Marriage Of Convenience: Her Heart, His Obsession

Bang!

The sound of the gun cut through the air as Alana pulled the trigger, the bullet barely passing by Roy's head and hitting the door behind him.

"You crazy bitch," Roy spat, making an attempt to move closer to her.

"Foolish idea, don't you think," Alana muttered, pointing the gun directly at his face. "One more step and you will find the next bullet in your face."

Roy stilled, gulping nervously when he saw the seriousness in her eyes.

And he was right to fear. After years of abuse, Alana was ready to leave this hell and she would not hesitate to put anyone down who got in her way.

With the fresh cut on her lower lip from being slapped by the man that same morning, and the plaster on both wrists from her sister's twisted attempt at entertaining herself, Alana's resolve was clear. She had been living with monsters and it was time to end her suffering.

"Baby, Alana dear, please put the gun down," Stephanie, Alana's mother, pleaded.

"I am not your baby. I never was and I never will be. Now tell your husband to move if you do not want to become a widow again," she said coldly, not even bothering to glance at her mother.

Stephanie gasped at the cold words.

"Alana, what has gotten into you?" Lilith, Alana's stepsister, asked from behind her mother. She was using the woman as a shield in case any bullet came her way.

"Move, Roy. I will not repeat myself," Alana warned for the last time, completely ignoring the words of her mother and stepsister.

The two women were of no importance to her.

With a clenched jaw, Roy finally stepped away from the door, clearing her path. Alana grabbed her roller bag, dragging it behind her as she walked toward the door, the gun still pointed at her stepfather Roy until she stepped out.

"You will regret this," Roy yelled from the door.

Alana halted for a moment before bursting into a chuckle. She faced him, still laughing.

"Me, regret leaving?" she said, her laugh fading. "The only thing I will regret today is not putting a bullet in your head and frankly," she paused and kissed her gun, "I am still considering the idea, so keep talking, Roy. Just keep talking."

Roy fell silent.

This entire scene was a complete shock to him. He never believed a day would come when Alana would stand up to him and even put fear in him.

"I thought as much," Alana scoffed as she turned, striding toward the gates.

At last, she had severed half of her ties to this family. Her flight to New York was already booked, her new life waiting for her.

...

Taking a deep breath, Alana reached out and rang the bell. Within seconds, she spotted the butler, a middle-aged man, making his way toward the gate.

The man stopped in his tracks, confusion and surprise mixing on his face when he saw Alana, but he quickly resumed walking and opened the gate.

"Young miss," the man exclaimed. "You have grown so much," he added as he eyed her from head to toe.

Alana smiled at his expression. "Mr Brandon," she greeted.

The man quickly retrieved her bag and gestured for her to go in.

Her eyes scanned the compound as they walked. Things were still the same as she remembered.

"We were not expecting you until next week, young miss," Brandon said as he unlocked the door to the room she normally stayed in whenever she visited.

"I wanted to settle in sooner than later. I would have called my aunt to inform her, but I just got a new phone a few days ago and I do not have her contact yet," Alana explained, and Mr Brandon nodded in understanding.

"Your aunt is at work now. I will inform her of your arrival immediately," Brandon said as he set her luggage by the side of the bed.

"If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call on me." Alana nodded before he left the room.

After the man left, she unpacked a few of her things before deciding to freshen up.

The butler came back an hour later to inform her of her aunt's return.

Alana dressed up properly, wearing a long-sleeved shirt to cover her wrists, lest her aunt start asking questions, before heading downstairs.

"Oh my God," Rosalind exclaimed when her eyes met Alana descending the stairs.

Alana smiled warmly at her aunt, who was overwhelmed with excitement.

Rosalind could not control her joy as she squeezed her niece in a tight hug.

"I cannot breathe," Alana complained when her aunt tightened the hug too much.

"Oh, sorry." Rosalind immediately pulled away. "You must be starving. Come, I asked the cook to make your favorite," she said as she pulled her toward the dining table.

"Where is Ryan, Aunt?" Alana asked after looking around for her cousin.

"He is probably out partying with his friends. He never comes home on weekends," Rosalind replied, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Alana nodded.

"Have you called your mom since you arrived?" Rosalind asked in the middle of their conversation.

Alana paused for some seconds.

"No," she replied tightly.

"Okay." Rosalind did not push further as she noticed Alana's stiffness.

"If you need anything, dear, please tell me. I will always be here for you, okay?" Rosalind said softly, and Alana nodded with a tight smile.

Her mood was already ruined by the mention of her mother. She subconsciously placed her hand on her wrist, something Rosalind noticed.

