*BENNETT*
I was about to start eating when my phone started ringing.
I smiled seeing it was a call from Charlotte.
“And my fiancé got married today.Should I congratulate him?”She began,sarcastically.
“Oh come on,babe.We already went over this.”
“Is she someone I should be worried about?”
“We trust each other,Charlotte.That’s all that matters.You do not need to worry about anything.”
“Put it on speaker,I want to talk to her.”Grandma said,excitedly.
As I did just that,Mason let out.
“It’s been months,Charlotte.I miss you.”
“Awwn.I miss you too.Tell me about the girl,is she beautiful?”
I shut my eyes,briefly.
Again with this.
“She is not and I will make sure she stays ugly.”Grandma replied.
Yeah,my grandma has always been like this.She talks down and look down on people from low society.
“Has she eaten?”I asked my grandmother who shook her head.
I blinked,incredulously.”She’s not completely a slave in here.If we do not treat her right,how do we expect her to cooperate in front of Mr Da Silva.”
“Fine,someone would send food to her regularly but she isn’t permitted to eat at this dining table.She might be saving your ass for a year but she shouldn’t forget her place.”
“Hellooo…I’m still here.”And that was Charlotte from the other end of the call.
“I’m sorry,baby.”Taking my phone with me,I walked out of the dining room to talk to her,privately.
I really wish she was my wife already.
I hate having to put up with another woman for a year.
***
*MALIYAH*
The next day
No one sent me my things.
No one.
I had made lots of requests for my stuff to be sent to me but they were totally ignored.
I’ve been in this house for two days now.I’ve not seen my husband since the night that I only caught a glimpse of his back.
It felt frustrating to just be in this room all day.
"How am I supposed to take a shower without my luggage?" I murmured. I had to walk in the direction of the bathroom where perhaps it was already prepared for me.
The bedroom had two bathrooms but I guessed one for meant for him and the other was for me.
Cheekily,I opened both bathrooms to see which one was bigger.It was obviously his.
I could tell which one was his because one had two bathrobes which definitely belonged to him and the other had not a single bathrobe.
There was not even a soap.
"This is too much..." I only dared to whisper my condemnation.
I had to go into the bathroom that belonged to my "husband" and take a nice bath with his shower gel. But since I didn't have a bathrobe or pajamas, I had to dry my clean clothes with a hair dryer and put on some damp clothes again.
After washing up, I walked to the door of my room again. From yesterday until now, I have not been able to get out of this room! This morning they had the good sense to bring me breakfast, but let me eat it in my room. I'm going to go crazy if I keep this up.
"I should be able to get out, right? It only says to keep me away from him, it doesn't say to keep me imprisoned." I stood up and slowly walked up to the door.
The place is even more gorgeous than I imagined, with every tile shining. Everywhere reeked of money...
I was about to walk outside. Suddenly, a hand grabbed me!
"Ah!" I screamed uncontrollably. Looking up,I saw a man smiling at me.
He had a dirty blonde hair but he was so good looking.
Was he perhaps my husband? I can’t remember him with a dirty blonde hair that night.
But the room was kinda dark that night so I wasn’t too sure what his hair color was.
“And Grandma said you weren’t pretty.Does it she even know what that word mean?”
Grandma?
He must be referring to Madam Valentina.
This has to be my husband,right?
“Come,you’re not allowed to leave your room yet.”He said,softly.
“Are you…em…I don’t know if it’s in my place to ask but I’m just curious.Are you my husband?”
We got back to the room and he nodded with a grin.
“Yes.” I was thinking my mysterious husband would be unapproachable,someone that I would be scared of talking to but right now,he looked so friendly.
“You’re beautiful.”He said to me and moved closer to me.
I blinked,minutely.
What was this sudden change in his facial expression?
“Get on the bed,my wife!”He ordered.
Madam Valentina had said intimacy wasn’t part of this.
I moved away from him,shaking my head in fear.
“No…”
“Don’t be shy.You’ll like this.”He cooed.
"Ah..." As I tried to run past him,he held me back and flung me onto the bed.
No! Not like this!
*MALIYAH*"No, no, no! I can't..." It's not in the contract! It's not what I expected!I kept struggling to get him away from me, but he wouldn't let me go. I just climbed off the bed and he held my ankles and wouldn't let go no matter how much I kicked him.He grabbed my hand and pressed me against his body. His erection prodded my buttocks.“Can you feel it? Feel how nice I can make you feel.”He growled. I don't want to feel this, I just agreed to be his temporary fake wife, I'm not a whore!“Let me go!”I thundered,struggling with him.“I can already feel how sweet you will be.”With that,he pushed me to the floor,slamming my head against it.“Argh.”I groaned,holding my head.That hurt so bad.“Please…please…”I tried to sit up.“No need to beg for it,baby.”He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants.He pushed me back down onto the floor and lifted my hands above my head,holding them firmly in place.As he began to kiss my neck,I gathered all the strength left in me and kneed him in the gro
*BENNETT*There were still tears that had not dried in her eyes, that set her off even more innocent and pitiful. Just like a simple little dove, one cannot help but want to protect and comfort her.Was this what unattractive meant to my grandma?I couldn't resist touching her face, but she quickly avoided my hand, still trembling continuously.“Please…please don’t take me to him.I don’t want that…I…won’t tell anyone he tried to do that to me.Please,just don’t take me to him.”She cried.Him? Who was she talking about? What did that man do to her?"Who..." I was just about to ask for clarification when I noticed her messy clothes, and she wasn't even wearing shoes. And with the hostile look in her eyes, I was almost sure of it. Someone was trying to bully her!I clenched my fists and kept filtering through my mind for possible people. I don't know why I'm so angry, maybe it's a man's nature, even if it's a fake wife, she can't be treated casually!"You get up first, I will investigate,
*MALIYAH*He completely ignored my surprise, dressed and headed out the door, and ordered the maid.“Esme, get her breakfast now.”With that,Bennett walked out of the bedroom.I stared at Esme,the middle-aged woman.“Good morning.”I greeted with a smile but she didn’t smile back.Instead,the look on her face hardened.“What will you like to eat,ma’am?”She asked,with a straight face.“You don’t have to call me ma’am.Maliyah’s fine.And I’m not a picky eater.You can serve me anything.”“Okay.”Bennett walked into the bedroom again,now clad in a suit.Oh boy.This man is hot.Too hot for my eyes.He handed me a picture.”Is that him?”I stared at it and dread filled me to recall the previous day.I slowly nodded.“That’s my cousin.I apologize again for yesterday.” He has apologized countless times, but it really has nothing to do with him."You'll be staying in this room from now on." He gave me this guest room to stay in, perhaps as a gift of apology.I nodded and smiled at him,gratefully.
