Alice's POV
I woke up the next morning pretty late, and for a moment, I forgot where I was until it all came rushing back and I had to face reality.
I groaned and pulled the covers over my head, wishing I could just stay in bed forever.
But I couldn't. I had to go to work and pretend everything was normal, even though my entire life had turned upside down in less than a week.
I got up and went to the bathroom, turning on the shower. The water pressure was amazing. It was nothing like my old apartment. I stood under the hot water for longer than I should have, letting it wash away some of the tension in my shoulders.
When I got out, I wrapped myself in a towel and walked back into the bedroom to get my clothes. I'd just opened my closet when I heard my bedroom door open.
"Alice, I need to..." Bryan's voice stopped mid-sentence.
I spun around, clutching my towel tighter. Bryan was standing in the doorway, fully dressed in a suit, his eyes wide as he stared at me.
"What the hell?" I shouted, backing up against the closet. "Don't you knock?"
"I did knock," he said, but he wasn't looking at my face. His eyes had moved down to where water was still dripping down my legs.
"You didn't answer."
"So, you just barge in?" My face was burning with embarrassment.
He finally looked away, turning his back to me. "I'm sorry. I thought you were still asleep. I needed to tell you something before I left for an early meeting."
"Well, tell me from outside," I said, pointing at the door even though he couldn't see me.
"We're signing the contract today," he said, his back still to me.
"Antonio will be here at noon with the papers. Make sure you read everything before you sign."
"Fine. Now get out."
He left quickly, closing the door behind him. I stood there for a moment, my heart racing. That was mortifying. He'd seen me in nothing but a towel, with water dripping everywhere, probably looking like a drowned rat.
I quickly got dressed and tried to forget about it, but I couldn't stop replaying the look on his face. He hadn't looked disgusted or amused. He'd looked... interested. Like he wanted to keep looking.
No. I shook my head. That was ridiculous. This was a business arrangement and nothing more.
I went to the kitchen to make coffee and found a note on the counter in Bryan's handwriting.
"There's food in the fridge. Help yourself. The driver will take you to work at eight."
I made myself breakfast and ate quickly. At exactly eight, I went downstairs and found the driver waiting for me in the garage.
"Good morning, Miss Reynolds," he said, opening the car door for me.
"Mr. Hale asked me to take you to the office."
"Thank you," I got in.
At work, I tried to focus on my tasks, but my mind kept wandering. Antonio showed up at exactly noon, carrying a leather briefcase.
He pulled out a thick stack of papers and set them in front of me.
"This is the marriage contract. It's pretty straightforward. Six-month term, separate living spaces within the penthouse, no physical intimacy required, and a complete confidentiality clause."
I started reading through it carefully. Everything was there, just like Bryan had said. Financial terms, living arrangements, and dissolution agreement for after six months.
"And this part," Antonio said, pointing to a section near the end.
"This states that you'll provide Bryan with copies of all evidence you have regarding Sterling & Cross. In exchange, he'll provide you with legal protection and representation."
"Are you okay with that?" he pressed. "With being legally tied to someone you barely know?"
I thought about the surveillance photos, about the threatening phone call that I'd received days ago before moving into Bryan's place, and about how scared I'd been.
"What choice do I have?"
"There's always a choice," Antonio said quietly.
"Not for me," I said. "Not anymore."
I signed the papers, and Antonio witnessed them. Just like that, I'd agreed to marry Bryan Hale.
"The ceremony is tomorrow at City Hall," Antonio said as he packed up the papers.
"Just you, Bryan, and me."
"Tomorrow?" I repeated. "That's so soon."
"Bryan doesn't want to wait," Antonio said. "The sooner you're married, the sooner you're protected."
After Antonio left, I sat at my desk trying to process everything. Tomorrow I'd be married to my boss and a man I'd slept with once and barely knew.
This was insane.
My phone buzzed with a text from Bryan. "How did it go with Antonio?"
"I signed," I texted back.
"Good. I'll be home late tonight. Don't wait up." He said, and I stared at the message. Home? He'd called the penthouse home. Like we were a real couple.
The rest of the day dragged by. When five o'clock came, the driver took me back to the penthouse. I changed into comfortable clothes and made myself dinner, eating alone in the huge kitchen.
At nine o'clock, I decided to take a bath. This was nice; it was the first moment of peace I'd had all day.
I stayed in the tub for almost an hour, letting the hot water relax my tense muscles. When I finally got out, I wrapped myself in a robe and went back to my bedroom. I heard a noise from the living room. It was Bryan's voice and a woman's voice.
I crept to my door and opened it slightly, peeking out. Bryan was standing in the living room with a woman I'd never seen before. She was tall and beautiful, with long black hair and legs that were so beautiful that they made me go " wow" as a female. She was wearing a tight red dress that left nothing to the imagination.
"Come on, Bryan," the woman said, running her hand down his chest.
"You know you want to. It's been too long."
Bryan caught her hand but didn't push her away. "Sophia, I told you. I'm done with that."
Sophia—the name rang a bell, but I couldn't place it.
"Since when?" Sophia asked, pressing herself against him. "You never say no to me."
"Since now," Bryan said, but his voice wasn't firm. It was more like he was hesitating.
"Liar," Sophia said with a smile. She leaned up and kissed him, and Bryan kissed her back.
I felt something twist in my chest, and I immediately stepped back from the door, my hand over my mouth.
This was a fake marriage. Bryan could do whatever he wanted; that was the deal. But watching him kiss another woman hurt more than I wanted to admit.
I closed my door quietly and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over my head. I heard the front door close a few minutes later, then silence.
I waited, wondering if Bryan would come check on me, but he didn't.
Around midnight, I got up to get water. I crept out of my room quietly, not wanting to wake Bryan if he was asleep.
But he wasn't asleep. He was standing at the window in the living room, with a glass of whiskey in his hand.
"Can't sleep?" he asked without turning around.
I jumped slightly. "How did you know I was here?"
"I heard your door open," he said, finally looking at me. His eyes moved over me, and I realized I was only wearing a thin nightgown. I crossed my arms over my chest.
"I just wanted water."
"The kitchen's that way," he said, pointing.
I went to the kitchen and filled a glass, very aware that Bryan was watching me. When I turned around, he was leaning against the counter, his tie loosened and his hair messy.
"About earlier," he started.
"It's none of my business," I cut him off.
"Alice..."
"I said it's none of my business," I repeated, my voice harder now. "We're not really married. You can do whatever you want with whoever you want."
"Is that what you think?" he asked, stepping closer. "That I slept with her?"
"Didn't you?" I challenged.
"No," he said. "I sent her home."
"After kissing her?"
"She kissed me," he corrected. "I pushed her away."
"I saw you kiss her back."
He was quiet for a moment. "For about two seconds. Then I remembered I'm getting married tomorrow and told her to leave. If not, I really wouldn't have; I just felt that there should be a little respect for what "fake" we're having tomorrow."
"Because of the contract. Not because you wanted to."
"Does it matter why?" he asked.
"No," I lied. "It doesn't matter at all."
We stood there staring at each other, the tension thick between us. Finally, Bryan stepped back.
"Go to bed, Alice," he said quietly. "Tomorrow's a big day."
I went back to my room without another word, but I couldn't sleep.
Tomorrow I'd be Mrs. Bryan Hale.
And I had no idea if I was making the biggest mistake of my life or the smartest decision.