That's my wife-to-be

The door of Jun's car slammed shut as he helped Amelia settle into the passenger seat. He rounded the car and finally slid into the driver's seat. Starting the car, he drove off into the night. His eyes glanced at Amelia, who seemed to be dozing off, her head nestled comfortably against the seat.

"Miss… Miss…" he called softly after reaching a red light.

"Yes?" Amelia woke up, her eyes still heavy with sleep, looking at him with a questioning expression.

"Ah… yes, the date," she muttered, sitting up straighter as her eyes gradually cleared.

"If I told you that I wasn't the one who accepted your apology, would you believe me?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"No," Lucas replied bluntly, restarting the engine as the light turned green.

"Then forget about having three kids, one is enough. I just need an heir," Lucas added, his voice unsteady.

"An heir…" Amelia's voice trailed off. "What if the first one isn't a boy?"

"We'll keep trying," Lucas said, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.

"Seriously?" Amelia snapped, her hand gesturing in frustration, causing Lucas to swerve slightly before pulling over to the side of the road.

"What? Do you think I'll marry you and then you won't fulfill your part?" Lucas asked, irritation creeping into his tone.

"My part? What part of mine would you be fulfilling, then?" Amelia countered, her voice tinged with defiance.

"I think we need to draw up a contract, listing everything we'll do, and then decide if it's worth it," Lucas suggested with a frustrated sigh.

"When did I agree to marry you?" Amelia scoffed loudly.

"You don't have a choice, I'm afraid. Your mom has been diagnosed with cancer, and she doesn't have much time left. She wants to see her grandchildren. Would you really deny her that when you're capable?" he asked, his approach shifting to appeal to her emotions.

"You—" Amelia was about to unleash her frustration when Lucas's phone rang. He quickly raised a hand to calm her and answered the call.

"Yes… What's wrong?" Lucas asked, his expression hardening as irritation seeped into his voice.

"Why? What did she say happened?" he pressed, his frown deepening.

"I'll be home soon," Lucas said firmly before ending the call.

He placed his hands back on the steering wheel, ready to start the car again, but a hand suddenly blocked his view. Amelia had removed the key from the ignition and held it tightly in her hand, glaring at him.

"And where do you think you're going?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Home," Lucas responded, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"With me?" Amelia retorted, her tone mocking.

Realization dawned on Lucas as he understood why she had stopped him. But instead of apologizing, he turned to face her, his gaze locking onto hers.

"Do you realize how much we could help each other with this marriage? It's a win-win situation. I'll admit you're attractive, and I'm, well, majestic. We're both well-off. You won't be disturbed. Your work is stable. And most importantly, while we're not friends, we won't be enemies either."

"So?" Amelia's voice was lower now, almost as if she was starting to agree with his words.

"Anything I do tonight, just go with the flow. Tomorrow, we'll discuss it all properly," Lucas said, his eyes pleading as he extended his hand toward Amelia.

Amelia studied him, her eyes scanning his face. She brought the key forward, but just as she was about to drop it in his hand, she pulled back and said, "Well… I'm hoping that doesn't only apply to you."

______________

A brand-new BMW drove through one of the Lucas Estates after passing the guard's inspection.

"So, I need you to just go along with whatever I do in there, or just kind of roleplay," Lucas reminded Amelia one last time as they approached his mansion.

"Even if you were about to get me killed?" Amelia asked, her voice light, though her eyes held a different look—one of lust. She found herself wanting to bury her nose in the neck of the man sitting in front of her, and strangely, his annoying requests didn't bother her as much as they should have.

Lucas sighed again and faced her, his eyes already pleading.

"Joking. Now don't pester me with that request again." Amelia said.

Lucas got out of the car and walked around to open Amelia's door. She stepped out and took in the sight of the enormous mansion before her.

"Wow…" she breathed out, genuinely impressed. Though she was friends with Emily, one of the top businesswomen in the city, Emily's estate couldn't compare to this. And this wasn't even the main Taylor estate; it was Lucas's own property.

Lucas walked forward, his steps commanding authority, and Amelia found herself following him. A man dressed casually came out to meet Lucas.

"Is she still in there?" Lucas asked, his gaze sharp as he looked at the butler, who nodded before glancing curiously at Amelia.

"That's my wife-to-be, and she's staying here tonight," Lucas said, taking Amelia by the hand and leading her inside.

Lucas entered his mansion, his stride confident as he led the way through the grand sitting room and up to the mini sitting room on the second floor. As they reached the room, they found a fair-skinned woman with dark wavy hair seated on a chair, engrossed in her phone.

"Oh…" Amelia's lips parted as she recognized Isabelle.

She knew her. Isabelle had once been rumored to be engaged to a CEO—though Amelia couldn't remember which one exactly. Now, seeing her here in a Taylor's mansion, everything clicked into place.

Amelia found a spot on one of the couches and settled down, her posture poised as she observed Isabelle. The movement must have caught Isabelle's attention because she finally looked up from her phone, her gaze locking onto Amelia.

Isabelle stood up, her face brightening with a smile as she moved to hug Lucas, but he stepped back, his expression darkening.

"What are you doing in my home? I'm certain I told you not to come here!" Lucas snapped, frustration evident in his voice.

"I just came to see you. Is that so wrong?" Isabelle replied, her voice trembling slightly.

"It is wrong because I have a guest tonight," Lucas said, gesturing towards Amelia. Isabelle's eyes followed his hand and landed on Amelia.

Finally, the reality of Amelia's presence seemed to hit her, and she turned back to Lucas with hurt in her eyes. "Who is she?"

"My girlfriend—who else do you think she is? I wouldn't just bring any woman to my home…" Lucas said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You're lying. You've done this before, just to push me away," Isabelle accused, a smile playing on her lips.

"So you know I'm trying to get rid of you, and yet you still stay? Are you a fool? Is your self-esteem that low?" Lucas spat out, glaring at her.

"I guess I'm right. This is just one of your stunts," Isabelle said with a laugh, moving towards Lucas again, but he took another step back.

With a resigned look, Lucas said, "I guess you won't leave until I show you."

He walked over to Amelia, and her eyes widened as he approached. She hadn't expected the drama she was watching from afar to come so close.

Looking directly into Isabelle's eyes, Lucas said, "This woman here is my wife-to-be, and I have no problem proving it."

As he said those words, he leaned in, and Amelia felt his lips press against hers. The drama she had been watching from a distance was now unfolding right on her skin.