CHAPTER 23

Xander's POV

It occurs to me only moments after our dinner ends that I really have no choice but to make this work with Alexa. It's been a tough past few weeks with us, and the last thing I want is to hurt my wife.

It really doesn't matter why I married her. It doesn't matter that I married her to have a child. I couldn't have a child with someone I barely knew anything about. I will have to deal with Alexa for the rest of my life, married or not.

I eye her slowly as she presses her face to the window, taking in the city as the car speeds off. She barely said more than a few words to me after the interruption from the staff earlier. After they left, I couldn't bring myself to say anything to her, especially as I knew that she would only get hurt.

What is wrong with me?

I offered to marry her to make our situation more believable and barely. I offered to marry her so she could give me a child.

Why then am I making things more difficult than they already are?

She wants me to touch her. We are married, and she is totally on board with me touching her. Why then am I resisting her?

My phone starts to ring, the ominous sound disrupting the silence that has consumed the air. I grab my phone from my pocket, and when I look at the caller ID, I blink in surprise.

The meeting.

I completely forgot that I am supposed to be in a meeting with a few investors and partners. It is an important deal that I have been putting off for a while. Plus, I really can't put it off any longer, especially as I'm trying to close down the deal in time for our honeymoon.

Glancing at Alexa quickly, I wonder if she won't mind if the driver changes direction to take me to the office instead. Since she isn't looking at me, I get the attention of my driver and tell him to switch lanes and get me to my meeting.

Alexa doesn't say a word. She doesn't even turn to look at me after I utter the words. She mustn't be surprised, I guess.

Determined to make it up to her, I keep my lips shut while I text my assistant at the office to help me out with a gift for my wife. Maybe that would pacify her later on. In only a few minutes, he manages to get me to the office, and I alight from the car.

Turning around, I make to go in but stop. Alexa's face is still pressed to the window, and although the glasses are tinted, I know she is no longer watching me. Cussing myself under my breath, I turn around and head into the building for my meeting.

“I will make it up to you, I promise.” I swear as the elevator takes me up to the top floor where the meeting is holding.

Hours later, after having my brain frozen from all the back and forth from the meeting, It's close to becoming a close deal. The thoughts almost make me smile, but I am so tired that merely stretching my lips seems to be a problem.

When I step into the office, Carly, my assistant, walks in behind me with a shipping bag. I raise a brow in question at the bag, but the middle-aged woman in her mid-thirties only smiles at the look on my face.

“Here is what you asked for, Mr. Gold.” She says as she offers me the bag.

I take it from her and peep inside. Intrigued, I take out the jewelry box Carly must have gotten. This time, my lips tipped up in the corners at the sight of the very expensive diamond necklace I know must cost a few millions.

“Charged to my account?” I ask her as I run a few fingers over the stone.

“Of course. Where would I get that kind of money?” Carly rolls her eyes at me.

“I pay you enough,” I hiss at the amused expression on her face.

“Not enough to cover something as expensive as this.” She retorts. “I hope she likes it. I consulted the help of the jewelry shop owner to get this. By the way, will Mrs. Can Gold be visiting us anytime soon? I would love to meet her.” She begins to rambles.

I look up at her after shutting the jewelry box and putting it back into the bag. Carly has a hand pressed to her waist as she waits for me to respond.

“Sure. As soon as she stops being angry at me.” I mumble as I finally walk over to my large desk to close off on a few things so I can head home. It is late into the night already.

“Oh. She is right to be angry at you, boss.” Carly glares at me like she has been waiting to say her mind. “You are back in the office only three days after your wedding. When is the honeymoon? And crap, you missed out on dinner with her. If I were her, you wouldn't have legs to walk tomorrow.”

I stare at her for a few seconds, stupefied by what she is telling me.

“I took her out to lunch,” I tell her.

“And then you abandon her for a meeting!” She rolls her eyes at me.

“We will be having our honeymoon soon. Just need a few weeks to close off some deals.” I shrug like it's no big deal even though her words are starting to get to me.

“Like it's that important.” Carly tsks and mutters something that felt like ‘idiot’ but I can't be sure.

