Chapter 48 Getting under my skin
Alexander.
I leaned back against the stone bench in the estate garden, watching Nicholas gesticulate wildly as he recounted my boardroom performance for the third time.
"And then--" Nicholas could barely contain his laughter, "you just casually dropped the bombshell about Viola's embezzlement like you were discussing the weather. 'Can someone explain the slush funds?', gosh I wish I'd been there to see her face turn purple."
"It wasn't purple," I said dryly. "More like a shade of humiliated crimson."
Xavier, sitting across from us with his usual serious expression, shook his head. "Tristan must have known about his mother's activities. As COO, those records would have crossed his desk."
"Of course he knew," I replied, picking up my glass of whiskey. "He's known for years. But Viola has him so thoroughly wrapped around her finger that he'd rather lose his chance at CEO than stand up to her."
"That's pathetic," Xavier muttered.
Nicholas grinned at me. "You know what's not pathetic? The fact that you now have to manage two companies. Congratulations, workaholic. You've officially doubled your stress."
I scoffed, taking a long drink. "Don't remind me. If Noona hadn't insisted, I wouldn't have touched Graham Corp with a ten foot pole."
"But you did it anyway," Nicholas pointed out, his tone turning more serious. "Because you can't say no to your grandmother."
"No one can say no to Winifred Graham especially with her heart being a ticking time bomb," I said flatly.
Xavier's sharp gaze shifted to me, studying my face with that analytical look he always wore when he was about to ask something invasive. "Speaking of your grandmother... how's the situation with your wife?"
I felt my jaw tighten involuntarily. "Fake wife."
"Legally binding wife," Xavier corrected. "How is it going?"
I set my glass down harder than necessary. "It's going barely as I expected. Noona is constantly interfering, pushing us together, and creating situations that force us to--" I stopped myself, rubbing my temples in frustration.
"To what?" Nicholas leaned forward with interest.
"To cross boundaries," I finished, my voice edged with irritation. "She's making everything complicated. She's making this fake marriage seem less... fake."
Nicholas blinked at me. "Isn't that the entire point? To make it believable?"
"You don't understand," I snapped, standing up and pacing away from them. The evening air felt too warm suddenly. "Noona isn't just making it believable to outsiders. She's forcing us into situations that...that blur the lines of what this arrangement is supposed to be."
"Such as?" Xavier quizzed expecting more details.
I turned to face them, my frustration finally boiling over. "Must I explain in detail"
But they both stared at me waiting for an explanation, I sighed. "Such as making us sleep in the same bedroom. Such as buying her lingerie and practically shoving her into my room. Such as constantly talking about great grandchildren and then looking at us with those knowing smiles like she's won some kind of matchmaking lottery."
Nicholas tried to suppress a grin. "So your grandmother wants you to actually consummate your marriage, wow this is getting more interesting."
"It's not funny, Nicholas." I glared.
"It's a little funny," he argued. "You signed up for a fake marriage to appease her, and now she's trying to make it real. That's called poetic justice."
I glared at him. "What's not funny is that I'm starting to....get used to it."
The words hung in the air for a moment. Both Nicholas and Xavier went very still, their expressions shifting.
"Used to what, exactly?" Xavier asked carefully.
I ran my hand through my hair, hating how this conversation was unraveling my composure. "The fake marriage thing. Having her around. The constant closeness. Noona's interference is making me... adapt to having a wife."
"Or," Nicholas said slowly, "you're actually starting to like her."
"No." My response was immediate and firm. "That's not what's happening."
But even as I said it, I remembered few nights ago after being with Roxy, three rounds that should have satisfied me completely, instead I spent the entire time thinking about Dandelion. Her face. Her body in that ridiculous lingerie Noona had forced her into. The way her blue eyes flashed when she was angry.
The way she'd felt in my arms when I carried her to my bed
"Alex," Xavier said, drawing my attention back. "You're thinking about something right now. I can see it on your face."
I turned away from them, gripping the back of the bench. "Few nights ago, I called Roxy over."
"And?" Nicholas probed further.
"And I spent the entire night with her, but..." I paused, hating what I was about to admit. "I couldn't stop thinking about Dandelion instead. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Not Roxy. Her."
The silence that followed was deafening.
When I finally turned around, both of my friends were looking at each other with identical knowing smiles.
"What?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing.
Nicholas spoke first, barely containing his amusement. "Alex... you're falling for your fake wife."
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" Xavier challenged, his serious expression softening slightly. "You just admitted you can't even enjoy sex with another woman without thinking about her."
