I swallowed into nothing, feeling beads of sweat gathered on my forehead. Unconsciously, I pressed my lips together, glancing at Scarlet from the corner of my eyes. I cursed under my breath as I noticed her gaze was fixated on us. Diego chuckled, moving closer to me. I shifted back until I collided with the kitchen island and there was no place for me to turn to. Leaning in, he brought his face closer. I shut my eyes tightly, clenching my fist to control myself from pushing him away and that would cause Scarlet to be suspicious. A peck on the cheek wouldn't hurt. Besides, Diego was my husband now. "Did you just admit you are married to him? You're so screwed, Ellie," I screamed in my head. A thought suddenly flashed in my mind. Taking in a deep breath, I said in a low and seductive voice. "Hubby, let's go to the room instead. You can be wild at times, you don't want to start here, do you?" "Oh my!" Scarlet exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand. "You both should go to the
I chuckled at her words, throwing my head back as I turned to face her properly."You know," I began. "I was wondering why you suddenly started a conversation with me. I think it's finally clear now. Whether I'm at his level or not, what matters most is that he chose me and got married to me.""You were only a stand-in, so don't overstep your limit. You jumped at the opportunity because I wasn't around. You stole him from me!" She said through gritted teeth, glaring at me.I blinked, finding it hard to understand what she meant by stealing Diego from her. Was she his ex-girlfriend or...."Jasmine Park," the name slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself.She held her head high in pride. "Now you know. Do you finally realize your place?"I pressed my lips together tightly, suppressing laughter. My face didn't conceal the fact that I mocked her. I noticed her expression changed. "You are Jasmine Park and so what? Do you expect me to fall down on my knees and worship you or some
I just listened to him as he lashed out his anger at me. Somehow, his words snapped me back to reality. I was there to ruin Diego and I should stick to my aim."Do you have any idea how long I waited for you after breakfast only to hear that you had been out with him? Do you have fun parading yourself as Diego's wife?" He snickered.I was wrong to have forgotten about his request to meet him, but mocking me was something I wouldn't take from anyone. "I don't think you have to remind me the reason why I am here. As much as I would like to quickly get this whole thing done and wrapped up, you need to understand who your brother is. He is very cautious, he watches me like a hawk, following my every movement," I said.Marley spoke through gritted teeth, his jaw hardening. "Don't refer to him as my brother. To me, he's more of a competitor than a family." Hatred was evident in his voice, and I couldn't help but wonder what caused it. "That's their family business to deal with, Ellie. None
I swallowed into nothing, unable to say a word. Her eyes were on mine, I knew she was expecting me to say something. What could I possibly say? Her gifts were.... out of ordinary. "What's with the look on your face, sweetie? You don't like the gifts?" Scarlet asked. Hurt was evident in her voice. She took one of them, holding it up. "This is vanilla flavor, you should try this with Diego. Trust me, it..." I turned to face Diego and noticed he was staring with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. I quickly took it from her, shoving it inside the box. "Thanks for the gifts, mom," I said in a low voice, staring elsewhere as my cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "You've not even checked all the contents of the box. Let's go through it together," she said, and took the box from me. My heartbeat quickened as she checked through it, various thoughts running through my mind. What else was she going to bring out? A vibrator? Don't blame my naughty thoughts, Scarlet made me think suc
I moved to where he was coming from, the department sign caught my eyes. Psychiatrist department. What was he doing there? Or was he here to see someone?Or was he suffering from a disease no one knows about? Not even his family? Various disturbing thoughts were running through my mind, but I couldn't find an answer to any of them."Excuse me," I called out to one of the nurses. "What kind of treatment can I receive here? Who are the patients here? Psychopaths?" I asked, grabbing her hand and staring directly in her eyes.I knew I just sounded crazy, totally insane, but I couldn't help it. Curiosity was eating deep."I don't understand you," she answered, her brows meeting in confusion as she tried to wriggle out of my grip, but I held on tighter."If I suddenly feel the urge to do something, like something dangerous to people and I want to get treated, do I come here?" I asked, forcing a smile so it would feel less awkward.Scratching the back of my head nervously, I added, "I'm a li
A gasp escaped my lips as we got to the section for female dresses. Honestly, I'd never been to a place this expensive with beautiful dresses.Do I even have a dress? I do see them as a bother due to my kind of work. After the incident with Dad, I had to fend for myself and pay for mom bills too. I had worked as a waiter, a dishwasher, and a server... I did almost all the odd jobs."What do you think?" Diego said, snapping his finger to get my attention. "Do you have anyone that suits your taste?" He added.Furrowing my brows, I murmured, "They are all so beautiful. I don't even know which to choose." I kept feeding my eyes on the dresses, moving from one rack to another."Let me help you choose. I would want my wife to be stunning tonight," Diego said, signalling at an attendant who rushed over at once."I want the most expensive dress here, for her," he said, taking his seat on the cushion.The attendant faced me with a bright smile, checking me out. I could feel her gaze burning th
