Contractually Yours

28- Part I• Three Words, Eight Letters

🔹️🔹️Crystal Russell 🔹️🔹️

'BUSINESSMAN ALAN MARSHALL EXPOSED OF HIS SCAMS'

The same headlines all over the news. Alan Marshall had scammed a number of people and was involved in illegal businesses. The shares of his company were falling down ridiculously and his house was raided, leaving him on the streets.

I turned off the TV, having enough of it. His downfall was giving me a ray of satisfaction but that made me feel like a terrible person, even though he absolutely deserved it.

It was just then when I heard the door click and Adrien walked in. He grinned widely upon seeing me. The sun hadn't set yet and he was home early.

"Hey! How was your day?" He asked.

"Good. How about yours?"

"Awesome." He pecked my lips while smiling ear to ear and a smile automatically made its way to me. He walked inside the room and meanwhile I scrolled on pinterest for ideas for the upcoming event at work. Few minutes later, he came back and sat across from me on the couch.

"Did you see the news?" He asked, stretching his arms behind his head.

"Yes." I answered. The mere name of that man made me feel uneasy. I looked down to my phone. Adrien noticed my discomfort and didn't talk further but I wanted to get some answers.

"Was it you?" I asked. He looked at me and took a deep breath.

"Yes. It was me." His jaw clenched as he glared at the floor. "I couldn't let him go with what he had done." The anger in his voice that he was trying to control had me flinch slightly. But it was my heart that did somersaults inside my ribs at what he did for me.

"How did you..." I trailed off, knowing he would understand my questions.

"I had started an investigation against him the day I took over the company. Finally when we got enough proof, I got them anonymously leaked to the media and legislatures. They did the rest of the work." He shrugged and put the ankle of his one leg on the knee of the other.

"So much for vengeance." I chuckled humorlessly and Adrien narrowed his eyes at me.

"He had it coming. He should be glad that I spared his life." There was so much venom in Adrien's tone that it made me wonder if he had actually tried to get him killed. Not that he wasn't capable of it.

The next few seconds were filled with silence before Adrien spoke. "Another big news, Anna's art gallery is opening today and we are expected at the inauguration." The information made me beam.

"That's great. She was so excited to make it happen."

"I know. We'll leave in two hours."

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Huge rounds of applause and hoots surrounded us as Tyler and Anna cut the ribbon of her gallery. She was on cloud 9 with Tyler hugging the life out of her. Congratulating her, all the guests walked inside.

Moving around, there were extraordinary pieces of art hung on the large walls that had me gawking at them. But out of all, my eyes fell on one painting that caught my attention.

It was a silhouette of a couple kissing in the rain. And right then, certain sweet memories ran into my mind. Our first kiss. I still remember the rush of blood I had in me. The way my heart beat faster than ever. The feeling of his closeness to me. I felt everything.

A pair of arms slid around my waist and I knew who it was. Adrien rested his head on my shoulder and I leaned back on him.

"Thinking about me?" He asked cockily and I bit back a smile and rolled my eyes before nudging my chin at the painting. "Ring a bell?" I asked.

He nuzzled closer, eyes on the painting. "You know, in the beginning of our marriage, I considered our story as a comedy or maybe a tragedy." I giggled at that. "But it wasn't long before I had started to think otherwise. I had started to think of it as our fate. Or at least I wished it was." I turned my head slightly towards him as he looked straight at the painting. "It was the moment when every fiber in my body wanted to claim you as mine." My heart beat frantically when he tilted his head and his eyes met mine. "If I had to relive one moment for the rest of my life, it would be this one."

That's it.

There was something ready on the tip of my tongue that I wanted to scream out to him.

Three words. Eight letters.

I love you.

Wait, what?

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The shortest chapter so far. I kinda wanted to have a cliffhanger. 

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Lots of Love