Soon they reached Alex's apartment, and he carefully put Emily’s suitcase into the corner “Thank you, that’s very kind of you”, Emily said while carefully inspecting the apartment. Alex, with a warm smile, “No worries, this is our home now.” He added, “It’s not much, but I hope you like it”

“No, it’s very cozy, I like it when things are simple”

“Make yourself at home, this is our home now,” Alex replied with his gentle voice.

Emily, remembering something asked, “Oh……., which room will I be staying in?”

Alex hesitated for a moment before leaning closer and placing a hand on her back, it sent a shiver down her spine. “Oh, um, there’s only one bedroom in this house,” he said, his breath warm against her ear. “So I guess we’ll be sleeping together. Isn’t that what married people do?”

Emily’s cheeks flushed red, “Umm, I mean, I’m not ready to… Don’t you think it’s a little…?” She struggled. “It’s like we barely know each other, and I’m only eighteen, and you’re in your thirties. We should wait.”

Alex chuckled softly. “Hahaha, I’m just messing with you” he. “Jokes apart, we both don’t want to be in this situation. And when the trust fund is released, we can get a divorce.”

Emily extended her hand to shake his, saying, “Deal”.

As they shook hands, Alex abruptly pulled her closer, his eyes locking onto hers. “Oh, and do not bring disgrace until we’re married,” he said firmly.

Emily nodded. “Until we’re divorced, I will be a good wife and respect our wedding.”

“Go take the bed, and I’ll take the couch,” Alex said, his tone softening as he released her. He watched her walk towards the bedroom.

Emily lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling aimlessly, not knowing what’s for after she sacrificed her marriage and married a stranger but at the same time she was relieved that Alex is not creepy or a monster, like everyone had portrayed him.

In the living room, Alex lay on the couch feeling satisfied by all the games he had plotted, going in the right direction.

It’s been ages since Emily had slept this peacefully. She rolled out her bed and made her way to the bathroom. She filled the tub with hot water and got her tired body into the tub, hot water wiped out all exhaustion from her body and she relaxed there for an hour.

“Awww!! This feels so nice, I could stay there the whole day”, Emily said while stretching her arms. She got dressed, slipping on a simple crop-top with jeans then she made her way to the kitchen, her eyes widened at the breathtaking sight before her.

Alex lay on the sofa, shirtless, his abs hinting at a well-built body. Emily crouched down and gently placed her finger on his closed eye then his nose. His sharp features were tensed, and his brow was furrowed. “He must be having a bad dream”. She thought. With a soft touch, Emily smoothed out the tension from his brows and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead. She quietly stood up and made her way to the kitchen.

Alex woke up and took a shower, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee enveloped him as he stepped inside the kitchen. He was taken aback to see a delicious breakfast on the dining table. “Oh, you made breakfast?” he asked with a surprising tone. No one had ever done this for him after his mother left.

“Aww!! Alex you startled me”, Emily gasped while placing her hand over her heart.

“Err! Sorry I did not mean to”, Alex said in an apologetic tone

“I have to return my wedding dress. I won’t be able to join you, you enjoy”

Sipping his coffee, Alex couldn’t help but comment, “Your father wouldn’t even buy you a wedding dress? I thought your family was rich.”

Emily paused, holding the door handle, and replied, “It was a waste to buy an expensive wedding dress and wear it only once.” She gave a small, wistful smile. “I’ll see you later,” she added, before stepping out.

Alex’s demeanor flipped as soon as Emily left. He dialed his secretary. “Richard, collect all the information on Emily Walker,” he commanded.

Richard arrived at Alex’s apartment, he could not believe that his boss was living in this shack. “Boss, are you really going to live in this shack with Ms. Walker? Why not take her to the penthouse or Griffin residence?”

Alex cut him off. “And what? Tell her my real identity?” with a stern tone.

Richard looked puzzled but handed over the documents. Alex scanned through them, his expression softening as he read. “Emily Walker… looks like she had a tough life,” he murmured to himself.

“Where are you going, boss?” Richard asked concerningly.

With a smile, Alex replied, “I’m going to check on my wife.”

Her heart raced while she stood frozen in place, the wedding dress was in her hand and the shopkeeper was busy inspecting the shoes. She hoped for a routine handover but. But now, the situation had escalated into something more troubling.

The shopkeeper looked into Emily’s eyes. “They are too damaged,” she repeated, “$500 is restoration fee.”

Emily could not process all this $500 is an insane amount. She had been careful with these shoes, tiptoeing around to avoid scratches. How could they be so damaged? She glanced at the worn-out soles, and the scuffed leather, and felt a surge of frustration. “But these are rentals,” she protested. “Of course, there’s going to be wear and tear.”

Her lips formed a tight line. "Wear and tear, yes," she said disdainfully. “But this—is beyond wear and tear.”

Emily’s heart sank. She couldn’t afford $500, if she could why would she buy a rental dress but real “I might as well buy a new pair,” she muttered.

The shopkeeper’s eyes narrowed. “Sure,” she said, “Go buy it then. Can you afford it?” Her gaze lingered on Emily's simple attire and wore-out sneakers, “Don’t buy things if you can’t afford them,” she added.

Emily wanted to protest about the rude behaviour of the shopkeeper but decided to let it go, a familiar scent enveloped her—a mix of sandalwood and fresh rain. She turned, and there stood Alex, her husband, he stepped forward, placing a protective hand on Emily’s waist. “These are way too ugly for my wife,” he said, “How about these? You tried them out?” he pointed at the shoes placed in the limited edition section

Emily’s eyes widened. Those shoes were a work of art—red-bottomed, limited edition, and worth freaking $5k. She glanced at Alex, trying to send signals to him. The shopkeeper rolled her eyes, “Limited edition,” she scoffed. “But if you want them, fine.”

His eyes remained fixed, staring directly into the shopkeeper’s eyes, his voice steady. “We’ll take it.”

“Alex,” she whispered, “that’s insane. We can’t possibly spend that much on shoes!”

The shopkeeper stepped forward and sensed they were gonna buy that pair of shoes. “Sit down, both of you,” gesturing toward a plush velvet sofa.

Emily sank into the sofa. How could she even consider such an offer?

“What is your shoe size, ma’am?” the shopkeeper asked.

Before Emily could reply she heard Alex's confident voice, “She’s a seven,” he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Emily shot him a surprised look. How did he know her shoe size?

Before Emily could ask Alex explained himself, winking at her, “I’m your husband,”

“I know these kinds of things.”

The shopkeeper returned with the shoes, placing them delicately on a velvet cushion. “Please try these,” she said, her eyes analyzing Emily’s reaction.

Emily took off her worn sneakers and carefully stepped into the new pair. They fit like a glove and she caught Alex’s approving gaze.

But then Alex’s voice brought her back to reality. “Are you going to watch,” he said to the shopkeeper, his tone stern.

The shopkeeper hesitated, “If there’s a problem,” he warned, “I’ll speak to your boss.”

“Alex!”

Emily tried to stop him. To her surprise, the shopkeeper knelt down and adjusted the straps.

“That looks lovely, they fit like a glove” Alex declared, taking out a platinum card from his pocket.

SQEAK!!!!

$5k was paid.