Alana only saw her aunt during breakfast and dinner, and most of the time, the woman kept giving her pitiful looks, which she found uncomfortable.

...

Monday finally arrived, and Alana eagerly prepared for her morning class. The butler dropped her off at school, and she felt fortunate that the university had accepted her transfer despite it being the middle of the semester.

After her last class, Alana stopped by a cafe to grab something for lunch. She placed her order and received it within a few minutes.

As she grabbed her food and prepared to leave, her phone buzzed with a notification. Just as she reached for her phone, she accidentally bumped into someone, spilling her drink on the stranger. Alana gasped when she saw the mess on the man's trousers.

"I am so sorry," Alana immediately apologized, her voice filled with genuine remorse.

"Are you fucking blind?" the man's cold voice thundered, causing her to flinch.

"I did not mean to. It was an accident..." Alana's words stopped in her throat as she raised her head to look at the man's angry face.

To her surprise, the man before her was the most handsome she had ever seen. His captivating green eyes mesmerized her, framed by long, beautiful lashes.

Some of his dark brown hair fell to the side of his face, accentuating his features. His jawline was perfectly chiseled, and his lips had a soft pink tint.

"Quit drooling, you dumb bitch," the man snapped.

Alana instantly snapped out of whatever daze she was in. Did he just call her dumb? She could not even bring herself to think the word.

"You do not have to be so rude. I already apologized, and if you were not blind and probably stupid, this would not have happened." She glared back at the arrogant man.

She saw his jaw flex, showing the anger within him. He moved closer and grabbed her jaw unexpectedly, causing her eyes to widen as her heart began to race.

"Alana?" another male voice called from behind the man.

Surprise flickered across Alana's face as she turned toward the source of the voice. It was Ryan, her cousin.

His own surprise matched hers, clearly not expecting to see her in such a situation.

"Roman," Ryan said, his voice calm but urgent as he approached. He placed a hand on Roman's shoulder. "Let her go. She is my cousin. Eyes are on us."

Roman's grip on Alana's jaw loosened as he processed Ryan's words. Confusion flickered in his expression when he realized the connection. He slowly released her, though anger remained in his eyes.

Alana stepped back, her hand moving to her jaw as she tried to regain her composure. She glanced between Ryan and Roman, her mind racing with fear, relief, and confusion.

Would this man have hurt her if Ryan had not intervened?

Before she could think further, Ryan grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the cafe.

The atmosphere inside remained tense as onlookers kept their eyes on Roman.

Roman finally glanced around the cafe, only to find every eye locked on him.

"Fuck," he muttered before exiting the shop.

This incident would definitely reach his grandfather's ears.

He entered his car parked outside, and his driver immediately started the engine.

"Where to next, sir?" the driver asked.

"My penthouse," Roman responded.

He leaned back and shut his eyes.

Why was his luck so terrible? And that girl. All of this was her fault and she still had the audacity to insult him without fear. He would make her pay somehow.

Forget the fact that she was his friend's cousin. No one spoke to him like that.

"You have to pick a date between tomorrow and next Rome," Ryan insisted as he scrolled through his phone.

"I already arranged a girl for you, she's blonde just the way you like them." he winked at Roman who simply gave him an uninterested look before facing his laptop screen.

"I don't have time for that, maybe next time," Roman replied flatly.

Ryan had been trying to presuade Roman to hit the club with him since he got to his office, but his efforts has been completely fruitless so far as Roman was not showing any interests.

"You said that the last time and the time before that," Ryan said slightly annoyed. "You're paranoid Roman and you need to clear your head. Sex is the only way to do that."

"I'm not paranoid." Roman replied, still typing away on his laptop without spearing Ryan a glance.

"You totally went out on my cousin yesterday. What would you call that?" Ryan said, reminding him of that incident.

Roman stopped typing for a moment before glancing at Ryan.

"Yesterday was different." He sighed.

He had never acted the way he did yesterday, before, It was just a wrong timing. He was already pissed at his Grandfather for setting him up for marriage without his consent, and he ended up taking out his anger on her.

Roman frowned, but the girl still had the nerves to call him stupid.

'How brave of her.' he thought to himself.

"Don't space out on me, Rome," Ryan called on his attention when he noticed that he had been staring into space for some time now without attention to what he was saying.

"If you have nothing important to say, can you leave my office. I'm trying to work here," Roman said calmly.

Ryan was about responding when Roman's secretary barged into the office, her face filled with terror. Roman's gaze immediately shifted to the secretary, and a small frown formed between his brows. "What happened?" he asked calmly, despite his growing concern.

