CHAPTER 2

Xander's POV

Alexandra Smith does not exist.

She is just one of the figments of my imagination. She is a fictional woman I created just to satisfy my mother and stop her from pestering me to be responsible.

I have been away on a business trip to Italy for two months. During the course of the trip, I could barely squeeze out time to go to a club and have fun.

Mom won't stop calling me to know if I have found a girl I would love to get married to.

When she revealed to me about the trust fund Grandma Nina kept for me before her death and how I won't be able to get the billions if I wasn't married, I knew I had to do something.

I didn't do anything other than telling mom that I had a secret girlfriend.

Just a few weeks before I came back home, I met Alexandra and I got married in a registry. Mom was over the moon but I wasn't bothered about who to present to her as Alex.

I had everything planned.

Alexandra would be a businesswoman who is always away on a business trip. This is what I wanted my mother to believe. I wanted to keep this going for as long as I could and I was so sure that I would get the trust fund as long as I provided the proof of our wedding in court which I faked.

But then, things have changed now.

New ideas are rushing into my head. Brilliant ideas that won't stop me from feeling proud of myself.

I wonder why I didn't think of this earlier.

This striking young lady beside me lost consciousness even before my car got closer. I was able to stop the car from hitting her but I was shocked to see that she was unconscious.

I rushed out to get her into the car and I began to drive to the hospital in a haste, afraid that she would die.

Then it dawned on me that taking her to the hospital was a wrong idea. Mother knows every single hospital in New York. She has connections everywhere.

I didn't even think of going to a different hospital. I was rushing to our family hospital. To avoid misunderstanding, I changed my mind. Whenever my mother sees me with a lady, she always jumps to conclusions and assumes we are dating.

I made her believe that Alex and I are married and being seen with another woman was a wrong idea so I turned back to come home.

I gave one of my doctor friends a call and he attended to her in the guest room. I wasn't assured until he told me she was fine and asleep.

She has been sleeping all morning and I excused myself. I was working in my home office when I heard a car drive in.

I totally forgot I had a stranger in my house. If I had remembered, I would have gone to lock the door to her room so she wouldn't come out when my mom is still around.

But now I am glad I actually forgot all about her because everything is going to work in my favor.

"Hello!" Her little hand swung past my face, pulling me out of my reverie.

I take my hands out of my pocket and fold my arms around my bosom.

I was scared she was going to burst everything up so I excused myself from mother so we could talk but I guess mother figured out that we needed some privacy so she left without telling me what she is there for.

This woman and I have been standing since she left, facing each other.

She is cute enough to be my wife. All I just need to do is polish her up a little to make mom believe my notion of her being a businesswoman.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" She barks at me, her face a few distances away from mine. "Why the hell are you quiet? Do you know me from anywhere? What the hell am I doing in your house? Why the hell are you mistaking me for your bride? What is going on here?"

I have an amused expression on my face. Not because of the questions she is bombarding me with but because of how funny she looks.

"Are you a kidnapper?" She asks her face in a deep frown.

Unconsciously, laughter leaves my mouth.

Kidnapper? Really?

"Why are you laughing? What the hell is wrong with you?"

I still don't know how to start explaining everything to her.

Will she understand? Now that I have acted as though she is my bride, I can't let her go that easily.

I need her. To get my trust fund. I can't let that money go that way.

I need it to go ahead with my plans.

"You know what? I am done here", she picks up her bag and phone from the floor and begins to storm towards the door.

But I am quick to block her way, my hands spread wide with my back on the door.

She arches a brow at me, with anger written all over her.

What a temper!

"Calm down", I find myself saying. I need to find a way to make her do this for me. I should probably beg her or tell her that I will give her a percentage. I should find something to use against her so she won't be able to refuse my offer.

The deed is done already. She is already known to my mom as my bride.

"Calm down? Will you..."

"Why were you crying on the road this morning?" I cut her short.

She looks taken aback and her mouth hangs open for a while before she closes it and gulps, looking away.

Did something bad happen to her? She doesn't look like a classic lady with wealthy parents.

