Semua Bab A Marriage of Convenience: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Dinner wrapped up around ten. Natalie didn’t stay the night—she and her niece Heidi had booked a hotel nearby. She had too much bottled up, and Sterling’s house definitely wasn’t the place to let it out.The moment they got into the car, she started venting.“That couple’s really putting on a show. COME ON! after two years apart, no way they’re still that lovey-dovey. Totally just faking it for the family.”Heidi, still reluctant to leave, had barely exchanged a few words with Raphael. He looked even more handsome and mature than she remembered—every move he made just screamed authority. If only that woman wasn’t always standing next to him…“Maybe… maybe Raphael really does like her,” Heidi muttered, sounding deflated but clearly unwilling to accept it.“You’re just as good as she is, if not better,” Natalie said, gently patting her niece’s hand.“You became a lawyer all on your own, and you’re gorgeous. If Sarah had had half a brain and played matchmaker for you two back then, you

Since Raphael came back from Australia, they’d barely exchanged thirty sentences total. Grace wasn’t a quiet person by nature—HELL, she loved chatting with her friends. But whenever she was around Raphael, something made her want to keep her guard up. She refused to act like she was just dying to talk to him.Tonight felt different though. There were some rules, some boundaries she needed to make clear. Even if they were just… partners in name, she wanted everything laid out.Grace sat up on her knees, arms folded across her chest. She looked dead serious—still a bit sulky, of course. Her lashes lowered slightly as she took a breath."You know, our marriage..." She paused. The words “fake marriage” were right on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them out loud. "...We’re not like a regular couple. But I still think we should get some things straight."Raphael nodded, gaze calm. "Alright. I’m listening."The fact that she wanted to talk to him already came as

Grace had drifted off, only to wake again what felt like minutes later. The room was still dark, heavy curtains blocking out any hint of light. She had no idea what time it was, just that she hadn’t slept long.Still half-asleep, she caught the faint sound of footsteps and cracked one eye open. Raphael was stepping out of the walk-in closet, adjusting his tie. The soft light from the dressing room spilled into the bedroom, casting a warm glow around him.Seriously? she thought. They’d been up talking until 2:30 a.m., and here he was, already dressed, fresh as ever, ready for work like he’d just had a full night’s rest. She was convinced he had a rechargeable battery implanted in his back or something.He finished with the tie, then started smoothing out his sleeves—unhurried, precise.Grace’s face was half-buried in the pillow, but one eye stayed open, trailing lazily down his body. From the way his shirt hugged his torso, there wasn’t an ounce of fat under there. Her gaze dipped low

Near the end of the workday, Grace’s phone buzzed with a message."Whatcha up to?""There's a get-together tonight, wanna come? Just a few of us girls."Well, well. Dana was calling her out—publicly, no less—tagging her in their group chat with a few mutual friends.Grace usually showed up at these kinds of things. Partly to kill time, partly to scope out what the other rich girls were wearing lately—always good for design inspo. But lately, her creativity was flowing, and she had zero interest in a night of overpriced drinks and shallow gossip."Nah, my hubby’s waiting for me at home," Grace replied."DON’T PLAY DUMB. Your hubby and my hubby are both at the same cocktail thing tonight."Grace stared at the message, wanting to slap Dana through the screen. She jabbed her reply back onto the keyboard:"Ugh, I just want him to see me the moment he walks through the door, y’know?""Ew. Gross. I just got chills," Dana shot back. "Anyway, something real interesting’s gonna go down tonight.

The man walked over, clad in a perfectly tailored suit, shoes polished to a mirror shine—an utter gentleman who stood in stark contrast to the shirtless, gyrating men onstage. And just like that, Grace realized why those dancers hadn’t moved her at all: she stared at Raphael’s ridiculously handsome face every day.With his commanding presence, Raphael strode straight to her booth and locked eyes with her, unflinching. The people between them instinctively stepped aside, leaving no obstacles.Whispers erupted around her. “Her husband is insanely hot.” “If I had a man like that, I’d never let him out of my sight.” “Every damn night.”All those shameless remarks filtered right into Grace’s ears, turning her cheeks crimson.One of her friends leaned in and whispered, “Your husband looks kinda pissed. Good luck.”There was concern—and a touch of sympathy—in her voice.Grace’s heart flipped. How did Raphael even know she was here? Did someone spot Dana and tip off Alex? And then Alex tol