章 3: A NEW HOME
After Ronald the lawyer left, an awkward silence hung in the air between Nico and me. We had just signed a legally binding contract to be married strangers for the next year.
"So...I guess we should start making this look convincing," I said hesitantly. "The immigration agents will probably be keeping close tabs."
Nico gave a curt nod. "You'll be moving in with me then. Can't risk being apart with how carefully they'll be monitoring us."
He pulled out his phone and showed me his address - an ultra-modern high-rise in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city. My jaw dropped slightly; this was not the kind of place I expected at all.
A couple hours later, I had thrown some belongings into an overnight bag and called a rideshare to Nico's place. My hands shook with nerves as the car pulled up to the towering luxury building. This was really happening.
When Nico opened the door to his sleek penthouse apartment, my mouth fell open. This place was serious money - polished marble floors, designer furnishings, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline.
"Like what you see?" Nico's question snapped me out of my stunned daze. He gave a wry smirk. "Surprised your new temporary husband is secretly a billionaire venture capitalist?"
I blinked rapidly, wondering if I had heard that right. "B-Billionaire? This is just...wow. How did a guy like you end up drunkenly marrying someone like me in Vegas?"
Nico shrugged coolly. "Crazy thing is, I can't even really remember. All I know is I woke up with one hell of a hangover and a new accidentally legal wife."
He fixed me with an appraising look. "Which brings me to the matter of guidelines we should establish for this...living arrangement."
My stomach dropped a little as Nico laid out the ground rules for living under his roof as his contract wife:
1. Stay out of his home office and any business dealings
2. No having guys over or shady incidents that could jeopardize our staged marriage
3. Maintain appearances in public as a committed couple
4. Split chores and cooking duties 50/50
The list went on from there, but those were the big ones that made my head spin. Sharing living quarters and marital responsibilities with an uber-wealthy stranger - what had my life become?
"Got all that?" Nico raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Or did you need me to have the maid go over the guidelines again?"
Meekly, I shook my head, feeling in way over my depth. This entire situation was escalating far beyond what I could have imagined.
Once Nico left me alone to get settled into one of the penthouse's opulent guest rooms, I flopped down on the plush bed and let out a long exhale. My head swam with the fact that for the next 12 months, my new "husband" was not just some random guy, but an incredibly rich, successful businessman.
Meeting his standards and following all his rules was going to be hugely challenging. One misstep could expose our sham marriage and derail both our lives in major ways.
As that daunting reality washed over me, I realized I needed to talk to Trish. She at least deserved to know why I had disappeared right before her wedding events.
With shaky fingers, I dialed her number and waited for her to pick up. "Trish? Hey, I...I have a lot to explain..."
Over the next half hour, I awkwardly recounted the entire insane saga - from my drunken Vegas wedding to the immigration debacle to having to enter a temporary contract marriage with Nico to avoid charges. I could hear the stunned silence on the other end.
Finally, Trish found her voice. "Aris, I...I don't even know what to say. A hungover Vegas wedding is one thing, but this?? You're stuck being married to some rando for a whole year?"
I winced at her understandable disbelief. "I know, I know. It's legitimately insane. But the alternative was federal charges! This was the only way to...to fix my colossal mistake."
More silence, then a heavy sigh. "Does this mean you can't be in my wedding party this weekend? After everything I've been through to get to this day?"
My heart constricted painfully at the hurt in Trish's voice. After taking so much for granted, now my chaos could ruin her perfect wedding too.
"I-I don't know," I answered honestly. "This is all so new and scary. But you have to believe I'll do whatever I can to make it work and still be there to support you, Trish. You're my best friend and my sister."
"I really hope so," she said, resignation in her tone. "Just...try to get your completely out-of-control situation figured out, okay?"
After murmuring assurances, I finally hung up and let out a shaky breath. Well, one bridge was at least semi-unburnt, though my friendship with Trish had definitely taken a hit after this bombshell.
My eyes drifted around the luxurious guest suite of the penthouse - my absurd new living situation for the next year as Nico's contract wife. So much had been upended in just 24 hours, all because of one wild, drunken night in Vegas.
As scared as I was, I knew I had to listen to Ronald and make this fake marriage look 100% convincing. With the stakes as high as deportation and jail time, neither Nico nor I could afford even the slightest misstep over the next 12 months.
Which meant no more reckless shenanigans or embarrassing mistakes that could jeopardize everything. For the first time in my life, I was going to have to stay on the straight and narrow - no matter how immensely difficult that might prove while playing reckless billionaire's wife.
I spent the rest of that first night tossing and turning, my mind spinning over all the details of this crazy contract marriage arrangement. Just when I started to drift off, I was jolted awake by a loud commotion outside the bedroom door.
"Nico! What is going on??" An angry female voice was shouting. "Who is this girl and why is she here?"
I froze under the covers, realizing it must be Nico's girlfriend who had discovered me staying at his place. This was bad, very bad.
The door burst open and a stunning, model-esque woman with long chestnut hair came barging in, eyes blazing with rage. Nico hurried in behind her, face stricken.
"Gabriella, please, let me explain..."
But the woman named Gabriella had already zeroed in on me, looking me up and down with utter disdain.
"So this is the little tramp you drunkenly married in Vegas?" She whirled back around to face Nico, hands on her hips. "When were you going to tell me about your new wife, hmm?"
Nico dragged a hand through his hair, clearly rattled. "Baby, I swear it's not what it looks like. It was a regrettable mistake that evening, but the immigration agents are forcing us to stay married temporarily. That's the only reason she's staying here!"
Gabriella scoffed loudly, shooting me a withering glare. "She doesn't look very temporary to me. I can't believe you'd be so careless and reckless!"
This set her off on a fresh wave of shouting and cursing at her boyfriend. I tried to make myself as small and invisible as possible on the guest bed, frozen with panic and embarrassment.
Finally, Gabriella's ire turned back towards me. "And you! You little homewrecker! Did you seduce and trick Nico into marrying you? Is that your scheme here?"
Before I could shake my head or protest, she was advancing on me with fists clenched, an almost feral look in her eyes. "I should teach you a lesson about going after another woman's man!"
In a flash, she grabbed a fistful of my hair, wrenching my head back painfully. I let out a cry of pain and alarm as Gabriella yanked me halfway off the bed, hell-bent on unleashing her rage.
"Gabriella, stop! Let her go!" Nico was shouting now, trying to pull his furious girlfriend's hands off me without hurting her.
For a terrifying few moments, it was pandemonium, with me caught in the crosshairs of Gabriella's scorned wrath. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to panic as I felt her sharp nails clawing at my face and arms.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Nico managed to pull Gabriella off me. She went limp in his arms, dissolving into heaving sobs while shooting me one last vicious glare over her shoulder.
I stayed frozen on the bed, gasping for air and trembling from head to toe. My hair was an utter mess, strands sticking to the scratches on my stinging cheeks. I couldn't believe what had just happened - Nico's unhinged girlfriend mistaking me for a threat and violently attacking without provocation.
Nico ushered the distraught Gabriella out of the room, mumbling soothing words and apologies. Once the door clicked shut behind them, I burrowed back under the covers, my own body shaking with a mix of rage, humiliation and fear.
How was I going to pull off maintaining this fake marriage and living with Nico if uncontrollable outbursts from his girlfriend were going to keep happening? One disastrous evening had put me in this legally-binding contract, now I felt like a trapped puppy around the vindictive Gabriella.
Just then I felt really dizzy and nausea , I rushed over to the toilet to vomit.
What the hell is going on?
Is it because of the fight I just had or am I pregnant?
No they cannot be!!
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