Chapter 18


    Adjusting


    A peal of hystericughter escaped my throat. I turned to my new chauffeur, praying that he would


    understand me and y along.


    “Thank you for giving me a ride,” I said with an awkwardly wide smile, stopping Benjamin halfway before


    he sat down behind the wheel.


    He stepped out of the car. His eyes shifted from me to Liam and back to me again.


    “No problem, Miss.” His fingers slid through the rim of his hat.


    “Thank you,” I repeated, bowing my head this time.


    I could see a surprise shing through his face, yet he kept hisposed expression. He nodded his


    head, and a few secondster, he was pulling away from the curb. I sighed in relief as I got rid of the first


    part of my problem. I stepped closer to Liam, grinning like an idiot.


    “What happened to you? Did you win a million dors overnight or something?” he muttered, widening


    his eyes as he could now examine my clothes up-close. “Of course not.” I waved off his assumptions with


    my hand. “I was working at the café today when some rich client spilled coffee all over my clothes… She


    was incredibly sorry, and she gave me this dress as an apology. Can you believe it?” I forced augh.


    He narrowed his eyes at me. “Did she give you her Gi heels as well?” “Yes.” I nodded my head while


    keeping that stupid grin on my face. “This must be my luckiest day since I moved back to New York!” I


    eximed with a wide gesture, as if it could possibly make up for the fact that I was lying.


    “What about the car and chauffeur?” he asked, with an unmistakable suspicion in his tone.


    “She insisted to offer me a ride home. I ended up asking the chauffeur to take me to your ce because


    I urgently need myptop,” I said quickly and pulled him through the entrance of his building by the rim of


    his sleeve. I could feel his doubtful gaze on me, but I kept walking toward his apartment, pretending I


    didn’t notice. We walked into the elevator, and I saw him frowning.


    “What?” I let out an irritated sigh.


    “I don’t know,” he said, “It’s just that your story sounds quite unbelievable. That’s all.” He shrugged. I


    chuckled. “You are right. The truth is that I have recently be the contract fiancée of a very wealthy


    man. He was the one who gave me those clothes and assigned me a private chauffeur and a car.”


    He burst intoughter hard enough to shed a tear. “That’s a really good one, Cora!” He keptughing


    even when we left the elevator and then entered his apartment. I didn’t know whether or not to feel


    insulted that he chose to believe in the lie I made up in seconds over the fact that some crazy wealthy


    man found me attractive, but I couldn’t me him because I


    Adinolino


    wouldn’t probably believe myself in thetter either.


    After Liam stoppedughing, he no longer asked me any questions. He just handed me myputer,


    smiling beamingly. I thanked him and walked out, feeling as if I had dodged a bullet. I exited the building


    and began walking towards the subway when I noticed a ck Bentley pulling over directly in front of


    me. Benjamin walked out of the car and bowed.


    “I apologize, Ms. Bell. I didn’t mean to put you in a difficult situation,” he said.


    “That’s OK.” I smiled. “He bought my lie, so it’s OK.”


    I could see Benjamin sigh in relief as if he could lose his job if I didn’t handle the situation the way I


    wanted. As he opened the door to help me get into the car, I slightly patted his arm.


    “Please, don’t worry about what happened. It was my fault for not telling you in advance.”


    He nodded, giving me a faint smile, but I guess that he had rxed a bit after my words. As he drove me


    back to the penthouse, he kept ncing at me in the rearview mirror.


    I smirked. “If you want to say something, go ahead.” “I shouldn’t. It’s just a personal opinion,” he stated


    nervously.


    I urged, “I don’t mind.”


    Benjamin cleared his throat. “I just think that Ms. Bell is unlike any of Mr. Lan’s girlfriends…” he muttered.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, really? How am I different?”


    I was unable to exin why mentioning Aren’s girlfriends annoyed me. My mind instantly thought of how


    many girlfriends he had… Was he going to date anyone despite our contract?


    “You are… nice,” he replied hesitantly. “Not that I would judge Mr. Lan’s girlfriends… I’m sorry, I talk too


    much.”


    His words made me even more curious. “Hey, I won’t tell on you, so you can just speak freely.”


    He took a deep breath. “Ms. Bell, you are polite and humble, and”


    “I’m not rich,” I exined, letting out a breathless snort. “I don’t think that I am peculiarly polite or humble.


    I was just nervous, and I am still nervous. I ride the subway trains and buses, not limousines…”


    I could see Benjamin’s bright smile in the mirror’s reflection. “I think that makes you special… and you


    are special to Mr. Lan as well.”


    “You have no idea…” I muttered under my breath.


    Of course, I was special. I had little more than a zero on my ount and he threatened me to sign a


    marriage contract. Benjamin’sment wasn’t truly apliment, even though I knew that he didn’t


    mean it in a bad way. I was about to let it out of my mind, but he continued…


    “You know... you are the first to move into his penthouse. Mr. Lan cherishes his private space deeply. I


    have never seen him even invite a woman to his apartment.”


