Wedding's Smuggler

"I'm not going to be there."

Bryant's cell phone, sitting on the table, made that bored sound. "I meant what I said," he continued, ending the call with a one-sided disconnect.

"Did Miss Selena mean what she said before?"

Bryant fiddled with the pen between his fingers, "Of course not, Tony." Calm words fell from his lips.

The man named Tony, who worked as Bryant's secretary, grabbed Bryant's cell phone, then was busy checking incoming messages he might have missed, perhaps important messages from Selena. "You're not worried?" Tony asked without looking up from Bryant's cell phone screen, his finger still moving freely across the screen.

"Selena wouldn't dare," Bryant said, looking confidently at Tony. Actually, he was trying to convince himself.

Tony put Bryant's phone back on the table, which Bryant immediately picked up. He read several emails that he thought were important out of the many congratulations on his marriage.

"Miss Selena is always unpredictable," Tony pointed out.

That was why Bryant had his doubts. Bryant looked at Tony as they both had the same thought. He leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest and waited for Tony to continue.

"I mean, Miss Selena always lived for herself. She didn't care about other people, so she always did what she wanted," Tony explained.

Exactly right.

"Besides, your marriage will not go unnoticed by the mass media. It will not be to your advantage for the news of Miss Selena's absence to get out," Tony continued.

"No reporters," Bryant said, "our family does not allow reporters to cover us without permission, in case you forgot."

Tony voiced his opinion again, "What about the guests from Miss Selena's side? I delivered the invitation for Miss Selena's party two weeks ago."

Bryant sighed. "Looks like you haven't updated your database this time, all the invitees are from my side, nobody was invited by Selena, she rejected your post. And the invitation card is over there," Bryant pointed to the corner of the room where two large stacks of boxes stood.

Tony followed Bryant's gaze in silence.

"It's time to go to the hotel," Tony said, glancing at the watch on his right wrist, "you can't be late."

"So soon? It doesn't feel like I'm going to lose my single status in the next three hours." Bryant walked over to a large glass wall that revealed a bright, clear blue sky.

Bryant heard Tony faintly ask the driver to get ready on his cell phone, then turned to face himself in front of a full-length mirror as he straightened his messy hair.

"There's a tailor and a barber waiting at the front desk. Let's go now," said Tony, who was already standing at the open door of the room.

"All right. Let's go now and confirm Selena's presence ourselves."

***

The car was neatly parked in front of the hotel lobby when Tony opened the door for Bryant. He got out of the car while pulling on the jacket he was wearing to make him look neat after sitting in the car for about an hour because he was stuck in heavy traffic.

Bryant entered the hotel building and stood at the elevator door. He had Tony press the button that called for the elevator to pick them up immediately and take them to their destination floor. Arriving at the destination floor, Bryant stepped out of the elevator with confidence and headed for the room where his bride was being made up.

The door opened and Bryant was immediately confronted with the sight of Selena being made up. Her makeup looked unfinished. Selena also hadn't put on her wedding dress yet, but was wearing a sheer nightgown and furry sandals.

"Come to check my presence?" she scoffed. "I thought you had pretty good faith that I would be there."

Selena waved her hand, signaling the makeup artist and other staff to leave the room.

"You too, Tony," Bryant said to Tony, leaving only him and Selena in the room.

"Where did your confidence go?" she asked. She brought her face closer to the vanity mirror to gently comb her thick, curly eyelashes.

"I thought you wouldn't be here," Bryant said, ignoring Selena's accusations. "Actually, you are."

"Don't worry, I'll leave a second before the party starts," Selena said as she looked down at her fingernails, which were covered in clear nail polish with a few tiny gems glittering on them, and finally touched a pink diamond ring that fit her ring finger perfectly.

"No need to waste your time." Bryant looked Selena up and down.

"You spend too much time preparing for what you're not going to do."

"Your panic," Selena looked at Bryant as she grabbed the red lipstick and smeared it on the spot, "is what I want to accomplish. It's an honor for me to make you panic."

"Not at all."

Selena got up from the chair she was occupying, then walked over to her wedding dress, which was neatly displayed on the mannequin, "We don't know for sure, maybe this effect will be felt on another occasion instead of now."

