4. Deal!
1355 Words
"Please come in."
Archer invited Iris into his apartment, but she felt hesitant. She gripped the handle of her suitcase and asked, "Is there anyone else inside?"
The man smirked at the question. "Are you afraid to sit with me?"
"No. Why should I be afraid? I'm just asking," Iris replied, lifting her chin.
She was only 164 cm tall, while Archer was 190 cm. The height difference made her feel small and a little intimidated. However, she tried to hide it.
Iris snorted and walked straight in. She observed the living room, which was not large but looked quite comfortable, then sat on the sofa without being asked.
"Get to the point, Archer. Why did you propose marriage to me? What's the urgency?" Iris asked.
"Well... Do you want to know the reason?"
"Yes, otherwise why would I ask?"
Archer put his hands in the pockets of his formal pants. He was wearing a plain black shirt and black leather shoes. Everything was black. His sexy lips curved into a slight smile.
"No particular reason. My grandfather is old, so he wants to see me get married soon," replied the man.
"That's it?" Iris couldn't believe it. "Don't you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
Iris narrowed her eyes. "What about a crush?"
The man shook his head.
"Girl fans?"
He shook his head again.
"No. There must be lots of women who like you, but you're probably not interested," Iris said in a low voice.
"Maybe. I don't know," Archer replied indifferently.
"Or..." Iris suddenly glared at him. "Could it be that you have a mistress? Maybe someone else's wife that you can't make public?!"
Archer stared at her flat. "Can your imagination not be so wild?"
"Then why doesn't a man like you have a girlfriend?" Iris asked.
"What kind of man am I?" Archer asked back, silencing Iris. She couldn't possibly say that he was handsome and charming, could she?
Iris cleared her throat. "Umm, you look like... a nice guy." Her expression and tone were uncertain.
Archer smiled and sat down not far from Iris. "So, have you decided?" he asked.
The girl sighed. "Isn't William going to fire you?"
"He won't fire me," Archer said confidently.
"What do I get out of marrying you?" Iris asked more seriously.
"Nothing," Archer replied casually.
"Didn't you say you could help me?!" Iris shouted and glared at him. Instead of being scary, she looked cute to Archer.
He held back a smile and said, "Maybe I can help you investigate some things, but when it comes to revenge, that path is yours alone to walk."
"You're so inconsistent!" Iris accused him. However, Archer just remained silent.
"What about household matters? Will you support me financially?" Iris asked again.
"My salary working for the Collins family isn't much," he said.
"But you have to!" Iris exclaimed quickly. Her expression was fierce. "I can't possibly sacrifice my single status for nothing. If I fail in uncovering the truth, at least I'll receive money from you every month."
"Quite materialistic," Archer commented, and Iris snorted.
"I don't care what you say. I just don't want to lose out. Besides, you can't ignore me and let me starve to death. If you do, I'll come haunt you every night!"
Archer looked down, trying to hold back his laughter. Why was he only realizing now how funny Iris was?
After a moment, he nodded. "Alright. As your husband, I'll give you a monthly allowance. I also won't let you starve. But I live in this small apartment. Do you mind?"
Iris thought clearly. If living in Archer's apartment could save her expenses, why not? Although small, the furniture and furnishings also looked nice. Not bad.
"Living here will save me money. I won't have to rent a place anymore," she said.
"So, it's a deal?" Archer held out his hand.
"Wait! I still need to clarify one thing." Iris raised her hand.
Archer looked at her as if to say, 'What else?'
The girl cleared her throat. The question she was about to ask made her feel a little embarrassed and awkward. But it had to be asked before it was too late.
"Our marriage will only be an agreement. We won't be a real husband and wife. So... can we not... You know what I mean, right?" Iris asked, making quotation marks with her hands.
"No, I'm not," Archer replied, lying.
"I mean, we won't sleep in the same bed," Iris tried to explain.
"Why?" Archer asked.
"Because... we're not really husband and wife," Iris replied. "Besides, I'm not interested in those things."
Archer smirked. "Oh, could it be that you're still a virgin and afraid I'll take advantage of you?"
Iris narrowed her eyes. She was still a virgin, but she didn't want to appear innocent or naive. She believed that girls who were too naive would only invite men to take advantage of them.
"Of course not! I... have a lot of experience. Well, how could a girl my age never have done that?" Iris replied confidently.
"Then you don't need to be afraid of me touching you."
After saying that, Archer moved closer to Iris. He smirked meaningfully. His hand was about to touch her chin, but she immediately moved away.
"Don't you dare!" Iris snapped.
Archer smiled amusedly. He could conclude that Iris had no experience. She might even still be a virgin. That made her even more attractive.
"All right. We won't sleep in the same bed."
"Deal!"
Without hesitation, Iris reached out her hand, and Archer took it.
"Deal."
Iris smiled contentedly and leaned back on the sofa. "I'm thirsty. Can you get me a drink, my future husband?" She asked in a rather haughty tone.
Archer didn't take offense and went to the kitchen without saying much. To him, Iris was just like a child who wanted to play. He didn't take it seriously.
As Archer left, Iris looked down and saw several business magazines on the lower shelf of the table. Her brow furrowed slightly. Why did that man collect business magazines? Was he interested in business?
She stood up and noticed the expensive loafers in the corner of the room. "Louboutin?"
However, it wasn't just the shoes that surprised Iris. She also saw a mallet hanging on the wall. She immediately approached and tried to examine it. Was it a real mallet? Or just a replica for decorative purposes?
"Don't look at it anymore. It's fake, just a room decoration." Suddenly, Archer's deep voice was heard. The man came carrying a glass of water.
"Really?" Iris asked suspiciously.
Mallet sticks were used for horse polo. It was a prestigious and very exclusive sport and was usually a symbol of luxury, elite lifestyle, and aristocracy. Ordinary people didn't have the opportunity to access it.
"What about your Louboutin?" She glanced at the loafers in the corner of the room.
"They're fake too," Archer replied casually.
"But they don't look like it," Iris argued, and Archer ignored her.
"You collect business magazines. What for?" she asked again. Archer was so mysterious and strange. He made her curious.
Archer smiled casually as he placed his glass on the table. "I'm quite interested in business. I picked them up from the Collins family home," he said.
"Really?"
"Yes. Why not? Does that sound strange?"
Iris nodded. "It is strange. It seems like you're quite obsessed with looking rich," she commented.
The man smiled. "Forget about that stuff. Where are the documents to take care of the marriage?"
"You're asking that. When are we getting married anyway?"
"I'll arrange it as soon as possible. Maybe in a few days," Archer said seriously.
Iris swallowed hard. In just a few days, she would be someone's wife. Was she still sane?
However, the marriage was a good thing. Wasn't everyone accusing her of having an affair? What if she actually made the affair real and even married her lover?
She nodded and smirked. "Fine. Since they want to see me cheat, then I'll cheat. I want to see who will be happy if everyone hates me."
- Writer
