All Chapters of Married to Mr. Hayes… Again: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Julia could barely sleep. Adrian's words kept replaying in her head. She sat up in her bed glancing at the clock. It was a little after three in the morning. She was considering Adrian's offer. She reached into the drawer next to her bed for a notepad and a pen. She began to write down the pros and cons of getting married to Adrian Hayes. He was the executive vice president of the company funding her research, and they’d had one reckless night together.If she married him, she wouldn't have to worry about her parent's decision. Then again, she'd have to maintain the image of Adrian Hayes's wife. That was too much of a responsibility. She tried to brush off the thought. Why was she even considering getting married to Adrian? She reminded herself time was running out and she needed to make a decision. She gently placed the notepad on her bedside table and fell back into bed. She shut her eyes and tried to get some sleep. Regardless of her current problems, she still had to fulf

Adrian and Julia stepped out of the courthouse and into the glaring afternoon. Julia stared at the small black velvet box still in her hand. It was a pear-shaped diamond set on a gold band. She looked at it for a second longer before placing it in her bag. "You should put that on." "I'm heading back to the lab. Where's yours anyway?" Adrian looked at her. "I don't need one." "Well, if I'm going to be wearing one, you should too." "Fine." Adrian pulled out another velvet box from his pocket, opened it, removed the plain gold wedding band, and slipped it onto his finger.Julia had started to walk off when Adrian called out to her. "We'll drop you off at the university." Julia wanted to protest but decided against it. They were married now, no point in acting stubborn. A sleek matte black sedan pulled over in front of them. A man in a crisp black suit got out of the driver's side and held the door open for them. Adrian let her get in first before following behind as the driv

Julia slipped into her room and shut the door behind her with more force than she intended. She sat at the foot of her bed thinking of what to do next.Adrian had told her someone would be here by ten tomorrow morning to take her to the Hayes estate.She wondered whether it resembled her father's mansion—or if it was even grander. She had spent most of her life here and wasn't sure what it would be like living outside Reid Mansion.She'd find out tomorrow. Now, she needed to pack.She got up and walked to her closet, her gaze sweeping over the room. She didn't have a lot of items, thankfully. She mostly had work clothes, lounge sets, and pajamas.Her shoe collection was also minimal—three pairs of sneakers, two pairs of loafers, and two pairs of heels. Her life revolved around her research, so she only ever needed to go to the lab or attend a conference.For the daughter of one of the city's wealthiest families, she owned surprisingly few clothes. Her walk-in closet was practically

At exactly one-thirty that afternoon, Sebastian, Adrian's assistant, arrived at the Hayes estate. Adrian sat on the couch in the main wing's living room, reviewing legal documents for the meeting later that afternoon. His laptop rested open on the coffee table in front of him. The sounds of approaching footsteps caused him to lift his head. "Good afternoon, sir," Sebastian said as he stepped into the living room. Sebastian had been Adrian's best friend since high school. They had attended the same college overseas, and Adrian later invited him to work alongside him at Hayes Pharma & Biotech. Sebastian stood nearly as tall as Adrian, with light brown hair and dimples on both cheeks. He had a boyish charm that contrasted with Adrian's more mature features. "Seb, how are you?" he responded, a smile playing across his face. "I'm good, Dri. How's the wife?" Sebastian asked with a mischievous wink. Adrian managed a small smile. "She arrived this morning. She's down in her room, as

"How long have you guys known each other?" Jake asked.Adrian noticed Julia's posture tense at the question. "Three years," Adrian replied as he took Julia's hand in his and gave it an affectionate squeeze, causing Julia's eyes to widen for the briefest moment before she regained her composure. "Three years?" Jake repeated. "That's a long time ago. Wasn't that when you left Katie? Poor girl."Adrian suppressed a sigh, clearly irritated by Jake's antics. "That's not something we should be discussing.""Oh, really? Why not? You don't want her to know, do you?" Jake asked, resting his elbows on the dinner table.Adrian tapped a finger lightly against the table."Julia, do you know?" Jake asked, his gaze settling on Julia."I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Julia responded. "Come on, Dri. You're gonna do the same thing to her, aren't you?""Why is Jake even here?" Adrian asked his father.There was silence at the table. Aunt Janet and Brenda sat quietly, neither of t