Six

As I climbed the stairs, my headache throbbed. I had barely slept last night, and I was feeling the effects of jet lag. All I could think about was getting my hands on a glass of whiskey or hard liquor to ease my aching head.

As I reached the top of the stairs, I saw my mother coming out of the kitchen with a warm smile on her face. I tried to force a smile, hoping it would hide my discomfort.

"Good morning, Ma!" I said, trying to sound cheerful.

"How was your sleep?" Mama asked, her gaze fixed on me. I was torn between telling her the truth and pretending everything was fine.

But I decided to go with the latter. "It was good, Ma. Where's Papa?" I looked around, still adjusting to the feeling of wearing a dress and braiding my hair in the style of my twin, Cairen.

"Your father had to leave town to manage our grocery store and bakeshop," Mama said. "But go ahead and have your breakfast. I'll be leaving for town shortly."

I nodded and headed for the kitchen, but my smile faded as I saw who was seated at the table, eating as if he belonged there.

Zach Archer Del Fiore!

The mere mention of his name sends a wave of anger through me as I recall what he did two days ago. There he was, sitting comfortably at the kitchen table, scrolling through his phone while he ate his breakfast.

I yanked the chair out from under the table with a screech, startling Zach and grabbing his attention. He looked up at me with a charming smile, the kind that could make anyone giggle, and his face glowing like an angel with a devilish twist.

"Good morning, Cairen," he greeted me, and I scowled in response. I picked up my plate and began eating in silence.

"You look upset. Did you not sleep well?" Zach asked, his tone filled with concern. But I ignored him, not wanting to hear his excuses for what he did.

"Sorry for what happened two days ago. It wasn't my intention to tell your parents," he continued, but I cut him off with a sharp glare. Remembering how I was snarky and snobbish at him during our trip. I should be with my parents going in here. But they leave me early in the morning and Zach was waiting for me.

"I said stop talking," I warned him. It was too early in the morning to deal with his nonsense.

"You're upset, mad, angry, furious..." Zach started listing synonyms, but I interrupted him.

"It's all the same, Zach. Iffin! Just stop," I snapped, my patience wearing thin.

"Is that a swear?" he asked, feigning surprise. "Stop glaring at me, I'm just trying to be friendly." The broad smile on his face only fueled my irritation.

"Can I eat in peace?" I raised my voice, and he merely shrugged.

But my anger reached its boiling point, and I threw a hotdog at his face. "What the f*ck, Cairen!" he shouted, his annoyance clear.

"You're swearing," I noted with a smirk, feeling a sense of satisfaction as I watched Zach's expression turn sour. "Why don't you keep your mouth shut? You're ruining my breakfast."

His piercing gaze met mine, but I refused to back down. Zach leaned back in his chair, his scowl deepening. "You don't know why I'm here?"

I mimed zipping my lips, daring him to speak, but he remained silent, his eyes locked onto mine like arrows. As I finished my breakfast, I stood up and began washing my plate.

Zach followed me to the sink, a sense of urgency in his voice as he said, "I need your help."

Sighing, I glanced over at him. "Is it for a good cause?"

He hesitated, "Good cause, maybe?"

"Nah, not interested," I responded, resuming my task of washing the dishes.

"It's about marriage," he said, his voice serious. "Our marriage."

I stopped, my mind spinning as I tried to process his words. "What about it?"

Zach's grin was wide and confident, taking my breath away for a moment. He was too handsome, and it irritated me. That's why I didn't like him.

As Zach leaned against the counter, his arms crossed confidently over his chest, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his arrogant attitude. "I know you dislike the idea of marrying me," he stated, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "But everyone wants to marry me, right? Our families arranged this whole thing."

I let out a huff of annoyance as I placed my washed plate and utensils in the drawer. But just as I was about to turn away, Zach spoke up again.

"You promised," he said with a hint of challenge in his tone.

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him, my brow raised in disbelief. "Did I?"

Zach's brow furrowed as he stared at me, trying to decipher my reaction. "Yes, Cairen. You promised to help me with this marriage."

