CHAPTER 17

"Hey, Tata Marie, I'm here. How are you? It's been a while since I last visited..." Bryle spoke to the grave of someone with an unfamiliar name. He called her 'Tata', meaning she was like an aunt or a respected elder, likely a nanny or someone close to him. I smiled softly, touched by how Bryle showed respect and care for this person, despite her being just a household help...

Bryle glanced at me and continued speaking to the grave, "I have someone with me, Tata Marie, Felicity—my wife..." I nudged him, thinking he was crazy for expecting her to believe our fake marriage story even if she was dead. I gave him a disapproving look, prompting him to clarify, "Fine, fine, not yet. She's not my wife yet, but it's on my plan to make her one…for real."

"Bryle," I called his attention, but he ignored me.

"I have a lot to tell you, Tata Marie, but I'll save it for my next visit. I only came by to introduce you to Felicity, before we head to where we're going. I hope you'll be happy about this news." Bryle brushed off the grave and placed a—candy? "Here, your favorite candy. I'll bring you more next time I visit."

"Bryle." Bryle turned to me with a questioning look. We were walking back to his car at a leisurely pace and told him, "I'm going home now."

"Why?"

"I just need to get something, I'll be back to your place tomorrow." After saying that, he didn't respond.

We arrived at a hotel, which surprised me—we'd been here before when he got my finger measured for a ring. I followed him in silence, not bothering to ask questions. We stopped in front of the elevator and waited for it to open. A moment later, the doors slid open, revealing a woman who assisted with pressing the elevator buttons.

"Buon pomeriggio, a che piano vorrebbe andare?" (Good afternoon, which floor would you like to go to?) the woman asked.

"Eleventh floor," Bryle replied. The woman nodded and pressed the button for our destination.

I stood silently, staring at our reflection in the elevator doors, feeling somewhat bored as we hadn't spoken. The elevator soon reached the eleventh floor. As before, I followed Bryle, curious about where we were heading. We stopped at a large black door, and he knocked briefly; the door opened promptly. A library-like room unfolded before us, lined with books. A man, who appeared to be in his mid-40s, sat at a desk to the left.

"Buon pomeriggio, ho un appuntamento con l'avvocato." (Good afternoon, I have an appointment with the lawyer.) As he provided the information, the man seemed to expect him.

"Sì, signor Caje, vero? Ti sta già aspettando nella stanza 2." (Yes, Mr. Caje, right? He's already waiting for you in room 2.) The man responded, gesturing toward the room he mentioned.

Bryle didn't respond, continued to walk, and I just followed again. We headed to a room labeled "Room 2"; he knocked before opening the door. A fairly plain office greeted us: a desk, chair, laptop, two couches facing the desk, and a man in his mid-30s holding papers. What were we doing here? I winced, following Bryle's lead. He sat on the couch, so I did the same.

"Buonasera, pensavo che non sareste potuta venire." (Good evening, I thought you wouldn't be able to come.) The man seated in the chair began talking,

"Dovevamo partecipare ad un'altra riunione, ci scusiamo per il ritardo." (We had to attend another meeting, sorry for the delay.) Bryle replied.

"Hai portato dei testimoni con te?" (Did you bring any witnesses with you?) The man's question prompted me to furrow my brow. What was he talking about? Witness? Why would we need that?

"Sì," (Yes.) Bryle replied, and moments later, a knock at the door drew my attention. It opened, revealing two people: Aeun's bored face and Mr. Valzae, Bryle's best friend. My curiosity grew more. What were they doing here?

"Vuoi che inizi prima con la cerimonia?" (Do you want me to start with the ceremony first?) The man's question pulled my attention back to him.

"Non ce n'è bisogno, procediamo direttamente a ciò che dobbiamo fare." (No need, let's proceed directly to what we need to do.) Bryle replied, glancing at his watch.

"Va bene, cominciamo." (Alright, let's get started.) The man read something, and it dawned on me: we were about to get married—on paper. He placed the contract in front of Bryle and me. It was thick with pages; Bryle signed without hesitation.

"Hey..." I whispered, prompting him to look at me. "You didn't even tell me you were planning this."

"Is it really necessary?" he asked back, deadpan, making me grimace at his reaction. Necessary? Of course! I looked clueless! He had a plan, which I just rode on!

Like what he did, I just signed the papers in front of me. We exchanged papers, and I signed again. After handing them back, the man shook our hands. As we were wrapping up, I turned to Aeun, calling my attention. She approached me, pulling me aside, "Are you sure about this?"

"I-I'm okay with it, we had a deal, so I should stick to it." I awkwardly smiled, trying to assure her, and not to give me her lecture.

"Make sure of it, Eli." Her expression turned serious, then she sighed, "Best wishes to both of you." I didn't respond but instead, I grimaced. Her "best wishes" made me feel... irritated.

"Ms. Lee," I turned at Mr. Valzae's sudden call. "Congrats, best wishes to you and my best friend." He smiled warmly. I scratched my chin, forcing a laugh.

"Don't call me Ms. Lee, uhh, just Eli..." I awkwardly smile. He nodded, flashing a charming grin.

"Is that so? Call me Vale, we're friends now right?"

"Of course, Vale,"

"Great! So, Eli, my friend—take care of my best friend, okay?"

"I'll head out first, see you at the office tomorrow." Aeun interrupted Vale from talking, and she said goodbye. I nodded, waving at my best friend.

"Uh, yeah, maybe me as well... I'll head out too! Bye! Mr. & Mrs. Caje!" He waved, following Aeun out. I sighed, stealing a glance at Bryle. Still annoyed he didn't inform me. No prep for this occasion...

"Let's go," I turned to Bryle as he suddenly spoke. "Hurry up, I'll drop you off at your place."

"Huh?" I asked, confused. He turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

"Do I need to repeat what I said just for you to understand?" he asked, turning away. "Let's go. You need to rest; you look stressed." I sighed, following him with no other choice.

When we arrived at my house, I exhaled, looking at him. "Come inside first," I offered, but he shook his head quickly.

"Felicity," he said my name seriously, stopping me. I met his gaze, puzzled. "Have a good night." He leaned in, kissing my cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Wife." He turned, walking to his car. I stared blankly until he drove off, leaving me standing there. My hand instinctively went to my cheek where he'd kissed me. My heart was racing... What did that mean? I swallowed hard, squeezing my eyes shut.

Calm down, Felicity... This is nothing...​