"Because Noona keeps forcing us into awkward situations!" I argued, even though the excuse sounded weak even to my own ears. "We haven't had a single normal interaction. It's all been close and uncomfortable scenarios. Of course she's on my mind, she's become an unavoidable presence in my life."
"Right," Nicholas said, nodding with exaggerated understanding. "That's definitely all it is. Nothing to do with the fact that she's beautiful, resilient, has your grandmother's approval, and happens to be exactly your type of woman."
I glared at him. "Don't."
"He's right though," Xavier added, and I wanted to throw my glass at both of them. "Dandelion is objectively more attractive than Roxy. She's also got something Roxy never had, your grandmother's genuine affection. Noona accepted her instantly, even without knowing about the contract. That's not nothing, Alex."
"And," Nicholas continued, "let's not forget that your mother and her mother were best friends. You both were also childhood friends"
"More like childhood sweethearts" Xavier butted in.
"See? There's a connection there, a history. Maybe fate actually brought you two together." Nicholas added.
"Fate," I repeated flatly. "You both sound like Noona."
"Your grandmother is a wise woman," Nicholas said with a shrug. "Maybe you should listen to her instincts. Give this thing with Dandelion an actual chance. Get to know her. See where it goes."
"It can't go anywhere," I said firmly, my voice hardening. "This is a contract. A transactional arrangement meant to last only a year. Nothing more."
Xavier studied me for a long moment before speaking. "You know what I think? I think you're already in deeper than you're willing to admit. You just don't want to face it because it complicates everything."
I didn't respond. Because he was right, and I hated it.
Nicholas, sensing my internal struggle, tried to lighten the mood. "Well, at least your romantic crisis is somewhat straightforward. Unlike Xavier's disaster."
Xavier's head snapped toward Nicholas with a warning glare. "Don't go there Nicholas"
"Oh, I'm definitely going there," Nicholas said cheerfully. "Speaking of which, did you ever find that mystery woman? The one from your one night stand?"
I watched as Xavier's expression darkened, a muscle ticking in his jaw. For a man who prided himself on control, that night clearly still bothered him.
"No," Xavier said slowly. "Not yet."
I couldn't help but smirk, grateful for the shift in attention. "You know, if you had actually enjoyed yourself, this wouldn't be shameful at all."
"That's exactly the problem," Xavier snapped. "I can't remember if I enjoyed it or not. I was too drunk. All I have is fragmented memories and this damn bracelet she left behind."
"What will you do when you find her?" I asked, genuinely curious.
Xavier was quiet for a moment, his fingers drumming against his knee a rare sign of agitation. "I don't know yet. But she took advantage of me when I was intoxicated. There has to be consequences for that."
"Consequences," Nicholas repeated, laughing. "Listen to yourself. You sound like you're planning a corporate hostile takeover, not dealing with a woman 'you' slept with."
"It's the principle," Xavier insisted stubbornly.
"The principle," I echoed, my smirk widening. "Right. It has nothing to do with the fact that she's the first woman in years to get under your skin."
Xavier's glare could have melted steel. "She didn't get under my skin. She violated my consent."
"You were both drunk," Nicholas pointed out reasonably. "From what you've told us, she was just as intoxicated as you were. Maybe you should just let it go."
"No way," Xavier said with absolute finality.
I shook my head, reaching for my whiskey again. "You know what's funny? The fact that your life is supposedly more peaceful than ours, Nicholas. No complicated women, no fake marriages, no one night stands with mystery women. Just you and your empire."
Nicholas grinned, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "Exactly. I'm living my best life. No drama, Just pure, blissful freedom."
"You're lonely," Xavier said bluntly.
"Uh hello, I'm perfectly peaceful," Nicholas corrected.
"You're in denial," I added.
Nicholas laughed, unbothered. "Say what you want. While you two are tangled up in relationship disasters, I'm out here thriving. No strings, no complications, no problems."
But even as he said it, I caught something in his expression...just a flicker of something that looked almost like longing. Like maybe, despite all his protests, he was starting to wonder if his "peaceful" life was actually just... empty.
The thought unsettled me. Because if Nicholas, the most carefree person I know, was starting to question his choices, what did that say about the rest of us?
"Alex," Xavier said suddenly, drawing me from my thoughts. "Whatever you decide about Dandelion, just... be careful. If you're actually developing feelings for her, you need to figure out what you're going to do about it. Before this contract marriage becomes more complicated than you can handle."
I stared out at the garden, lost in my thoughts.
Be careful?. But it was already too late for that.
Because the truth I wasn't ready to admit not to them, not even fully to myself, was that Dandelion had already gotten under my skin in ways I didn't know how to process.
And I had absolutely no idea what the hell I was going to do about it.