Caleb walked into his son’s office to meet him looking gloomy.He eyed Mason,tentatively.Caleb Graham was one of the board members in Imperial Group,he was Bennett’s uncle and Mason’s father.It had never sat well with him when his elder brother took control over Imperial Group and when Bennett’s father died,he saw it as an opportunity to take back the group but then his mother,Madam Valentina kicked against it and instead made Bennett the CEO.“You still haven’t given me any feedback.”He began staring at Mason.Mason glanced at him and announced.”Well,the feedback is that I got kicked out of his house.I can’t believe he had my things sent to the company.”“What did you do?”Caleb scowled.Mason sighed.”I...I only tried to…”“That’s not even important.I warned you to follow his rules and do everything he wants.Then again,you spent months in his place,you must’ve discovered something.Any weakness of his?”Mason shook his head.”He has none.”Caleb scoffed.”What do you mean he has none?Ev
*MALIYAH*Kiss?Kiss him?That felt overly intimate to me.Bennett stuffed his hands into his pocket.“Do we really have to?”“Yes sir,this has to be seen as a happy and romantic union,right?”Running a hand through his hair,he turned to face me.I stared back at him wondering what to say or do.“Acting.We’re just acting.Consider this as part of the act.”He said,coolly.I’m not sure if he’s trying to convince me or himself.The camera men started moving around again,taking different shots from different angles.As he moved his head closer to mine,I felt a wave of heat hitting upon my cheeks.This was my first kiss.I can’t believe I’m getting kissed for the first time like this.And I’m supposed to consider my first kiss an act?!He wrapped his arms around me again.Boy,he is really good at this.He was staring at me so intensely that one might think we had some passion between us.His lips were almost touching mine now,his gaze seemed to fall on my lips as he looked down.My lips tre
*MALIYAH*My phone had been ringing nonstop in the morning.It was my mom and aunt both alarmed by what they had seen on the news.I had promised to go over to the hospital tomorrow and explain everything to them.Now I just have to work up the courage to tell Bennett that I need to leave the house.A knock sounded on my door.I got out of bed and opened up to see him,standing there in casual wears that still managed to make him look like the coolest man I’ve ever seen.“Living room.Now!”And then,he turned and started walking away.I quickly hurried after him.He got seated on a couch and crossed his leg while I awkwardly sat on a sofa.“Like I told you before,I need a wife to close a business deal.Next week,you’ll officially meet him for the first time.”I blinked.”Who?”“An Italian,a very powerful and wealthy Italian that I need to partner with.He’s going to have doubts about this union.He might think I married you to secure the deal with him and I have to make him think otherwise.I
*BENNETT*The evening ended on a good note.Pedro and his wife were pleased.He even informed me he would be coming to my company tomorrow to go over some paperworks.I am overjoyed.Things are going just the one I wanted.The way I wanted until a head leaned against my shoulder.I glanced down at a sleeping Maliyah.She might be so young yet she had charmed Aurora,immediately.She’s a pretty good actress herself and I’m impressed.Her hair was covering her face so I gently brushed it aside to see her face.What was it about her?What was it about her that was so unsettling?Realizing I was having thoughts I shouldn’t be having,I gently pushed her head away from me and made her lay her head on the window instead.She’s 19.There’s quite an age gap between us.Plus,she’s not my type.The only person I can picture myself spending my life with is someone from a high society,someone experienced in every area of life.I already have someone who’s suitable for me.Why the heck do I need to re
*BENNETT*I walked passed Maliyah’s door and stopped,wondering what she was up to.I had just gotten back from work and I have no idea why I’m curious to know how she spent her day.Perhaps,I could ask her to eat with me at the dining table tonight.It’s interesting watching her talk and talk.Deciding to freshen up first,I headed off to my bedroom.Walking into my dressing room,I took off my jacket and my watch.As I placed the watch on the compartment,I notice the case close to it was empty.Frowning,I moved closer to it and notice that it was really empty.I am not a careless person at all.I always keep my stuff organized.Perhaps,I had kept it somewhere else.Wondering when I had become forgetful,I searched around the dressing room but there was no sign of it.I walked into my bedroom and started opening the drawers,even checking under the bed.If I were to misplace anything,it shouldn’t be that.I have always been careful with it.I barely wear it because I didn’t want it to ever