CHAPTER 6

ALEXANDER 

The door slammed close, startling me slightly. 

I looked up from my phone and saw Annalyn walked into the small apartment I was able to get on short notice, as our home. She glanced up and reared back in surprise.

"Oh. Hey. Didn't see you there. When did you get back?" she asked. 

The exhaustion she was feeling was obvious in her voice, and I instinctively knew something was wrong. 

I had texted her the address earlier and when I got back and I didn't see her. I figured she wasn't back from work yet.

"Are you okay?" I asked, keeping my gaze on her. 

Annalyn sighed at my question. She sat down, and threw her head back on the couch. 

"I'm alright. I'm just…pissed."

I sat up. "Would you like to talk about it?"

She turned her gaze towards me and stared at me for a long moment.

"Talk to me, Annalyn," I mentioned again. Whatever it was that was wrong with her was something…huge. 

"You know, I never actually said thank you for agreeing to marry me on such short notice. Thank you so much, Adrian. It's been a long day," she smiled wearily. 

I raised my eyebrows at her. 

"Don't change the subject, dear wife. Did something else happen?" I insisted.

"You're so nosy," she muttered. Her words made me chuckle, and a tired smile tugged on her lips again.

"It's just…Sophia. I went home to take a few things I needed. I happened to run into her and well, things didn't go so well," she winced.

"Did she say something bad?"

Annalyn sighed again. That was probably the millionth time she did that since she walked in. 

"You don't know the half of it."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" 

As soon as those words slipped past my lips, Annalyn sat up and held my gaze. 

"Yes, actually. There's something only you can do to help. I explained the whole back story about my inheritance, yeah?" 

I nodded. She went on. 

"Well, my evil step mother has made it her prerogative to make sure that I never get it. Despite the publicity and media announcement that I got married, she refused to believe. They think you're fake, and if I don't convince them otherwise, she is going to do everything humanly possible to take my right away from me."

She rushed the words out so fast that it left her slightly breathless when she was done, but I got the point.

"I can't afford to let that happen, Adrian. I can't. You need to help me."

I suddenly had a terrible feeling about this entire discussion. I knew she was slowly getting to the point of how my help was needed, but I also knew it was going to be something I would not want to do. 

Still, I smiled and gestured for her to go on. 

"What can I do to help?" I asked gently. 

She inhaled and exhaled deeply before she dropped the bombshell.

"I need you to go to dinner with me."

A slight wave of uneasiness rolled through me. I knew this was bound to happen. 

"Please? I really really need to make them see. They've taken so much from me already. I can't let them that this last thing away from me."

"Dinner? With your step mother and step sister?"

She nodded. Her expression was a mixture of worry and apology.

I sighed inwardly. I had accepted to marry her when she asked because it was obvious that she had no idea who I was. 

I knew it might not be possible up to hide it for the entire duration of this fake marriage, but at least I would have some cover even if it was just for a little while. 

The problem with accepting to go to dinner with her now though, was the fact that one of the hosts might recognise me.

But what if they don't?

I mean, Annalyn lived in the same house with them for years and had no idea who I was. 

Maybe my luck would extend to them. Maybe I would be able to get away from the whole saga without being recognised. 

"Please, Adrian. I promise to make it up to you. Once everything works out and I get the inheritance, I will pay you whatever amount you want. It's just one dinner," she pleaded. 

The fact that she mentioned money as a means to sway me riled up a mixture of emotions in me. 

A part of me felt amused at her words and how desperately honest she sounded. The other part of me however, was irritated.

She was going to buy me with money? Really? That was slightly insulting, but I said nothing. 

Keeping my irritation to myself, I held her gaze and smiled. 

"Can you give me a few minutes to think about it?" 

Annalyn groaned at my words. "What's there to think about? You already came this far. Even though you only just met me today, we are legally married. A dinner won't hurt, really."

She sounded slightly irritated now, and I smiled as I stood up. This woman had no idea that getting me to marry her was literally the hardest thing she could ever ask me to do. 

But she didn't know, and I wasn't going to tell her. Not now, at least.

I stood up and held out my hand. 

"Come on. You must be famished. I bought some groceries on my way home. Let's make dinner."

She narrowed her eyes at me for several heartbeats as if she was trying to figure me out. My smile grew wilder, and Annalyn finally gave up on trying to convince me. 

Her hand gripped mine and I helped her up. 

"Fine. Make dinner, but I won't help you. I am a very terrible cook," she muttered. 

"Come on. I don't mind. You can just watch me cook," I grinned. She rolled her eyes but followed me anyway.

"What do you want? Does Pasta sound nice?" I asked as I started to arrange what I needed on the counter. 

"Why are you so nice to me?" she asked instead. I spared a glance before turning back to my task. 

"Am I?"

"Oh come on. You know what I mean. Getting married to me even though we are strangers. Letting me stay here with you to keep up with the narrative. Offering to cook for me. It's a little bit…unnerving."

A chuckle slipped past my lips at her words. 

"Come on, 'Lyn. There's nothing to be unnerved about. I am just this way, I guess. Always have been," I deadpanned. 

She snorted.

I went on.

"You know, not everyone is nice to you just because they want something in return," I added as I brought out the chopping board to prepare the tomatoes. 

"You want something in return though. I am going to pay you, afterall," she retorted.

Those casually said words made my already fading irritation surge. 

My smile slipped off a little. 

"Right. I guess you are."

She must have sensed a difference in my words because her eyes widened slightly, and she started to shake her head.

"Oh. No. Please, I definitely did not mean it in a bad way or anything. It's just…I am stressed and stress makes me cranky and I wasn't thinking. I apologise, really. I think you're just a genuinely sweet guy."

Her words were sincere, and it made my heart warm just a tiny bit. 

"Of course I am," I teased and she smiled. 

After a long moment of silence, I spoke again.

"You know what? I think I'll go to that dinner with you."

Annalyn immediately perked up at my words. 

"Really? Oh my God. Thank you so much," she squealed. 

"Hold on. You have every right to be excited, but I'm not done yet. Remember that condition I said I'll tell you after we get married? I think the time has come for us to discuss it."

Annalyn paled and I smiled. This was going to be so much fun.