★★★
“The value of this deal is $40 million. I currently have my signature on the pages. We have one year to fulfill this deal before we part ways. Once you have this money, you can go anywhere, but until then, you cannot tell anyone about it,” William told Monica in a flat voice.She, wearing a white bridal dress and bearing a heavy heart that was causing her the most anguish of her life, held the paper in her hand and muttered, “I understand; I too want my marriage to remain discreet." She let out a long breath and raised her teary eyes to William.William glanced over his shoulder at his guards. They were there to provide security till the marriage ended. William knew what he was about to undertake was a huge step for his life and future, but he had no choice.“I guarantee you that you will not be in any problems during this one year and that your life will be protected at all costs. However, you will never assert any rights over me for any reason; everything else you need to know is stated in the contract. Now it's time. I trust your actions do not violate the contract," William said this while staring straight into Monica's eyes, where her anguish was obvious but William had no reason to care.“Will you still be indifferent if I tell you one day that I am madly in love with you?"Monica said softly as if it was her heart rather than her voice that wanted to know if there was a place for her in William's heart.“You will eventually find yourself in despair, so try not to let it get any deeper. You already know the reason for this marriage, therefore, you shouldn't attach any emotional weight to this. But, you still have the opportunity to avoid this situation. Once we are married, you cannot do anything for a year, no matter how hard you hit the wall,” William spoke cautiously. Even though it was an urgent step, he was concerned about her feelings because he was unable to offer them back.“I guess I am a greedy person,” a dry chuckle left Monica's lips, continuing, "I have no desire to want to sabotage my makeup, so let's go,” Monica said with a soft smile then shifted her head to the marriage bureau, where they were ready to officially tie the knot. Indeed no priest or relatives came to witness, yet they would be lawfully husband and wife from now on.William took Monica's icy palm in his hand and started walking towards the marriage bureau.One month ago, Monica got a call from the man she was dying to talk to. A great part of her happiness vanished with him the day he left. She discovered how utterly, irrationally, and passionately she had fallen in love with him after losing him.For a while, she thought Ben knew who she was. He recalled those times together that had been the happiest and most loved times of their lives.But Ben was long gone; William was the one who called and asked her for a one-year marriage. She knew that accepting this was not the best decision she would ever make, but she harbored the hope that she could convince him that they were in love if she stayed with him.Monica was clear that Ben had a strong affection for her, even though neither of them acknowledged it. She sighed, regretting that she had not expressed her love for Ben when she had the opportunity; now the repercussions were that the same guy told her not to hang around on these sentiments since he could not reciprocate them.Monica smiled as she signed the marriage certificate, and William followed suit. After their nuptials, a man with a camera snapped their photos.“Would you two kindly hold each other by the waist? By this, I mean that she will put her hand on your chest and you will grip her waist while maintaining eye contact. This way you two appear more in love, you know," The cameraman said reluctantly because offering Mr.Mackenzie a suggestion required a great deal of strength. He did not know that he was required to take a photo of the famous William Mackenzie, who was known as a hungry lion in the country. Everywhere he went, he ruled.After being lost for seven years and presumed to have been murdered by his opponent, he returned one year ago and sparked a blazing sensation once more.The cameraman was trembling, worried about what may happen if William Mackenzie was not pleased with the photographs. However, his confidence was increased when he discovered that Mr. Mackenzie was willing to collaborate with his words. He then snapped a tonne of photos of them together, but for some reason, he thought that their marriage lacked the sweetness that usually existed in a union. However, since this man was unusual and the marriage unusual as well, the less he put his mind to it, the better off he would be.William wrapped his strong arms around Monica, resting them on her tiny waist, and enveloped her in the heady, yeasty aroma of Guinness and champagne. She looked at his face and saw that the man before her had changed, albeit the beautiful blue eyes remained the same."kiss!” The cameraman shouted when he realized the picture was lacking a kiss.With a fierce look, William addressed the cameraman, whose heart jumped up like a deer when it saw the Lion. He felt that taking a picture of them kissing would be good for them both, but he was unaware that this could put him in danger.“We are now husband and wife. He is asking what he considers to be reasonable. And it's only a kiss," Monica whispered in an attempt to dissuade William from frightening the man who was doing his job without knowing the truth about their marriage.When Monica told him they were husband and wife, William turned to face her and gave her a stern look. He was hesitant to kiss her, but for the sake of the picture, he gave in. Slowly lowering his head, he caught Monica's painted, soft lips and witnessed her shutting her eyes.After snapping their photos, the cameraman finally exhaled with peace and made the mental decision that he was never going to attend any shoot with Mr. Mackenzie.Monica made herself comfortable in a Royal Royce, and William sat next to her; they remained silent. While William fiddled with his phone, Monica glanced out the window at the cold Edinburgh street, which was both beautiful and lonely.“Sir, we have arrived!” the driver announced when the car halted in front of Mackenzie's mansion.★★★“Is this some kind of game, William? Who is she, and why is she dressed up in a wedding gown?" A middle-aged woman questioned William, but her gaze remained fixed on Monica, who was still standing at the door in her bridal gown.“A woman in a bridal gown gives a reflection of who she is. Besides, it is extremely bitter outside, and she needs to stay warm," William responded calmly to the middle-aged lady.Monica felt as though sharp blades were piercing her from every direction; if sight could kill, her body would have been full of holes. She faced no problem understanding that his family had not been informed of William's unconventional marriage to her. “Speaking in riddles will not allow you to escape without explaining why you brought an unknown woman into this family. As a result, I require an answer,” this time the voice of that woman rose higher as her hands turned into fists. She approached William with her furious eyes that were burning to kill someone.“She is my wi
