Whether It was a company trade show or a quiet café tucked away for a private gathering, she always played the part of the perfect girlfriend. It was just a shame that Philip never seemed interested in where she went or what she did.
The thought tightened Celeste’s chest with a dull ache, yet her spirit felt strangely unburdened. Steeling herself, she gripped her phone and asked him, “Since this is a marriage of convenience, what exactly do you need from me?”
“Right now,” came the calm reply, “go take a look at the property you picked out and get comfortable being Mrs. Hopkins.”
Alfred stepped out and opened the car door for her, every bit the gentlemanly husband he was supposed to be.
The driver pressed the gas, heading straight for the apartment near Duncan Group. But Celeste had no desire to go. That place was just a strategic
choice–somewhere she’d selected to keep Duncan Group within reach. It was never going to be home.
“Let’s go to Riverside Manor first,” she said quietly. “I need to have something sent
there.”
She expected the driver to look to Alfred for instructions, but instead, he simply followed her directions, spinning the wheel and turning the car around without a
word.
Strange. In her mind, Alfred should have been just like her father–unyielding, never letting go of even the smallest bit of control. Just like Philip, always needing to steer every decision, especially when it involved her.
Maybe Alfred noticed the flicker of doubt in her eyes. “You’re my wife now, Celeste, not a trophy. Your decisions are as good as mine.”
Power. It was a right, a share of the spoils. And Alfred never seemed stingy about giving her what she was owed.
Yet, as they sat in the cramped car, there was a gulf between their arms–close, but never touching. Love, it seemed, was not in the cards.
Celeste found herself lost in thought, then suddenly realized that, maybe, mari ying Alfred wasn’t so bad after all. The tension in her shoulders began to ease.
As the car turned down a sun–dappled, tree–lined road, she spoke up: “Don’t you think we should set some ground rules for this marriage?”
15:11
Alfred’s lips curled in a faint smile, but the temperature in the career
“What are your terms?” he asked,
“The wedding should be three months from now.” She was less interested in planning a ceremony and more determined to get back to Duncan Group and reclaim what was hers.
“And until then, we live apart.” She needed time–time to herself, without Philip without any man.
Alfred’s fingers tightened almost imperceptibly on the armrest. Celeste was already his wife, yet perhaps her heart still held on to someone else.
He could refuse. But when he glanced at her, all he saw was that wounded, distant look in her eyes. The aftermath of heartbreak.
His expression darkened. “Fine. I rarely come home anyway. You can do whatever you want with either property.”
Then he handed her a card. “Use this for anything you need. Buy whatever you
like
It was a black, gold–embossed card–no spending limit. For a moment, it overlapped in her mind with the card Philip had given her years ago, after his first big windfall.
She blurted out, “Do all men like to do this?”
As soon as the words left her lips, Alfred dropped the card onto the seat between
them.
Celeste snapped back to the present, realizing she might have overstepped. She quickly reached for the card. “I just… it reminded me of something, that’s all…
Alfred’s voice was cool. “Sounds like my wife has known quite a few men before
me.”
15:11