What promise? I dpn’t remember Cairen telling me about this. I felt the panic rising within me as I struggled to come up with an escape from this situation. My heart was racing, and I felt like I couldn't think straight. Just then, Zach stepped closer to me, his hand reaching out to touch my arm. I tensed up, waiting for the outburst, but it never came. Instead, he just stood there, silently waiting for my response.

I stared at Zach's face, and suddenly my cheeks felt warm. In this proximity, he was taking my breath away, and the thought of him was both stunning and dangerous. My heart raced with the knowledge that I needed to escape this situation.

"The promise," he said, his voice low and steady, "was to help me secure my inheritance by marrying me for two years. You gave me your word, Cairen. Are you changing your mind?"

"No!" I blurted out, taken aback. The promise was yet another responsibility that I had inherited from Cairen. How could she have made such a commitment without telling me?

My thoughts drifted to the past, to the memory of Cairen lying in bed, weak and tired. She had spoken to me, but at the time my mind was consumed with my own problems, and I couldn't focus on her words. I only remembered catching the phrase of her request for a favor.

"But you're planning on running away," Zach accused.

I frowned, my mind snapping back to the present. "Running away?" I asked, out of breath.

Zach gestured to the phone he had taken from his back pocket, and my heart sank as I realized it was my phone. "I read your message to Katana," he said.

"Why do you have my phone?" I demanded, snatching it from his hand. "This is not yours, and don't you know the meaning of privacy?" I was filled with annoyance, feeling violated by his invasion of my personal space.

As I gazed upon Zach, his arms folded defensively in front of him, my anger simmered just below the surface. He had the audacity to read my messages - my personal messages - without my permission.

"You read all my messages?" I cried out, clutching my phone tightly in my hand. My eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"No, not at all. I swear," Zach replied, holding up his hand in a gesture of innocence. "It was just the last message from your friend Katana."

"Liar!" I exclaimed, anger rising within me. "You have no right! This is my property, and no one should be reading my inbox without my consent." I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to lash out.

But I couldn't, not if I wanted to maintain the dignity and grace that came with being a lady.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Zach said softly, his gaze averted. "I was just curious. But you need to keep your promise, Cairen. You won't back out, will you?" He lifted his eyes to mine, searching for a response through his misty gaze.

Why was I feeling guilty for what was clearly not my fault?

As the sound of footsteps approached, I turned to see my mother entering the kitchen, her gaze fixated on the two of us. "I heard your scream, Cairen. What happened?" she asked, concern etched upon her face.

"Nothing, Ma, just a misunderstanding between Zach and me," I answered, my gaze falling to the double dutch chocolate ice cream my mother had taken out of the shopping bag. It was Cairen’s favorite flavor.

"I see, and Zach," my mother's voice echoed in the kitchen, "Why don't you help me bring the sack of rice and cartoon inside here? If you don't mind?"

Zach replied with a warm smile, "I will, Auntie," before making his way out of the kitchen.

I couldn't help but feel the weight of my mother's concerned gaze upon me. "Did you and Zach fight again?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

I hesitated before answering, "No, Ma, we're fine." The lie slipped from my lips easily, but it pricked at me inside, reminding me of the truth of who I was and what I was hiding.

My mother's squinting eyes lingered on me for a few seconds longer, as if she were searching for something in my words. But then she turned her attention to the bags on the table and gestured for me to help her. "If that's what you say, Cairen. Why don't you help me put this on the drawers?"

As we worked, Zach returned to the kitchen and joined us in putting away the groceries. Despite his usual jovial demeanor, he was quiet and reserved. As he placed the canned goods in a drawer near the refrigerator, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off between us.

Clearing my throat, I ventured to break the silence. "I am not running away," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "I promised you that two years ago, and I will keep my promise." The promise Cairen had made weighed heavily on me, and I didn't understand why I had agreed to it in the first place.

Zach stopped what he was doing and looked at me, a half-smile on his lips. "And I do as I promised," he muttered, "The bargain we made for this marriage." The words hung in the air between us, a reminder of the lies that bound us together.