His mouth fell open as he just stared at me in shock. It was a reaction I had expected. Who could have imagined that someone like me would get married into the Fernandez family?To think he was the same person who called me dumb and asked me to focus on my life just a few hours ago."H-how did you do it?" he asked.I chuckled softly, taking a step closer, covering the distance between us. My expression darkened as I frowned deeply. "What do you mean? He chose me as his bride. Isn't that simple enough for you to understand?" I retorted."But you hate him. You're always wishing for his downfall. You even challenged him openly and called him a murder. Or is this a show off?" he asked."You think so?" I said, staring at my perfectly manicured nails. "Too bad, but I'm actually married to him," I said without mincing words, showing off the ring resting pretty on my finger.I suddenly gasped, covering my mouth with a hand like I'd just remembered something. "Are you naturally dumb or just cl
He stared at me in disbelief, his eyebrows meeting in confusion. "What do you mean by that?""This lady and another one planned to spike your drink! I heard them in the restroom," I explained, glaring at the lady, who shook in fright.At that moment, she tried running, but one of the guards went after her and brought her back."Don't cause a scene here. Take her in, I'll attend to her when I'm off the stage," Diego commanded, his expression darkening.I shivered at the look in his eyes, he looked like he could kill. "Thanks," he said to me. "For doing that.""Huh?" I muttered, absent-mindedly."You said you hated me, right? Then, why did you help me? If anyone was to do that, I didn't expect it from you," he uttered.He was actually right. It got me questioning myself why I really did that when I could have simply stayed quiet and act like I knew nothing. Whatever they were going to do with him was none of my business."You have such a good heart, Ellie," I mumbled, shaking my head.
Cursing under my breath, I walked briskly away from Derek. What did I just do? "You must be crazy, Ellie," I muttered, biting the inside of my mouth. Somehow, Matteo's words played in my head. I shook off the thoughts, not believing I just said that.Proudly saying that I was Mrs. Fernandez was something I least expected. I mean, I had agreed with Diego, according to his damned rules, not to show off our marital status in public.I must be going crazy.A groan escapes my lips as I bumped into Jade. "Who is he to you?" She asked, looking ahead.With a grimace, I narrowed my eyes at the direction she was looking at. Derek again. Hadn't he left already?"He's no one," I murmured in response."Really? Why am I not believing that?" She asked, her lips curling up with a mischievous smile."I said he is no one. Believe it or not," I retorted, my voice strained. I wasn't about explaining my history with Derek, tsk, long story.I moved away, leaving her with her thoughts. "Mom!" I called, wa
I stammered, struggling to find the right words. "You knew?" Jade's eyes widened like she was surprised at her utterance. She covered her mouth in shock.The cold look she had on was replaced with a smile. I could tell instantly that it was a forced one. "My husband tells me everything you know. He told me he needed someone to get married to Diego, someone who would also be helping him and whatnot. I didn't quite understand what he meant, but I believe you are on our side," she said further, taking my hand in hers.She went on, "You see, Marley asked me to keep it a secret so I don't want you to act like I know about you. Don't even tell him we had this conversation. I'm sure you know how Marley can be sometimes. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"I was stunned to respond so I just stared at her blankly. "Ellie? Please say something," she urged, staring into my eyes."It's fine... Marley and I rarely talk. He is...." I paused, my eyes narrowing. Judging by her words, I gue
ELLIEI rolled on the bed, cursing under my breath. Again, I broke the promise I made to myself. This wasn't good.I'd promised to stay away from alcohol, but somehow it just seemed like the perfect way to let go of disturbing thoughts."My head hurts so much," I muttered, struggling to open my eyes. "Then you should learn to stay within your limit. You like getting drunk so much, don't you?" I heard Diego say, startling me."What are you doing here?" I muttered, sitting up at once. "How did you get in?" I questioned."This is my room, remember?" He retorted, reminding me that my question was lame."Really? I'd almost forgotten the room is yours," I muttered, my tone dripping with sarcasm. In a voice barely audible, I added, "After all, you've decided to start living in your office."He gave no response, but just continued staring at me intensely. Creepy. I adjusted, moving away to avoid his eyes, the duvet fell in the process. My eyes widened at once upon seeing the clothes I had
