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2024-10-29 19:42:56Twenty eight hours left….
Aiden was on his third cup of coffee, his eyes were droopy. He had no bride yet. He never imagined it would be so difficult to get a woman to marry him even though he had endless options.
He understood that even if the marriage was temporary, whoever he was going to get married to was going to be part of his family for that period. He valued his family so much that he didn’t want to be involved with anyone who could cause them problems.
They were not over his father’s death, the last thing he needed was unnecessary drama.
“How about Stacy?” Henry suggested
Over the past hour, he had gone through a list of women who he thought were eligible to marry his friend
“Stacy?” Aiden scoffed. “That woman is obsessed with social media, I could never trust her around my house. Also, I can’t stand being around her”
Henry shook his head as he drew a line across her name.
Aiden slouched in his chair. He imagined his father looking down on him with a frown on his face. If getting married was what it took to save the company, then he was ready to do that but what concerned him was who he was going to get married to.
“The manager at the strip club said he’ll like to have us again” Henry told him as he stared at the text message
He pressed his lips into a thin line as he thought of the club. He thought of the girl he saw at the parking lot, struggling with her car. She was unnecessarily rude but that didn’t stop him from being kind to her.
A part of him felt sorry for her. He had seen her dance all night but he wasn’t interested in her.
“What do you think of Lindsay? She’s a two-time beauty queen. You remember her, don’t you?”
Aiden ignored his friend as he stared blankly at the ceiling. He hated that even his money couldn’t buy him more time. He had asked his father once why he wanted him to get married. His answer was simple, he said he wanted him to know what he felt like to be loved by another woman asides his mother and sisters.
He admired his parents' marriage, the way they looked at each other even in their old age, stealing kisses when they thought the children weren’t watching. It was so cute to watch but that was not enough to convince Aiden that he needed to get married.
Love didn’t happen to everyone, not everyone was capable of feeling such strong emotions for another person.
He had tried once, to love someone. It happened during his days as a student in college. He didn’t love her but he cared about her and he carried out his duties as a boyfriend faithfully. They had their first fight when she told him she loved him and he didn’t say it back. How could he say what he didn’t feel? He tried to say the words but it was stuck in his throat.
A few weeks later, he decided to write it on perfumed paper and take it to her with a bunch of roses. His sisters had advised that while he worked on how to feel such strong emotions, he should convince his girlfriend that he still cared deeply for her.
When he got to her apartment, he knocked once and opened the door. What he had seen that day was still registered in his mind, she cheated on him with his best friend.
That was what sealed it off for him, he didn’t bother ever trying to love anyone else. The girl who he had tried to change for had ended up hurting him. His mother had always said that that was the beginning of his villain story but he saw it as his beginning to freedom.
“We are left with two names” Henry yawned, exhausted
“We have Laura. In my opinion, she would make the perfect wife. I have seen the ways she looks at you, she’s in love”
Aiden laughed. He had seen the way Laura looked at him, it was no different from the way other girls had looked at him. They had dreamy eyes and they flirted subtly. Some wanted him for his looks, others wanted him because he had money and influence in the society.
“So you’re really going to lose your father’s company because you don’t want to get married?”
Henry’s question stung him.
“You realize that it’s not only going to affect you, don’t you? Think about your mother and sisters who helped build that company”
Aiden sighed. He was only being selfish, this wasn’t just about him but his family.
“I’ll make my final decision on who I’m going to marry tomorrow and we’ll have a little wedding at the local church. Contact the parishioner and let him know this”
Henry’s face washed with relief. The contract had stated that the marriage should be over a year or the lawyer had the right to withdraw the property from Aiden.
“It can’t be that bad, living with someone for a year, don’t you agree?” Aiden asked.
He hated the thought of it and he was also scared by it.
“This house is big enough,” Henry said, gesturing. “You might not get to see her in weeks, she can’t take the east side and you take the west. All you have to do is show up together and act like you’re in love”
Aiden nodded but he wasn’t convinced. A year felt like a thousand years.
“I think you should talk to Laura. She’d be more than willing to be your wife and your mom likes her”
He clicked his tongue. He didn’t like Laura that much but he was willing to ignore his feelings for the safety of the company.
