Jayden's POV

The gate automatically opens and Jude drives into the mansion. The moment he parks the car in the driveway, I climb down and take long strides towards the house.

I have been calling Isabella's phone since noon to inform her about tonight's family dinner that we have invited to but she isn't picking up.

I was a bit worried, thinking she left the house because of how I scolded her this morning but after a while, I wave it off.

I am not to be blamed. She was overstepping her boundary and crossing the line that we are supposed to set for ourselves.

She was also supposed to go shopping with Anna but I saw Anna in the office during lunch break. When I questioned Anna about why she hadn't gone to meet my wife at home so they could do shopping, Anna told me my mother canceled the appointment.

I was surprised.

I should have known that my mother would take her suggestions about accompanying Isabella to go shopping, seriously. After hearing that, I guessed Isabella must have left her phone at home.

"Good evening, boss", the butler greets with a curt nod.

"Good evening", I replied without stopping. When I remember that I ordered a new bed for Isabella to be put in my room, I twirl back to face Aaron.

"What about the bed I requested?" I ask him and he lowers his head with a look of guilt.

"I will do that right away", he replies and walks past me.

I told them to get it done in the morning and he forgot to do that.

I ignore the need to scold him and continue to find my way to the living room before taking the staircase up.

We have a family dinner by 7 pm and Isabella and I need to be present. I am glad she has gone shopping, this way she will be able to find a nice dress to wear to the dinner.

I step forward and within minutes, I am in front of the door. I turn the doorknob and enter.

"Goodness!" Someone gasps and my gaze falls on Isabella's half-naked body. She quickly ties the towel properly around her before dashing into the bathroom.

I am lost for a few seconds before I realize what just happened. I blink once and close the door behind me.

I haven't gotten accustomed to the fact that I don't stay alone in my room. I now have a wife and I share the same bedroom with her.

I wonder how we are both going to deal with our privacy. This is really beyond my expectations and I really wish I won't share the same room with her.

I love and value my privacy too.

I stroll in with folded arms but before I can flop to the sofa, she comes out fully dressed in bum shorts and a crop top with her hair down.

Her legs are really long and slender and I can see her hips from the shorts. I swallow hard and look away.

"Welcome home, husband", she regards me with a smile while I begin to examine her once again.

I can perceive a different scent in the room but I don't know where it is coming from.

Is it her shampoo? Is it her cologne? Is it a room freshener?

"Why weren't you picking up your calls?" I ask her instead of replying to her welcoming home statement.

Her eyes grow large before she runs over to the side drawer to grab her phone. She sees the several missed calls and her eyes almost pop out of her eye socket.

"I'm so sorry", she apologizes. "I didn't…"

"Where were you?" A frown descends on my face. I am actually curious to know where she went.

Did she go out and couldn't pick up my calls? Where did she go? Who was she with that she couldn't pick up?

"I didn't go out. I came back from shopping and was reading on that sofa all through the day. I guess my phone was in a silent mode", she explains and points to the sofa where a book is lying with a cloth covering almost all part of it.

She reads too? I love reading.

I shift my gaze away from the sofa and sigh. "I wanted to inform you that there will be a family dinner tonight and we need to be there."

I expect her to nod but she doesn't do that. Instead, she bites her lower lips and looks thoughtful for a while before staring at me.

I raise a questioning brow at her.

"I need to tell you something", she speaks up finally.

Is she tired of this already?

"I'm all ears", I fold my arms and wait for her to spill. She should say whatever it is she wants and it will be granted to her but anything that goes against my will is a no-go area. Even if I have to force her, I will.

This is the reason why we are married in the first place, isn't it? I married her because of my mother and my family members. If what she wants is for her not to go with me to the family dinner, then it's a no.

"I think your mother is suspicious or probably she knows that our marriage is fake", she informs me and my mouth drops open.

"What?!" I exclaim loudly.

How? How did she know that?

"I think she has been observing you and I and she doesn't see how real the connection and bond between us is so she came to a conclusion that this marriage isn't real and I am nothing but a gold digger."

I should have known my mother would do or say something nasty to her. But I didn't think of it because she seems to like Isabella ever since their first meeting.

Shit!

"You won't believe she is willing to pay me to leave you", she adds and I exclaim again, my eyes widening.

"Yes. She wants to pay me a million dollars to leave…"

"What was your response? What did you say to her?" I cut her short, my heart thumping wildly in my ribcage, surprising the shit out of me.

Mother is willing to give Isabella ×10 of what I offered her just so she could leave me and I am sure she would accept it. Well, who wouldn't?

"No. I told her no."

"No?"

"Should I say yes? You look disappointed", she mutters, frowning and looking displeased with my reaction.

"What? Of course not. I'm glad you didn't accept it", I say and nod my head.

Wow! She didn't take the offer? Why?

Why is mother doing this? She pushed me to do this. I have been suspecting her ever since she came into my room, which is unlike her. She didn't stop at that, she went ahead to ask Isabella to undress me.

Did she notice her nervousness?

"What do we do? I'm scared…"

"What are you scared of?" I whirl around to face her again.

She shrugs indifferently without saying anything. What should we do?

"I think we should make this very real and act real to the outside world and when we are indoors, we both know it is still fake no matter what", she suggests.

"That was what I told you the other day…"

"Yes, you did but you aren't making an effort to. Some people can not be easily deceived and I think your mother is one of those people. We need to act and behave like real couples. Tell the same story of how we fell in love, kiss each other in public and be a little touchy too. You are too cold for that and that was why I thought you were gay."

"Stop it!" I grit my teeth and shut my eyes, anger sipping through me.

Isabella won't be the first person to tell me that. Mother thought I was gay too but I am not. What the hell is wrong with all these people?

"Ok." She answers calmly and I open my eyes to see the hurt on her face.

Did I shout at her? She is trying to help and I am being a jerk. I want to know why she didn't accept my mother's offer but I know I can't ask her now.

Maybe some other time.

"Let's do this, then", I say to her, watching with anticipation.

"Do what?" She demands from me with confusion.

"Act like real couples", I utter firmly, hoping I won't be the one to mess things up.

She opens her mouth to say something again when a knock comes on the door.

"Come in", I mutter and the door opens. Aaron comes in and bows.

"The bed is here, where should we put it?" He asks with his head still lowered.

I remember I asked for a bed so Isabella and I won't have to share the same bed but that won't be necessary anymore since Isabella and I have decided to act like real couples.

We are legally married to each other after all. We are real couples, it's just that we don't have feelings for each other.

This is in contrast to what a lot of people out there who get married out of love do. We are married for a different reason, not love. All we need to do is make people believe we are actually in love with each other.

It isn't a big deal or is it?

For us to act like real couples, we need to make everyone believe that we are madly in love with each other, even the maids in the house.

I wave Aaron away. "Don't bother anymore. We don't need the bed."

Aaron hoists his head up, looking surprised. He can't ask me why I don't want the bed again so he nods and moves out again.

I suddenly feel bad for stressing him for nothing.

Isabella's hand touches me on the arm and a cold shiver runs through me at the contact. "What do you mean we don't need the mattress again? Where do you want me to sleep?"

"We are going to act as real couples now so we will share the same bed", I announce to her and her jaws drop open in shock.

****

There we have it!

Jayden and Isabella are going to share the same bed now. Yayyyyy!!!!💃💃💃💃

Don't forget to vote and comment. Don't forget to wish Isabella good luck too, she needs it😂😅😅