★★★“You asked me to marry you even though you already have a girlfriend. Is this some kind of plan you plotted against me? Is there a risk that you perceive will fall on your lover, which is why you chose me to slaughter as a pig?" Monica yelled at William as the bedroom door closed behind her. She couldn't let go of the fact that he already had a girlfriend, but he requested a one-year contractual marriage with her. This could hardly be for insignificant reasons.“You are not allowed to ask me personal questions, as I have already stated. Furthermore, since I have already assured you that nothing bad will happen to you in this one year, the threat you fear will not materialize. Therefore, sit back and relax,” William coldly said, losing his tie around his neck.“Do you wish for me to be deaf and blind? Do you want to act like a wooden doll whenever someone approaches me or makes a sincere attempt to offend me, exactly like your mother did? I can't let this happen because I detest
★★★★“Mum! What is William contemplating? Everything was going according to plan and was flawless. I now cannot see anything left for us to enjoy! This is pathetic!” Martina said to her mother who was sitting on a Beleza sofa with a wine glass in her hand.“This sentiment has been inside me for a while, especially the way he treats us. He did not regard us like family, but following his return from the accident, he appeared far too abnormal. Do you not think that he treated all of us, including you, very well? He complied with our instructions. We should have paid more attention to him, Martina,”William's mother said to Martina as they both processed the incident that upended all of her long-planned plans. William could not have made the hasty choice to tie the knot out of thin air.After hearing her mother's words, Martina thought back to the day she showed up in front of William in the towel after taking a bath, and for some reason, she relished coming into his sight. She gulpe
★★★“This is our first night together. How can you possibly leave this room? Your family will gossip, and this genius marriage will be exposed to them in an instant," Monica brought up a vital point, her eyes grew wide in credit as though she had made a brilliant logic to William who had overlooked such an important thing.It was true though, that people had their eyes on them since William had married the woman of his choice abruptly. So, his absence from this room would have an impact on their marriage, and she didn't want to be the object of their derision the following day.“Nobody instilled such guts in them, and I have no concern what others say. They used to notice me spending time in the library,"William responded sharply. Though he had no intention of flipping the pages of the book at this moment, he did not want to spend the night in a room with her. Tomorrow he would think how he could live in the same room with this woman.“How they once perceived you is irrelevant s
★★★ “Kill me instead of making me miserable destroying every bit of my happiness, Will! I cannot live without you,” Katherine let out a lot of tears in William's arms, letting go of the ache in her chest, but the weight of it did not go away. “Why did you choose to punish me in this manner? What have I done to deserve your cruelty?!!" Katherine had no choice but to wonder about her faults. She was yearning to learn what prompted William to decide to exclude her from his world in a manner such as this, particularly given that he knew how much she loved and cared for him. Even, she did not bother waiting for his return for a long seven-year period because she was always his. William gently pushed her away from him at first, retreating two steps behind to establish a suitable space, and added, "I lack knowledge of how to respond to you definitively, but I do know that there was no commitment I had made to you. Furthermore, since my return, a lot has changed in ways that I find diffic
★★★Monica's morning came quickly, and she moaned in her light slumber before opening her eyes to sunlight streaming through the window, lighting the entire room. Despite the cold weather, the sun shone brightly in the room, fortunately, and under the thick covering, she felt cozy and her eyes delighted in such a sight.Blanket! Her conscience screamed as she felt she was not chilly and that something heavy was covering her. Monica rose, her gaze roving for William, but he was not in the room, giving her the idea he had left for breakfast.Monica remembered the previous night when she watched William give that girl—his alleged girlfriend—a hug. She had no idea what kind of predicament she was in, but she could tell William was more complicated than she realized. She was concerned that all of this would endanger her life even if she sincerely wanted to bring her Ben back.Could she put her trust in William? She had no idea. It was a disaster. She was in a new place with a new famil
★★★ Monica emerged from the restroom with damp hair and a stunning pink dress that made her appear like a fresh pink rose. Simultaneously, she ignored William who was adjusting the collar of his shirt. At the time, he caught a glimpse of Monica while she walked directly to the mirror, obscuring his view, but he was unbothered given that he was almost dressed. “Where is the hair dryer?” Monica stated that she searched the cabinet for the dryer and failed to locate it. Without responding, William leaned over Monica's shoulder, extending his hand and pulling a cabinet door that Monica had missed in the rush. The sudden closeness made both of them feel their hearts racing. Monica's cheek flushed immediately when she realized he was trying such a move to seduce her. But his uncomfortable expression had previously embarrassed her, so no matter what ploy he played to seduce her, she would no longer give her attention to him easily until he pleaded for it. William waited for her response
★★★William cast a glance at the hand Monica was holding. He didn't resist her initiative, which was something he would undoubtedly do if his family was not paying attention.“Your family looks skilled at keeping two women together in order to incite conflict. They invited your girlfriend, you see, to worsen my feelings or something eviler,”With her lips pressed against William's ear, Monica murmured. All of the people seated around the breakfast table thought that the couple was becoming very intimate in front of them as they performed such an act. Jayla scoffed vehemently. "With Winston here, they have no shame!" She mumbled.Henry, who was next to Jayla, came out of his reverie at his mother's voice since his sight was stuck on the woman standing next to William. He was thinking about what kind of woman William had brought to this home, having cast aside Katherine, who was extraordinarily attractive by social standards.He fell in love with Katherine due to her stunning beaut