Chapter 24 Twenty Four


    Isabelle picked up the form and ran her fingers around the edges nervously. “Even if there are side


    effects, they said that they willpensate me.”


    Jacob gave her a look that suggested he thought that was ridiculous. “And you believed them?”


    “It’s in the registration form.”


    His brow furrowed. “Let’s say they are not lying, what if the drug has serious side effects on your


    health? Are you okay with that just because they’llpensate you? What if you suffer permanent


    effects?”


    “Many people have done this before,” she said, trying to calm him down. She couldn’t understand why


    he was so angry about it. “You’re overthinking, I’ll be fine.”


    “Overthinking?” he scoffed. “Don’t you care about your health at all?”


    “I need the money, okay?” she told him finally, dropping her gaze to the floor. “I need money urgently


    and this was the best option I could find.”


    “What?” he asked, his voice full of disbelief. “You’re putting yourself in danger because of money?”


    Isabelle clenched her teeth together, feeling her frustration from earlier arise. What else was she


    supposed to do? It was not like she had a lot of optionsid out to her on how to get money. Many


    people earned money by taking part in drug trials. Why was he making it sound like she was being


    needlessly reckless?


    Jacob got to his feet, and she had to take a step back as he suddenly crowded her. “If you need money


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    that badly, why didn’t you ask me? I’m your husband!”


    Her husband? He always pulled that card at the most ridiculous instances, didn’t he? They were just a


    couple on paper and had agreed to stay clear of each other’s personal issues. How then could he


    expect her to go running to him with her problems? As far as their arrangement went, it was none of his


    business.


    She blinked as tears welled her eyes. If her situation wasn’t so dire, it would have beenical. On


    one hand, she was stuck in an arranged marriage that didn’t benefit her in any way. On the other, she


    had parents who abandoned her after said marriage urred.


    “We are just a nominal couple, remember?” she asked him in a small voice. “You also made it clear that


    we shouldn’t interfere in each other’s personal affairs.” Gathering bits of courage, she looked up and


    met his eyes. “So you have no right to me me for not telling you about my problems.”


    As Jacob looked into Isabelle’s eyes, he felt his anger abate. First because of the tears in her eyes,


    and second because she was right. He was the one who had insisted that they keep their personal


    business private. And since he was her fake husband, it made sense that she couldn’t juste to him


    with her problems.


    Even knowing that, he still felt bothered. He wished she had never gone to such an extent to look for


    money, and he wished he hadn’t made that stupid rule about not interfering in each other’s lives.


    Because as long as things were that way, it would be hard to take care of her when she needed it.


    “You’re right,” he said eventually, calmly. “I’m sorry.” Taking a deep breath, he raked his fingers through


    his hair. He needed to think. And they both needed to calm down. “I need to step outside for a while. I’ll


    have dinnerter, you can start without me.”


    She only nodded, and he stepped past her and went into the living room. After grabbing a coat, he


    pulled it on and left the apartment. There was a garden at the front of the building, and he went there to


    pass the time.


    Alone, he admitted to himself that he had crossed the line. Only a real husband should get mad at his


    wife doing something like that–not a pretend one. Maybe he should have asked more about what she


    was going through instead of going all angry from the get-go.


    And that–him getting angry–was a sign of something he wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with yet. He


    could no longer hide the fact that he cared for her. And he couldn’t even tell when he had be so


    involved with her.


    The idea of her getting hurt because of some botched drug trial pissed him off. And not just that, but he


    also found himself wanting to fix whatever needed fixing in her life. He wanted to know about her day at


    work, wanted to spend time with her when he got home from work, and his attraction to her was


    growing.


    It was as if suddenly, this wasn’t just an unwanted arrangement to him.


    He exhaled deeply and buried his face in his hands. He needed to get a hold of his emotions. But he


    couldn’t think about that right now. He needed to figure a way to get her to abandon the stupid trial.