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She lay on the bed, eyes wide open. Everything was happening so fast, so unreal. One minute, she was living in a shared studio apartment and the next minute, she was in Aiden’s penthouse. She shut her eyes and wished her brain would stop overthinking. She had done many menial jobs in the past, some of which she wasn’t proud of like when she was a stripper but getting married for money wasn’t something she’d ever imagined doing. It sounded dishonest, she was getting married to him because of what he could offer her not because they were in love. She had always imagined that her marriage would be one based on love, they’d live in a white picket fence and fill their house up with beautiful children but she was all wrong. She sighed as she stretched out, taking comfort in how silky the pillows were. She wondered how much they must have cost. Her bathroom had a jacuzzi, who just randomly had jacuzzis in their house? She shared a studio apartment with two students and a family of mice
SHE’S MINE 7
Heavy thoughts stacked one upon another like bricks. Responsibilities and obligations. His company. Family. His wife……He had almost forgotten that he now had a wife, technically, soon to be wife. When she signs the contract, it will be official. What was he supposed to do with her? He wondered. What was he thinking, accepting a total stranger into his home? Not to mention that she was a stripper, that could tarnish his image. When she walked into his office, he had a hard time placing her face but those blue eyes reminded him. She looked so different in her school’s cardigan, plain jeans and regular sneakers, her face was free from all the layers of makeup and he admitted that she looked way better than the last time he saw her.It was kind of her to return his card but that was the least of his worries at that time. When he asked her to be his wife, it felt like the words tumbled out of his mouth due to his desperation. Was he going to throw all his father worked for because he r
SHE’S MINE 8
It felt good to have had such a sumptuous meal, it was way different than the burgers and fast food she lived on for the past few weeks. Dinner had gone okay, nothing too special, she spent the night focusing on her food, avoiding eye contact and nodding or mumbling okay when she should. He had such a big presence, he was the kind of guy that would walk into her class and everyone would notice him, they’d want to be his friend because he was so cool and charming. She was the exact opposite of that, it was almost like she was invisible which was why she didn’t know what to say to him when he tried to start a conversation. He was probably talking to her out of pity. She hated pity so much, yes, she was struggling but she worked hard for everything she owned and as his wife, she was going to work hard to earn every check he paid her.She smiled as she sunk into the soft sheets. She liked the way he smelled, it made her feel heady in a good way. Maybe it was part of the reason she
SHE’S MINE 9
“Mrs Jeanine Braithwaite” he allowed the name roll on his tongue, almost savoring how it sounded.It had been four days since she signed the contract and he took over his father’s company. It was also the first time he slept peacefully without having any nightmares, it felt good. Jeanine was occupied by school, she spent her evenings in the library and she ate dinner alone while he buried himself in work and he drank more coffee than he should. His father was right, getting married wasn’t horrible at all. She had her space and they barely crossed paths. His personal assistant had covered every expense she needed which was none. She rejected the cadillac he’d given her and she claimed that her Volkswagen was working just fine even though he doubted that. She had missed her appointments with the fashion designers because she was either at the library or doing one charity work or the other. She never got in his way which was kind of strange for him. There was never a woman who
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SHE’S MINE 38
This was what life was about, drinking champagne, networking with colleagues and discussing business. One day you could be working as a stripper and the next day your life would be changed for better, you’d be discussing business plans and networking with people in your field.Catherine Lukeman’s home was beautiful, the garden was the perfect place for their little get together. After three weeks of working at Ray.co, Jeanine had quickly made friends with quite a number of people. She couldn’t be more thankful to have people who had more experience guide her in her career path. Aiden wasn’t left out, most times he gave her advice and when he had important meetings, he invited her to join him in the board room so she could learn a thing or two from whatever was being discussed. He was supportive and he also helped her with her school work. For someone who had a cold demeanor, he knew how to explain things to her like a five year old and she wasn’t sure if it was by her focusing on
SHE’S MINE 37
All he could think of was her as he landed heavy blows on Henry’s boxing glove. It was his usual routine to go boxing with Henry on Saturday mornings, thankfully they were the only ones in the ring. He felt his hands hurt from the heavy impact but he wouldn’t stop until he got rid of all the anger he felt. Streaks of sweat found its way to his neck from his forehead but that was not enough to get rid of the anger. “Chill out man!” Henry cried as he pushed him off.He took off his gloves and tossed them to a corner of the ring.“What the heck is wrong with you man? We are supposed to be boxing not you physically assaulting me” Aiden fell on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, he was now weak and all he felt was pain in his joints. “What’s up with you?” Henry asked and joined him on the floor He ran a hand to his wet hair and waited for his pulse to return to normal. He’d never felt so much anger and sadness in a long time. Aiden loved to be in charge of hi
SHE’S MINE 36
She clasped her hands in excitement at the sight of food from Mama Lucia, it was a good way to ease her of her emotional stress. She hadn’t been there in almost a month for a number of reasons and she missed the taste of her food. Mama Lucia was the first place Aiden kissed her and she hadn’t felt the same since then. Her feelings for him had heightened and although he was a few feet away from her, she could feel the hairs on her nape stand. It was at Mama Lucia’s that she questioned if she could obey the rules of the contract, if they could act like husband and wife without her catching feelings and becoming obsessive.Recently, she heard Aaron started holding his publication meetings at Mama Lucia, publications that may jeopardize her marriage. She had made too many memories at the restaurant that she couldn’t abandon it but still, it was too risky. “You got Mama Lucia?” She asked, her voice high pitched from excitement She didn’t ask him if she liked their food after their
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Filthy? He wondered the kind of things that went on in her head. How would she think that he’d ever find her filthy? When he asked her to be his contracted wife, he wasn’t skeptical about it. There was something about her that gave him the reassurance that she’d not tell anybody about it or try to make fame from being his wife. Had she seen the way Donovan and the other men looked at her? Although Jeanine wasn’t the lady he’d go for on a normal day, he was proud to show her off. She was worthy of everything, in character and beauty. While he wasn’t sure she was seeing anyone, he hoped that she found a good man who would cherish and take care of her after their marriage. She hadn’t necessarily made mention of any man or lover and he didn’t wish to know but he hated to admit that he was awkwardly pleased to know her whereabouts and control it. She kept her routine simple, school, the orphanage, the library on some days and mama Lucia’s diner on some other days. “Do I hav
SHE’S MINE 34
She clenched her teeth as he let go of her waist the moment they stepped into his office. The few minutes it took them to walk to his office felt like heaven, she was wrapped up in his manly scent and she felt protected by his strong arms. Aiden was a complicated man, his outrageous and unnecessary display of affection in front of their colleagues and now he was back to being his usual self. They weren’t supposed to display affection unless it was necessary, he could have texted her to come to his office instead of being dramatic. Now that he moved away from her, he body wanted more, she wished he’d take her in his arms again. She almost punched herself and tried to focus on other things like his office. His office was super organized, no surprise there. Most of the offices had filed overflowing from their drawers but Aiden took his time to classify each. There was a center table that had different kinds of tea and business magazines on it. Then there was a huge mahogany table w
