I was barely halfway across the room when his deep, husky voice startled me.
“I see you’re settling in just fine.”
“Jesus Christ!” My hand flew to my chest. “What the hell, Adrik?!”
He was seated on a sofa beside my bed, legs crossed, exuding confidence. “How do you like your new home?”
I glared at him. “I don’t.”
He hesitated, his expression still as blank as a sheet of paper.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” I said, my hands covering my chest as if to conceal the breasts under the soft fabric of my towel. “The contract says—”
“I know what the contract says,” he cut me off. “I wrote it.”
My throat bobbled, and my heart began hammering in my chest. I wasn’t sure why he was here or what he was up to, and I couldn’t stop my racing pulse.
He must’ve noticed my anxiety because after staring at me for less than two seconds, a mocking smirk appeared on his lips. “Relax,” he said, rising to his feet.
I watched him button up his jacket and step closer to me.
“I only stopped by to make sure that you’re settled in.” He paused, his eyes pinned on me. “Our marriage is only on paper, and as such, we’ll be sleeping in separate rooms.”
Honestly, I was grateful for this because I couldn’t imagine myself sharing his bed. Not because I didn’t find him attractive, but because it would just be weird.
He halted in front of me, his expensive cologne invading my senses. “Unless, of course, you’re afraid of sleeping all by yourself.” He flashed me that pesky little smirk of his.
I stared at him, struggling to push back the crazy thoughts creeping into my head. Why on earth was I picturing him naked, for Christ’s sake?
“I’ll be fine,” I said, clearing my throat. “Thank you.”
“It’syourloss,” he teased, his expression softening by a whisper. “See you at the office tomorrow, 8:00 a.m. sharp. Not a second later.”
And with that, he walked away, leaving me standing in the middle of the room. That quiet, mocking smirk of his stayed with me long after he was gone. And that was how I knew this was going to be a lot tougher than I’d thought.
Chapter 6 – Adrik
It had been almost a week since Emika arrived as my bride. Her presence at the mansion had transformed the place into something livelier, something I dared not name. Even the maids had already developed some sort of strange liking for her.
She seemed to be settling in just fine and was taking her role as my personal assistant quite seriously. For someone who claimed to hate this union, I thought it would take her a while to adjust to her new reality.
I’d been wrong.
Her act and fake smiles could deceive everyone else but me. I knew she was way too stubborn to just accept her fate without having something up her sleeve. We did have an agreement to coexist in this house for the next twelve months.
However, I couldn’t help thinking that she was up to something fishy because people like her didn’t break easily.
Maybe I was just being cynical. Maybe the girl was just focused on fulfilling her role under the contract. Perhaps she’d come to terms with the fact that there was nothing she could do about her situation.
Whatever the case, she was proving her usefulness in my business. And it was something I couldn’t ignore, whether I tried to or not.
Emika was attentive to even the most minute details. She was smart, brilliant, quick—though slightly clumsy with some Russian documents.
What was even more disturbing was that these days, I found myself watching her every chance I got. I noticed the slightest change in her facial expressions and body language.
I could tell when she was focused; her brows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed. When she was confused about something while working, she’d bite the base of her pen. Sheoften tied her hair back whenever she was buried in work, but let it spill over her shoulders when she forgot herself.
Noticing these tiny details about her made me wonder why I was suddenly so interested in this spoiled little brat.