DIEGOI looked up from my system as the door abruptly opened. There were only two people with such a gut; Mom and Marley. They were capable of barging in- Mom, due to her inquisitiveness and Marley out of anger.As expected, it was mom. She glared at me as she came closer. "What's up with you, Diego? I really don't understand you anymore. What changed?" She questioned. My brows furrowed in confusion. The last time I checked, we were good. What was she talking about? "How about your wife? You left her alone for two whole nights. Did you forget that you are newlyweds and you both need to be all-around each other? Why haven't you gone for your honeymoon yet? What's so important about work? You claimed that you love her!" She added. Reclining well on the chair, I threw my head back in frustration. Here we go again. "You'd better come home tonight. Clear your schedule for the next two weeks and get ready for your honeymoon. She's a sweet girl, don't keep her waiting for too long," she
Staring at the sick boy, who had his eyes fixated on me, I furrowed my brow, throwing him a questioning look. "W- why did you ask?"He paused his lips, his eyes rolling back slightly as if he was thinking of a response to give. He finally replied in a low voice, "Mom said those who like me would take care of me and want to be friends with me."I was damn confused! The first question that swirled in my mind was; why would Jade say such to a child? Her own child? Clint's voice broke me off my thoughts. "Do you like me, Aunt Ellie?" He repeated. "Of course, I do! Why would I hate you?" I said with a nervous chuckle, forcing a smile at him. "And you aren't lying? You barely know me, how can you claim to like me already?" He asked. How old was he again? His question made me feel cornered. And for a moment, I was lost on what to say."It's fine if you don't like me, I'm used to such treatment. My mom and dad don't like me either." He shrugged, sitting up on the bed. The towel fell fro
I stretched my body tiredly as I struggled to stand up. Thanks to Diego, I barely slept last night. I dragged my stressed self to the bathroom, cursing under my breath. Wasn't it ironic? I barely slept when he was around and now, I was losing sleep in his absence too. "That's because you'll get questioned as his wife," I muttered, trying to justify my irrational thoughts. I mean, there are several reasons I should be happy he slept out - I have a whole king-size bed for myself, I have the whole space, peace and privacy. What more could I possibly want? After getting showered and dressed, I went down the stairs to meet Scarlet in the kitchen. I narrowed my eyes as I didn't see Jade anywhere around, she was always with Scarlet, especially in the kitchen. "Where's Jade?" I found myself asking. "Oh! She goes away on Wednesdays like this, so I prepare breakfast by myself," Scarlet answered. She quickly added with a smile, "It's a good thing you are here. You can help out.""Where doe
A whimper escaped my lips before I could realize it. The sound of Diego's footsteps halted, making my heart skip a beat. Was this the end? Will he seize me and kill me? "Who is there?" He asked in his usual deep voice, sending shivers down my spine. "I just asked a question! Who is there?" He raised his voice a little. "You should step out if you don't want to drop-dead the moment he catches you," my subconscious mind said. I wanted to take a step, but my legs suddenly felt too heavy to move. I shut my eyes tightly, clutching at my dress as I expected the worst. My whole body shook in dread. "Wifey?" He called and I snapped my eyes open. He was nowhere in sight, but how did he know that already? Was there some kind of hidden camera in the room? "Come out. Now," he commanded. I bit my bottom lip, knowing fully well that I had been caught by him. Dragging my legs, I stepped out of the corner I was hiding with my eyes on the ground, unable to meet his gaze. "What are you doing h
My breath caught in my throat. "Why will I take breakfast to him?" I asked before I could stop myself. Her brows met in confusion. "Isn't he your husband? Is there something wrong with taking food to him?" She retorted. "It's just...sudden, and I haven't been to the company either. I don't know my way around there," I covered up, a smile slowly forming on my face. "His office is pretty easy to locate. It's just opposite Marley's on the eighth floor," she answered, taking my hand. "You can spend your day there too, instead of coming home to an empty house."I wanted to scream that I preferred the empty house to spending a whole day with a psychopath. I bit the inside of my mouth, trying to keep my emotions in check."Alright, mom," I said, sucking in a deep breath."You should get ready while I make something quick for him," she said, rushing off without waiting for a reply from me.I shut the door, resting my back on the wall as I squatted on the floor. I'd planned to do thorough r
I felt the hairs on my body rise at the ends. The idea of wearing lingerie cringes me out. I tried picturing myself in it, but damn! So uncomfortable and awkward. "What do you think? Do you want to try them out?" Scarlet asked, her voice jolting me out of my thoughts."Huh? No! Of course not!" I replied almost immediately. Scarlet looked surprised at my retort, so I added to clear the air, "I mean, I don't think I need that. Diego and I are good." "What's with the blush on your cheeks though? Are you shy, sweetie?" She chuckled, giving signals to the attendant, who came to my side. "Let's go to the dressing room, ma'am," the attendant said. I turned to Scarlet, shaking my head and putting on a pitiful look. "How about Jade? She needs one too," I said. "Jade and Marley have been married for a long time now, I don't think that is necessary. But I can still get one for her," Scarlet answered. "You and Diego are new couples, you need to keep the romance fresh," she added, grinning al