"Take your hands off me" she slapped off his hand. She was right after all, he was going to try to have sex with her, and then give her the divorce papers, and she would be no different from the other women he had gone out with, the only difference was that she stayed almost a year with him.
"Sit up, we need to talk now" Leonardo said and Alisha knew this was the moment she was scared of.
If he sent her out tonight, she had nowhere to go.
Alisha sat up as slowly as she could, she did not face Leonardo, she could not look at him, but she sat in a way that he knew she was listening to him.
"I wanted to ask you how you will like us to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary" Alisha was surprised, she was not expecting this kind of conversation, he had the ticket to be a free man, what was he doing?
"Hmm, do we need to celebrate that?"
"Is there a reason why we should not?" he asked her, she was tempted to tell him what was the point of celebrating a wedding anniversary when he was going to give her the divorce papers to sign any time soon, but she decided not to say that.
"Anything you want is fine by me, good night" she said and lay back down to sleep.
This man was confusing her. First, he wanted a divorce, now he wants a celebration, what does he really want?
For the next few days, Leonardo took his time with an event planner to sort out things for the anniversary, Alisha was not in any way interested, but when her opinion was sorted on a few things, she gave an answer.
She was waiting for the divorce papers and checking out for a cheap apartment she could rent once Leonardo sends her out.
She was not expecting him to give her anything, not just, because she had signed a prenuptial agreement, but because they had both gotten what they wanted.
He had gotten his inheritance, and she had gotten the money for Anna's surgery, so they were both on the same page, except that she was in love with him, but he was not in love with her.
"Alisha, have you decided on the cake?" Leonardo called her attention.
She had been trying to pull away from him, but he seems to be trying to come closer to her.
"Why do I have to chose a cake, can't I just bake something simple at the bakery?" they were in the kitchen, she was having a drink while making dinner when Leonardo had come in from work and showed her a few samples of cake designs.
"That is because if you bake the cake yourself, you might not be excited about the whole cake thrill."
"Remind me why we are not having a small anniversary but a big one, almost like a wedding."
"I heard you, I heard all you said while I was in coma." Alisha choked on her drink. Leonardo patted her back softly, until she was fine.
"He heard me? He heard me tell him that I was in love with him?
Oh no, this is bad" She screamed in her head. How was she going to be able to face him after this?
"I had a few crazy dreams though, but when you told me to please wake up, I knew that was real, and this anniversary is for you, despite the fact that this marriage is not real, you stood by me, so this is me celebrating you and saying a big thank you."
Alisha was short of words, it was a relief that he thought she telling him she loved him was a dream.
Was it because he knew she cared about him was that why he was not ready to give her the divorce papers?
Now that he knew she cared, was he going to give her the divorce papers after the anniversary?
"Alisha" Leonardo called her attention
"Hmm?"
"What has been up with you, you've been absent minded for a few days now"
"Nothing, I am here" she was not ready to tell him that she was scared of the divorce she was anticipating.
"I have something for you" she turned off the cooking fire and followed up into the room. Before her he laid a beautiful gold dress on the bed. It was elegant; she loved the sight of it. "Thank you" she blushed.
"Alisha, hurry up dear" Leonardo called out to her. The makeup artist was finishing up on her makeup. It was Saturday afternoon.
Leonardo was waiting so he could drive them to the venue for the anniversary.
Alisha was on the dress Leonardo had gotten her, alongside the gold earrings, her wedge sandals, a new set of necklace, and her hair curled with eye-catching pins.
"Wow" Leonardo left his mouth open as he watched her come down from the stairs. As the driver drove them, he could not take his eyes off her.
She was beautiful, not like other women he had decided they were beautiful, she stood out.
Alisha was tensed as they approached the venue, she had to act like a happy wife who was helplessly in love with this handsome and successful CEO.
Acting was not really her thing, but she was going to look happy, at least she was aside from the thought that she would be coming back to probably a divorce paper waiting for her.
Leonardo had asked all staff to take two weeks off after the anniversary, she was going to be home alone with him, or probably he did not need an audience when she would be taking her things out of the house once she signs the divorce papers.
