Hired as His Fake Fiancée

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: SIR ALISTAIR.

NORA

I closed the door to the closet, my back against it as I felt my heart race against my skin. I couldn't believe what had just happened.

But what was most baffling to me was that look in Gabriel’s eyes. He didn't look like the boss who gave our orders.

I saw pure lust in his eyes, and I couldn't understand it. He had made it clear so many times that all we had was a contract between us, but he looked like, if given an opportunity, he was going to devour me.

I closed my eyes to stop Msydl from thinking about it too much. Of course, he had a lustful look, and it wasn't because it was me.

“He was a man who had needs, and that was the only reason he looked at me like that," I said to myself after I stared at myself in the mirror.

I was not in one of those king-approved outfits. Instead, I was in my Nora- the assistant's clothes. A powder blue silk blouse was neatly tucked into an above-the-knee skirt, and my hair was flipped into a bun held up by a clip.

I couldn't let myself get distracted; I still had three weeks and two days left. I had to do the job.

I opened the closet door, and when I stepped out, Gavriel was seated by the bed. His eyes snapped to mine, and I looked away instantly.

That was when my eyes caught the trolley of snacks in the room. I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet.

"Should we..."

“You should eat first," he cut me off before I could find a reason to escape the room that was being sucked out of all its air and suddenly becoming smaller between us.

“I am fine; we need to go see your father." I moved to the file on the couch he had been sitting on, but somehow he was faster and snatched it before I could reach it.

“Mr King, you need to give that to me. " I turned to him quickly as I tried to snatch the file from him.

His hand was raised in the air, too high for reaching to be impossible, but I still tried because I had that stubborn voice in my head.

“Give it," I groaned as I tried.

“You haven't had anything to eat yet, so eat something and then we can go…” he stopped when my head banged against his chest.

I closed my eyes, embarrassed by the situation. How had I allowed this to happen to me again? I pulled back as quickly as I could and walked to the cart without a word.

I sat with my back to him and hurriedly scrounged down a few pieces of biscuits, trying not to die from the second embarrassment of the day.

How much more was I going to push before it was okay?

“I am sorry about earlier; I should have…”

"Don't, please," I inhaled sharply, feeling the breath brush against my nostrils and the hot air fill my lungs. I would have preferred if he had acted like it was just some midday dream.

“I would like not to talk about it," I added with a full mouth.

“Okay”

He sounded like a perfect gentleman, while I was the reckless and clumsy assistant who was playing his fiancée's role for a couple of thousand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I finally felt my nerves get to me when I was standing in front of Lawrence's office. I pressed my sweaty palm into the side of my skirt. Glad I had decided on black from the start.

Why did it remind me of the first weeks I worked with Gabriel and how badly he scared me that I had to say a prayer before I could stand before him?

“I can deal with him alone; you don't have to come." Gabriel seemed to notice my fear.

I smiled at him, gently shaking my head. I had to do this so they didn't think that Gabriel’s choice of a future spouse was some kind of joke.

My grandfather had already made him feel worthless enough; this was the least I could do to smooth things over with him.

He stepped forward and knocked once. “Come in."

We stepped in, and Evelyn was standing behind him like a hawk, ready to inspect my work. I rolled my eyes at how much influence she seemed to have here.

“You are late," Lawrence said once we reached the table.

“Nora hadn't had breakfast, so I insisted. " Gabriel wrapped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me closer.

My breath hitched in my throat, and I was pretty sure that colour drained from my face. He was not supposed to be doing this to me, not after the series of awkwardness between us from earlier.

Lawrence dragged his eyes from his son to me, and instead of nagging, he simply nodded and patted the file in front of him. He flipped through it while Evelyn craned her neck to see.

“I have to say, Nora, you've done an excellent job."

His praise instantly sent Evelyn into a mini seizure. She opened her mouth multiple times while her eyes twitched in anger.

“Lawrence, are you sure she…”

“Very sure." He tapped the file and closed it before sliding it to me. “You were able to spot a Pierre L'Enfant original at a glance."

His eyes suddenly narrowed, and I wanted to escape. Why did I have to be an overachiever in this situation? How long did I have before they all figured me out? Would I really make it to the end of three weeks?

“It must have been a lucky guess," Evelyn said. It was obvious her plan to sabotage me was slipping out of her fingers.

"Yes," I nodded, ready to accept that my extensive art knowledge was a lucky guess as long as I didn't get spotlighted.

"Still a good spot."

Gabriel squeezed my hand; maybe it meant I had somehow passed this ridiculous test. But why didn't I feel as happy as I was supposed to be? Why did my stomach twist?

"We would take leave now," Gabriel said, pulling me through the room to the door while Evelyn was probably boiling over from the sight.

“I would like you to be at the grand foyer after dinner." Lawrence's voice stopped us; we gently turned to him, and he continued. “I am having Sir Alistair Vane over to appraise all of the art."

I froze instantly, and I knew that Gabriel could feel it. That man was regular at my grandfather's.

"Sure," I said in a high-pitched voice. Sir Alistair was eighty years old and forgetful; I just hoped that I was no longer in that head of his.

We walked out of the room, and as soon as the door closed, Gabriel turned to me.

“Do you know Sir Alistair?”

"Personally? No, of course not, but I have heard a lot about him, and I want to meet him." I lied, trying my best not to meet his eyes.

My mind was now reeling with every possible way to avoid Sir Alistair. What if his memory had gotten better all of a sudden, and I were exposed? My mind couldn't help but dream up situations that weren't real.

He looked at me as if he didn't believe me, but now I had something else to worry about.

I couldn't get exposed, not now!