The Story Begin

With her hair not yet completely dry, Crystal stared at a sheet of paper that already contained a lot of articles written on it. In front of Crystal now stood Reagan and Jarvis, his best friend and confidant.

"You can read all the contents of the agreement first, then put your signature at the bottom and then we go to the registry office to get married," Reagan said firmly without rebuttal, his facial expression did not change when he spoke even though he was currently talking about a wedding. which incidentally must be discussed with great care and consideration.

Crystal averted her eyes from the agreement in front of her at Reagan. "Are we getting married today too?"

"A contract marriage to be precise, not a normal marriage in general," Reagan replied firmly. "The marriage we are about to have is like a mutually beneficial partnership between you and me, each of us will benefit greatly in this fake marriage."

Crystal squeezed her fingers which were currently on her thighs tightly, her chest felt very tight hearing Reagan's words that were very unreasonable. Where can there be a mutually beneficial contract marriage?

"I will provide health insurance, luxury and security for you. You still remember the people from the striptease club, don't you? Don't forget that you are currently their fugitive and right now I'm the only person who can protect you. for their pursuit," added Reagan back in a voice that was so arrogant, Reagan deliberately brought people from the stiptis club to suppress Crystal's psychic. And Reagan's plan worked, because at this moment Crystal's face looked so tense when Reagan talked about the people from the striptease club again.

Crystal swallowed hard. "So what benefits will you get from this fake marriage? I mean in this fake marriage there won't be a normal relationship like a married couple out there, right?"

Reagan grinned widely. "Sleeping together you mean?"

Crystal's face immediately turned red. As an innocent girl who had not been touched by the adult world, the words Reagan had just spoken sounded vulgar to her ears.

"There won't be any physical contact between the two of us," Reagan explained again. "Our marriage relationship is really purely a business relationship between you and me, in a business relationship of course it must be accompanied by a professional attitude, right? That's why you don't have to worry. You and I still have individual freedoms that do not bind each other or in other words whatever I do you have no right to prohibit or protest and vice versa. I will not interfere in all your associations, you are free to make friends with anyone or do anything, as long as you can maintain the good name of my family which will soon be embedded behind your name once we get married ."

The sentence Reagan had just said was the longest uninterrupted sentence Crystal had ever heard, it took quite a serious effort to process the words that came out of the man's lips.

"All the more detailed explanations are written in our contract, so you don't have to think about it that deep," Reagan said with an amused smile, the change in Crystal's face that looked so serious that Reagan couldn't help but speak. "All you need to do now is put your signature under your name, Crystal Richard."

"Y-you know my full name?" Crystal asked, surprised.

"Of course I know, last night I took care of all your stuff in that roof house that looks like a chicken drum," Reagan replied savagely. "I've secured some of your securities and your savings under the pillow."

Crystal's face was hot again with embarrassment, she didn't expect that anyone would know where she had kept her precious money all this time. An ancient method that might only be carried out by a Crystal in a modern era like today.

"As long as we are bound in a marriage relationship I will reward you in the form of money that you can consider as a salary, so you no longer need to work like before. All you need to do is carry out your duties as my pretend wife well, keeping our agreement leaked to anyone. Because there is a high price you have to give me if our agreement is known to others," Reagan said again half threateningly.

"I will keep this a secret, but..."

"There is no BUT in our agreement, Crystal!!"

Crystal gasped, the stern warning Reagan had just given her startled.

"I've listed all the things you can and can't do during the term of our marriage contract in the agreement so you don't have to ask me anymore what you can do and what you can't do." Reagan spoke sternly again. "Now all you need to do is sign the agreement and get ready to come with me to the registry office, this afternoon we will be returning to London soon."

"London?"

"My house is in London and since you are soon to be my wife you are also moving to London with me," Reagan said again.

All the words Crystal wanted to say caught in her throat, talking to someone like Reagan really made her lose her ability to speak. The man who had saved her life was really hard to understand.

Because Reagan continued to stare at her without blinking, Crystal immediately reached for the pen that had been prepared by Jarvis, who had been only a loyal spectator. The bespectacled man didn't open his lips at all while Reagan and Crystal were talking.

A smile as light as a feather appeared on Reagan's lips as he watched Crystal sign her abrupt agreement.

"Your turn sir." Jarvis spoke so politely as he handed the letter of agreement Crystal had just signed toward Reagan.

Reagan immediately put his signature on the blank column with his name on it, the signature that Reagan made was so beautiful and firm in contrast to Crystal's signature which looks a little disjointed in some parts.

"Now we can go to the registry office," Jarvis said again, putting the marriage certificate Reagan and Crystal had just signed into a black suitcase he had prepared earlier.

Reagan immediately reached out his hand to Crystal. "Let's get married," he said without hesitation.

Crystal's brown eyes stared blankly at Reagan's outstretched hand, Crystal looked doubtful and confused. Crystal knew that what she had just done was a stupid act, but on the other hand Crystal couldn't do anything about it. The protection and security that Reagan promised made her immediately sign the agreement without a second thought, Crystal didn't want it if she had to really end up in that horrible striptease club. Crystal doesn't want to make her late mother sad again up there if she has to see her end up in such a terrible world.