Bryant chuckled slightly. "Get ready, the reception will start soon."

"I told you, I won't be there," Selena said again, still with the same calm, "present or not, it's all the same, we won't be recorded as husband and wife. Nothing is different."

Just as Bryant put his hand on the doorknob, Selena spoke again. And this time Selena managed to stop Her for a moment.

"I hope there will be a woman who can make you realize that you are still a human being who will sooner or later feel lost.

"I hope so."

"Love always comes with fear, remember that."

Bryant closed the door behind him, leaving Selena alone. Bryant looked around as she spoke to the staff who had been waiting outside the room all along, "Come in immediately and continue your work."

"Calm down, won't you?"

Bryant asked Tony,"Selena's here."

"Yes. You're right," Tony nodded his head,"Let me take you to your room."

"Then please go first," Bryant snapped, inviting Tony to stand in front of him.

Tony walked ahead of Bryant and showed him the room where Bryant had been resting while waiting for the party to begin. "You were irritated by Miss Selena?" he asked without looking back and kept walking.

"No, do I look upset?"

"Yes, you look upset," Tony replied after stopping in his tracks and turning to look at Bryant with a blank expression. He opened the door to the hotel room and led Bryant inside.

"I'll wait outside and call you fifteen minutes before the party starts."

"I don't know why you always piss me off without knowing it," Bryant grumbled a second after the door closed.

***

The ringing of the bell snapped Bryant out of his reverie, but didn't rush him to open the door. He was still sitting quietly on the couch overlooking the balcony. His hair was neatly styled, as were his clothes, which had been changed into a wedding suit. He only has to wear a white coat, which was hanging next to the dressing table.

"It's time for you to get downstairs, the party starts in fifteen minutes," Tony said from behind the sofa.

Bryant got up from the sofa and walked over to where his coat was neatly hung. Tony grabbed the suit to help Bryant put it on. Bryant braced himself in the mirror for a moment before leaving the hotel room.

"Would you like to check on Miss Selena's whereabouts first?" he asked. There were only a few doors between Selena's room and their current location.

"No need," Bryant said.

"That's risky," Tony said as he followed Bryant through the tightly closed door of Selena's room.

The two of them arrived at the hotel ballroom, which was already crowded with guests. That's because most guests choose to arrive early rather than get stuck in traffic and arrive late. Bryant made his way through the crowd, or more accurately, the line of guests taking the fifteen available entrees. Bryant waited by the stairs, as he had at the dress rehearsal last night.

After five minutes of waiting, Selena didn't show up as planned. Truth be told, Bryant hated things that didn't go according to plan. He didn't like forcing himself to think of a way out when the time was so close. "Where is he?" asked Bryant without looking at Tony who was standing behind him. He was busy looking around for Selena's presence.

Tony immediately contacted the wedding planner on duty. Shortly thereafter, Tony was seen busily exchanging information with the person on the phone, occasionally nodding his head. Then Tony put the cell phone back in his coat pocket. Tony's look turned serious. "No response from Miss Selena's room."

"See for yourself,"Tony immediately left Bryant quickly.

I don't know where Selena's courage came from this time. It wasn't once or twice that Selena tried to bully him, which always ended in bluffing without doing anything, but this time was different.

Bryant stopped when his cell phone rang, it was Tony's call. Bryant stepped aside to a large pillar so as not to attract the attention of the guests who occasionally approached him to congratulate him.

"The news of your annulment has spread through the electronic media and the source is Miss Selena herself," Tony said quickly but clearly.

"Miss Selena gave the information that she was the one who annulled the marriage," Tony continued. There was a faint sound of the door opening and then Tony's voice came back, "I just came out of Miss Selena's room. There's a white envelope on the dresser."

"Open the envelope, Tony," Bryant ordered. Unconsciously, he sat up.

"Miss Selena's handwriting," Tony said, "I'll take that envelope for you." Tony's voice is very clear and regular. Tony is not a rash person, which is the main reason for Bryant's patience in keeping Tony by his side. Tony, who is very rigid and annoying because he is too honest, is an exception.

"No need," Bryant interrupted quickly, "just read it, now!"

