Chapter 5 She's Mine

• The alarm bells of danger rang loudly in Alexa's head. Panic started to rise, and she instinctively kicked Eric's shin with all her might. Eric stepped back with a grimace, a pained expression crossing his face.
• Alexa took advantage of this opportunity to maintain a safe distance from her husband. Without paying attention to Eric's pain, she pushed him away.
• "How dare you kick my leg!" Eric shouted, his voice thundering. His eyes glared sharply, his jaw clenched. His fingers were still touching his throbbing leg.
• Alexa crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her expression remained calm, unaffected by Eric's outburst. She even chuckled, not feeling guilty at all.
• Secretly, Alexa sighed in relief, having freed herself from Eric's grip. Being in such a position with a strange man naturally made her anxious.
• "Hurt? Pathetic. I only kicked you lightly," Alexa retorted with a mocking smile.
• There was a certain satisfaction in Alexa's mind after successfully giving Eric a small payback. Consider this a warning so he wouldn't dare try anything again.
• "Remember this well, Mr. Walter, we're only in a contract marriage. So, no excessive touching, especially if it's forced," she added.
• When making the agreement with Alice, Alexa had already set all the boundaries she wanted. Her role was merely to be a substitute bride to save the Walter family's reputation from gossip. Nothing more than that.
• No matter what, Alexa would never let Eric touch her body. Especially since he also wanted a contract marriage. They only needed to appear romantic when they were around others.
• Eric growled in frustration. "Do you think I'd want to? Don't be so confident; you're not my type!"
• The satisfied smile on Alexa's face widened. "Good! I want to rest now, don't make any noise!"
• Alexa walked calmly towards the bed in the room. The argument between them would never end if no one took the initiative to stop it. She was already very tired and needed rest now.
• Eric and Alexa slept on the same bed, facing away from each other until the day changed. Early in the morning, they immediately left the hotel. Both chose to keep their mouths shut until they returned to the Walter family's luxurious house.
• Alexa couldn't stop marveling since the first time she stepped into the luxurious house where she would live for the next two years. Besides its vast size, every item and ornament decorating the front yard was extraordinarily beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
• It was vastly different from the house Alexa had lived in until now. Even in her dreams, she had never imagined living in such a luxurious home.
• "How long are you going to stand there?" Eric's sarcastic voice came from the front door of the house.
• Alexa huffed in annoyance; Eric always managed to ruin her fun. Not wanting him to notice what she was doing, Alexa quickly stepped into her new house.
• Brak!
• Alexa gasped as the door behind her closed loudly. Her hand moved up and down, soothing her pounding chest. Eric almost made her heart jump out of her chest.
• Shortly after, she heard the roar of a car engine outside. Curious, Alexa peeked out from the window beside the entrance.
• Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the car they had just ridden begin to drive out of the yard. It was clear who was driving the car. How could Eric just leave like that?
• "Why are you still standing there? Where's Eric?" asked Alice, appearing from the corridor on the left side of the house. She walked towards Alexa, who was still standing by the window.
• "He left again," Alexa answered honestly, then turned to face Alice. The car Eric was driving was no longer in sight, and who knew where he was headed.
• Alice sighed softly. "Just let him be; he's always like that. You better rest now." The middle-aged woman immediately took Alexa's arm.
• Not knowing her way around the house, Alexa could only follow Alice's steps. Secretly, her eyes kept scanning every corner they passed. Once again, Alexa was stunned by the beauty displayed before her eyes. The Walter family was indeed extremely wealthy.
• No wonder Alice and Eric could easily offer Alexa a high compensation. Such a large sum of money might just be pocket change for them.
• What Alexa knew was that Walter Group had expanded into several international business branches. It was only natural for them to have immense wealth.
• "This room is Eric's room, which is now also your room. I hope you'll feel comfortable here," Alice explained, opening a gray door.
• A masculine room with black and white tones immediately came into view as the door opened. While the owner of the room was away, she would enjoy it by herself.
• She didn't care where Eric went. Alexa would enjoy some time without him nearby. Hopefully, Eric would be gone for a long time.
• The loud ringing of her phone woke Alexa from her deep sleep. She groaned in annoyance as she opened her eyes, which were red from being forced to wake up early.
• "Who is it? Such a nuisance," she grumbled without preamble.
• ["How arrogant the young master's wife is. I just want to invite you to a party. Want to come? My treat."]
• Sleepiness evaporated from Alexa immediately. "Alright. I'll be there soon!" She needed some refreshing before facing Eric's annoying behavior again.
• After the call ended, Alexa glanced at the time displayed on her phone; it was already night. Having nothing to do all day made her fall into a deep sleep for hours.
• Alexa, who had been lazing around all day, quickly got ready to go to the nightclub her friend mentioned. Luckily, the house guard believed the excuse she gave.
• The lively atmosphere greeted Alexa's arrival as soon as she set foot in the place of debauchery. As usual, it was packed with people looking to have fun and relieve their burdens for a moment.
• Alexa didn't need to look hard for Paula—her friend—because she was already waiting by the entrance. They continued walking, looking for an empty seat.
• As her gaze wandered, Alexa spotted a familiar sight. Two young men were sitting on a sofa surrounded by scantily clad women. One of them was Eric Walter.
• "There's an empty spot over there, Al," Paula pointed out, pulling Alexa in the indicated direction. A second late, and someone else could have taken the spot.
• While her feet kept moving, Alexa's eyes remained fixed on Eric. Suddenly, he turned towards her. They stared at each other for a moment before Alexa looked away, breaking the eye contact.
• "Why do you keep looking over there? Do you know someone there?" Paula asked, following Alexa's gaze.
• Alexa quickly turned to her and shook her head briefly. "No, just someone who looks like my friend."
• Paula knew Alexa had married a wealthy man, but she hadn't told her who it was. Perhaps it was better if her friend didn't know.
• Although she managed to divert Paula's attention, Alexa occasionally glanced at Eric. Tonight, she intentionally drank less to minimize any potential mishaps.
• When Paula excused herself to the restroom, a man suddenly sat next to Alexa. She slowly created some distance between them. However, the man kept getting closer, trying hard to chat with her despite being ignored.
• The man smirked. "You're pretty, but very arrogant, aren't you?"
• When the man next to her started acting inappropriately, Alexa stood up. She was about to curse him out when a voice interrupted her.
• "She's mine."
• Alexa immediately turned towards the voice. Her hazel eyes locked with Eric's sharp gaze. His face darkened, and his jaw was clenched.