*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," I promised while holding her up.
But as if she didn't like my promise, she immediately shook her head and said "No, no, no, don't tell anyone!"
Her head was hurt, so shaking her head only made her more uncomfortable, so I immediately stopped her, "Okay, okay! You calm down first!"
My reassuring words made her finally calm down, and I looked at the injury on her head with concern, but fortunately, no blood was left. Perhaps my calm expression made her misunderstand that I was angry, she explained in a whisper, "I'm fine, don't tell anyone, okay? That man is my husband."
She is really simple, she was bullied...
Wait! What did she say?
Her husband? Isn't that me?
***
The other side
“Miss Watson,are you alright?”Charlotte’s make up artist,Susan suddenly asked.
Charlotte looked up at her.”Yeah.Of course, I’m alright.”
“Just…You've been staring at your phone for a long time..." She cautiously reminded.
Charlotte sighed,heavily.”Oh, nothing. I'm waiting for a call and it looks like he's too busy today.”
Charlotte was about to go on stage. Once upon a time, Bennett would always remember her schedule and call to encourage her before she went on stage, but today, he didn't call.
“Sorry,ma’am. I'll come back in half an hour.”With that,Susan walked away.
Charlotte sighed,heavily. She simply couldn't concentrate on the thought of Bennett having a so-called temporary wife living in his home.
She trusted Bennett completely but she wasn’t so sure about the girl he had gotten married to.
Thinking about it, she couldn't resist and dialed the phone...
***
*MALIYAH*
The next morning
I woke up with a start, feeling a warm, strange sensation running through me.
Opening my eyes,I realized I was on a surface that was pretty unfamiliar to me.
And it moved up and down.
As I lifted up my head,my eyes dilated seeing that it was a man’s chest!
"Ah..." I almost couldn't hold back my scream!
Who is he? How could I be sleeping in his arms?
Stopping to think for a while,the previous day played out in my head.
God, it seems that I pulled him to keep him from leaving last night...
Thinking about it I looked into his face and he was the one who saved me.
His aquiline nose complemented his prominent cheekbones.
Handsome was an understatement to describe this man.
But I quickly realized that I couldn't do that. If my husband finds out, this man will suffer too! I had to leave quickly.
But before I could move his heavy hand, he woke up!
“How are you feeling?”A deep baritone voice made my whole body shiver.
"I'm... I'm fine, thanks," I said as I moved away from him.
He sensed my rejection and just got up and got out of bed without saying a word.
I don't know how much I said to him last night, but he said he was going to help me investigate. I had to stop him! I... I can't leave here, I've already paid that money to the hospital, and if they make me pay for it, I simply don't have the money.
" Well, that... Please pretend that nothing has happened. My husband..." He interrupted me before I could finish my sentence.
As he buttoned his shirt, he said, "I can't. I've seen the CCTV. The man you're talking about is probably Mason, I'll give you a photo so you can confirm."
I frowned. What's he talking about? He can watch the surveillance here? Who the hell is he?
“Who are you?”I asked,curiously.
His lips thinned and then he announced.”I’m Bennett Graham,your husband…I mean temporary husband.”
WHAT?!
*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
“She’s the daughter of a nobody?”Caleb asked,surprised.He was on the phone with one of his private investigators.“You mean to tell me her family isn’t well-known?”He asked again.“They aren’t.”He scoffed.This is bullshit.The Bennett he knows will not settle down with a nobody.He recalled one of the family dinners they had at Madam Valentina’s house some years back.Bennett had been questioned about his choice of a life partner and he simply said he wanted someone from the high society like he was,someone from a wealthy family whose social status will equally strengthen his.So why will he go against his perfectly planned-out life?“There’s more,sir.”“More?”“His wife was a maid at Madam Valentina’s house.”Caleb smirked finally getting the picture.He knew that marriage wasn’t real at all.Now he just had to get concrete evidence on what his mother and Bennett had going on.Seems he would have to pay his mother a visit.*********************MALIYAH*After being in this room for
*BENNETT*As soon as Esme brought the keys,I opened the door and stormed into her bedroom.I met her sitting on the floor in front of the bed.She was crying.When she lifted up her head to stare at me,my anger instantly faded.Tears mixed with mascara slid down her delicate cheeks and I have no idea why I feel like a terrible person right now.“Stop crying.”I ordered,calmly.She sniffed and wiped the tears away with the back of her hands.As if she thought of something painful,she started to cry more.Fuck!I slowly moved closer to her.“Stop crying.”I cooed,placing my hand on her shoulder.I have no idea what to do at this point.She was crying so sadly and it annoyingly made me feel sad as well.“I’m sorry.”I heard myself saying.”I’m so sorry.”And then,I pulled her into my arms.She buried her face into my chest and sobbed,softly.I slowly rubbed my hand on her back trying to pet her as much as I can.She feels so delicate in my arms,so small and I just want to keep holding her.I