Chapter Four
2064 Words
Liza had to lie to Karen and David that we were having a sleepover at her place, for whatever reason she gave, I didn't know.
I was grateful, though it it would break my heart if they ever found out about it.
I sat in the cold cell, waiting for some kind of saving grace, although I started to lose hope already because the detective informed us that the lady had died.
So this was a murder case now.
“Stone, you have a visitor,” the detective opened the cell, cuffing me and leading me to his cubicle.
Who could that be?
“Mr Holmes? What are you-” he was here, Richard, with a bunch of other men in suits, which I guessed were his lawyers.
“Darling, I came as soon as I heard, I'm so sorry, I should have known better.” He feigned concern and affection, brushing my hair back and holding my cheeks.
I was confused, and I'm sure the detective was too.
“Can I speak to my girlfriend in private?” he asked in an almost rude manner.
The detective was about to protest but got cut off by one of Richard's lawyers.
“Is there a problem, detective?” he asked.
“Uh no, go ahead,” he gestured for me to go with Richard to a private room.
“What the hell? Girlfriend? Can you explain?” I asked in bewilderment once we reached the room.
“Calm down. It was just a tactic. Look, these people are looking for who to pin this on, and except you do exactly what I say, you'll be fine.” he explained with his arms crossed and his voice calm.
“Tactic for what? You realize that you guys put me in this situation, right? And now I'm being blamed for murder? Is this how f****d the system is?” I shook my head, hugging myself.
Thankfully, Liza brought me decent and comfortable clothes to change into.
He gave a long sigh, facing the wall for a while before he finally spoke.
“Let's get married,” he blurted.
I laughed, hard, and for a good three minutes.
“You're kidding right? I don't even know who you are. The only thing I know about you is your name and that you're my boss so how can we get married?” I scoffed at him.
I knew people were weird but I didn't think they'd also be insanely stupid.
“Well, I couldn't care less about you either. You can stay here and rot if that's what you want, at least someone offered to help, I hope you don't regret it.” He replied casually, his hands in his pocket and a hard look on his face.
Was he serious?
“Wait you're serious? How is us getting married going to bring me out of this mess, if I dare ask?” I questioned him, still unable to believe his proposition.
“Well, they wouldn't dare mess with Holmes, and I will obviously use my resources to clear your name. Also, I cannot help you for free sweetheart, I need you too,” he pointed out.
Of course, there was a catch to it.
“Now I get it, and what is it that you want?” I asked, genuinely curious about why a hot billionaire such as him would want to marry someone like me.
“I need a responsible woman who isn't after my money, Elysa. I need to fully claim ownership of my grandfather’s empire and he won't give me that until I'm married.” He pressed his hands on the table, staring at me intensely.
Wow
I cleared my throat, shifting so I could have my personal space back.
“This is crazy, what am I supposed to tell my parents, Liza? I don't know, I need to think about this,” I mumbled.
“You'll also get access to my wealth, Elsya, you'll be able to do whatever is it that you've always wanted. Travel, clothes, whatever it is that women like to do, you have just a few hours to think about this. There's no time to think too much,” he answered, truthfully there was no time.
I suddenly remembered that I still had a mission to find out about what happened with my real parents. I also had professional courses to take so I could get a decent job.
If I was going to do these and achieve my goals, I needed money, lots of it. I also needed his name, that might make things so much easier for me.
But what about Liza and my adoptive parents? How would I explain?
“Okay, I'll get back to you in the morning,” I played with my fingers, anxiously.
“Good and remember, you can not tell anyone about our agreement. Absolutely not, no one can know, everyone has to believe that we're normal people who got married, yes?” his voice stern and sharp.
“Yeah, okay,” I bit my lip.
“I'll be back tomorrow, it's in your hands now, you decide if you leave this place tomorrow or not.” He walked out of the room but I sat back and groaned loudly.
Hell
“What have you gotten yourself into Elysa?” I mumbled to myself.
The following day, I got up in high spirits, I had a choice. Marriage with Richard wouldn't be so bad, right?
Anyway I made up my mind to accept his proposal, what did I have to lose anyway?
He was rich and I needed the money.
Convenient.
“Your boyfriend is here,” the detective opened the cell as he announced Richard's arrival.
My heart raced as I walked to the office. Our eyes met and his expression shifted from seriousness to softness.
“I'm so sorry for making you wait there , my love, ready to go?” he asked. I knew that was just a side trick to get an answer to his proposal.
I took a long and deep breath before responding.
