Chapter 9

Gabriel's POV 

You know I'm rarely ever wrong. Which is why I'm finding it hard to believe just how wrong I had been in assuming that two weeks was all we needed to find Arden a wife. Not that we haven't found any. 

Quite the contrary. The guy has basically been fake married twice already. The first girl he chose was kind of okay. Honestly, she was intoxicatingly gorgeous. I believe her name was Anastasia. Which I thought was just a stripper name but I guess I was wrong. 

Anyway, things were great at first. Arden had found her in a club and she had agreed to my convincing. We had even explained the whole process of what she was supposed to do. But then she turned out to be pregnant. And the child was neither mine nor Ardens. And though Arden wanted to make his story as believable as possible, a child was just not part of the deal. And we both know how traumatising a pregnant lady can be. 

Although her pregnancy did answer a lot of my questions. Like why she thought a pineapple and peanut butter sandwich was a good idea. 

Anyways, that was a week after our agreement. But two days later we found him yet another girl. 

Jessica. Cute little blonde that wouldn't shut up about nature. All she ever talked about were stupid and senseless things. Like taking care of the environment and preserving wildlife. But we decided to just look past her flaws and give her a shot since she played the part real well and she did catch on quick. Then a week later Arden strode into my room in the middle of the night looking both angry and shocked. We had let Jessica move in with us to familiarize herself with the plan even more. 

Then she suddenly decided to turn her bedroom into a petting zoo. A frog made its way into Ardens room and yes, I know you're wondering so I'll just go ahead and confirm your theory. 

He did scream. 

He might be tough and deadly but according to him, Frogs are the devil's pets from hell. With their creepy faces and croaking. And don't even get me started on the constant hopping. What moves like that! It's like watching a green and shrunk alien version of a kangaroo. 

And to make things worse, Jessica thought it was completely normal to keep what she termed as endangered species in my house. And I might not be a fan of the discovery channel but even I know that frogs and rabbits are not endangered. Anyway, that was how that very short relationship came to an expected end. Arden didn't even return to his room for the next two days. Said he still got nightmares. 

" She's crazy I tell you! Completely sinical! " he had yelled on entering my room that night. 

I on the other hand thought she was perfect for him. They had so much in common when it came to the insane department. But he asked her and all her animals to pack up and go. So that means that he has just one more chance to pick a girl. And it has already been a month since Jessica. I'm starting to lose hope. But I believe that one day the right one will show up. Though that day isn't today since tonight we have a gala to attend. It's my annual Paragon Art Gala. I hold it three times a year and this is the third one, which means it has to be bigger and much better than the other two. 

" Remember, you can't pick anyone tonight, " I remind Arden who is seated on the seat across from me in my office. 

" Yeah yeah, you've told me that three times already. "

It's not that I don't want him to pick anyone. It's just that the people that attend my galas are very respectable and distinguished. And the last thing I need is Arden offending a possible investor. Besides, most of them are usually old couples or young singles that got invited out by a wealthy womaniser. 

" You know, All I want now is a nice normal girl that won't ask too many questions. "

I looked up at him with with a frown. A nice girl? That's like the only kind of girls that he doesn't like. He and I both. They're so fragile and you always have to watch what you say around them because you're afraid of hurting they're feelings. No. I prefer the fiesty type. Someone who will not be afraid to leave scratches on my back. Someone that can hold her own when it comes to an argument. 

There's nothing better than making such a girl follow your every instruction. 

" A nice girl? " I ask as I stand up and walk to my shelf to retrieve some documents. 

" Yeah, I mean everyone else we've tried so far hasn't worked out. "

Shaking my head I unlock a drawer. Then I come face to face with her. It's the painting of the highway girl. I removed it from the wall because I didn't want Arden to start asking too many questions. I forgot what I was retrieving from the drawer. Too focused on admiring her. And what worries me more is that that was not the first time I had found myself walking over to that drawer. Something I rarely did before. 

But nowadays it's become a routine. Even if I know that what I'm looking for isn't in there, I still check. And each time I see her, I find it hard to shut the drawer. All I want to do is stand there, looking at her. It's the strangest thing, like she's become a kind of obsession that I can't just get over. 

Though I'm sure all I need is a little time, then I'll completely forget that she even exists. 

" Hey! Are you listening to me? " I heard Arden ask. Pulling me back to the present. 

" Oh what was that? "

" I said that if I don't find a girl by the end of next week then I might just rethink this idea. "

" Finally. " 

Closing the drawer I walk back to my seat. 

" What were you doing over there? I've been talking to you for like five minutes. "

Had it really been that long? Shrugging it off I say that I was searching for something. And at the same moment I realise that I didn't even get my documents. 

But it's nice to know that Arden is realising the absurdity of this whole thing. I do feel a little bad about not getting my money but that's okay. I'm sure we'll figure out something to tell his parents to make them realise that he doesn't want to get married. In the mean time, I have a gala to plan.