as soon as possible so a sudden marriage wouldn’t seem out of place.” He pointed out and my eyes widened in shock at his second sentence.

He was gonna start appearing in public with me?

I was beyond shocked by that because that’s something I hadn’t even thought about, but like Dave, I had assumed Zade wouldn’t want to appear in public with me to avoid ruining his image with my presence being linked to him in any way.

I begged Dave to take me out with me after leaving prison but he never agreed despite all my insisting. But now Zade was willing to do that, without me asking, but at what cost?

I was still deep in thoughts when his next words pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Now, I’ll give you the list of rules you’re to follow on moving forward.” He announced and I let out a silent groan.

Before he could begin, my phone rang in my pocket and I frowned as I pulled it out, wondering who it could be because no one calls my phone after getting it back since I left prison.

I glanced at the phone screen.

My eyes widened in surprise, before a strong wave of hatred came over me.

It was Dave.

That scheming bastard!

Why was he calling me?

I ignored the call till it stopped ringing, then I focused on Zade again.

“First, you’ll never step into my bedroom no matter what.” He began and I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. Why the fuck would I want to do that?

“It’s only a contract marriage on paper and nothing else. There’d be nothing like sex or love between us, always keep that at the back of your mind.” He continued and I pursed my lips as I folded my hands.

“Of course. I want nothing of that either.” I pointed out and his eyes narrowed at me again before he continued.

“You’ll never reveal to anyone that this is a contract marriage. To the Public, we’re in love and that’s how it would be.” He continued and I coughed awkwardly as I nodded.

In love my foot.

“In public, I’d get handsy with you.” He explained and my eyes widened as he began to walk towards me. My heart hammered against my ribs as I took a step backward but he stepped forward as well, taking a step forward as I kept taking a step backward, till my back was flushed against the wall and he towered over me.

He tilted my chin up and I swallowed emptily as he continued to speak. “I’ll come this close to you in public.”

His hand moved from my chin to my shoulder, then down my back to settle on my waist.

“I’ll touch you like this in public at all times. To them, I can’t get enough of you and vise versa,”

I was breathing hard and was too jilttery to get a word out and all I kept doing was to nod after nod.

He leaned down and I tried to avert my gaze, but his second hand settled on my chin, holding my head in place as he continued, his voice lowered. His face was so close to me this time, and his breath hit my mouth this time.

“In public, I’ll kiss you, and you’ll go along with it since we’re supposed to be happily married.”

“O- okay.” I squeaked out, wanting him to finally move away from me because it feels like I couldn’t breathe with him being this close to me.

At that moment, my phone rang again and he finally pulled away, demanding who it was.

I was breathing hard and my hand shook a little as I fished my phone out from my pocket, and the caller turned out to be Dave again.

“It’s- it’s my ex husband.” I breathed out, my voice sounding high pitched than usual.

A scowl appeared on his face as he spoke.

“Answer it.”