Chapter 13

• When I woke up, I was aware of two things.
• One, I was naked, and two, I was alone.
• Arlo isn’t here next to me as I thought he would be, but I could still faintly smell his distinct scent – clean, expensive and dangerous.
• I inhaled sharply as I sat up from the king-sized bed, gathering the silk sheets closer to my chest.
• “What in the world...” I blankly utter as I shifted my gaze around the room.
• It was a chaotic mess.
• Tables and chairs were turned over, clothes scattered aimlessly on the floor, the curtain rod had fallen and fragments of broken glass were strewn all over as if a brutal battle had ensued.
• My mind automatically reeled to the events that happened last night and Arlo’s face kept appearing in bits of pieces.
• I knew the wine was bad news, but I still drank it anyway, so now I can’t remember exactly what happened... but I do recall the way he pulled my legs apart and placed it over his broad shoulders, pumping his cock between my thighs wet and sloppy even without a lube.
• What. The. Fuck.
• Why do I have that memory burned in my mind?
• The wine I chugged last night blurred my memory, but I remember that specific part very clearly.
• Even the part where he puts his mouth to work and made out with my clit, licking under the hood, lightly grazing me with his teeth and turning me into a literal waterfall that never happened to me before, even with Liam.
• WHAT. THE. FUCK?!
• I lift my hands to touch my neck, flinching at its warmth at first before steadying it over my skin.
• “Ah... ahh...” I voiced out.
• My throat is fine... thank god.
• I remembered it being rammed by his dick, how he guided my chin, gently but with a slight force. He sounded absolutely depraved, moaning as I sucked him... It was difficult because my mouth was so small or his arousal was just so damn big.
• “...” I lay still, afraid that moving would shatter my composure, but deep down I was screaming at myself, frustrated at how easily my body betrayed me, moving on its own last night.
• This was supposed to be only a deal, a performance, a stepping stone to get my revenge on my ex-husband... yet I allowed Arlo to claim me.
• I crossed a line I can never uncross.
• The knock on the door pulled me out of my trance and I pulled the sheets tighter around me.
• “Wait—” I exclaimed, but the door had already been flung open.
• It was Kate, so I sighed in relief.
• I wasn’t sure I could face Arlo after everything.
• “Well...” Kate scanned the room, eyes widening in shock from seeing its state. “Looks like someone had a very interesting wedding night,” Her gaze landed on the shattered glasses and a look of confusion was plastered on her face before shifting her eyes to me as if telling me to spill the details.
• “Don’t look at me, I have no idea how that happened.”
• “Relax. I am not judging,” she laughed, stepping further inside with care not to step on any of the mess. “Though, judging from the mess, I would say it was... eventful?”
• “Can we not talk about it.” What I said sounded more like a demand rather than a request.
• I was still in denial that I easily fell for that devil’s seduction.
• With just a few drinks and small talk, I was already so down bad for him.
• Kate grinned, then she handed me a stack of neatly folded clothes.
• “Change first,” she said.
• “I don’t want to,” I sank deeper into the mattress, wishing that I could just rot for the rest of the day, especially with how much size I had taken last night that I felt sore all over.
• “You have to.” Her voice was so commanding that my body instinctively sat back up again, “It’s your first day of being the second most powerful person in the family.” She had walked over to the other side of the room to open the windows, letting fresh air inside that chased away the faint perfume of the night before.
• “Second most powerful?” My gaze followed her.
• “Did Arlo fuck your brains out that you forgot?” Kate teased, but I just covered my face again with how embarrassing it is to hear it out loud. “Let me remind you then, Mrs. Frantz,” She announced with an exaggerated cheer.
• “The staff is already whispering about the new lady of the house,” she added, then softened. “Being a Frantz comes with a different kind of pressure, but don’t worry, I’ll guide you throughout everything.”
• “That sounds... fun,” I blurt out, sarcasm dripping with my every word.
• I glanced at the outfit she laid out on the bed and I could already feel the elegance emanating from it – the expensive material used in the fabric, the pearls, the silks... everything too luxurious for a person like me who still feels out of place in my own skin.
• “Mrs... Frantz,” I repeated under my breath, tasting the weight of the name and letting my fingers run through the dress.
• It felt oddly strange.
• I was a crucified divorcee not too long ago, and now I hold so much power, but I know it comes with a price.
• If I am not ready to face Arlo yet, maybe I can at least face the reason I’m pretending in this marriage.
• “I want to meet Arlo’s grandfather,” I said, earning Kate’s confused gaze for a quick second before recomposing herself with a clap of her hand.
• “Oh!”
• “Oh?” I repeated with a raised brow.
• “Arlo’s grandfather, yes, of course.” There was laughter in her voice and afterward she helped me get ready for the day.
• Kate led me through a series of corridors until we arrived at a huge oak wood door. Kate looked at me solemnly before pushing the doors open.
• The scent inside the room reminded me of hospitals. Heavy curtains filtered the sunlight, blanketing the man lying on a massive bed.
• I stepped forward, getting a closer look at all the machines humming quietly beside him.
• “Mr. Frantz... I brought your grandson’s wife. Kerri Frantz.” Kate bowed so low that she was almost kneeling on the porcelain floor.
• Seeing this, I bowed as well, but my gaze never left him.
• Arlo’s grandfather looked smaller than I had imagined.
• From the portraits in the hallway, it showed a man with sharp eyes and a permanent scowl on his face that even a glance made my hair stand on ends and send a chill down my spine, a sensation that felt oh-so familiar when I first met Arlo.
• But the man before me was pale and unremarkable.
• “Good morning, grandfather.” I whispered, not sure if he could even hear me.
• “My name is Kerri... your grandson’s wife.” I uttered words that felt unnatural in my tongue, but it was necessary.
• This is one of the reasons why Arlo needed me. It was written in the contract I signed, and today I am fulfilling it.
• He could not speak anymore, as Kate said, before turning to her heel and leaving the room, giving me time alone with the man...
• I gulped down, the lump forming in my throat, feeling a tinge of guilt for lying to a dying man, but I still pressed on, taking a seat beside his bed and folding my hands on my lap.
• “It’s a shame you couldn’t attend the wedding. It was beautiful. Arlo prepared everything. I have never had a grand ceremony meant for me before, so the feeling was so surreal, I am so grateful for him.” I continued, forcing a smile even though I know he couldn’t see me fully with his eyes slightly closed. “Arlo looked... handsome. You would have been so proud.”
• I saw his chest rise, a reaction to what I said. So, I continued, “He has been so wonderful to me, and he has taken care of me so much... I want to repay his kindness in some way.” My throat tightened as I went on, stringing together lies over lies.
• Arlo wasn’t gentle, he wasn’t kind. And although he had taken care of me and saved me from my fate, it still comes with a heavy price.
• I swallowed hard, my heart pounded at the thought of having to say it out loud.
• “I love Arlo very much,”
• The monitor beside the bed beeped steadily, and I believed he understood my message and that he was happy, judging by the faint glisten of his eyes.
• I heard a faint sound from across the room and when I looked up, I saw him. He had been sitting silently in the shadowed corner of the room.
• Arlo Frantz.
• My husband, who had been intently staring at me all this time, possibly hearing everything I said.