Chapter 12 - Not Couple

“I’M GOING CRAZY!” Jane screamed, letting the documents Lucas had brought to her apartment the other day fall over her face. Lucas had never mentioned that memorizing details would be part of her role as his temporary wife.

The last time Jane had to memorize so much was back in high school, specifically for her terrifying final exams. She never imagined she’d have to do it again years later.

In her mind, she kept repeating the answers to potential questions she might face.

Her name is Jane Sharpe. Not Jane Summers .

She works as a secretary at one of Willy’s company branches in Minst.

Her parents are deceased, and she is an only child.

She and Lucas first met when he visited Minst a few months ago. From there, they slowly fell in love.

Willy had crafted this entire lie for her to recite, and it was her job to memorize it. Jane agreed, to some extent. Preparing for battle with strategies and tactics was wise for achieving a decisive victory.

She was about to turn to the next page when her apartment’s doorbell rang. Lazily, she moved to open the door, her eyes widening in surprise to see Willy visiting.

“Kayla isn’t here if you’re looking for her,” Jane said, recovering from her surprise, partly teasing him.

“I know, Jane.” Entering, Willy immediately plopped down on the sofa. Folding his arms, he said, “She’s at my apartment, and you wouldn’t want to know what we just did there.”

Jane quickly covered her ears, not wanting to hear more about their personal stuff. Willy laughed softly and glanced at the document beside him. “It’s good to see you studying diligently, Cousin.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“So, did you prepare what Lucas and I asked for?” Willy got straight to the point. Jane nodded towards the table with her chin.

Willy picked up the item that was the reason for his visit. Lucas had called him yesterday, asking him to prepare a document containing her own data. Willy found it amusing that only Jane knew everything about Lucas, while Lucas knew nothing about her.

Willy left before Jane could offer him a drink, saying he had many things to take care of. Jane hoped his business with Kayla in bed wasn’t one of them.

Jane intended to resume her memorization after Willy left, but she felt too drained to continue. She had been cooped up in her apartment for almost two days with only the documents for company. She thought it wouldn’t hurt to spend some time outside.

As lunchtime approached, without bothering to change her clothes, Jane decided to go out. She grabbed her small bag, packed everything she wanted to bring, and left her apartment. She didn’t know where she was heading, but she needed some fresh air.

She walked, looking for a place to satisfy her growing hunger. Stopping in front of a restaurant, she decided to go in without much thought. Entering, she took a moment to take in the ambiance and interior.

“Ow!” she exclaimed, bumping into something hard. She wanted to curse at whatever had dared to cause her face to throb in pain. Though it was her own fault for not watching where she was going.

Holding her face with one hand, she saw a large back in front of her, clad in a soft black suit her face had just brushed against.

Lost in her thoughts, Jane was startled when the person turned around.

When he fully turned, revealing his face, Jane swallowed her urge to scold the man. Her mouth couldn’t form the words she had planned upon seeing who it was.

“Jane, you’re here?”

Lucas again.

Jane knew Lucas was as surprised as she was. They had met unexpectedly once more.

“What a coincidence,” he said.

Unfortunately, Jane had no answer for him as she, too, awaited an explanation from fate. What kind of destiny was this?

“Want to have lunch together?” Lucas offered.

“Sure.” Jane thought having company would be better than eating alone. She chose a spot near the window, good for occasionally glancing at the view outside.

Their food arrived shortly after they ordered, and they ate in silence. Even after finishing, neither of them made an effort to start a conversation.

A waiter approached their table, placing a bowl of ice cream with three different flavors in front of them. Glancing at Lucas, Jane knew they were thinking the same thing. “Sorry, we didn’t order this,” she said, pointing to the ice cream, speaking for both of them.

“It’s a complimentary treat from our restaurant for couples. Please enjoy.”

Jane wanted to correct the waiter’s assumption that she and Lucas were a couple, but she realized doing so would mean losing the free ice cream. So, she just smiled. “Thank you.”

The waiter returned her smile and left them alone. Seeing Lucas staring at her, Jane asked, “What?”

“We’re not a couple.”

“I know.”

“So?”

“A rich guy like you might not appreciate free stuff, but I do.” Jane scooped a spoonful of vanilla ice cream into her mouth, winking at him.

As she reached for another spoonful, Lucas pulled the bowl away. Raising an eyebrow, Jane commanded, “Give it back.”

Lucas shook his head. “That’s my ice cream!” Jane reached out to reclaim what she felt was hers, but Lucas was quicker. He grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

Jane knew he did it to stop her from reaching the ice cream, but why did she feel she might start to blush any moment now?

“There’s something more important than this ice cream.” His tone and expression grew serious.

“Have you studied all the documents?”

Jane confidently replied, “Of course.”

“Good. That means we can meet my parents the day after tomorrow.”

Jane’s eyes widened. She was shocked but uncertain why. Was it because she would soon meet Lucas’s parents or because she felt unexpectedly comfortable with Lucas holding her hand so tightly?