Chapter 4: Contracts

ALICE

“Good morning, little mushroom,” Kieran greeted, yawning open-mouthed, causing me to grimace.

“Would you stop calling me that,” I muttered, placing the plates on the kitchen counter for Nico and Kieran.

“Nope, I like calling you little mushroom, and when I like something, I don’t stop doing or wanting it,” he answered, sitting on one of the chairs.

“Yes, but it irritates me,” I complained, going back to whisking the eggs.

“You’ll get used to it. Everybody does,” he responded, folding his arms on the counter.

“I doubt it,” I muttered under my breath as I poured the whisked eggs into the pan.

“What’s for breakfast?” Kieran asked while texting on his phone.

“Scrambled eggs, bread, and bacon, is that okay? I can make something else if you want.”

Despite the crazy circumstances under which Kieran was staying here, I didn’t want to give him something he didn’t like; he was a guest after all.

“Yup, perfectly fine. Where is your brother?” Kieran queried, looking around for my brother.

“He’s in the bathroom. I woke him up, so he’ll be here in a few minutes,” I answered him, completely focused on my current task.

“You take really good care of Nico, I mean really good,” he stated, making me smile sadly.

“I love taking care of my brother. He’s my only family,” I explained to him.

“Who takes care of you then?” Kieran asked.

Shaking my head, I smiled. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I can take care of myself, been doing it for quite a few years now,” I answered.

“Good morning, Alice,” Nico greeted with a smile, sitting on one of the two remaining chairs.

“Good morning, how are you?” I smiled at Nico, placing his breakfast plate in front of him.

“Good,” Nico replied. “How are you, sir?” he asked Kieran.

“I’m good, young man,” Kieran replied with a smile.

As soon as I turned to make breakfast for myself, the doorbell rang. Wondering who could be visiting me so early in the morning, I ventured out of the kitchen to open the door.

“Good morning, Alice.” Gideon’s deep, silky voice made my knees wobble. Gazing at him through my lashes, I gritted my teeth to stop my jaw from dropping.

Gideon was looking so handsome in his three-piece suit with his hair styled neatly and his shoes shining to perfection. He was holding a blue file in his hands, which I assumed was the new contract.

“Good morning, please come in.” I stepped aside so Gideon could enter, ordering my heart to stop pounding.

Once he was inside, I closed the door then went back to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

“Would you like to have breakfast?” I asked Gideon politely.

“Yes, I would,” he responded simply.

Nodding my head, I quickly prepared eggs, bacon, and bread for Gideon.

“This is the new contract. Sign it,” Gideon ordered, pushing the file toward me.

“I’ll sign. Eat your breakfast,” I told him.

“No, sign it now,” he ordered.

“Can’t it wait till after breakfast?” This man was clearly something.

“No, I won’t eat breakfast until you sign the contract,” Gideon persisted, making me sigh in frustration. We had yet to be married and he was already getting on my nerves.

Opening the file, I quickly went through the revised content then held out my hand for a pen, which Gideon immediately handed to me.

Giving Nico a covert glance, I hastily scribbled my signature over the dotted lines, then, closing the file, handed it to Gideon, who took it without a word and began eating.

Grabbing two pieces of bread, I spread mango jam on the slices then took a bite.

After he was done eating, Gideon put the plate in the sink then went to have a conversation with Nico, who had quickly finished his breakfast and was now watching TV.

After washing the dishes, I went to Nico with his medicines. After he took his medicine, Gideon told me he wanted to talk to me in private. Giving him a peculiar look, I led Gideon into my bedroom and closed the door.

“What is it? Is everything okay?” I asked anxiously.

“Yes, I wanted to know, since we are getting married in less than three days, whether you’d like me to accompany you when you go to buy your dress?” Gideon asked.

Confusion filled me after hearing his words. “What dress?” I queried.

“Your wedding dress.” Oh, so that was what he meant.

“I don’t need a dress. I have a white dress, plus I can’t exactly afford a new dress,” I told Gideon.

“You are getting married to me, which means you’re not poor anymore, and secondly, you’re going to be getting a brand-new dress, so when would you like to go shopping for it?”

Whoa…the idea of buying a wedding dress had never occurred to me. Hell, the thought of actually getting married had never occurred to me.

“Right…we’ll go tomorrow,” I told Gideon.