“You called to remind me of the meeting,” I point out.

“Big fucking deal. You are supposed to treat her right. It's way too early to be having this kinds of troubles. But I guess the jewelry should fit.” She shrugs.

“You don't think the gift is enough? What else?” I ask.

Carly stares at me for a few seconds like she can't believe her ears before she palms her face with a deep sigh. I frown, watching her, totally clueless as to why she is acting that way.

“You really are clueless, aren't you?”

I nod.

“Okay, for a moment, let's pretend that you aren't my boss and that you are not paying my bills indirectly. Let's say I'm an older friend of yours or maybe an older sister.” She proposes.

I almost chuckle at the thought of Carly being any of that but right after I nod, she chunks off her pen at me. If not for my swiftness, the pen might have hit me in the face.  Particularly in the nose.

“What the hell, Carly?” I scream.

“Oh, you know. That's for being an idiot. That poor woman is probably at home crying her eyes out at being married to an idiot like you. Jesus, Xander. She is your wife.”

I almost scoff at the thought of Alexa crying her eyes out but when I remember how sad she looked earlier, I stop.

“You don't know anything about her. You don't know her.”

“You are right, I don't. But I know you. And if you are here looking so fucking clueless at everything then I know that you don't know what you are doing. Do you even love her?” she screams.

Love.

Pfft. Like perhaps?

Attracted? Fuck, yeah.

“My goodness. Xander, go home. Get your fucking head in the game and love your wife. Apologize to her because your foolish ass is in the office three days after you married her.”

“Damn. Tell me how you really feel, Carly.”

“That's what I'm doing. Get her flowers. Her favorite kind. Just go home now. I'm going to handle things here. And if things goes well, you have to increase my pay.”

I eye her as I shove my hand into the pocket of my pants.

Yeah, right. Of course, I have to increase her pay. Typical Carly.

“I will hold you on to that,” I tell her.

Carly takes a step back and like a switch went off in her head, passes me a pleasant polite smile as she always do. I guess she is back to being my employee.

“Good night, boss.”

I smile as I grab my briefcase and walk out of my office. Taking the private elevator that leads to the underground private parking lot, my thoughts are quiet. How did I go from hating this whole thing to trying to please Alexa?

My trust fund.

Of course, that. I have to keep remembering that.

Stanley, my driver notices me the moment I step into the parking lot. He jumps down from his car too quickly to unlock the car door for me. When I get in, I make myself comfortable as I unbutton the top three buttons that seems to want to choke me to death.

Stanley begins the drive out of the place and before I know it, we are on the highway, heading home.

“Stanley,” I call as I recall Carly's words. I still can't believe that she threw a pen at me. It almost makes me smile again.

“Yes, Mr. Gold?”

“Can you stop at the floral shop?”

“Of course, Mr. Gold.”

I nod and lean into my seat, shutting my eyes. Asides from being exhausted, I am starting to feel very hungry. The very long meeting has drained all my will power. Within a few minutes, Stanley pulls up in front of a floral shop which seems to be closing up already.

Since I'm not in the mood to alight from the car, I hand Stanley my card to get me some flowers.

“What kind, sir?”  He asks.

My brows furrow as I think the question through. Carly suggested I get her favorite flowers. It hit me then that I have no idea what her favorite flowers are. I know next to nothing about her after all.

“Should I get some roses or daisies?” Stanley notices my hesitation and offers his help.

I think his question through for a moment. Daisies don't feel like her. Too fragile for the kind of woman she is. But maybe some roses would fit. Alexa is after all like a rose. Beautiful but prickly.

“Red roses,” I tell him.

Stanley nods and step down from the car to get it. Only moments later does he return with a bouquet of roses and places them on the empty space at the front. He starts the car again and drive away from the place.

When we arrive home, I step down from the car too quickly, eager to give Alexa her gifts but when I step into the room we are both supposed to share, I stop on tracks at the sight of her snuggled up in bed, sleeping soundly.

Carly's words filters into my mind at that moment and I scoff.

Yeah, right.

Crying her eyes out indeed.

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