This will do.

"There were tears on your face when I came out of the car..."

"That is none of your business. Were you the one who hit me?"

"I didn't hit you. I almost did, though, but I didn't."

I don't know why I am explaining myself. Is it because I need her to trust me so she can help me out or is it because I don't want her to sue me for hitting her and bringing her to my house instead of the hospital?

"You did. If you didn't, I won't pass out."

"Surprisingly, I didn't. I also wondered why you passed out but the doctor said it was out of shock..."

"Doctor?"

"I have a doctor friend", I say to her and she shifts uncomfortably while I drop my hands.

"I need to go home. It's getting late..."

"Let's talk first. I will take you home afterward", I suggest with a cute smile that I hope will work on her.

"There is absolutely nothing to talk about, MISTER!" She yells out of the blue.

Wow!

Does she get angry all the time?

The way she stressed 'MISTER' made me realize that I don't even know her name yet.

How will I get to know her name when she isn't even giving us a chance to talk?

"I want to tell you why I did what I did", I reply as her chest heaves up and down in rage.

She does not say anything. She continues to watch me with blazing red eyes. The doctor said something about migraines and I hope she isn't having one right now from shouting.

"Let's sit. You have been standing for too long and you still need to rest for some more days to regain your strength..."

Before I can finish up my statement, she storms back to the living room and I follow her. When she gets there, she throws her bag onto the sofa and sits.

I quickly take a seat too but not close to her. I am opposite her.

I should go straight to the point.

"I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. I didn't bring you here because of this, I just brought you here to avoid my mom's questioning but as fate would have it..."

"What question?" She cuts me short with curiosity.

"My mom owns several hospitals around here and I know someone would tell her I brought a girl to the hospital. I was trying to avoid that so I called my doctor's friend to come to check on you instead."

She nods and I assume she is urging me to go on.

"I'm really sorry."

"It's fine." She says and I heave a deep sigh of relief. We are getting somewhere.

"Where were you going? You were blinded by your tears and you were walking on the road..."

"I lost my job. I guess I didn't expect to ruin things this soon so it really got to me. I was in a haste to go home and you know..." she trails off and I wonder what she means.

"You didn't look like you were in a hurry. You seemed lost in thought. I was horning from a far distance." I tilt my head sideways.

"Yeah", she only says and shakes her head.

She sighs and places her jaw in her hand.

"What do you do for a living?" I question her. I guess I should get to know her better first.

And her name.

Yes, her name. Even though that name will have to change. Alex is my supposed bride's name and for her to be my bride, she needs to change her name to Alex.

"A cook."

Just a cook? Not business related?

That's bad!

"I was hoping to become the head chef but I lost my job and I won't get this month's pay, unfortunately."

"What is your name?" I demand from her again, keeping aside the information of what she does for a living. That wouldn't be a problem. I can still make her the businesswoman I claimed my wife is. She has lost her job after all.

Well, that seems like the best way to get to her.

She needs another job.

"Alexa", she answers and I gasp, leaning forward in surprise.

"Really?" She perks up with a frown.

"What?"

"Your name is Alexa?" I ask again to be sure and she nods, still looking confused at my reaction. "You mean Alexandra?"

"No. Just Alexa."

"Oh!" I smile.

Silence ensues. I am deep in thought. Trying to connect the two characters. The one in my head; my imaginary bride and the woman before me; the reality.

"I need to go home, please. What is all of this about?"

I gaze up to meet her eyes. They look sad and tired.

I should drive her home. I want to know wherever she is staying so I can easily find her. I know it will be too much to ask, if not I would have suggested that she spends the night here.

"I want you to pretend to be my bride", I announce and she doesn't say or do anything. "It's just for a few months, probably three months."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Yes, why?"

I smile. This is something I haven't told anyone in ages but it won't be bad to tell her a little about what I plan to do.

We need to trust each other if we want this to work.

"Because I want my trust fund to get my revenge back on my mom."

"What?!" She exclaims with wide eyes and I nod with a proud smile.