Daniel drives me to my house in silence. The last few days have been such a blur. We haven’t even had a chance to discuss the details of our marriage. If the two of us have to live together, where will we be living?
I follow behind Daniel quietly. He lets himself into my house with ease. My dad put Daniel’s biometric details into our security system years ago, allowing Daniel access to our house at all times. I’ve gotten so used to Daniel being here that it never struck me as weird until now. He’s far too comfortable here, but then I’m pretty comfortable at the Devereaux mansion too.
As soon as the door closes behind us we hear the sounds of laughter. He looks at me in surprise and I shake my head, indicating that I have no idea who it might be. We follow the chatter to the sitting room, where we find my grandmother surrounded by some of the most influential women in London. Daniel’s eyes darken and he grabs his phone immediately, sending several texts.
“Grandma,” I say, nodding at her before greeting the other ladies present. She’s invited the Mayor’s wife as well as the wives of several high ranking DM Consultancy employees and some politicians. They’re all having tea and she waves me over with a smile.
I’ve got to admire her guts. She’s invited people she barely knows to a house that isn’t hers. I don’t think I’d ever dare to do something like this. The ladies present all light up when they see Daniel and it makes me chuckle. It’s like seeing teenagers eyeing a cute boy. Their elegance just melts away in front of Daniel.
“You two look stunning. Did you attend some event today?” My grandmother asks, looking peeved. Neither Daniel nor I informed her about our wedding, so she probably thinks we attended some corporate event she would’ve loved to be at.
Daniel places his hand on my shoulder and smiles at her, though I’m not sure you can call that a smile. Even I shudder at the way he looks at her.
“Mrs. Moriani, you’re still here,” he says. “I’ve booked you a room at the Shangri-La and a flight back to France in two days. My driver is waiting for you outside and will help you with your luggage.”
She looks at him with wide eyes and then laughs. “Oh there’s no need. I’ll be staying here for the foreseeable future. After all, Alyssa shouldn’t be alone now. She’ll need me.”
The ladies surrounding her nod in agreement, and so does Daniel. “Indeed. That’s why she’s coming home with me. As you’re well aware, my younger brother is her best friend and my mother is as much of a mother figure to her as your son was a father figure to me. She indeed needs to be surrounded by people who know and love her. People she’s used to.”
She stands up, her cheeks reddening in anger. Daniel speaks before she can attempt to talk her way into staying in my house.
“As such, Alyssa won’t be able to host you. Of course, if you wish, you could extend your stay in London by finding a place to live or by extending your stay at the Shangri-La. I’ve already pre-paid your two nights there, but I’m sure you’ll be able to extend that if you wished.”
He then turns to the ladies that are present and bows slightly.
“All of you lovely ladies, please accept my sincerest apologies for cutting your teatime short. Please allow me to make it up to you. If you give my secretary your contact details, I’ll be sure to set up an afternoon tea appointment for next week, should your schedules permit it.”
The ladies all smile, none of them even remotely angry. If anything, they look excited to be having tea with Daniel himself. One by one the ladies leave, until only my grandmother is left. Daniel leans back against the wall and stares her down. It looks like she wants to argue with me, but then her gaze falls back to Daniel and she rises instead.
The two of us stand in silence as she packs her things and leaves in a huff. I didn’t think I’d get rid of her so easily.
“Thank you, but I could’ve handled that myself, you know.”
Daniel smiles at me and ruffles my hair like I’m a child. I pull away from him in annoyance. “Yes, but you don’t have to,” he says.
Daniel calls my security team and instructs them to deny my grandmother access to any of my properties while I walk through the house in search for anything she might have left behind. I’m not surprised when I find more than a handful of her belongings and pack them all neatly. I have no doubt she intended to worm her way back into the house under the guise of collecting the things she forgot. I’d rather not deal with that all.
I call my head of security and ask him to drop off my grandmother’s things at her hotel as Daniel takes a seat on the sofa. He pulls his bowtie off and leaves it around his neck. I hate how handsome he looks.
“Come and sit for a minute,” he says.
