56__Someone like me

She stared silently at him. Slowly, she lowered her gaze to her hands and the small tray she held in them.

The tea she carried on the tray was hot, its steam rising toward her.

“Amelia?” Marc tilted his head. “You’re not saying anything.”

She swallowed hard. What was he saying? That she’d helped his condition and now he wanted to try it out for real?

“I’ve made you some tea, Marc.”

He smiled very faintly. “Will you? Will you marry me? You can consider it a scientific experiment.”

“What if I say no?” she asked quietly. “You’ll find a way to corner me into it?”

He shook his head. “No, of course not. Just think about it. It might be a selfish request, me wanting to see if us genuinely being together can make me a bit more human, but… besides that. Don’t you think we’re compatible?”

She scoffed. Compatible? Reality crashed into her head and she bit her lip. How could they be compatible? When he was paying her to be his fake wife and she was secretly looking for evidence that could destroy his family. When his company had caused her mother to be buried with the label of a murderer. How could they be compatible?

Sighing, she walked past him and lifted the saucer with its cup, placing the tea on his table.

“I think…” she said quietly. “Anything beyond what we already have could be dangerous, Marc.”

He came over so he could see her face. “Why? I don’t see why.”

He’d already spent all afternoon thinking it over. He wasn't worried about the secrets she was keeping and, when it came to those he was keeping, he was ready to own up to it. If his father had caused her disappearance at birth, Marc would simply make the old man pay. God knew Arthur Aryan deserved it.

The Aryans and the Harrises had always been rivals, if Amelia got caught up between them, Marc was ready to protect her with everything he had. Even if she hated him for being an Aryan, he was willing to dedicate every iota of his power to protect her.

What would he not do for a woman who had the power to turn his programmed mind into a human mind? Nothing. There was nothing he wouldn’t do.

Arson had tried to make Marc stay in his lane but losing himself to Amelia had been inevitable. Marc didn’t see the point of fighting it so he would take full advantage of it.

She looked at him. “Can you really say, in all honesty, that there isn’t a bunch of iffy business around us? I’m keeping secrets… I have the horrid feeling that you and Arson are doing the same… Just because we’re good in bed doesn’t mean we’d be good life partners.”

“But, for me, that’s exactly what it means,” he said. “I’ve never even allowed a woman to touch me, that I went all the way with you is a big deal to me, Amelia. No one has ever seen as much of me as you have, whether physically or emotionally. Why do I react to you the way that I do? I want answers and I want to prove to you that my emotions aren't pretence.”

He was serious and it made her nervously clutch her tray. Why was he doing this? She had only just managed to get her crap together, snapping herself back into focus. And now he was making her waver with this sudden and terrifyingly sincere offer.

She turned away. “So, you think we should get married?”

He nodded, eyes filled with determination.

Amelia was tense with anxiety. Things were getting out of control. She’d been a little silly and had been delighted to wake up in his arms, but now she was scared. This was moving too fast and it was going off the rails.

“There’s no way I’m marrying you, Marc. Forget it. Four months end and we’re going separate ways.” She planned to leave long before that.

He looked shattered, his disappointment painted all over his face. “But why not? Can I get a reason why you won’t even think about it? You don’t… like me?”

She bit her lip at his last question, feeling her heart bleed a little. God, why had she gone and caught feelings for him? What an idiot she was. “Look, forget it! Just drink your tea.”

“I’m only asking you to think about it, Amelia. I believe this could really help me change for the better. It doesn’t have to be forever; we can just extend the four months to—”

She turned on him. “Are you kidding me?! Look, I know your condition may dim your wits, but I didn’t realize you’d really be that clueless about how the world works! You don’t hop on the marriage train just cause the sex is good, Marc, things don’t work that way! That other night, you could barely tell whether I was scared or horny, how the bloody hell could you tell if we’re good together?! So, snap the fuck out of it and drink your tea!”

Her louds words echoed and then silence followed.

He stared at her, surprise making his face go slack.

Horror gripped Amelia’s heart, her gut knotting at her own words. Oh, no, that was harsh. Far harsher than she’d meant for it to be.

He stepped away from her. “I’ve made you angry…”

She lowered her gaze, her eyes pointlessly scanning the floor. Why were things getting so complicated?

Marc was struck with realization and his expression darkened. “Oh, wait. I see. God, I… I should’ve read the room. I got a bit too comfortable, I forgot I’m still just a freak. How dare I ask you to marry me?”

She looked at him in horror. “Marc….”