    ***


    With Jacob gone, Isabelle sat down to have dinner. She no longer had any appetite, but she ate


    anyway.


    Most of it was angry-eating. Now that he was no longer in her presence intimidating her with his anger


    and making her feel stupid and reckless, her anger got an opportunity to grow.


    She was sick and tired of people telling her what to do. Neither her parents nor Jacob cared about her


    feelings. The former thought it was okay to trick her into a marriage with a stranger, while thetter


    thought it was okay to tell her what to do as if she owed him anything.


    By the time she finished eating, he wasn’t back, and she was more than fine with that. It would be just


    fine if she didn’t see his face again until the next day. She gathered the utensils she had used and


    carried them to the sink, meaning to wash them before she went to bed.


    At that moment, she heard the front door open, and then a few secondster, footsteps heading


    towards the kitchen. She looked up as he walked in, and she couldn’t help the retort that rolled off her


    tongue. “Why are you back?” She had assumed he wouldn’t be back any time soon after telling her to


    have dinner without him.


    “I didn’t want you to be alone,” he replied, and if he caught the sting in her retort, he didn’t show it.


    She frowned at his answer, but didn’t pay him more attention as she got ready to start washing the


    dishes. What did he care whether she was alone or not? She was perfectly okay being alone.


    She was about to turn on the tap when he suddenly appeared beside her and reached up to touch her


    face. She recoiled instantly and stepped back, giving him a shocked look. She could no longer keep up


    with this man and whatever was going on in his head.


    Jacob sighed. “Just stop with the drug trial, okay? You have a job now, you’ll earn the money you need


    soon.”


    Isabelle pressed her lips into a thin line and crossed her arms across her chest. “And if I don’t? It’s


    none of your business.”


    As Isabelle faced him and stubbornly refused to take his advice, Jacob felt his irritation rise again. It


    looked like he had been wrong to assume that the time spent apart had helped her calm down. Or think


    twice.


    But he was determined to make sure that she didn’t do something that she could regret in the future.


    “If you don’t do what I say,” he said, taking a step towards her. Her eyes widened at his advance, but


    she didn’t step back. He was impressed at her resolve to hold her ground. But he had a feeling that


    wouldn’tst long. “I’ll have sex with you,” he finished.


    Her mouth fell open, and then she sped her hand over her lips. “What?” she asked, her eyes


    shooting daggers at him.


    “You’re my wife after all,” he said, taking another step closer. This time, she stepped away. “And if we


    have to behave like a true couple for you to listen to me, we might as well get started.” Then he moved


    his hand to the top of his shirt and undid the top-most button.


    Her eyes lowered to his shirt, and then lifted to his face. “You’re…you’re crazy,” she choked.


    “Am I?” he popped the second button, his upper chest now showing.


    “Stop!” she ordered, holding a palm out. “We…that’s not what we agreed.” Her eyes went back to his


    hand on his shirt, as if her gaze alone could freeze his actions. This man was truly crazy. Who even


    came up with such an idea? Did he think he could swing from acting like a pretend couple to a true one


    whenever he felt like it? At this rate, he was going to drive her insane.


    He took another step and she stepped back, only to feel her back press up against a surface. Just


    great, she had backed herself into the counter. And the only escape route was going past him.


    “After we have sex,” he said, releasing his third button, “you’ll listen to me and ept my help, right?”


    At that point, she could see his chest hair. She swallowed hard and pressed her hands to the surface


    behind her. She couldn’t let this go on. If he really got rid of his shirt… She wrenched her eyes from his


    chest and to his face. The heated look he was giving her flustered her even more than his half-exposed


    chest.


    “I…I…” Dammit, where had her ability to talk disappeared to?


    He dropped his hand and reached for her dress. “Should I help you undress?”


    She slid against the counter, moving away from his hand. “No!”


    “No? Come on, Isabelle. Don’t be shy. Let’s get this out of the way.”