CHAPTER NINE

“ Rule number 1, we must act as a couple in public”

“Rule number 2; you are not to resume your life as “Riann”

“Rule number 3; In private you are to maintain a 3 feet distance from me, unless I permit you to do otherwise”

Rule number 4; There will be no sexual relationship—

Sharon stashed what was left of the squeezed document inside her drawer without reading it entirely. Her life just got a lot more miserable.

“He’s insane!

“He's a demented narcissistic control freak!”

So he expects me to follow a script now?

Sharon dabbed more concealer on her face before finishing up with her blush

Sharon was angry, but she didn't want to be the one to ruin the mood on their first date.

She wore a black floral mini dress and silver heels. All of a sudden she began to fancy heels because they made her feel tall, powerful.

At the point she was at, she needed those things that boosted her confidence, no matter how subtle they were.

Luca Pavilochenki was not an easy man to contend with.

Her hair had been straightened and curled again so it had a nice layered look.

Her butterfly necklace glittered like the engagement ring on her finger.

She picked up her phone and tilted the screen like she was making a video

“ Oh get ready with me guys as I pretend to be the happily engaged, soon to be married wife of Luca Pavilochenki! The king of all assholes and my arch nemesis”

The door was pushed open.

“ Have you forgotten to knock? Or was it so important you had to interrupt my—”

“Clap”

“Clap!”

His palms graced each other as the last one echoed

“Clap”

“I never knew you had this much drama in you”

His voice was deep and disgustingly sexy

Her eyes traced the bulge of his Adams apple.

She was hit immediately by his cologne, one that was becoming too familiar. It sent a chilling wave of nostalgia through her.

He was tall, dark, broad, masculine and devilishly handsome —

He was Luca Pavilochenki

He was her fiancé, and the asshole she just finished describing

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

“How—, why are you—”

“I came to pick you up, but your father insisted I come see you in your room.

Absurd isn't it?

The man so desperately wants me to fall in love with this

Whore—”

The blush that appeared on her face immediately he entered the room disappeared instantly.

Luca wasn't wrong. Well she wasn't a whore but what difference did it make?

Mr Hillary Gray wanted more power and influence. The icing on the cake would be that the heir to the Pavilochenki dynasty was actually genuinely interested in her.

Enough for her to be used as his business card, one that would sway the tides of preference to his side with just a kiss on her husband's head.

Sharon could felt Luca's cold gaze on her exposed thighs. Her dress wasn't indecent, it wasn't the dress. It was her—

“I'm done, we can leave”

Sharon's head was bowed. All the self confidence she managed to gather before he showed up reduced by fifty percent

“Three feet” she mumbled to herself

Her heels clanking as she walked past him.

She felt a large hand invade and intertwine with hers.

His scent hit her nose and she felt something in the pit of her stomach

“I thought you said three feet”

Luca didn't say a word. He led her down the stairs, it was a long descent

Two minutes could feel like two years when Sharon was with Luca. Moisture coated her palms. He had never held her hand before. He was doing it now, in her house!

Coincidentally, Hillary Gray was standing at the entrance with another man. Apparently wiping invisible dust off his watch.

Him and Sharon made eye contact for a split second, and she could almost read his thoughts at that moment.

It was almost as if he was proud of her, proud of her?

For what exactly?

Then she remembered Luca was holding her hand. Could it be that he was aware of her position in her family? Could it be that he was compassionate enough to care about it and try to better it?

Luca led her into his car and opened the door. Arman greeted her respectfully.

“I don't believe I have made a formal introduction. Arman meet Sharon Gray, Sharon meet Arman.

There was a long pause that followed.

Whoever this man was, he was important to Luca. He wasn't just his driver.

Luca trusted him enough to be raw and plain with her. He didn't even attempt to filter his words the last time they spoke.

It was like Luca didn't think her important enough to save her face from this “man”

Sharon looked at Luca who was now sitting as far away from her as he could.

Couple culture and common courtesy demanded he sat at the back with her. But she could imagine how many mental strings he had to tug to pull it off.

Luca took out a sanitizer and a napkin and disinfected the hand that held hers.

Sharon watched in awe.

“I guess I should thank you”

“For what?”

Luca gave her a cold stare

“You held my—”

“The man who had tea in your house this morning was paparazzi, two others were stationed outside the house.”

“Oh, I had no idea”

Sharon fidgeted in her seat. The atmosphere from that time, to the end of the drive became cold and stark

And indifferent

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

They arrived at a five star restaurant.

On impulse, Sharon slipped her hand inside his and he led her inside.

Heads turned as they walked. Three bodyguards had been stationed outside the restaurant already.

The owner of the restaurant greeted them warmly

“Mr and Mrs Pavilochenki, it's such a pleasure to welcome you into this fine establishment. I do hope that you enjoy every part of it”

“Oh we will they responded”

The restaurant had an Italian theme and the meals served were beautiful.

However, Sharon lost appetite on sight. Her stomach churned and she only managed to have two bites.

“Is anything the matter love? Are you alright”

For some reason, Luca's romantic side was more convincing than it should have been. Even Sharon was confused at that moment.

“No I'm alright, it's fine”

Luca took her hand and put it on his lap

“What's your favourite food?”

“I think it's, it's —”

He soothed the back of her hand with his index finger, then toyed with the engagement ring

“I love anything with tuna!”

Luca signalled the waiter and muttered something incoherent to her.

In less than a minute, he was back with a dish she would die to eat on a normal day.

He said the name and all, but she wasn't paying attention.

Luca noticed

“Open your mouth”

Sharon thought she had heard wrong.

But then she looked up and Luca was holding a fork full of fish and it was on its way to her mouth

His eyes were looking straight into hers, they hypnotized her.

Her lips parted and before she knew it, she was chewing, and eating.

Did he just feed her?

He did it again, and Sharon had to come to terms with it.

“How does it taste?”

“It's good”

“Would you like to have more?”

Sharon nodded, then a blush found its way to her face

“Say ahh”

Okay now he was taking it too far.

Of course they would be on the news, for “PDA couple of the year!”

She opened her mouth and took it.

If only she could use the fork to stab him to death, all her problems would end.

She felt something in her stomach struggle to get out. A wave of nausea swept through her.

“I'm sorry I need to use the bathroom”

“Go ahead”

If there was a prize for elegance in distress, it would definitely go to her.

The toilets were sparkling, it was a five star restaurant after all.

She puked out what she could in the sink.

Her stomach rumbled, she puked out more.

She let the water run as she rinsed her mouth. But her stomach wouldn't rest.

There was something unsettling about it all.

Sharon looked at her reflection in the mirror. She touched her face, then her hands gripped her stomach.

“Am I —”

“Could I be”

“Pregnant ?”