I nod and sit down opposite him so enough distance remains between us.
“I know I just told your grandmother you’d be staying with us, but that was just to get her out of your house. If you’d like to stay here then I can move in here.”
He places a stack of documents on the table. At a glance I can tell what it is. It’s a copy of the various clauses relating to our marriage.
I look around the house and bite down on my lip. This house is filled with memories of my dad and I’m not sure I’ll be okay here.
“Would it be okay if we stay somewhere else for a little while?”
Daniel nods, the same lost expression on his face. He’s got just as many memories in this house as I do, and I’m sure it isn’t easy for him.
“Would you like us to stay with my mother or in my apartment?”
I hesitate. What I crave is time in isolation which Daniel’s apartment would give me, but I know it’s not what I need. Even though things are awkward between Nic and I, I do still need both him and Mary.
“I’d like to stay with your mother.”
Something flashes in Daniel’s eyes but it’s gone before I can identify it.
“Very well.”
He stares at me for a couple of seconds before clearing his throat.
“We need to discuss the specifics of our marriage,” he says.
I nod uncomfortably.
“I’m happy to do this verbally, on a trust basis, but we can draw up a contract if you feel more comfortable with that.”
I shake my head. “I doubt that’ll be necessary. We have an iron-clad prenup that protects both our assets, what more could we need?”
Daniel nods in agreement.
I speak up before he does. “I want our marriage to remain between us. I don’t want it publicly announced and I don’t want anyone to find out about it.”
Daniel looks startled for a second before his expression becomes guarded. He nods slowly.
“Very well. Nonetheless, there are some things I expect of you, and some things we must abide by per your father’s requirements.”
I nod for him to continue.
“I’m happy to keep our marriage a secret, but this doesn’t mean I’ll condone cheating. As long as we’re legally tied to each other I expect you to be faithful to me, as I will be to you.”
I frown. “What? That’s ridiculous. Do you seriously think you’ll be able to keep it in your pants for three years? You’re photographed with a different model every weekend.”
Daniel’s eyes darken and the way he looks at me sends a delicious thrill through my body. I subconsciously clench my thighs. Daniel blinks and whatever was there is gone, his usual stoic expression back in place.
“Hmm. Nonetheless, I won’t condone cheating, Alyssa.” His voice is low and dangerous but I decide to push my luck regardless.
“How about we both just do our own thing discreetly? After all, you need this marriage just as much as I do.”
Daniel’s eyes darken and he pins me down with a stare. He chuckles humorously.
“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. I’m a Devereaux. I never worked for DM Consultancy because I needed the money or the shares. That’s not why I married you, either. I did it because I loved your father like he was my own. We Devereauxs have more than enough money to fund the next couple of generations comfortably.”
I gulp. He’s right, of course. My dad was rich, but not like the Devereauxs are. They’re old money rich with ties to every industry and every significant politician. Daniel doesn’t actually even need to work at all. He crosses his arms and stares me down.
“Rule number one,” he says. “We’ll be faithful to each other. Defy that rule and I’ll divorce you, shares be damned.”
I nod reluctantly and indicate for him to continue.
“Rule number two. You’ll keep an appropriate distance from Dominic. I don’t want to hear any rumours about you two, or about any other men for that matter.”
I laugh. “You’re crazy if you think you can keep me away from my own best friend. I know you’re ancient but this isn’t the Middle Ages. These days you don’t get a say in your wife’s life.”
Daniel smiles. “Try me.”
“You’re an asshole, Daniel,” I whisper.
He grins and looks away. “I said an appropriate distance, Alyssa. Be as close to him as you want to be, so long as you keep things appropriate.”
I can’t even disagree with him because what he’s asking for isn’t unreasonable.
“Very well. Rule number three is that we keep our marriage a secret. I don’t want anyone to know beyond the people closest to us. If anyone needs to be told I’d prefer that we discuss it beforehand. In three years we’ll divorce, and I don’t want to be known as your ex-wife for the rest of my life.”
Daniel nods, agreeing. “The rest of the rules… we can make up as we go,” he says.
