Chapter 4

Adrian's POV 

A minute passed. She cleared her throat and responded, “Fine. I'll marry you but I'm doing this only for my daughter.” 

A smile graced my lips, “Good. I knew you'd make the right decision.”

“What do you stand to gain with this union anyway?” she asked, staring at me in confusion. “You’ve been fine without a wife all these years.”

“I'm doing this for Blackwood Organisation,” I replied, mimicking her tone. “I'm doing this for the staff whose families depend on us for their daily bread. I'm doing this to uphold my family's legacy. So you see, there's not much difference between us.”

She scoffed, “Don't flatter me, Sir. There's a big, glaring difference between us. For one, I wouldn't marry anyone if I didn't love him.” she blurted out then clapped her mouth shut in surprise. 

I chuckled, “Well you just shot yourself in the foot, Sarah. Newsflash, you're getting married to me, tomorrow evening.”

“What?!” her brown eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Why... Who... I…” she stuttered then flung her hands up in frustration, “Tomorrow's too sudden. I need time to process this huge decision that I've made. Plus, I still need to inform Nora that her mummy who has never brought any man home, is suddenly getting married.”

“How about your parents? You should tell them too. I'm sure they’d be surprised at first but that would pass once they find out you're getting to America's most handsome billionaire bachelor.” I said smugly. 

Her expression turned grim. “What is it? Did I say something wrong?” I asked, concerned at her sudden change in mood.

“My parents are dead,” she replied. Pain flashed in her eyes. I gasped, “Oh, goodness! I didn't know that's I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that.”

She waved me off, “It's fine. It happened a long time ago. Can I go back to work now, Sir?” she asked, avoiding my eyes. 

“No. You're not going to be working for me there anymore. I'll send a replacement to fill in your position tomorrow. Also, you need to work on calling me by my first name and not Sir.” 

She hesitated then said, “I'll try.”

I inched towards her, “How about you start now? Practice makes perfect.” I added, lowering my voice. 

She swallowed nervously, her eyes fixed on her sandal-clad feet. “Sarah?” I called out, tipping her chin up. 

“Ye…Yes?” she stuttered.

“What's my name?” 

“Adrian,” she replied. 

I smiled, liking the way my name sounded on her lips, “See? That wasn't so hard after all.” I took a step backward, resisting the urge to draw her close to me and inhale her scent of lavender that wafted across my nostrils. 

“We need to leave now. My driver is waiting for us downstairs.” I grabbed my phone from the table and shut down my computer. 

“Where are we going?” 

“You'll see.” I responded. 

***

I felt my irritation bubbling as Sarah continued to ask, “Where are we going?” for what felt like the hundredth time. We had just walked out of my office, her hand laced in mine, attracting curious stares and whispers from the staff. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction at their reactions; it would spread the fame I needed about our union.

“We're here,” I said curtly as we pulled up to a law firm. 

She looked out the window, then turned to me, her brow furrowing. “Wait for me!” she called, but I was already stepping out of the car, striding toward the double doors with purpose. My long legs easily outpaced her, and I ignored her cries to keep up.

Inside, we signed the contract with my lawyer and personal assistant as witnesses. I noticed Sarah hesitating with her pen over the dotted line, so I leaned in and whispered, “Remember why you agreed in the first place.”

She scowled at me but finally signed. Afterward, she stomped outside to the car, clearly frustrated.

Neville leaned closer and whispered, “You’ve got eyes.”

I smirked back with pride. “Wait until I give her a makeover.”

***

As I stood in the jewelry shop, my frustration mounted with each word that left Sarah's lips. She was staring at the ring I had picked for her, a stunning diamond that sparkled under the mall's lighting, but all she could focus on was the price tag.

“This is too expensive, Adrian,” she insisted, her brow furrowed in disapproval. “I can’t accept something like this.”

I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. This was exactly why I had never considered getting married before—women were headaches. “Sarah,” I said, trying to keep the anger out of my voice, “you’re not the one paying for it. Just pick something that catches your fancy so we can get the hell out of here.”

She scowled at me, her arms crossed defiantly over her chest. “It’s not about the money. It’s about the principle of it. I don’t want to feel like I’m being bought.”

“Bought?” I echoed incredulously. “You’re marrying me, not selling your soul. This is just a ring.” 

“We have other beautiful options you'd like, Miss.” With a huff of indignation, she turned away and followed the salesperson to look at other options. I watched her go, rage simmering beneath my skin. Why did she have to make everything so complicated? 

As they moved to a different display case, I couldn’t help but think how much time we would have saved if she’d just accepted what I had offered without all the fuss; but there she was, scouring for something less extravagant as if it would somehow change her status as the billionaire's wife.

“Let me know when you find something you can live with,” I called after her, my tone sharper than intended. She shot me a glare over her shoulder, and for a fleeting moment, I felt a pang of regret. But then again, this was business—nothing more. I had to keep reminding myself of that.