Chapter 5

The witch.

I looked out the car window, the strawberry air freshener tickled my nose as I tried to recall every detail I knew about Atlas Grey.

Business mogul and billionaire he was Gabriel’s nemesis with a reputation for ruthlessness in the business world.

How on earth did he know about Batya and I?

‘Maybe the TV? Your husband did make a very public interview about you and the daughter he was supposed to protect,” Nafira replied sarcastically.

She was right, Gabriel put me in this situation.

I glanced at Atlas from the side of my eye, my grip on Batya tightening as the car pulled to a stop in a driveway.

“Where are we?” I asked softly as a man opened the car door for me and I stepped out.

“My estate,” Atlas purred.

Estate was right. Where we stood seemed to be a long driveway but the car had packed in front of a building that reminded me of the palace in its opulence.

To our side, a water fountain rushed, and several Greek statues were splattered about, making the whole place beautiful.

I had barely caught my breath when a man bowed before me.

“Welcome Mrs Grey,”

I frowned at him. “I’m not Mrs Grey,”

The guy was tall, almost Atlas’s height, and from the way the corner of his lip curved up, I guessed they had a close relationship. He looked from me to Atlas and chuckled lightly.

“My name is Bren. Please, come with me,”

I glanced at Atlas warily. “Go ahead,’ He nudged.

Every cell of my body wanted to leave but one look at my daughter lying unconscious in my arms, and I followed Bren.

He led us inside the manor where two nurses awaited us. Relief filled me as they took Batya from my arms and hooked her to the bed, starting treatment immediately.

I stood at the edge of the room, my hand clutching the necklace around my neck as I stared at Batya on the bed. Will I tell Daciana about the accident? Should I?

“Hey,”

I jerked and turned as Atlas slipped into the room.

“How is she?” He asked, his face a perfect mask of concern.

“She’s fine and thank you for all your help,”

He gave me a nod that irritated me and shoved his hand in his pockets.

“Look,” I crossed my arms and faced him. “I’m really grateful for this and all, but I’ll pay you back. I’ll pick up more shifts at the clinic and pay your money and—“

“You don’t get it do you?” Atlas’s lips twitched in amusement.

I blinked. “What’s funny,”

“I don’t need your money, little witch,” He cracked a smile and nudged his head around the room. “I have everything I need,”

I scoffed. Smug bastard. He did have everything money-wise. Even the room Batya slept in was drenched in more luxury than I had seen since I came to the human world.

“Fine,” I crossed my arms. “If you don’t need me to pay back then why? If you need a wife why not marry one of your girlfriends?”

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Why me?”

Atlas shrugged like what I was saying was of no importance to him. “Why not?”

With that, he pushed away from the room door he had been leaning on and walked out of the room.

I took one last glance at Batya sleeping and marched out after him.

“Atlas stop! I need an answer. Why would you want to marry me?”

He paused without turning around, his hands still in his pockets.

“You’re already married to me. You signed the contract,”

I winced with a groan. “Don’t remind me,”

“Cheer up little witch. Being married to me isn’t so bad,”

His soft chuckle increased my irritation. And that name!

“Stop calling me that!” I snapped at the irritating bastard. As I walked behind me and turned him to face me.

“Look Atlas,” I sighed, “Just tell me why. Your reasoning makes zero sense to me.

Until today I’ve never spoken to you so your sudden urge to marry me isn’t some sort of long lost love.

That contract is hardly valid. I signed it under duress.

I need to know why you’re marrying me if I’m going to stay married to you,”

I watched his face. A vein at the side of his head ticked and he sighed in reluctance.

“You’re never going to accept that you’re Cinderella and I just happened to want to marry you, are you?”

“Not even a chance,” I cracked a smile.

“Take a walk with me,”

I blinked, surprised by the serious tone he took. Together we began to walk down the hallway as he spoke.

“I don’t know how much you know of my relationship with Gabriel, but I married you because of him,”

I shook my head. “That’s fucked up. How do you marry your nephew’s wife just because you can?”

Atlas gave me a strange look. “You know, he’s not my actual nephew?”

“No?” I frowned in confusion. “He always called you his uncle,”

“That’s because his stepfather and I were so close, we were like brothers,”

I shook my head in awe. “He never mentioned a stepfather and frankly I never asked. All he told me was you swindled him of his company,”

Atlas scoffed. “I didn’t swindle him. Gabriel hated Morgan,”

‘His stepfather?” I asked.

Atlas gave a nod. “He worked in the company but used to cheat, evading taxes and stealing lots of money which caused his constant issues with Morgan. Guaranteed, he thought he would inherit the company as Morgan’s only living relative but I did. That’s why he feels cheated. Because I kicked him out the company the minute it became mine”

“Morgan is dead?” Gabriel had a dead stepfather? Why had he never told me?

“Yes,” Atlas’s face darkened and his mouth twisted in displeasure. “He died in a car accident same day he changed his will for me to inherit the company and it’s assets,”

“Wow,” I was shocked by all this information overload but still confused. “I still don’t get why that would make you want to marry me,”

“Revenge,” Atlas shrugged.

“Revenge?” I repeated sceptically.

“Come on little witch, I know your blood boils at the way he exposed your daughter to danger. And the cheating–”

My head snapped to his quickly. “You knew about that?”

Atlas shrugged. “Bren updated me a few minutes ago. I’m sorry about the things you went through but I want revenge for my own selfish reasons. Gabriel is out to get me in the business world. Spreading rumors about me and making shady deals.

I want to teach him not to mess with me and you little witch…are my best bet,”

“Don’t call me that!” I hissed irritated.

But I had to admit. The prospect of taking revenge on Gabriel felt so good. All those years I spent working to the bone.

“Come on,” Atlas urged. “You know you want to. This is the best opportunity I’ll offer. Stay married to me for two years. In that time, we’ll help each other get our revenge. I’ll provide for you and your daughter then when the contract is up, I’ll leave you with a million dollars,”

My eyes bulged. “A m…million?” That’s enough to sort out me and Batya for life.

Atlas gave a nod. “So tell me little witch, do we have a deal?”

By the godess this man irritated the fuck out of me. And again with that stupid nickname but…this opportunity. I might never get another one like it. WIth a million dollars, I can protect Batya from the CIA.

“Fine,” I crossed my arms around myself protectively. “But the marriage is in name only. No sex,”

“Definitely no sex,” Atlas’s eyes darkened for a brief second I wondered if I imagined it.

“Unless of course if you really beg for it,” His lips curved up, back to his playful self.

I blinked. Surprised at the sudden change in his deameanor. Maybe I imagined it.

“Yeah, that’s never happening,” I rolled my eyes in disgust at the same time a small thrill went down my spine at the thought.

“Alpha–”

Atlas and I turned suddenly as Bren came up to us. His steps faltered when he saw me but he still came to us.

“Alpha?” I repeated and frowned at Atlas.

Why would Bren call him alpha? Could he be—

I asked my wolf to sniff him immeidtely. Trying to sense if he was supernatural or not but she didn’t smell anything.

“He’s human,” Nafira replied.

Then why–

“Why did he call you Alpha?” I raised a brow and stared at Atlas suspicously.

He blinked, his face expressionless. ‘I think you need some rest. He didn’t say Alpha,”

Bren shook his head. “I said Atlas. That’s Mr Grey’s first name. Atlas,”

“I know his name,” I waved Bren off, Atlas’s amused smile adding to my irritation.

“I’m going back to the room,”

Before either of them could respond, I turned around and left.

As I walked back to the room, I couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that something was off. I know what I heard.

Atlas might be human but he was defintely hiding something and I vowed to get to the bottom of it.