CHAPTER EIGHT

SHARON'S POV

“I thought fiancée's were supposed to be trying out wedding dresses, not shopping for strange looking necklaces”

“I—”

There it was, Sharon was speechless. How the hell did he figure out it was her? How wouldn't he? They slept together after all

“Well I had to improvise a strategy to hide my fiance's abusive choking tendencies”

Luca looked menacingly into her eyes.

“You realise we're in public right?”

Sharon twitched nervously

“ I didn't realise I was that loud—”

“Come with me at once”

It sounded nothing short of an order

“I'm not going to, I have to pay for my things. And I don't think I want to”

Luca sighed and looked her deathly in the eyes.

Then he picked up his phone and texted someone.

In a few seconds, the cashier abandoned her waiting customers and half skipped to where they were standing with a receipt in her hand and a bag to package the jewellery

“Thank you, come again” she said while giving Sharon the receipt for the two necklaces she didn't purchase. Then the woman greeted Luca and walked back to her station

“I— I don't understand”

Luca darted back his eyes to her and uttered his command a second time

“Come with me”

On impulse, her legs began to move, until she was seated at the back of his Range Rover.

“I have my own car”

“I don't give a shit!”

There was silence. Arman was driving the car, and Luca was seated at the front.

“Tell me miss Gray, does this seem like a joke to you?”

“I don't understand what you're saying”

“Our marriage, does it seem like a joke?”

“Well— No”

“Do you realise that by leaving your house, and wearing a stupid disguise to do the most random things, you give off an ambiguous interpretation of what this all is?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don't play that fucking game with me. If you're caught, what would the public think? What would they say about my family?”

Of course he was worried about his family, he could care less about hers

“There are news reporters everywhere, you have to be more reasonable”

Sharon groaned

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. But she wouldn't be there in the first place if not for him.

Luca stared at her reflection from the mirror in the car

He opened a suitcase beside him, brought out a document and a box and handed it to her

“What's this?” Sharon asked as she reluctantly collected it

“A new phone, and my terms and conditions”

“A new phone? Terms and —

I don't remember losing my phone recently. Even if I did, I would get a new one myself”

Like I said earlier, I don't give shit. It is important that you keep your track record as spotless as possible for this union to work out, without causing a scandal that will ruin the Pavilochenki dynasty.

Because of your duplicitous behaviour, this phone is a fresh start. It is enabled with a tracking device

My phone number is saved as “hubby”—for public reasons that is”

Sharon's face was twisted in confusion

“ I don't know what to make of all this. You're tracking me now?”

Her attention drifted to the man driving the car.

She felt uncomfortable, that he had to hear all what Luca was saying

“Yes I'm tracking you, for security reasons”

“And the document, what's it for”

“We're getting married in a week, and we have to make an appearance in public as a couple

At least twice before that time”

You do understand what that means right?

“Yeah whatever, we have to go on a date in some popular restaurant and in grand style before the wedding.”

“We're going on a date tomorrow, I'll text you the details”

Sharon stared at him for seconds without uttering a word

“Don't get the wrong idea, It's for the headlines. I utterly, completely —”

“You loathe me! You've said it before”

Arman basically drove round long enough for them to have that conversation and dropped Sharon back at the boutique where her car was parked.

As she endured the ride back home, she couldn't help but wonder what the contents

of the document, his “terms and conditions” were

Alongside her curiosity was the painful realisation that she would have to go out with her arch nemesis husband the next day

“Well” Sharon sighed

“At least the necklace was pretty”

**************

In a dimly lit room faintly illuminated by candles, Mr Rufus Pavilochenki sat at a corner with his head bowed.

The faint flicks of candle light made the exquisite paintings have a unique yellow glow. It was aesthetic.

There was the smell of incense and alcohol, and Mr Pavilochenki held a glass in his hand.

There was a calculated knock on the door, one that was familiar only to Mr Pavilochenki and whoever was on the other side of the door

Mr Pavilochenki raised his head

“Come in”

A young man opened the door and walked in. He bowed to acknowledge the old man seated.

“Grandfather, you shouldn't be here, and you shouldn't be drinking”

Mr Pavilochenki looked at the young man in front of him and chuckled.

“If alcohol was going to kill me, I would have been dead years ago. Have a seat Donald”

Donald took the only other available seat next to his grandfather

“This was my wife's favourite room, she used to come here and sit in silence, just like this”

“Did you ever figure out why?”

Mr Pavilochenki adjusted his seat

“My grandson has refused to talk to me since his engagement dinner. He's stubborn, but he knows how important this is. I trust that he wouldn't disappoint me”

Donald gave him a nuanced smile

After everything, Mr Pavilochenki still preferred Luca.

I have made significant progress grandfather. It seems Miss Gray has a dubious friend, one I’ve become quite familiar with.

Mr Pavilochenki nodded

“ This friend of hers, how close do you think she is to miss Gray”

“Very close”

Donald smiled. “ I even have the evidence to prove it”

Donald reached into the front pocket of his suit and brought out a mini folder of pictures.

Claire, Sharon and Claire, Sharon—

Mr Pavilochenki examined the pictures thoroughly

A small smile appeared on Mr Pavilochenki's face.

“There's more than one way to win this game—”