The woman hurriedly approached his desk, her hands trembling as she held out her phone. "You need to see this. It's terrible, sir," she said, her voice quivering.

Roman took the phone from her, his eyes scanning the screen. His expression quickly morphed from concern to anger as he read the headline displayed on the phone

'Roman Ashford slaps a Young teenager in a Cafe.'

His jaw clenched tightly, as he read through the content of the story to a certain part.

He was well aware of the consequences such an incident could have on his reputation and the reputation of his company.

"What happened?" Ryan inquired, curious to know what had completely ruined his friend's mood.

"Who's behind this?" Roman seethed, his voice laced with fury.

He forcefully handed the phone back to the secretary, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Find out who is responsible for this defamation immediately. I want their names, and I want every detail on how this story came to be." Roman ordered.

The secretary nodded and left the office. Her own fear now mingled with a sense of urgency. She understood the gravity of the situation and knew that if Roman's name was tarnished, it could have far-reaching consequences for the company's success and reputation.

"This is serious, Rome," Ryan commented as he scrolled through the content Roman just read. "They blew the whole thing out of proportion."

Roman's jaw clenched even tighter. To think that they did not just stop by exergarating the incident yesterday but still went as far as relating this incident to what happened eight months ago.

"Let's go grab a drink," Roman said abruptly catching Ryan off guard.

He picked up his car keys and swiftly made his out of the office without waiting for Ryan's response.

When Roman stepped into the hallway, his presence seemed to radiate a dangerous aura that sent shivers down the spines of those who passed by.

Reaching the private elevator, Roman pressed the button. The doors swiftly opened and he stepped inside.

"If only she had apologized properly, this wouldn't have happened," he muttered, as the elevator desended. "This is all your fault."

...

Alana

'Gring, Gring, Gring!..'

Alana rolled and reached out her hand towards the alarm clock, successfully silencing its persistent ringing. With her eyes still closed, she lingered in the same lying position for a few more seconds, before finally getting out from bed.

Setting alarms was not a regular occurrence for her, but last night had been an exception. She had stayed up late, diligently working on a project assigned by her professor to earn some extra marks.

Alana glanced up at the clock, its display indicating that it was just five minutes to eight. She had managed to wake up in time, ensuring she had sufficient time before her ten o'clock class. She immediately went to freshen up and get ready...

In no time, she was already sitting on the swing outside, waiting for Mr Brandon to drop her off at school. While waiting, she decided to pass the time by playing some games. After all, time was on her side.

Not long into her game, she felt the presence of someone approaching her. She looked up to see Ryan heading towards her, wearing a simple shorts and a short-sleeved shirt with a few buttons undone, exposing his toned chest

Alana immediately diverted her eyes back to her phone. Her her thoughts immediately drifted to how distant Ryan had become since she arrived at the house. He hadn't talked to her since after that incident at the cafe.

She remembered their childhood, recalling the times they used to play together and how close they once were.

They were even mistaken as twins on many occasions due to their resemblance. They both had coffee brown hair and brown eyes. There was a huge contrast between those cherished memories and now. Well, she couldn't blame him; people change with time, and he was a grown man now.

"Hey."

Alana raised her eyes from her phone and met Ryan's face, who was already standing in front of her, nervously tousling his disheveled hair.

She could tell he wanted to ask her for a favor. Ryan had a habit of scratching his hair when he needed to ask for something difficult, a habit he had since they were kids.

"What time are you supposed to leave?" Ryan nervously asked.

"By nine-thirty. Why are you asking?" Alana asked casually, despite the offensive smell of alcohol coming from him. Sometimes she hated having such a sensitive nose.

"I was wondering if you could deliver something to a friend of mine for me," Ryan politely requested.

"Why don't you just deliver it yourself or send Mr. Brandon or any other worker?" Alana asked.

"Brandon is currently running an errand for me, and I don't trust anyone else with this particular task," Ryan replied.

"Then why not do it yourself?" Alana asked again.

"It's not a good idea for me to drive. I'm still feeling the effects from last night," Ryan admitted.

Alana's eyes narrowed. Ryan didn't look drunk to her. He still smelled like alcohol and a woman's perfume, but he didn't appear intoxicated.

"You can drive my car for the whole week if you do this for me," Ryan offered, desperate to persuade her.

"Fine. I accept," Alana finally agreed. There was no way she was saying no to an amazing offer like that.

Ryan smiled. "Great, Come with me," he said and started walking back to the house, with Alana trailing behind him.

...