He shut his eyes, sighing. “I apologize. I took it too far. You’re right, you couldn’t possibly marry someone like me, we’re not compatible. I... should know my place.”

Her mouth was open in muted shock, her eyes growing teary. No, this wasn’t it. She didn’t want him to think that.

Turning, he marched around his table and picked up the tea.

Her eyes went wide, but she didn’t stop him. His gaze avoided her face and he brought the cup to his mouth, taking a big gulp of tea.

She watched him. He swallowed and then, lifting the tiny cup again, emptied the tea into his mouth.

He dropped the empty cup and released a heavy exhale. “I hope this… gives you enough time to search everything.”

She couldn’t move, tears spilling down her cheeks as she stood stiffly in his office. He knew the tea was drugged, even though she’d made it away from cameras. He still drank it. Amelia felt like dirt.

Guilt crushed her heart, but she bit down on it. She had to do this so she could get out of here as soon as possible. Enough of this fairy tale, she was grasping for dreams woven with fairy dust and pixie wings. It just couldn’t be, she had to stop her wayward feelings before they carried her to her own destruction.

But that didn’t mean it was okay for her to hurt him in the process.

She lifted her teary gaze to Marc and swallowed hard, her throat burning with the thick ball of tears she was holding back.

“Marc…”

He still didn’t look at her face. Amelia released a short huff of air, her heart breaking as she slowly realized.

Any other time, he always looked directly at her face and never looked away for a second whilst they were conversing. He did it to better his ability to communicate.

Right now, he wasn’t looking at her simply because he didn’t want to hear her.

He could listen to her words, but to understand her every meaning, he would read her face as she spoke. And he didn’t want to, so he kept his gaze away. She tightly bit her lip, saddened that she’d been harsh enough to make him avoid whatever he would read on her face.

The thought suddenly sprung into her head that it must’ve been something he did since he was younger to protect himself from unpleasant words and Amelia was only further crushed.

“July 7th,” Marc said quietly. “Eleven-fifty. James’s birth date and time.”

Without any further explanation, he walked around the table and stalked past her. He walked out, leaving her alone in the office.

She stayed there, surrounded by silence made heavy by her own guilt. This was not how things were supposed to go.

Marc Aryan was supposed to have been a man just as cruel as his father, someone she would have loathed spending time with.

Instead, he was a strange mix of mystery and the most soul-settling gentleness she’d ever experienced.

She lowered her head, silent tears coursing down her face.

With a shaky exhale, Amelia raised her head and wiped her tears. This wasn’t the time. She could feel like a monster later, for now she would search for what she’d come here for. If she found it, she would do Marc Aryan a favour and delete herself from his life so he could live in peace.

Releasing a long breath, she turned on her heel and stalked out of the office. She’d been brave enough to start this, she had to be brave enough to finish it.

She walked through the house and realized Marc was nowhere to be found. She checked his room, but he wasn’t there. With the drug in his system, he wouldn’t be able to go far and Amelia hoped he didn’t. She didn’t want him to get hurt.

Forgetting about what she had to do, she marched through the house, looking for him. She wouldn’t be human if she just went straight to searching, she had to see that he was okay.

She came to Jamie’s room and pushed open the door. She stopped.

With a sigh, she straightened, staring at the bed. Stretched out beside his child, Marc was already deeply asleep.

She swallowed hard, feeling her eyes prickle again as she watched him.

Turning away, she shut the door and marched away with the little bravery she had left.

She went straight to Marc’s room, trying to ignore what a jerk she was being to a man like him. A clearly tender-hearted person.

She gritted her teeth, making her way to the safe near the head of his bead. No, she wouldn’t get carried away. She couldn’t be sure that he was as nice as she thought. It was nearly impossible for any conglomerate born in a family as powerful as the Aryans, with as much power as Marc had, to be a nice person.

Reaching out, she pressed the painting on the wall and watched it swing open with a click.

Pressing a button on the safe lit up the keypad, those six squares flashing at her like they were demanding the password.

She bit her lip. The 7th of July at eleven-fifty.

God, Marc hadn’t even hesitated to give her the password.

Reaching up, she pressed in the numbers. Seven, seven, eleven, fifty.

The safe turned neon green and she heard it open with a dull metal sound.

The possibility of what she could find in here had chills racing up and down her back.

The doubt also persisted because she didn’t think Marc would let her open a safe with incriminating information in it, but still she hoped.

Without waiting a moment more, she reached up and yanked open the safe door.