Married To The Icy Billionaire

Chapter 5

~Ace~

I watched Katherine rise from the cold floor, her pretty face looking so swollen and red from the also my mother had given her.

"I hate you all!" She yelled and ran away, going back to the bedroom on the second floor that she used. As I allowed her to have a separate room on the top floor.

I cannot share my room with Katherine, and I know that I will lose focus and sleep with her.

I sighed, looked around the messed up living room and at my mother and sister, knowing that there were surveillance cameras in my home.

I knew that my mother and sister were the ones who had hurt Katherine, but because they knew that I didn't like her. They basked on it, and hurt her more than I had thought of them.

"Mom, I know that Katherine isn't someone to look for trouble. You heard her threatening to file for a divorce, and you know what is at stake if you push her further away," I warned my mother, looking at her. "Grandpa already threatened to release his company shares to the orphanage even after his death, and there is nothing that we can do to change that if Katherine divorce me. I will advise that you and Emery desist from hurting Katherine further in this house, so that she doesn't run away."

I issued my warning to my mother and sister, before I strode away toward the stairs, to return to my bedroom. I was angry, and they said nothing, only frowning after hearing me scold them.

"Ace!" Naomi ran up the stairs to catch up with me. As I hadn't asked her to follow me here tonight, but she insisted that she wanted to come to my house. Since she knew that I didn't accept Katherine because of her.

I couldn't push Naomi away or end my relationship with her. As everyone in the media knew that Naomi was my girlfriend for a very long time, up to five years now.

"Wait, Ace!" Naomi screamed after me, as she ran upstairs to catch up with me.

"I'm very hungry, Ace, and I'm sure that you are hungry too. Please, let's go and have something to eat first," Naomi said, holding my hand as she pointed back at dining room. "There will still be some leftover meals in the kitchen. Please…"

Naomi looked at me with her enchanting brown eyes, and grasped my right arm pleading with me.

She nudged me to follow her downstairs to the dining room.

I paused at the stairs, looked at the top floor, and a part of me wanting to go and see Katherine and comfort her.

And another part of me wanted to apologize to Katherine on how my family has been treating her and to accept her back as my wife.

Besides, Grandpa Gideon was the one who chose Katherine for me. Each time I see Katherine hurt, I felt like I am disobeying my grandfather, and I knew that if I didn't correct it, then I might lose Kate to another man.

As I cannot keep her hidden forever. I was scared of losing Katherine, and I breathed out heavily and told Naomi, who was looking at me lovingly.

"Fine. You can go downstairs to wait and ask the maids to clean up the dining table and serve another meal for our dinner. I will come and join you soon," I told Naomi, and a warm smile crept on her face as she blushed and pulled closer to meet me.

She stood on her heels and kissed me gently on my lips and said, "Alright, babe. I will be expecting you."

"Naomi..." I called her name as she turned to go downstairs. "Don't kiss me at home again. I don't want Katherine to leave me."

Naomi frowned, her fist clenched by her side, and she forcibly replied, "Fine."

I watched Naomi run back downstairs, her red dress flowing as she descended the stairs, and her black shoes clicking sharply against the tiles.

I sighed, made my way upstairs to my bedroom that was next to my unwanted wife's room. I heard her sobbing.

My fist clenched, and I wanted to go into the room to see Katherine and speak with her, but I hesitated.

I finally made my way to my room that was adjacent to Katherine's room, and I unlocked the door and went into the room. The first thing that caught my sight was a large portrait of me and Katherine on the wall of my bedroom.

It was our wedding portrait, after completing our marriage registry and wearing our golden rings.

My grandfather forced me to have an artist paint this image on the walls so it cannot be removed, except I repainted this room.

"It will bring your marital bond close and make you honor your marital vows with Katherine," Grandpa's words echoed in my mind.

My fist clenched, recalling that I never said any marital vows to Katherine. Except to answer the priest's question, "Do you, Ace Parker, accept Katherine Colter as your lawfully wedded wife?"

I glared at Katherine, holding her warm hands firmly as I forcibly replied, "I do."

The priest then asked Katherine Colter, "Do you accept to marry Ace Parker as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Katherine looked at me, tears in her blue eyes, and she lowered her head and hesitated to say, "I do."

It was an arrangement that was done at the bureau of marriage affairs. After our marriage registry, we had a priest to join us.

Katherine's poor parents were present, and they told her, "Say yes, Katherine."

Katherine raised her head and peered at my face, her shining blue eyes locked with mine, and she opened her thin lips that had now become full lips and told me, "I... do..." Her lips trembling.

"You may now kiss your bride."

The officiant, who was a Catholic priest that Grandpa had hired, said.

I knew that if I didn't kiss Katherine, Grandpa would punish me. So I held her close, inhaling her lavender scent, and I drew nearer to her and sealed my thin lips on hers.

The moment I kissed Katherine's lips, I became intoxicated, like I was licking honey. I kept kissing her, and when our lips finally parted, she was breathless and looking at me in shock.

That was the only memory I had of touching her that I had. I didn't touch Katherine during our wedding night, and I warned her never to tell my grandfather about it. As we shared a room at my grandpa's house, before we came here.

I shut my eyes at the memory and moved over to my bed to strip off my suit and have my bath.