"Good."

Tony's eyeballs moved quickly as he read the entire series of words etched in black ink on the hotel paper. "From what I can tell, Miss Selena

"No, do I look annoyed?"

"Yes, you look annoyed," Tony replied after stopping in his tracks and turning to look at Bryant with a blank expression. He opened the door to the hotel room and led Bryant inside.

"I'll wait outside and call you fifteen minutes before the party starts."

"I don't know why you always piss me off without knowing it,"Bryant grumbled a second after the door closed.

"Wa-wa-wait!" screamed Wanda haltingly.

Wanda tried to let go of the grip of this strange man beside her. Everything happened so fast.

She was escorted back into the party, greeted with applause and party poppers, and then walked down the red carpet accompanied by the romantic song she had been hearing at every party she entered lately. Everything seems to happen in the blink of an eye.

Wanda squinted and tried to clear her vision. The man standing next to her looked like the man she had guessed to be the groom earlier. What had this man done to him?

"Who are you?" asked Wanda quickly, tightening her grip so she wouldn't be carried away by Bryant's firm steps. "Why did you pull me in?"

Bryant was silent, but still pulled Wanda in with more force.

"Why did I go up there?" Wanda asked in a panic as Bryant brought her up to the stage and then smiled at the guests in front of them.

"What are you doing? What does all this mean?" asked Wanda insistently.

Wanda forcibly released Bryant's grip and then slapped him in one swift motion. Even she did not expect it.

Bryant was surprised when the woman in front of him slapped him on the cheek, but he tried his best to keep his expression on his face. Instead, Bryant chose to smile happily before taking Wanda's palm and bringing it to stroke his own cheek. It all ended with an affectionate look and a light laugh.

The host, not seeing the full interaction between the two, made the wrong assumption and laughed out loud before teasing Bryant and Wanda.

"How romantic our bride and groom are! Come on, let's all clap to celebrate our king and queen's wedding day!"

Applause immediately filled the hotel ballroom, covering the voice of Wanda, who was confused and trying to get an answer from Bryant. "What's going on? What's the point of all this? I'm not your bride and you know it," Wanda said quickly.

"Or you really don't know? You can't recognize faces like male actors in some Korean dramas?" continued Wanda with her crazy assumptions.

Bryant wanted to burst out laughing, but he held it in. He just raised an eyebrow.

Wanda looked back at Bryant, trying to get a better look at the face of the man in front of her. The man before her looked familiar, but what Wanda was sure of was that she neither knew nor had any direct contact with Her.

"I'll explain all this to you," Bryant paused with a faint smile, "later."

"No!" Wanda screamed quickly. Her face turned panicked and then she pulled her hand out of Bryant's grip, "I'm going now."

"Sure. You can leave now, but the fact that you often sneak into the weddings of people you don't know will soon get around," Bryant quickly threatened. A friendly smile and a pretense of happiness were still plastered on his face. Only Wanda could see Bryant's true expression, which looked more like a triumphant smile.

"I've never been like this before," Wanda lied. She was trying to hide his panic. How could this man in front of her know that she had been sneaking into other people's weddings so often lately? Is it that obvious when she sneaks into someone's wedding? It shouldn't be!

Wanda is 100% sure that the bride and groom who deliberately invited her to their wedding party might not even remember Wanda's presence. What about the bride whose wedding party Wanda crashed?

"Then," Bryant replied casually. He put his hands behind his back and let Wanda slip out of his grasp so he could take a step back. "One more step and the fact that you stuffed fifty thousand dollars' worth of envelopes at the lavish party of the country's top officials will go viral?"

Wanda opened her mouth, wanting to refute all of Bryant's words, but she couldn't. Wanda closed her eyes and tried to think faster than usual. She exhaled roughly, then fixed her gaze on Bryant, "You."

She sharpened her gaze,"Isn't it you who is in a dangerous situation? It's not right for you to threaten me."

Bryant was stunned, but still held his expression,"Me? I'm not in danger, you are," Bryant shrugged and smiled slightly.

"I'm not on the edge either. Please reveal what you just threatened me with, because it will have no effect on me. No one will believe it, and no one will care, because I am not a person of high standing,"high and important in the eyes of society. There is really nothing to lose.

