When Alicia was at her most innocent, Vincent never cherished her.
Now, frustration simmered beneath Vincent's calm exterior. He simply couldn't understand what Tyrone was after.
He and Alicia had only met a handful of times, barely exchanging a word in private. Why was Tyrone so intent on making him an enemy over someone like Alicia?
"Mr. Lawson... please take a look at this photo." After Tyrone left, Vincent's assistant approached, setting a photograph on the desk.
Vincent glanced down. It was an old picture, clearly from years ago. In it, a much younger Tyrone, barely out of his teens, held a little girl in his arms.
Beside them stood a woman whose features bore an uncanny resemblance to Alicia.
Vincent's eyes narrowed as he looked up at his assistant. "Who's the woman?"
"We couldn't find out. The Lynch family really went to lengths to conceal any trace of her," the assistant explained quickly.
Vincent fell silent, deep in thought.
So Tyrone had a motive in getting close to Alicia.
Was he treating Alicia as a stand-in? Or was there some other connection between Alicia and the woman in the photo?
"Keep digging." Vincent's voice was low and cold.
He needed to know exactly what Tyrone wanted from Alicia.
***
Riverside Manor.
Alicia hadn't slept this well in ages.
Maybe it was the slap from Vincentâmaybe that was what finally let her put the past behind her.
When she woke the next morning, she noticed the curtains were drawn. She distinctly remembered falling asleep the night before with them wide open.
Did Wilma come in at some point?
Stretching, Alicia shuffled out of bed, still blinking the sleep from her eyes. She opened the bedroom door to get a glass of waterâonly to walk straight into a solid, broad chest.
Her heart skipped; she stepped back, startled, and looked up at Tyrone. "Tyrone... I'm sorry."
He was wearing only a robe, his hair still tousled from sleep. "It's Monday. City Hall opens today. We're getting our marriage license."
Alicia blinked at him, surprised by the urgency. "I thought we were waiting until Friday?"
"Plans changed," he said simply.
She nodded. "Alright... okay."
Tyrone watched her for a moment, his expression serious. "You still have time to reconsider, you know."
His eyes were unreadable, but there was a depth beneath his calm. "Being my wifeâeven if it's just for a contractâisn't exactly easy."
"I understand." Alicia nodded earnestly. "I'll do my best. If I mess up, please let me know, Mr. Lynch. I'll work on it."
Tyrone hesitated, as if wanting to say something more.
He turned to leave, but paused at the top of the stairs and glanced back at her. "You're here to be my wife, not my servant. There's no right or wrong way to do this. Just be yourself."
Alicia stood frozen for a moment, caught off guard.
She realized, not for the first time, that she didn't really understand Tyrone at all.
If he'd wanted an obedient, easily controlled woman, he could have picked anyoneâthere were plenty of orphans out there. Why choose someone like her, a woman with a tangled history with Vincent?
Wasn't he worried about bringing trouble to his door? Or was it simply because she looked like the woman from that old photograph?
They called it a contract marriage, but Tyrone indulged her far too much. Sometimes, it almost made her believeâmistakenlyâthat he'd make a good husband.
Shaking her head, Alicia felt ridiculous for even entertaining the thought.
Whatever questions she had about Tyrone, she wasn't going to ask them anymore.
Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)
ï¤Chapter 53 Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse ï¤Chapter 760 - 756: Encountering a Man with Evil Intentions She needed this "job," and that was all that mattered.
***
City Hall.
On the drive over, Alicia and Tyrone didn't exchange a single word.
At the counter, just before signing, Tyrone looked at her again. "You still have a chance to back out."
Alicia met his gaze. "The contract ends when your grandfather... passes, right?"
She just wanted to confirm how long her freedom would be out of reach.
He nodded. "Yes."
Alicia managed a small smile. "Then I don't have any other questions."
Tyrone stared at her, momentarily caught off guard by her smile. Quickly regaining his composure, he reached out, gently taking her hand as they stepped forward to register their marriage.