“Good, see you tomorrow, little dove.” Kissing me softly on the cheek, Gideon turned and strode out of the room.

***

My three days of bachelorette life flew away with a few shopping trips, for my dress and accessories and Nico’s suit and shoes.

Gideon told me that the wedding was going to be small and private with only Gideon’s father and brothers and my brother.

However, he also said that if I wanted a lavish wedding all I had to do was say so, but I didn’t want a grand wedding.

This wedding was arranged, and I only wanted the one million pounds Gideon promised me, nothing more, nothing less.

The wedding clothes were the only things I was going to accept from Gideon; I was not going to let him spend another extra penny on me.

I didn’t bother asking Gideon where the wedding was going to be held, because frankly, I did not care.

I just needed to marry Gideon, be it in court or in church. I just needed to fulfill my end of the contract.

Now the day was here. The day I was going to marry Gideon. The day that was going to change my life and that of my brother.

The day that was going to be the start of happy days or days of despair. I wasn’t sure.

So when the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of Gideon’s brother Brenton, the person who was going to take me to my husband-to-be, I was ready.

I was ready to get married.

Brenton was Gideon and Kieran’s youngest brother. He drove me to the church. Throughout the ride, he hardly spoke to me.

Other than the usual one or two word answers, he remained fairly silent—a trait, I believed, that didn’t suit him.

He parked the car just outside of a small church.

I wanted to open the door myself, but he beat me to it.

I was ready to get out myself as well, but a masculine hand appeared in front of me. As I looked up, my eyes locked with Brenton’s, who was leaning down, his hand outstretched.

Precariously holding on to his hand, I got out of the car. As soon as I was steady, I removed my hand from his.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

Brenton nodded then turned toward the entrance of the church. “Come, my brother is waiting for you,” he stated.

“Wait, where is my brother?” I asked worriedly. Nico had been driven away in another car. Brenton told me that my brother would arrive at the church before me for God knew what reason.

“He is already inside. Come on, we don’t want to be late,” Brenton told me.

Gathering some of the flowy material of my wedding gown—so I wouldn’t trip and fall—I began to slowly walk inside the church, ready to get married, with Brenton slowly walking beside me.

As I reached the threshold of the church, Nico came bounding to me, beaming while looking adorable and handsome in his suit.

Running my eyes over him, I prayed to God to let me see my brother grow up and look handsome in a tuxedo as he married the woman of his dreams.

Without a word, Nico offered me his arm. Smiling at him while preventing tears from escaping my eyes, I gently took hold of his arm.

Brenton squeezed Nico’s shoulder before walking ahead of us toward where Gideon, Kieran, and Mr. Maslow stood next to the priest.

“Come on, Alice, I’m going to give you away,” Nico said to me, smiling. I had a feeling not many ten-year-olds got to say those words to their elder sisters.

I gave him a quick nod, and Nico and I slowly began walking to where Gideon stood, looking totally sexy in a suit, with Kieran and Brenton standing next to him, while Mr. Maslow stood on the other side of my soon-to-be husband.

I had no flowers in my hands, no bridesmaids to walk ahead of me, no ring bearer or flower girl. Just me and my brother.

In a couple of minutes, I was standing in front of Gideon, who stretched out his hand for me to take. Closing my eyes, I took Gideon’s hand while the priest stood between us.

“Shall we begin?” the priest asked Gideon, who nodded.

I closed my eyes as the white-robed priest said the usual words. Talking about love and marriage being sacred and whatnot.

Twice my conscience nagged at me to run away and not get married to a total stranger, but feeling my brother’s presence next to me was what kept me in place.

The priest asked us if we would like to say the standard vows or whether we had our own. Gideon opted for the standard vows. Smart man.

Soon the time came for me to say, “I do.”

It would’ve been easier if I were saying the vows to the love of my life instead of to a random millionaire.

However, I’d signed a contract, and it might sound crazy, but I believed I’d married Gideon as soon as I’d signed my name on the piece of paper. This marriage in front of the priest was just a formality. Gideon and I had already signed an agreement.

Still, actually trying to say the words filled my stomach with butterflies. ~This is it.~ Just as I opened my mouth to say the words to seal my fate, my entire world turned upside down.

The priest gasped, and I turned. My heart stopped.

My little brother collapsed to the ground, and he wasn’t moving.