Contract Marriage

"M..married?" Crystal repeated the words of the man who had helped her in shock. "But we just met and don't know each other, how can you ask me to marry you?"

Reagan smiled, he was glad that the girl he had just helped wasn't as stupid as he thought.

"The marriage I'm offering you is not a marriage in the truest sense, the marriage I'm offering is like a business agreement that is mutually beneficial for both of us." Reagan smiled as he spoke. "I would like to offer you a contract marriage, a mock marriage which is officially registered in state and religious law."

Crystal immediately covered her mouth with both hands to prevent her voice from escaping, she actually almost screamed out loud when she heard the nonsensical words of her savior.

"I have to get married in order to help my grandfather who is terminally ill in the near future, that's why I want us to..."

"Why me? Can't you marry your real lover, can you?" asked Crystal innocently.

"I don't believe in marriage or anything like that, I'm a man who doesn't want to bother with a marriage like that. That's why I'm offering you a mutually beneficial partnership that you can't possibly refuse."

Crystal frowned. "A mutually beneficial cooperation that I can't refuse?"

"You are currently a fugitive from the striptease club, I'm sure the club owner has claimed you as his property. That's why he might by now have ordered his men to force you back to the strip club," Reagan said slowly, he deliberately spoke very slowly so that Crystal could understand the meaning of his words. "And right now I'm the only person you can turn to for shelter, unless you want to go back to that club again like before then I can't hold you back."

Crystal's face was deathly pale, memories of Rose and Eduardo's evil smiles flashed through her head again. The image of the place full of the smell of alcohol and cigarettes also came to Crystal's mind.

No, Crystal shouldn't end up in a dirty place like that. She had to be a strong woman, just as her mother wanted her to be before that bloody night happened.

"Yes or no Miss Crystal?" pressed Reagan back impatiently, Reagan was the kind of guy who didn't like waiting. That's why he felt annoyed when he saw Crystal not reacting.

Crystal fiddled with her fingers nervously. After almost being made a stripper by a coworker, Crystal is now faced with an offer from a man to marry with a certain agreement. Crystal is really placed in a difficult choice, a choice that is both related to her future as a free human.

"Your time is ticking, Miss Crystal," Reagan said curtly. "And if you really don't want to accept my offer then you are welcome to get out of this place and mentally prepare yourself to face the chase..."

"I agree." Crystal cut Reagan's words in a panic, hearing Reagan's words asking her to prepare for the pursuit of Rose and Eduardo scared her to death. "I want to be your pretend wife, Reagan West."

Reagan smiled wryly, he didn't expect to hear Crystal dare to call his full name. Even though so far no one has dared to call his full name like that and now a poor girl he found in front of the striptease club dared to call his full name. Really quite a unique girl.

"Good, I'm glad to hear your answer. Then go to sleep, it's still too dark to move. Tomorrow morning we will discuss our agreement in front of my personal attorney, he will arrange all our marriage agreements," Reagan said flatly.

"Sleep here?" asked Crystal half-shouting, her eyes showing great fear.

Reagan nodded. "Yeah, where else do you want to sleep if not in this room?"

"I..I have a place to live and..."

"And at this time around where you live may have gathered the bodyguards from the striptease club." Reagan took Crystal's words viciously. "They must have managed to get your address by now, so do you really still want to go home?"

It wasn't the answer from the lips that Crystal gave, but a violent tremor that immediately emerged from her body. Although Reagan's words cannot be confirmed, it still affects her mood which is becoming very chaotic at this time.

"Don't want to go home?" Reagan teased Crystal again on purpose, Reagan was really really good at making someone's heart restless.

"No..I don't want to."

The corners of Reagan's lips lifted, glad he didn't have to use so much effort to convince Crystal. This girl was too easy to scare and Reagan would continue to use the same methods to make Crystal obey him.

"Good then, now you sleep and rest. Tomorrow morning will be a busy day for both of us."

Crystal nodded slowly without daring to argue, Crystal no longer had freedom in her life. Everything had been taken away by her own stupidity for believing so easily in the friend offer that Rose gave her this afternoon, if only time could be turned around, Crystal would definitely stay away from the beautiful cashier far away.

Having succeeded in getting Crystal to agree to his wishes, Reagan then left the room. He had to put his next plan into action, tonight Reagan was determined to solve all his problems so that tomorrow when he had to return to London he could face his grandfather with his head held high. Reagan couldn't wait to see the look on the man's face, one who had been a thorn in the flesh in his family for years.

"Jarvis." Reagan spoke to his personal assistant and best friend who had been his right-hand man for years through wireless earphones he plugged into his ears. "Immediately prepare the documents I need for my wedding at the civil registry office tomorrow morning."

Jarvis, who had already heard all of Reagan and Crystal's conversation, nodded his head obediently, Jarvis didn't realize that Reagan wouldn't be able to see what he was doing right now. "I will prepare all the documents you need tonight."

"And don't forget to take care of Crystal's residence, I want you to secure the place well. Make sure not a single trace is left in that place, I don't want my grandfather and that person to know Crystal's origins. During our three months of marriage she will have to appear flawless in front of everyone, no one can tell if Crystal is from a strip club," Reagan said firmly.

Jarvis cleared his throat. "Looks like you'll have to change the terms of your marriage contract, Reagan. A three-month-old marriage will make everyone suspicious."

"Is it too short?"

"Not too short, but very brief and suspicious. People will know right away if your marriage is a contract marriage and if this happens then..."

"Change it to one year then." Reagan immediately interrupted Jarvis' words firmly. "I'm not going to let that guy mess up all my plans again, not until I can secure my position properly. All the West family business must fall to me so that I can freely search for the brains behind the accident that killed my mother and father decades ago."

Reagan's face turned stiff when he remembered the fate that befell his parents. "I'm pretty sure that person must have been involved in the accident that killed my parents, that's why I have to find the ten young directors who mysteriously disappeared."

Continued