Ruination

He turned around to look at her.

''Not pretending to be weak and delicate anymore?" he raised a brow.

The corner of her lips twitched. That act was for Emir. He was their first target after all.

But the target changed and now she did not need to keep up with that façade anymore.

She had kept a few vials of preservative-free eyedrops that the actresses use during crying scenes.

It was a tough job to squeeze fake tears.

She could not be more glad about it.

''Cat got your tongue?"

Elvina snapped out of her daze.

She removed her stilletos with her toes and kicked them aside before nodding at him, ''We can walk now.''

It was not that she could not walk in heels.

She had spent the past 16 years in between humans and she knew how to accommodate but that did not mean she could race with him.

Archer stepped towards her.

Elvina raised an eyebrow, ''What… you…'' A gasp escaped her mouth when he carried her in his arms, her hand swung around his neck instinctively, ''Put me down!''

''Since you have trouble walking...'' Archer tightened his grip on her as he descended the stairs, ''...We can resort to this.''

As soon as he reached the exit, his path was blocked by the reporters.

''President Cardale, is it true that you abandoned your childhood sweetheart?"

''You never loved the famous designer Emily Hale then was this just a marriage of convienience?"

''How did you fall for Mrs. Cardale?"

''Would you be able to face Miss Hale in future?"

As the reporters surrounded them, Archer's bodyguards appeared and formed a human barrier around him, creating a path for them to walk out.

Elvina glanced at the crowd before she covered her face with her long hair uninterestedly.

Archer, who was noticing her expressions carefully, expecting her to panic felt a vein throbbing on his forehead.

He continued walking till they were out of the media's sight.

Archer opened the car door while holding her before he placed her inside.

''Where are we going?" Elvina asked him.

''We are married now,'' Archer said.

''Oh, are we? I didn't know at all,'' Elvina smiled at him.

''Do you have multi personality disorder?" A vein on his forehead throbbed when when she shook his head, "Since we are married now, I'm taking you to my place.''

''But…''

''Brother!"

Elvina's words were interrupted by Emir.

''Excuse me,'' Archer closed the car door and stepped back before he walked towards Emir.

''I am leaving…''

"Brother, why did you marry her? Since you knew that she was not Emily, then why didn't you call it off?" Emir cut off Archer's words.

''It was too late to back off.''

If he cancelled the marriage at that moment then it would have come off like Elvina replaced the bride on purpose.

It would have ruined Elvina's whole life.

Furthermore… ''I needed a wife so why not?"

''You don't love her,'' Emir glanced at him with a deep frown settling between his brows.

''Everything in the world doesn't revolve around love.''

Both the men turned towards the source of the voice and they watched Elvina leaning against the car, her hands folded in front of her chest, ''The privileged ones just like to talk about love, waiting for it.''

Archer looked into her mariner blue eyes that reflected her disdain.

And Emir looked at her like he was looking at her for the first time.

Was she still the timid woman who was crying yesterday?

Did he misread her personality or did he not know her at all?

His heart stirred at the sight of her but he did not agree with her words, ''Love is a beautiful feeling,'' Why did people have to assume the worst about it?

''Don't be fooled,'' Elvina's brows scrunched slightly. She stood straight, letting her hands fall to the side, ''Love is just a beautiful synonymn for… ruination.''

She did a two-fingered salute and flashed a smile at both the brothers who looked at her, stunned, before getting inside the car.

After driving out of there, Archer did not say anything and neither did Elvina initiate the conversation.

The atmosphere in the car was heavy, straining with thick tension.

It was not until he drove to a distance that she spoke up, ''I want to meet my Aunt before leaving,''

Archer tilted his head to the side.

''I don't know when I will come back. She might miss me so…'' Elvina straightened up on the seat.

''Where does she live?'' Archer asked.

''She lives.... I'll lead the way,'' Elvina said, pointing her finger towards the right.

The car sunk in silence again.

Archer took a right turn.

Elvina pressed her face on the glass panes looking out of the window, her gaze taking in the sight of the vast stretch of sea.

Archer glanced at her side profile, her long dark hair framed her face while her blue eyes… glanced at the sea.

She was lost in thoughts and he fell in a trance for a split-second.

''Why did you agree to marry me?" He asked, averting his gaze back to the road when she tilted her head to look at him.

''I like money.''

''Huh?" his head whipped to the side.

He glanced at her as if she was growing two heads.

''You have money,'' she pointed her fnger towards him before pointing it at herself, ''And I love money~ So, marrying you did not seem like a losing deal to me,'' she flashed a convincing smile at him.

Although what she said was not the complete truth, but it was half truth. She did love money… a lot. Only that, she did not marry him for it. She had seen enough such riches for her to be moved by it.

But a little more money did not hurt, did it?

The more, the better.

Her eyes sparkled.

Archer focused on the road. He expected her to say some stuff like 'because my aunt or I am indebted to your mother and I couldn't reject it'.