Stopping the car in front of the silver gate, Alana glanced at the GPS to ensure she was at the right place. She turned off the engine and stepped out of the car, following Ryan's instructions. He had already informed the resident of her arrival.

The gates opened almost immediately, and she swiftly drove the car into the compound. After finding a suitable spot to park, she reached for the envelope that Ryan had entrusted her with, the one meant for the owner of the residence and stepped out of the car

She looked around the compound, admiring its breathtaking beauty. The grand and modern compound was a sight to behold. In the center, there stood a magnificent large fountain, surrounded by two equally impressive medium-sized fountains.

A man, whom she assumed to be the mansion's butler, was already waiting for her a short distance away from where she had parked.

"You must be Miss Gates. Mr. Gate informed us of your arrival. Right this way, Miss," the butler said, gesturing for her to follow him.

As they made their way towards the house, she couldn't help but notice that the workers kept staring at her and whispering amongst themselves.

Alana ran her fingers through her hair just in case she had dirt on her hair.

'Strange,' Alana thought to herself. 'Do I look like someone they've seen on TV before.'

She shook her head, ignoring their weird stares even as she and the butler entered the house.

"Please wait here," the butler gestured for her to sit. "I'll inform the master of your arrival." he said, Alana giving a small nod, before leaving.

Alana took that moment to observe the opulent interior of the mansion. She was more interested in the arts. Intricately carved woodwork adorned the walls, displaying the wealth and exquisite taste of the owner.

Her eyes widened when they landed on a particular landscape painting. Filled with intrigue, she moved closer to the painting. The last time she had seen it was at an art auction.

It was a painting she had made when she was thirteen, during a family vacation to the Philippines. She had spent two weeks diligently working on this painting, pouring her heart and soul into it. However, much to her dismay, after the vacation, her mother had sold it at an art auction.

Alana ran her fingers gently over the canvas, a bittersweet smile forming on her lips as she noticed her tiny signature nestled in the lower corner.

"I see you couldn't resist touching it for even two minutes," a voice teased from behind."

Startled by the sudden voice behind her, Alana spun around, her heart racing. Her face paled as she locked eyes with Roman, who stood just inches away.

"You," Alana blurted out, her voice trembling.

"Wow, I'm surprised you remembered the stupid blind man," Roman said calmly, though a hint of something else flickered in his eyes. "I see you came to make up for your mistake."

A wave of confusion washed over Alana.

'What was he doing here? And what did he mean?'

Realization struck her, causing her eyes to widen further.

Was this why Ryan sent her? Was it a setup? Even though Ryan was her cousin, that didn't mean she knew him well enough to trust him. Her head started racing with negative thoughts and various possibilities.

Roman took a step forward, causing Alana to stumble backward in response. Her back hit the wall, trapping her in place.

With one short stride, Roman stood right in front of Alana, causing her heart rate to skyrocket. Her gaze remained fixed on his chest, and she dared not meet his intimidating eyes.

She anticipated that he was about to take some action, but to her surprise, he simply reached for the envelope she tightly clutched in her hand. He gently pulled it from her grasp before stepping back and taking a seat.

Alana exhaled with relief as soon as he moved away from her.

"Sit," Roman said, tearing open the envelope to reveal a brown paper.

"I can't. I should be on my way," Alana replied, attempting to leave.

"I insist that you sit... for your own good, at least," Roman said coldly, causing her to pause.

Alana glanced at the wall clock, realizing she still had some time. She decided to stay and listen to whatever he had to say.

Roman finally set aside the file, his full attention fixed on her. "You must have seen the disaster you caused, right?" he asked.

"What disaster did I cause?" Alana asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"When was the last time you checked social media?" Roman asked.

"A month ago," Alana replied, wondering where this conversation was heading.

"Someone exaggerated what happened at the cafe the other day on social media, saying I assaulted you," Roman said.

"Oh," Alana responded, realization dawning on her. She had completely forgotten about that incident since it happened a week ago.

Now she finally understood why everyone had been staring at her in school and even here.

"But I still don't see how this is my fault. I wasn't the one yelling like an insane person," Alana said, the last part spoken in a lowered tone, though Roman still heard her.

"I'm not putting the blame entirely on you," Roman replied calmly.

"If I recall correctly, you said I caused this disaster," Alana retorted.

"Can you shut up for five f*cking seconds?" Roman frowned, his patience wearing thin. He sighed.

"I didn't ask Ryan to send you here so we could pick up where we left off last time."

"You were the one who asked Ryan to..."

"Yes," Roman cut her short with his answer, already knowing what she was going to ask. Alana frowned. She was definitely going to have a word with Ryan about this.