She had some savings and her bakery was doing well, so she could rent a small apartment, and move on with her life, but then she would need some time away from California after the divorce in case there would be a media scandal after the divorce.
She had even imagined an headline, "California rich CEO divorces his baker wife few days after their grand wedding anniversary".
She could not bear to hear news flying, so she had pleaded with her dad and Anna to take over the bakery for a few weeks if she was to make a trip.
She did not want to be caught unaware, she had arranged an apartment for them and gotten everything ready in case that time came.
She had even decided that she was not going to take what Leonardo bought for her when she was leaving the mansion.
She would leave the diamond earring, the wedding ring, the dresses, accessories, and anything he got for her. She would go with only what she had gotten for herself.
"Alisha, you look like you are having a conversation with someone from the dead" Leonardo frowned, interrupting her thoughts.
She forced a smile, scared that if she opened her mouth to speak, she might say what she was thinking.
"We are here" he got out to open the door for her.
Cameras were in their faces, everyone was taking pictures. He brought her into his arms, and planted a kiss on her lips, his kiss was soft, as if he was trying to tell her something.
"Leo" she said in between the kiss, he devoured her mouth not minding if they had an audience.
He was not trying to impress anyone or give them a show, he loved kissing her.
Alisha could not focus on enjoying the kiss, she was busy worrying about the people watching and what would happen after the anniversary.
Leonardo finally broke away from the kiss, held her hand and lead her inside the hall.
The anniversary was wonderful, Alisha was able to forget about her worry and enjoy the event. Nana had kissed her cheeks over again, telling her how she was grateful to her for making Leonardo realize that love was a beautiful thing.
Alisha could not tell her that they were not in love, she could not tell her that this was only a show. Instead she smiled at Nana not knowing what to say.
"To think I thought this was all a fake and after a month this marriage would have ended" grandpa Alexandra had said and they all laughed it off, "I'm proud of the man you have become Leonardo" grandpa had said seriously.
"Alisha, I'm glad your mother's attitude did not make you believe less in love, I can only pray you will keep being happy with the man you love."
Her dad had said, she could not tell him that this man she loved was not in love with her so she was scared to keep loving him, she could not say that probably in a few days he would divorce her and she would not be able to keep being happy with him like her dad wants.
Leonardo used his fork on his glass to draw the attention of everyone in the room.
"I"d like to propose a toast, a toast to my beautiful wife, thank you for putting up with my annoying ass, my busy schedule, and every other thing I can't mention before all this eager ears here today.
I choose to celebrate you because you have stood as a strong woman beside me, thank you Alisha Leonardo Legend, I love you." Leonardo was smiling, he sounded so truthful, Alisha was tempted to believe him, but she knew better.
As much as he was grateful to her for helping him secure the deal, and staying by his side when he was in coma, he didn't have to lie to everyone that he loved her, no, but he did, he deceived everyone, because he was not in love with her as he had said, but she on the other hand knew the only person she was deceiving was Leonardo, he did not know she was in love with him, and she had no plans of telling him.
Leonardo sat back down after the toast, he had casually said he loved Alisha to convince others. "I'm not in love with her, it was all show" he argued with his subconscious.
"Then why go this far, with the anniversary, with the kiss outside, with everything" his subconscious mind mocked him
"Okay, maybe you are right, maybe I am in love with her, but it is all wrong, she signed a contract, she does not want me, I won't give her the divorce papers, I"d keep her by my side for the two years left in this contract, after that I"d be over her" he concluded in his head.
He could not tell her he was probably in love with her, he could not break the contract he had prepared by himself.
He could not get her scared, she was probably in love with someone else and waiting for the contract to be over so she could move on with someone else.
He did not care about that, but he was not going to let her go so soon, he loved being around her.
When he was in coma he had dreamt that she held his hand and told him that she was in love with him.
He almost believed it was real, that she had told him she loved him, but when he opened his eyes a while later, she was not there, so he was sure he was dreaming.
There was no way Alisha could be in love with him, she would prefer a man who showed quality time, and so much affection, someone who believed in love, was affectionate towards her, and wanted to raise a family with her.
He did not want a family even if he might be falling in love with her, there was no way he could have a family, he was scared he would end up like his father.