Correct. Wanda tried to calm herself. She'll only be embarrassed for a day, then she won't be embarrassed anymore. Or worse, she won't be able to sleep for a week. But that's okay, after that, no one will know her anymore, all news about her will be forgotten. Correct. Right. It really doesn't matter.

Bryant raised an eyebrow,"You're sure?"

"Of course, I'm one hundred percent sure. In fact, the one who will be embarrassed is you, the bridegroom without a partner," Wanda threatened, and then smiled faintly without intending to provoke.

"Then I'll tell you everything," Bryant said casually, "right now. Won't we both be embarrassed in the end, hm?"

"Please."

After being invited like that by Wanda, Bryant still didn't open his mouth at all. He remained silent in his current position, ignoring the host who asked them to sit down.

"To avoid embarrassment for both of us, we have to help each other keep our secrets," Bryant said after finding a better way out, negotiation. It seemed he would lose even more if the news got out. It's not like that, but for sure, for sure he will lose.

"You need my help?" asked Wanda, pointing at herself, "after you accused me of infiltrating foreign marriages?"

"I never said that," Bryant said, feigning ignorance.

"If you pretend not to know, then I will pretend not to know either," Wanda said quickly. Goodbye fear!

"Yes, we will just sit quietly for the next two hours. After that, I'll forget what I saw and know about you, and I'd be so grateful,"Bryant said.

"Sure, thank me by letting me go after the next two hours. And pretend you don't know me," Wanda said.

"After that, find your wife quickly. Good luck!"

Bryant led Wanda to the couch, after which they were in their own thoughts. Busy stimulating what will happen next to them.

"What is he doing?" Wanda asked as she saw Tony whispering to the host. They both looked very serious which made Wanda nervous. She's afraid that something she doesn't know or agree with will happen and end up hurting her.

"He's doing what he has to do,"Bryant replied nonchalantly.

"Don't worry,"he added.

"Like what?"asked Wanda again. This time Her eyeballs followed the host as she walked to the center of the stage, right in front of them.

The host cleared her throat and said, "Are our honored guests feeling bored?"

A frown appeared on Wanda's forehead. How could a host create such an atmosphere? Wanda had never seen a host instill negative thoughts into a guest. Oh my!

"I would like to ask our King and Queen to help cheer you up,"she continued, turning to meet Wanda and Bryant's eyes. The smile on the emcee's face was wide and sincere. Wanda looked at Bryant immediately. She used her look to ask for the meaning of the host's words. You man who only wants to profit himself!

"Like this."

Bryant's answer to his question earlier was really too late and didn't help at all. Wanda was really sorry that she had decided to help this selfless man. The intention to help is not profit, but happiness.

"I don't want to,"Wanda crossed her arms over her chest and once again refused to help Bryant.

"I make sure that this is my last request for help. I won't bother you anymore. Helping shouldn't be half measures,"Bryant said, grabbing Wanda's stiff and cold palms.

"Stage fright?"

Wanda just snorted and then stood up too, deliberately stepping on Bryant's feet to reduce his annoyance.

"Step on it until you feel satisfied,"Bryant resigned. He was going to do one more crazy thing, which was to give in so that the woman next to him would agree.

"At this time, I will ask the bride and groom a quick question. I'm sure all of you who came tonight are confused because this beautiful bride has never been exposed with the groom," the host explained at length. Her hands moving back and forth made her look very businesslike and enjoying her work tonight.

Bryant took control of the situation as quickly as he could. Bryant had already taken the microphone that the host had handed over.

"You represented the infotainment hosts to interview me,"Bryant joked, then laughed lightly.

"After this, I don't need any clarification."

The hosts and guests laughed and clapped their hands in delight at Bryant's joke.

"Then tonight I'm going from being the host of the wedding banquet to the host of the gossip show," the host joked.

"As you gentlemen wish,"she added with a seductive wink.

Bryant was flattered by the emcee skills she had hired. She was so good at hosting events, not stiff at all. She's also good at dealing with situations and handling them very, very quickly.

Bryant turned to look at Wanda for a moment before returning to the front.

