<b>Chapter </b>11
Even with Matthew’s intimidating aura hanging over her, when Valerie really took the time to mull things over, she couldn’t help but feel like a total scumbag After all, she’d been the one pushing for this marriage in the first ce, and he’d even gane so far as to get them an apartment to start their life together. His attitude towards the whole thing just made Valerie feel incredibly guilty, since her true goal had really been to use him and <b>keep </b>their baby to herself only,
“Don’t worry, Mr. Grant. I try my best said Valerie. She had decided to be a good wife to make up for him.
Matthew furrowed his brow, perplexed. What exactly is she getting at something he wondered skeptically.
Try h
her best at what? Is she just saying she’ll try best not to cheat on me <b>or</b>
“<b>Again</b>. If I ever catch you cheating on me in the next six months.” he said,
Valerie quickly cut him off, “I won’t, Mr. Grant. You have <b>my </b>word.”
“Aren’t <b>you </b><b>scared </b>of me?” he <b>asked</b>, surprised to see her smiling in the face of <b>his </b>intense re. His subordinates would usually be jumping out the window if he so much <b>as </b>frowned in their direction.
Valerie couldn’t help but find has <b>behavior </b>rather peculiar. “Why does he seem to have this obsession with people being terrified of him! He’s not some kind of monster, after all, she thought to herself
“Im sorry. Mr. Grant, but I don’t understand why you keep asking if I’m afraid of you.” Valerie replied, her brow furrowed in confusion. “You’re my husband now, and we need to make this work for the next six months. I <b>have </b>every intention of living peacefully with you during that time.”
She looked around the apartment- it had two bedrooms and was flooded with natural light. Also, it was conveniently located near her workce, and her rent wasing due soon. If I move in here, I could really stretch my budget a lot further<b>, </b><b>she </b>thought to herself, positively giddy at the prospect. Valerie lived by a prrity straightforward philosophy – she never turned down a freebie.
“So, which room is mine, Mr. Grant? Or do we… Valerie asked awkwardly. She remembered he said something about her fulfilling her duties as a wife. She was not sure if that meant they would sleep together.
“There are two bedrooms” answered Matthew. Twon’t do anything to you until we’ve developed genuine feelings for each other.” While he was open to a bit of fun, he had no real interest in Valerie. What had happened between them previously was just an <b>ident</b>, and he had no desire for her to be a constant presence in his life. In his opinion, she simply wasn’t qualified to serve <b>as </b>the hostess for his family.
Valerie let out <b>a </b>sigh of relief, secretly pleased. She wanted to make up for him by cooking or cleaning, but the idea <b>of </b>sleeping with him felt awkward. Liule did she know that Matthew <b>had </b>noticed her relief and uncered.
“Alright, let’s get a few things straight from the jump, Matthew stated firmly. “First things first, don’t enter my room or touch any of my stuff without my permission. And keep it down after 11 o’clock – I need my space to be calm <b>and </b>quiet. The living room and kitchen are shared spaces, so feel free to use them however you like”
He continued, “And another thing. <b>I’ve </b>got a housekeepering by once a week to tidy the ce up. But the rest of the time, I’m gonna need <b>you </b>to be the one doing the cleaning around here.”
Matthew listed out the rules, fully expecting Valerie to bristle at <b>his </b>authoritative tone. After all, he was ustomed to barking orders in the workce. To his surprise, however, <b>Valerie </b>still wore a cheerful smile on her face as heid out the ground rules
“Is that all Okay, I <b>think </b>I can <b>do </b>all of those, Mr. Grant. By <b>t</b>
y the
<b>way</b><b>, </b>, can I bring my stuff here tomorrow! And my hamster! And Valerie asked.
Matthew found himself momentarily lost for words. This wasn’t at all the reaction he had expected <b>from </b>his new live–in partner. Normally, people quailed under his firm instructions, bur Valerie seemed unfazed. Interrupting her chatter, he said. “This is your home now, so you can do whatever <b>you </b><b>like</b>. And you can stay here tonight, since there’s a typhoon ourside.”N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.
Still, he supposed he’d have to <b>make </b>the best of their new living arrangement. No matter what, Valerie was now hiswfully wedded wife now, so he couldn’t very well mistreat her. He assumed that for a golddigger <b>like </b>Valerie, the idea of being married <b>to </b><b>a </b>poor <b>driver </b>must already be a form of
<b>torture</b><b>.</b>
His <b>words </b>seemed to have <b>an </b>unexpected effect on Valerie. Little did he <b>know</b>, his begrudging consent to let her stay put a warm glow in her <b>heart</b>. Coming from a family where she’d always felt like the <b>ck </b>sheep, the notion of <b>having </b><b>a </b>ce to call her own was novel and exhrating
“Thank you, Mr. Grant. I really hope we can make this living together thing work out,” Valerie said gratefully, before retreating to her new bedroom
Once there, Valene took <b>a </b>moment to drink in her surroundings. She noticed the <b>fresh </b>bedding in the closet and eagerly set about making the bed, <b>cing </b>amp on the nightstand, Nankang into thefortable mattress, Valerie felt a wash of contentment. No matter what life threw her way, Valerie <b>had </b><b>a </b><b>knack </b>for <b>taking </b>things <b>as </b>they came. She believed <b>that </b>this new living arrangement with Matthew would be no exception.
Mr. Grant may be a tough cookie, but I’ve dealt with all sorts of <b>jerks </b>at work, she mused to herself. At least this <b>one’s </b>easy on the eyes. But I can’t let him know about the baby, though. That’ll only make the divorce harder. As long as I can tough it out for the next six months, it’ll be all over”
Valerie stroked her t belly and made up her mind. Haby, don’t worry, I won’t let anyone <b>take </b>you away,” she muttered.
Chapter II
Across the hall. Matthew found himself staring at <b>Valerie’s </b>door for a long while, utterly bewildereil. Her reaction had been so different from what (he had expected – no panicked outbursts or tears, just a calm gratitude with a smile. Herposure left him with a nagging sense of self–doubt.
He had grown ustomed to people reacting with fear around him over the past thirty years – even his own brothers and parents. He had initially thought Valerie would be no different, that she too would be terrified of him. Yet, to his surprise, Valerie had turned out to be the sole exception. Her calm, almost grateful response <b>had </b>thrown him for a <b>loop</b><b>.</b>
Matthew reached for his phone and ced a call to Charles. “Listen, prepare these th
things for me..he instructed.
The next morning, shonly after Valerie had left, a briefcase <b>was </b>delivered in Matthew’s doorstep. Inside were several official–looking documenti
“Matthew took out the documents and gave them a thorough once–over- a regr 9–to–5 jobs, a reliable <b>car</b>, a mortgage–free house, and over <b>$</b>100k sitting pretty in the bank. In Matthew’s eyes, these were the bread–and–butter essentials of afortable, middle–ss existence – the kind of life he felt the average Joe on the street should be able to achieve without too much fuss. From now on, that was exactly the kind of regr existence he nned to lead
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