    “Never?” I gasped while the corners of my lips curled up uncontrobly.


    “Never.” Benjamin confirmed. “Even when he intended to meet with Ms. Saxon, they only met in his hotel


    and restaurants.”


    For some reason, those words made me feel a little satisfied… before I remembered Neil’s words that it


    was easier to keep me safe in Aren’s territory. I needed to prevent myself from looking at my situation as


    if it was something private. This was nothing but a business transaction… It was merely an unusual and


    complicated one.


    When I was walking back to the building on Park Avenue, the concierge surprised me by greeting me by


    my name. As I walked toward the elevators, a few more people respectfully nodded their heads. I


    responded in the same manner. It felt awkward. I would be stupid not to assume that Aren Lan not only


    owned the penthouse in this building, but he owned the whole building. I also bet that everyone had


    already been informed that I was Aren Lan’s newest fiancée, and since it was Aren Lan’s kingdom, I was


    now receiving royal treatment…


    I didn’t enjoy it, but I also knew that I had to get used to it and stop behaving like an imposter or lunatic. I


    wasn’t going to change into somebody I was not, but Aren Lan needed a representable wife, and I would


    have to improve my act by far to make people believe that he would choose me as his partner without


    using him of suffering from temporary insanity. As I entered the penthouse, I got a message from


    Neil. He informed me that my clothes and documents from my apartment had already been brought to


    the penthouse and ced in my bedroom. He also texted that he had ordered me a dinner that would be


    delivered in half an hour. He must have been reading my mind, or he and my stomach must have been


    communicating since it just started growling. A few minutester, I got another message from him.


    “Mr. Lan won’te back untilte tonight. Feel free to open any wine from the wine fridge in the kitchen


    and enjoy.”


    I chuckled. His messages sounded like music to my ears. I thought that there were some parts of this


    weird contract that I might actually like…


    The rest of the day passed, making me feel surreal. I had a delicious steak for dinner, then I sat on the


    roof patio by the pool and worked on myptop. Afterwards, I called Benjamin and asked him to take me


    to the clinic. I had to tell Grandma that I had solved most of our problems. If she heard me or sensed my


    emotions, I needed her to know that I was all right and that I was going to get her the best treatment


    possible. After spending some time by Grandma’s bed, I felt more motivated. I was ready to be the


    best contracted girlfriend


    and fiancée a rich guy could ever find.


    When I came back to my new home, I used Neil’s advice and went to the kitchen to find a good -looking


    bottle and a wine ss. I ended up drinking the best Pinot Noir I’d ever tasted, and I used it as a liquid


    inspiration to work on the security software I’d been developing for the past few months.


    It was a little after midnight when I started to feel sleepy. I went back to the kitchen to get some water


    and realized that I was still alone. I had never felt lonely in my small apartment, but staying here at the


    two-thousand-square-foot penthouse made me cravepany. I went to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. I


    tossed and turned for a long time before finally losing consciousness. Strangely, I woke up at 5:30 AM,


    feeling absolutely refreshed. Dressed in


    nothing aside from a long, white T-shirt I used as a sleeping gown, I went down to the kitchen and


    realized everything looked exactly how I left it before going to bed, including the dirty wine ss I put by


    the sink. Did Aren evene back? Or did he stay up working all night in his office? Well, there was no


    chance in hell that I would knock on his bedroom door to check


    If he didn’t try to contact me, then I wouldn’t seek contact with him either. I washed the wine ss, and


    then made myself a cup of coffee. I had already nned to work with n and Norton in ourputer


    workshop, and I might as well go there a few hours earlier. As I went back to my bedroom, I saw a


    magnificent sunrise. Drawn by the breathtaking view, I walked out through the ss door and observed


    the gentle sun rays reflecting on the smooth surface of the roof pool water. I stood there in awe while


    finishing my coffee when suddenly I heard the sound of a closing door. The sound came from Aren’s


    bedroom. Driven by foolish curiosity, I took a few steps across the patio and suddenly found myself


    standing in front of Aren’s bedroom ss door. I froze. Aren Lan was standing by his bed with nothing


    but a small towel covering his hips and fine ass. Drops of water drew lines down his perfectly chiseled


    shoulders, chest, and abdominal muscles. The view waspletely mouthwatering. At one moment, he


    raised his hands and ran his long fingers through his damp ck hair. I swallowed, getting uncontrobly


    aroused as I watched him. As he slightly turned towards the ss door, our eyes met… I gasped and


    instantly felt like a pervert. I had no exnation for peeping on him. “… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…” I


    mumbled, taking a step back away from his door.


    He snorted and walked out to the roof patio, making my embarrassment even worse. The sunlight


    emphasized his firm, bulging abdominals going down in the ideal V, thoroughly marked by his low-ced


    towel. God, I couldn’t even force myself to look away! I took


    another step back as he moved closer, a smug grin painting his face. I stepped back again and found


    myself on the edge of the pool.


    “Shit,” I cursed as I lost my bnce. A secondter, my bodynded deep under the surface of the


    water…