SIA’S POVThe sound of my ringing phone jolted me out of my sleep, and I lazily turned to the other side of the bed and stretched out my arm to grab my phone which laid on the bedside table. “Ugh!.” I muttered. My eyes opened slowly as I stared at my phone. It was Nicholas calling.I swiped the green button to the right and placed the phone against my ear.“Hello.”“Come downstairs to the lobby. I'm waiting for you.” He informed me, and I gave a tired sigh as the call disconnected.I sat up and dragged my butt down to the edge of the bed, then rose to my feet, stretched and yawned.I pulled off my night gown and walked into the bathroom to have my bath.After having my bath, I put on something simple and just while I was staring at the mirror, a knock came on the door.“Who is it?” I inquired as I gazed at the door.The only person I was expecting was Nicholas and he was at the lobby, expecting me.“Room service, ma'am. I have something for you.” A male voice spoke from outside.My
Chapter 18NICHOLAS' POV“I'm only trying to protect us. It's in our best interests.” I defended myself, not wanting to give her the chance to believe her assumptions.Sia scoffed and folded her arms on her chest, looking straight ahead. My lawyer who sat in the front seat remained silent. He had earbuds plugged in and I wondered whether he could hear me. This was getting embarrassing!Why exactly were we arguing over this? It was irrelevant. Did she think I'd allow her the liberty of being in the bed of just any man now that she was about to be my contract wife? I has no plans of ever sharing a bed with her again, especially not after what had happened to the two of us the last time we woke up on the same bed. My thoughts ran wild for some minutes as I watched her without a word, wondering what next to do. I was slowly beginning to understand one major fact about Sia. She was too much like me.Stubborn. Hotheaded, and always wanting to be right. I hated that. She always liked t
Chapter 19SIA'S POV I froze, holding my breath as Nicholas withdrew slightly from me. From the twinkle in his eyes, one would swear that he was happy to get married to me. My heart pounded against my chest and for a split second, I was worried that Nicholas could hear how loud it was. "How much longer do we have to do this?" I muttered, loud enough for him to hear me. He looked directly at the priest who was now reading from a large book. "Until we get those rings on our fingers." Nicholas' reply was low. I tried to steady my breathing as I forced myself to stop thinking about everything that was going on around me. Time passed and soon, the exchanging of vows began. The trees in the garden swayed gently as the morning breeze caressed my face. I was almost shivering. Damn it! I had no idea whether I was cold or whether I was only nervous. “Do you, Nicholas Winthrop take Sia Stanton to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day onward, for better or for worse, for
Chapter 20SIA's POVMy mouth dropped open as the young lady left my side. My head reeled as I took in a long, sharp breath. What was she talking about? I snapped my head over my neck, scanning the crowd for Nicholas. He was now talking to a young lady, smiling as she gestured with her hands. Unease crept through me as I looked away. Another wave of nostalgia swept through me as I took small steps down the aisle. A car arrived at the garden, and the car door opened. I stopped in my tracks, stating at it.To my greatest surprise, Elise got down from a car, her lips were curved up in a wide grin as she approached me.“Mrs Winthrop.” She called out my name and gave me a tight hug. "Mrs Winthrop?" I repeated with a chuckle. She pulled away from me and ran her eyes over me. "You look ravishing!" She squealed. "I'm surprised you showed up, Elise" I said, still smiling. She leaned in close to my ear, “Nicholas actually sent me a message through one of his men last night. He wante
Chapter 20Nicholas' PovMy eyes widened with shock.Damn it! I never expected that she would ask that question. When grandfather had asked about it, I had dismissed it and forgotten about it just after that.I eyed her, my hands balling into a fist. She cocked an eyebrow, still staring at me. "Hello?""Isn't it too early for us to worry about birthing children? We got married barely an hour ago!" I groaned as I leaned on the back of the car seat. "Your grandfather needs a child from us." She repeated. I rolled my eyes, already tired of where this was headed. I shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."My jaw clenched at the mention of his name. "We were business rivals. He thought he was above me, always trying to one-up me."She folded her arms on her chest. "Alright. I have one more question."I sighed, "Okay?"I shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."Her eyes narrowed. "And what about Na
CHAPTER 21SIA POV"Sia!" I heard Nicholas call behind me as I rushed for the car. Soon, I got in and slammed the door. My eyes stung with tears and a sharp ache jabbed at the back of my head. How exactly did I get into all this mess? Why did I sign a contract marriage with a man whose mother hated everything about me?I had always known that Nicholas' mother never liked me. I didn't expect her to be all over me, seeing how badly she wanted her son to still be with his ex, Lily. I shuddered at the idea of having to deal with his mother for the next two years. I held my head in my palms, sobbing hard. My vision blurred. The door opened again and shut. Nicholas. He had gotten into the car and he sat next to me. The driver began to drive. "As stated in our contract, you will be living in my house." Nicholas said after some minutes. I didn't make any attempt to look up at him or question him over what had happened inside the house, earlier. Rather, I tried to steady my breath, fo
CHAPTER 22SIA POV"How time flies." He said, rising from the couch. "Few days ago, you were my fiancee and today, you are wearing another man's ring. I must confess, that wedding gown suits you so well"I narrowed my eyes, looking at him keenly. "That doesn't answer my question, Nathan. What are you doing in my house?"He broke into a mirthless laugh. "The last time I checked, your father had disowned you for causing him so much shame. So, technically, this isn't your house"I took some steps forward and closed up the space between Nathan and I. "I will ask this question one more time. What are you doing here?" I said, glaring at him. He reached out to touch my face and withdrew his hands. "Would it shock you to know that I know your every movement?"My mouth dropped open in disbelief, abd I quickly closed it. "Wha-what?""I knew the exact moment your fake husband dropped you off here."Fake husband?My heart almost flew right out my mouth as his words hit me. Was it easy for him
Chapter 23Nicholas' POVAs the car drove away from Sia's family house, I exhaled. I had no idea that I had been holding my breath for too long until now. At least, I could think clearly, now that she wasn't around me. I was beginning to notice features og her that shouldn't have even caught my attention in the first place. Her lips. So Soft and succulent. Oh my goodness!! The first time I kissed her lips was probably the night we met, and I was way too drunk to properly savor the feeling of having to tug softly at her lips, sucking at them. The next time we kissed was the night she has walked out of dinner at my grandfather's place, upset. And then, Lily showed up. I had no other way of proving to Lily that I was done with her than to kiss Sia.Now, the most recent kiss was the one at the wedding, in front of my family and friends.That kiss wasn't just a random one. I hated to admit it, but I had been earnestly looking forward to another opportunity where I had get to kiss S