"I'd better let my wife introduce herself first, because only she knows how much she has to tell you,"Bryant handed the microphone to Wanda. He did this because he didn't know the name of the woman in front of him! Fortunately, the solution was quick and accurate.

Wanda immediately racked her brain as she slowly received the microphone. Should she say her real name? No, right? But what name should he use? She can't use her middle name, because it's her pen name! Wanda Elka Pangestu.

Wanda glanced at Bryant's expression before bringing the microphone to his mouth. As her lips parted, Bryant hugged her waist tightly, then whispered in her ear,"Tell me your pseudonym so it can't be easily traced.

"My name is Wanda,"Wanda said quickly, immediately handing the microphone back to Bryant.

Bryant stared at the microphone in his hand, then joked back when he was ready.

"That's what my wife looks like, closed up," Bryant squeezed his arms from the side, "Darl, I hope this secret of yours makes me the only man in the world who knows you best."

The first applause and cheers came from the emcee.

"Turns out the bride meant it! Lucky you,"the emcee opened his lips again, "Is the false news about the woman you are going to marry and the name on the invitation card your wish?"

Bryant chuckled,"Really, the message and the invitation card mix-up were completely against our will."

Bryant finished his sentence before quickly kissing Wanda on the cheek, "The gossip about me and Selena spread so quickly beyond both of our predictions. My extended family, as well as Wanda's family, never wanted to be exposed to the mass media, so we prefer not to clarify anything that would end up exposing us more frequently."

Bryant's expression turned serious, "However, things got even more complicated, somehow a misunderstanding occurred that was too late to realize. My closeness to Selena, which had been publicized in the mass media, distorted other people's memories so that the invitation card was printed in Selena's name two weeks ago and immediately distributed by the printers who were also in charge of the mailing. We wanted to do it all, but in the end we decided not to. Sounds cliché, but my wife is the best wife.

Wanda snorted. This man next to her turned out to be an impostor. If the man next to His was a screenwriter, he would be famous. All the fake stories he tells are coherent and full of mystery.

"How come? Aren't you jealous or disappointed? Why are you so resigned?" the host asked Wanda. This forced Wanda to look ahead, at the guests present.

Looks like now is the right time to unleash all the power of imagination he has. After all, they will not meet again.

"I was jealous, disappointed and angry. I didn't give up at all, I rebelled, annoyed," Wanda replied, looking at Bryant with an annoyed look, "but what can I do? It's better to skip some problems so that other problems don't arise. Don't you know by now that I am the legal wife of...?"

Wanda's sentence stopped when she realized that she did not know the name of the man next to her.

"That annoying guy," Wanda continued after a few seconds of silence.

"Is annoying man your nickname?"the host asked with a teasing smile.

"Sure," Wanda replied without hesitation.

"A nickname for a man who won't change his bride's name just because he doesn't want to have anything to do with the public."

"How is that? It turns out you are angry!"

After that, Wanda decided to sit back on the sofa in the middle of the stage and let Bryant feign regret and play a romantic song for her. The man's fingers danced on the piano keys, emitting melodious tones that made everyone believe that one second after the song was over... Wanda and Bryant would be reconciled, forgetting the problems that had occurred before the wedding.

"Already. It's done,"Wanda said, waving her hand at Bryant, who was in the process of removing his black bow tie.

"Yes, it's done,"Bryant extended his hand to Wanda.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"Forget you ever saw me sneak into a stranger's party as an expression of your gratitude," Wanda quickly replied, taking Bryant's outstretched hand.

"Of course I'll forget about the fifty grand too," Bryant teased as he sat down on the couch in his hotel room.

"How do you know?"she asked.

"I'll tell you when I see you again, and if I'm helped again,"Bryant raised both eyebrows before chuckling.

Wanda cleared her throat, trying to reduce her nervousness,"I'm not curious either."

"It's a good thing you're not curious. Then Tony will drive you home,"Bryant instructed Tony to escort Wanda out of her room.

"No need, I can walk home myself,"Wanda said quickly. She immediately grabbed her purse from Tony and walked out the door alone.

"Even better,"Bryant held up his hands as if to allow Wanda to make up her own mind.