"So why am I here?" Alana asked, her impatience evident. She wanted to get this over with.

"I have a proposal to make," Roman paused, a slight frown appearing between his brows as if he didn't particularly like what he was about to say next. "Be my girlfriend for thirty-one days."

The room fell silent for a few seconds, before Alana burst into laughter, she couldn't help but find the proposal absurd. She covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter, but it escaped in bursts.

"Are you serious?" she managed to say between giggles.

Roman's serious expression only made it more comical to her.

"You're really good at making hilarious jokes," Alana chuckled.

"I am not joking. I mean it," Roman said with a serious face.

"Well, Mr...," Alana paused, not feeling inclined to address him by his name. "Ryan's friend, I am not interested."

"I will give you anything you ask for if you agree to this," Roman said, his voice sounding desperate.

Alana's attention was caught by what he said. The offer he was making was quite intriguing. She wasn't interested in his money, though. But there was something else she was interested in.

"Anything I ask for?" she repeated, emphasizing the words.

"Anything," Roman replied. Alana's lips immediately stretched into a wide smile.

"Then I accept your proposal," she said, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Roman stared at her, trying to ascertain if her answer was serious or just a joke, as she smiled like a five-year-old.

"I'm being serious here, Mr. I accept your proposal," Alana repeated.

"What made you change your mind?" Roman asked, still somewhat taken aback.

Alana points towards the landscape painting hanging on the wall.

"That painting. You said I could ask for anything, so I want that painting by the time our agreement ends."

"You drive a hard bargain, but deal. You'll have the painting," Roman agreed.

Little did Alana know that the painting held sentimental value to him, making her request more than just a mere item of interest.

"I'll get the paperwork done today," Roman said as he stood up, holding the document in his hand. "Come back tomorrow."

In that moment, Alana noticed the natural black mole on his jaw. She wondered how she had missed it before, as it was nearly impossible not to notice the dot, which only accentuated his already handsome face.

"Paperwork?" Alana asked, her eyes still admiring the mole.

"Yes," Roman replied. "You'll need to sign a contract to make it official."

...

Throughout the entire day, Alana found it difficult to focus on anything, even during her classes. Her mind kept drifting back to the events of that morning. She couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that she might be making a big mistake by agreeing to Roman's proposal. However, the thought of reclaiming the painting overshadowed her doubts. That painting held immense sentimental value to her, as it was a cherished memento of her late father. It contained the last memories they had shared together.

After her classes were over, Alana didn't head back home immediately. Instead, she drove to a quiet spot she had discovered earliar to clear her head.

The view of the setting sun was incredibly soothing, and Alana sighed, realizing that all she had to do was become a great actress in the public eye and tolerate Roman's attitude for just thirty-one days. How hard could that be?

When Alana finally arrived home, it was already dark everywhere. She spotted her aunt's driver speaking with Mr. Brandon on the side, which indicated that her aunt was home.

She was heading straight for the dining room, but she abruptly halted in her tracks upon hearing her name being mentioned by her aunt.

"She's been through a lot this year. I can't just help but worry about her." Alana heard her aunt say, her concern evident in her voice.

"She looks fine to me, mom." Alana heard Ryan reply.

"If she was fine, she wouldn't have tried to kill herself in the first place," Alana heard her aunt say with certainty in her voice. "I know her mother asked me not to talk about it with her, but still, I can't relax on this issue. I'm afraid that she might try to hurt herself again."

Alana had heard enough, so she went straight to her room. She no longer had an appetite to eat. She opened the door and slammed it shut after entering.

She threw her bag to the ground and scoffed bitterly.

"You painted the story so well, Mom," Alana muttered as she stripped off her clothes. "I bet he told you to say that."

Alana snickered mockingly before entering the bathroom and turning on the shower. The cold water cascaded down her body like calming waves, but it still wasn't enough to ease her anger towards her mother.

...

The next morning, Alana woke up feeling dull as she had barely gotten any sleep the night before.

Since it was a Saturday, she didn't have any classes. She got out of bed and started getting ready to head to Roman's place.

She put on a tank top and tight jean trousers, then wore a brown leather jacket long enough to cover her wrists. She picked up Ryan's car keys before heading out.

On her way out, she ran into Rosalind, who was on the phone with someone. Alana mouthed a 'good morning' to her and was about to continue on, but Rosalind gestured for her to wait.

Rosalind pulled the phone away for a moment.

"Your mom wants to speak with you," she said, handing the phone over, to Alana.

Alana's face instantly turned to a frown, as her gaze settled on the phone.