After dispelling all her doubts, Crystal then accepted Reagan's cold and hard hand. With her heart pounding, Crystal gripped the hand of her savior, the hand of the man who would soon become her husband, her temporary husband.

Jarvis immediately stretched his hand forward, allowing Reagan and Crystal to get out first to the car that was waiting for them at the door. Crystal's world had completely changed 180 degrees in one night, a world that Crystal had not dared to dream of at all since her dream was shattered by a woman who ruined her happy life nine years ago.

Since Jarvis spent half his life in the city of Melbourne, Reagan entrusted all matters of his marriage with Crystal to his best friend. In less than thirty minutes, Jarvis' car finally arrived in front of the registry office where Reagan and Crystal would legalize their sham marriage under Australian law.

"For you." Reagan held out a black square box to Crystal just as Jarvis got out of the car.

Crystal stared at the velvet box in bewilderment. "For me?"

"Your nine teen birthday present," Reagan said quietly, Reagan finally saying why he gave Crystal the gift. "I've seen your data this morning and on the paper it says that today is your birthday."

Crystal's eyes suddenly felt hot and heavy, after nine years, finally someone gave a gift on her birthday. Instantly Crystal's chest was filled with millions of flying butterflies, her feelings immediately mixed in there.

"Don't cry, it's just a cheap gift. You don't have to overreact like that," Reagan said coldly. "Now quickly take this gift and keep it in your clothes, we are already waiting for the officer inside. I don't want the judge in there to think I forced you to marry me."

Hello Reagan?

"Take it quickly." Reagan moved the hand that was carrying the gift box for Crystal in the air, forcing Crystal to quickly take the gift he gave her.

With trembling hands, Crystal reached for the gift Reagan had given her.

"Hurry up and get down," Reagan said firmly.

The confused Crystal immediately put the gift that Reagan gave to the pocket of the beautiful shirt given by Reagan before finally descending in a hurry following Reagan who had gone down first, Crystal immediately narrowed her eyes in glare. The sunlight this morning was so hot that it hit her polished face with natural beauty.

Without giving Crystal a break, Reagan immediately grabbed Crystal's hand and dragged her forcibly up the stairs to the room where there were already several people waiting inside. Behind Jarvis followed obediently, even though he did not agree with Reagan's plan, but in the end Jarvis had to surrender when his best friend and boss married a girl from nowhere just to help secure his position as the heir of the West family which is currently being threatened.

***

"You two are legally husband and wife now," said a male judge in a low voice. "Please put both of your signatures on this marriage certificate," he said again.

Reagan was the first to immediately reach for the pen the judge gave him and without hesitation carved his signature on his marriage certificate to Crystal.

"Your turn." Reagan held out the pen in his hand to Crystal who was standing in a trance, marrying a stranger on her nineteen birthday, something Crystal had never imagined before.

"Crys…"

Crystal gasped. "Oh yes."

Crystal grabbed the pen Reagan had given her and quickly signed her right next to Reagan's.

"Congratulations on your marriage," said the judge again, holding out his hand sincerely to Reagan.

"Thank you." Reagan took the judge's outstretched hand with his best smile.

The middle-aged man nodded his head with sparkling eyes, after Reagan let go of his hand he immediately extended his hand to Crystal and gave the same word. Crystal, who was still not fully aware of her actions, nervously replied to the congratulations with a small nod, Crystal realized that she couldn't do anything wrong. The last point in the marriage contract that Reagan gave her scared the shit out of him, the million-dollar penalty clearly spelled out in the terms of the agreement made Crystal have to think twice.

Because all his business was done, Reagan then invited his bride to leave Jarvis who was packing his marriage certificate into a suitcase. Reagan only stopped when they arrived at the door of the registry office. Without asking permission first, Reagan suddenly slipped a cold object into Crystal's ring finger. The object with a single diamond that is so beautiful is now perfectly attached to Crystal's ring finger.

"Weddings should be consummated with a ring and I hope you like your wedding ring," Reagan said quietly, expressionless.

"Very beautiful." Crystal mumbled quietly without realizing, the diamond ring that was attached to her ring finger really made Crystal immediately move up the class to become a socialite woman.

Reagan smiled a little. "You like?"

Crystal lifted her head, staring at Reagan with sparkling eyes. "This must be very expensive," he said hoarsely.

Reagan chuckled. "I can fill all your fingers with a similar ring if you want."

"No,please don't do that." Crystal shook her head frantically, her hands moving through the air against Reagan's madness. "I don't want to."

"Haha .. ok ok ... you don't need to be so panicked, I was just joking," said Reagan laughing amused. "Let's get in the car, I'm going to explain some important things to you first before we head back to London. I want you to look perfect in front of those people, especially in front of my grandfather. The person you have to trust and believe in if we're both really married for love."

Continued