Wanda left Bryant's room and took the elevator down, followed by Tony, "I think I asked you not to take me home. Shouldn't we have some privacy so that neither party wins or loses unilaterally?"

"Sure. I'll just walk you to the lobby."

Wanda nodded her head in resignation, then stepped out of the elevator as soon as the door opened. She took a wide step toward one of the cabs that stopped in front of the lobby door.

Not long after the taxi in which Wanda was riding disappeared from sight, Tony spotted a man wearing closed clothes and a camera hanging from his neck getting into a black van that immediately sped off in pursuit of the taxi in which Wanda was riding.

This can't be happening!

Bryant's cell phone rang, causing Bryant to move his hand to reach for the phone on the nightstand. Tony. What happened to make Tony call him? Instead of meeting him in the room? Bryant answered the call with only a grunt.

"Miss Wanda was followed by someone I believe to be a journalist,"the short sentence immediately raised Bryant's eyebrows. Followed by journalists? How could that be?

"How come? Aren't you the one who took him home?" asked Bryant, somewhat surprised, this was the first time Tony had been negligent in his duties.

"I didn't take Miss Wanda home," Tony replied a little loudly because the sound of other vehicles was so obvious. He was having trouble even hearing his own voice, let alone Bryant's.

"Don't tell me you're after them?" Bryant decided to leave the room for the balcony. The room suddenly felt stuffy, he needed fresh air to solve the problem that was happening again...Of course I'll catch up with Miss Wanda's taxi and the black van that followed," Tony explained. "Sorry, I have to hang up the phone first."

At that moment, Tony and Bryant's phone lines were cut off. Bryant left everything to Tony. Not because he was too relaxed and irresponsible, but because Tony was more responsible than he was. So he let Tony do his thing.

He had to think about the next steps for his and Wanda's marriage. He should not voluntarily dig his grave any deeper. He really needed to find the best way out.

***

Tony received another call immediately after hanging up the phone with Bryant. He hoped it was from the cab Wanda was in.

"Yes," he replied as he turned the wheel to follow the two cars in front of him. He didn't try to get ahead of them because he still didn't know where Wanda was going.

"Grand Spark Apartments," Tony repeated as he began to pull ahead of the other two cars.

Tony parked the car in the basement of the apartment building and then walked with wide steps to the elevator in the lobby. He needed to be faster than the reporter to secure Wanda.

Tony's steps widened as he recognized Wanda from a distance. It was true that the people following Wanda were journalists because Tony knew them well. The journalist who had always been around the top class and yes... the most annoying journalist this year. The most ambitious journalist in his field, Jeremi.

When Jeremi hid behind a large pillar of the hotel while he was fixing his hat and mask, Tony immediately pulled Wanda away from there. The two of them walked out of the apartment building and made their way down the stairs to the basement.

"Who are you? What are you doing?"asked Wanda as she struggled to free Tony's hand from her wrist while her other hand was busy clutching her purse and blazer.

"I'm Tony," Tony replied as he opened the car door for Wanda.

"Oh, you. Isn't my business with you guys done? What more do you need from me?"asked Wanda without intending to get in. She pressed her body against the car so that even if she was forced to enter, Wanda would have a handle.

"You're being followed by reporters, you better get in first so we can get out of here quickly and avoid trouble,"Tony pointed into the car and motioned for Wanda to get in immediately.

"Turns out it wasn't just my hunch. I felt someone following me,"Wanda said as she lowered her head into the car. Once inside, Wanda fixed her eyes on Tony's back,"Where am I being taken?"

Tony buckled his seat belt, then looked back at Wanda through the windshield, "I'm taking you back to the hotel."

When Wanda started to cut him off, Tony continued his sentence more firmly, "It's better to be near Mr. Bryant, at least for the foreseeable future you both will avoid unpleasant news."

Wanda thought for a moment, then nodded her head in agreement, "Sure, I'm known to some as his wife, so it's safer to be around her."

Tony smiled slightly at Wanda's decision and then drove the car back to the hotel.

"Sure, you really have an open mind, so it's easy for you to listen to other people's suggestions,"Tony praised.