“Yes, I'm ready to go,” I answered with a little uncertainty in my voice.
With a large grin, he held my hand and faced the detective. “My lawyers will get back to you, you have to go through them now, have a nice day,” he led me out of the station and to his car.
He handed me a leather folder. “That is the contract I prepared, you can go over it and we can discuss any adjustments you might want to make,” he explained.
I took it from him with a shaky breath.
Calm down Ely, at least you are out of jail.
“I'll go over this and get back to you, can I take this with me?” I asked.
“You have five hours, Elysa and no one must know of this arrangement, are we clear?” he warned.
Bossy bitch
“Five hours? Are you kidding me? That's too short to go over this,” I looked him square in the eyes.
“In case you forgot, I just saved you from spending the rest of your goddamned life in prison. The only thing left is your signature on that sheet and I've given you five hours to do that,” he answered, not taking his eyes off of me.
I cleared my throat, looking away before it got too intense.
“I have to actually read it-” he cut my sentence before I could even finish.
“Still not going to take you five hours, Elysa, I'm a busy man and I don't have time to waste, it's either you sign it within that time frame or I send you back in there,” he answered coldly.
What on earth have I gotten myself into?
“Fine,” I muttered.
“We should get you cleaned up and fed, you look like hell,” he pressed the start button and clicked his seat belt in and so did I.
“Thank you for the neat review,” I mocked.
“You're welcome,” he smirked and drove off.
********
We arrived at a*****e, a really huge store. It looked like the fashion stores I saw online, it was breathtaking, though.
It was very posh and cute.
A petite woman walked towards us with a huge smile on her face.
“Mr Holmes, welcome,” he greeted with the broadest smile I had ever seen.
“Good day Helen, please can you take care of her for me? We're going to meet my grandfather today, I want her to look her best,” he explained.
Wait, what?
I stared at him in shock, wondering if I heard wrong.
“At your service. This way, ma'am,” the lady gestured for me to follow her into what looked like a dressing room.
The woman immediately started to strip me, and I knew right then and there that this fake marriage was truly happening.
I was finally done in two hours, and I looked different. My hair was in deeper waves and shone brighter, I looked like those Chanel models that I watched on social media.
Phenomenal.
Richard kept on looking at me like he wanted to eat me, and I internally laughed.
We thanked Helen and left the store.
“What did you mean by going to see your grandfather? Are you crazy? You didn't even inform me,” I asked as soon as we got to his car.
“I'm going to need you to sign the contract, Elysa. Your time is almost up,” he tapped on his watch.
I sighed in frustration and quickly went through the contract. Everything seemed fine to me, and so I signed it.
“Happy now?” I replied in a mocking tone.
“Very, now let's go discuss our marriage, shall we?” he smirked.
“You are the craziest person I have ever met,” I answered.
“Glad to be,” he started the engine, driving to God knows where.
The journey to his grandfather's house was quite long, but we finally reached our destination.
Richard briefed me about his grandfather and important things I should know, which I mentally noted down.
I was kind of exhausted already, and might I add, quite famished.
“Wow, this is where your grandfather lives?” I asked in shock. It wasn't a house. It was a freaking mansion, and it wasn't in a street. It was an entire estate.
“Don't let your mouth hang open like that. It's not flattering,” he mocked.
I blew him a raspberry and continued admiring the house. The inside was even more magnificent. It was absolutely stunning.
“Remember, we have to pretend to love each other in front of him and in the presence of strangers as well. Everyone has to believe we married for love, clear?” he ordered.
I nodded in understanding.
He pressed a button on the door frame, and it opened by itself.
“Good evening sir, your grandfather is in his study, I shall get him for you,” an older man who I thought was the butler informed him.
“Oh it's okay, Gerald, I'll get him myself. Please just take care of her,” Richard patted the older man's hand before leaving.
Gerald gestured for me to sit down and served me some cute pastries and juice, which I enjoyed.
In no time, Richard appeared with a much older looking man.
“Hello Mr. Holmes, my name is Elysa,” I greeted, my arms stretched out for a handshake in which he took.
“Hello dear, it's nice to meet you, I see you have taken a liking to my grandson. He spoke of marriage a few days ago, and I asked to see the beautiful girl who stole his heart,” he laughed.
We laughed as well, even though I was tensed to my bones.
“So, when is the wedding?” he asked.
I stared at him wide-eyed, not knowing what to say, and shocked that there would be an actual wedding.
I had not even informed my parents about any of it.
Dear God, help me!
“In a few days,” Richard answered.
- Writer
