6 Months With The Billionaire

Chapter Three

Steffany:

The words I heard sent a shiver down my spine. A wife? Absolutely not. Especially not to someone I had grown to somewhat dislike.

I shifted my gaze towards Sebastian, who let out a quick hiss. Beside me, Dice, now seated, wore a look of deep disappointment. What was he expecting?

Perhaps, he had expected a jubilant and tight embrace between Sebastian and I, followed by a passionate kiss, given what he had just revealed. But that was an impossible scenario.

He whispered to Sebastian, coaxing him to his feet, and I watched as they both rose and exited the restaurant. The doors were transparent enough and that allowed me to observe their every move from my seat.

After several minutes of pacing, shouting, and Dice's efforts to calm him down, he handed a document to Sebastian and patted his back. Then, they returned and joined me.

"Um, I apologize for the wait, Steffany," Dice said, clearing his throat and turning his gaze to Sebastian, waiting for him to speak.

I stared at them in awe,with an arched brow,waiting for either of them to break the silence.

"So, here's the situation: I find myself in urgent need of a wife," Sebastian began, though what irked me wasn't the mention of a wife, but his demeanor.

"My father has given me a two-week ultimatum to find a wife. Failure to do so will result in him signing the company over to my step brother, and that would be disastrous," he continued.

"Really disastrous," Dice interjected, his expression oozing sympathy.

"If you agree to be my pretend wife-“he wanted to continue but I cut him short. I’ve heard people go into fake marriages,now this was happening to me.

“A pretend wife?”

“ Yes.I will settle the debts left by your late, useless father. Additionally, I'll take care of both you-" He attempted to continue, but I interrupted.

"What?"

"Steffany, please disregard his words,I’m sorry." Dice implored, his hands,cupping his face.

"No, that doesn't bother me. What I mean is, he would genuinely clear the debts?" I asked, my voice quivering with excitement. Regardless of his demeanor or words, I honestly cared only about the debts being settled.

"Thank you. Yes, indeed. And you'll also receive a credit card for your discretionary use," Sebastian replied, offering a smile that I could tell was forced.

Could be this true? Was he that wealthy?

“You’re aware it’s..200 thousand dollars?” I stuttered,unable to fathom what he had just said or he probably wasn’t told the actual amount by Dice?

“Of course,I am. Or it isn’t worth it? Uh? If you aren’t interested,just let me know,I’ll find another lady in absolutely no time.” Sebastian said,as he shot me a cold glare.

“It is,I’m sorry. I’m so much interested.” I said,my head bowed down,intentionally avoiding eyes contact with him.

He rolled his eyes and placed a set of documents on the table,and I was curious to know what that was. I raised my head up and as I began flipping through the pages, it became evident – it was a contract that would bind our marriage for six months. Six good months.

"Don't just stare. It's a contract. All you have to do is sign to show your consent, and I'll take it from there," Sebastian instructed, pointing to the spot where my signature was needed.

I gave him a side glance and honestly,I wasn't particularly bothered, though. His rudeness and arrogance were apparent; he never hesitated to display them.But as long as he kept his promise to pay off the debts and provide both my sister and I with a period of luxury, I could tolerate his conceited attitude. I had faced much more than this before.

Dice was still present, grinning from ear to ear. His excitement was palpable, you could tell how much love and deep affection he had for his friend.

It was obvious he wouldn't allow Sebastian lose the company to his stepbrother. I was genuinely curious about what the stepbrother was like and what kind of personality he had.

"Thank you, Dice. You have no idea how much this means to me. I truly appreciate it," I said, turning to Dice and rising from my seat after appending my signature to the contract. A contract to get married to someone I barely knew for a whole six months.

I had no other option. I just hoped I wouldn't end up regretting this decision.

"No, thank you, Steffany. You're a lifesaver," Dice responded, embracing me tightly.

As he held me in his embrace, it felt as though time could stand still. His scent carried hints of blooming flowers, and for a moment, it was a place where I wanted to linger indefinitely.

Sebastian gave a slight cough as we released each other after realizing we’ve been in each other’s arms for over a minute.

"I'll transfer the money to your account for the debt payoff. Also, you'll need to meet my parents very soon, possibly tomorrow." He paused,then scanned me from head to toe,and continued.

"Here's a credit card. Use it for whatever you need, especially clothing. You can't appear destitute in my parents' house; we want to avoid raising suspicion. Get yourself some decent clothes."

A gasp escaped my mouth,as well as Dice’s. Was he this mannerless? b***h!

I saw him move closer to me,with the hopes of him mustering an apology,but that didn’t happen.

“Take care of your hair too.” He said,brushing some dirt off my blonde hair. He then placed the credit card on the table and strutted out the cafe,and signaled to Dice to leave.

*****************

"Seriously?!" My sister's voice filled the room with surprise as my news sunk in. It was something neither of us expected, happening so quickly. Even though I had to play his pretend wife for a few months instead of being a maid, the risk was worth it. It’s definitely a win for us.

"Yes, Elise! I'm over the moon too!" I leaped up from my seat, joining her in the excitement. I could bet that had to be the happiest moment since our dad passed away, or perhaps even since we were born.

"We should keep it down so we don't disturb anyone," she whispered, motioning for us to settle on the mat.

"Hold on! You got all of this stuff with the money he sent?" She gestured toward the shopping bags on the shelf, her keen eyes seeing through them.

"Yeah, for both of us. I grabbed dinner too. You're not hungry, right?" I teased, fully aware of what her answer would be.

"Why wouldn’t I be?" Her face lit up as she rushed over to inspect the contents.

"Dresses and shoes as well? We're living the dream, Steffany!" She exclaimed, slipping into each outfit and beaming with joy.

She didn't even ask how long I'd be away for. Her happiness was infectious, and I was determined to keep that smile intact.

Walking over, I wrapped her in a tight hug. Our struggles were finally paying off, and we were about to taste a bit of luxury. Unexpectedly, tears started flowing from her, and all I could do was hold her close.

After a satisfying dinner, as we settled in for sleep, a knock on the door interrupted us.

"Who's there?" I muttered nervously.

No answer came from the other side; instead, the knocking persisted. Before I could ask who it was again, the door swung open.