Tony thought Wanda wasn't talking to him because he was busy looking out the window. It turned out that when the car stopped at a red light, Wanda opened her lips and asked in a somewhat reluctant but demanding tone, "What happened to him?Tony raised his eyebrows then looked at Wanda from the main mirror, "Who?" The question left Tony's lips not because he pretended not to know who Wanda was asking, but because Tony really didn't know. Wanda's question was too ambiguous. Who was Wanda asking?

"His future wife,"Wanda replied after a moment of silence.

"It would be wiser for Mr. Bryant to explain it to you later."

This sentence ended their conversation. Occasionally Wanda looked as if she wanted to ask a question, but she always refused.

***

Wanda studied Tony standing right in front of her. Tony is tall and broad shouldered, though not muscular and rather thin. Tony pressed the bell a few times and then held up the hotel card. This made Wanda jump. Why would Tony ring the bell if he had a key to the hotel room? How strange.

Tony opened the door and let Wanda in first, followed by himself, who came back to check the atmosphere outside the hotel room before closing the meeting door.

Actually, Wanda was a little worried because she had never been in a hotel room with a man before. Meanwhile, this time she was in a hotel room with two men at the same time.

Wanda's image of a handsome man with his back to her through a wall-sized window was shattered when she found Bryant sitting on a desk chair with her legs propped up on the table and his mouth wide open. Bryant was fast asleep, too fast! It seemed the man was really tired.

Tony walked over to Bryant and tapped him lightly on the shoulder while holding the back of the chair so that Bryant wouldn't fall backwards when he got up. From what Wanda saw, it could be inferred that Bryant was a man who woke up instantly. The proof, the man did not look surprised, nor was he still half asleep. The man immediately became one hundred percent awake and then brushed his hair.

A mischievous smile immediately appeared on his face when he saw Wanda standing on the other side of the desk.

"We meet again."

Wanda stared blankly at Bryant, "Just happened. Against my will."

"Yeah, that's right. I didn't think any journalists would be interested in what happened today," Bryant said. He walked over to Wanda with a sweet smile.

"Please solve this problem right away. I don't want any more journalists following me," Wanda said. He wants nothing to do with the media, not because of this problem and not because of his work as a writer. He wants to live a quiet and comfortable life behind the scenes. He can move around as usual and no one knows him. It was the most comfortable thing Wanda could think of.

"I doubt it," Tony interjected. Tony handed Bryant his cell phone, then explained briefly while letting Bryant read it, too. Wanda could only hear the rest of their conversation.

"Difficult?"she asked.

"What's wrong? What happened?"Tony looked up from the phone screen.

"Yes. The news about Jeremi was all over social media. The news about you returning to the apartment after the wedding, leaving Mr. Bryant alone in the hotel, and the news about the possibility that this marriage was a sham."

"Jeremy?" asked Wanda, one eyebrow raised.

"The name of the journalist who followed you earlier," Tony explained quickly.

"I'd better book you a room across from Mr. Bryant's so you can get some rest without arousing suspicion."

"I have to go home soon, I have work to finish," Wanda said. Really, he had to finish the last chapter of his novel tonight.

Tony looked at Bryant and tried to guess what was on Bryant's mind.

"Just stay in the front room tonight. Consider it my thanks for your help today," Bryant said with a friendly smile.

"No, thank you. I really need to get home now. I think my help is enough for you and I don't need your return. I don't need to stay in a hotel," Wanda refused again.

"If you really don't mind being followed by journalists, who probably have more than they used to, then go,"Bryant said, trying to pull at the invisible rope between them.

Wanda was silent. She tried to consider several conditions and risks in the future.

Seeing Wanda's silence, Bryant began to feel calm. There was a possibility that Wanda was thinking about what she had just said.

"I'll do you another favor by staying across from your room, but on one condition,"Wanda offered. She felt that this was the best consideration for both of them. Bryant could survive the gossip, and maybe he could get some ideas for his next novel.

"What do you want in return?"

"Tell me the reason for your bride's absence today,"Wanda replied, "and allow me to get my laptop."

"Easy. I will do both of your things,"Bryant shoved his hands into his pants pockets and leaned his hips against the desk behind him.